Clan of the Horses

- Good ridning means that you stop disturbing the horse, and that is one thing I find it important to tell everybody; get out of the way, cause you are the problem, says Arne Koets, who during his five years as a rider and curator at the Fürstliche Hofreitschule in Bückeburg truly started to master the art of riding and the High School movements. He is a very versatile trainer and a full-time professional instructor in HEMA (Historical European Martial Art). Photo: Matilde Brandt

- Rather than focussing on the footfall of your horse, feel the rhythm in the movement of his spine. It is like the rhythm of a song, and you can move with it, says Jeff Sanders. Photo: Amanda Melchior.

- We have a running joke in the US about how California and Texas got into a fight about horsemanship and Texas won, says trainer Jeff Sanders.

- Offering our horses scentwork and exploration exercises not only reduces stress and make them more confident. It can also be a brilliant tool when horses struggle with what we often refer to as behaviour problems, says the Dutch trainer Rachaël Draaisma.

- We’ve been conditioned that many behaviours exhibited by the ridden horse are normal, when they are in fact often a reflection of underlying musculoskeletal pain. And if we resolve the pain, the behaviours will disappear, says veterinarian and Equine Orthopeadic Specialist Sue Dyson.

- What I teach can be tricky to teach people because they often expect a series of steps, but what I try to teach them is how to be more aware, more intuitive and more creative, says horse trainer Amy Skinner.

In today's episode you'll meet Turid Rugaas and Rachaël Draaisma who will shed some light on equine calming signals. Photo: Anne Lill Kvam.

- Being the leader is not being the boss. A true leader is the servant of the follower. You serve everyone and everything but yourself. That's when riding is fun. When you do it as a service to everything around you - including your horse, says Arne Koets, who teach and practice historical dressage and mounted combat.

- This dynamic riding style is very seat-orientated and advocates a light hand. Much like guiding your partner through the steps of a tango, it is all about directing energy into harmonic motions, a dance of horse and rider.