Many years ago, while I was on the road teaching clinics around the country, I experienced a moment that changed my approach to horsemanship forever. I was in Illinois, working with a nice young woman who asked me a question that stopped me in my tracks: “How did you get your horse to track you like that? He watches you wherever you go.”

At the time, I didn’t know I was doing anything special. The horse she was referring to was Buckeye, a young QH gelding who had been a tough start. He was hypervigilant and super sensitive, so things took a long time. By the time he was four, he was prepared to handle the unpredictability of clinic trips. He’d become an emotional support horse and an "even keel" for demonstrations.

When the young woman asked me how I got him to track me, my answer was vague: “It’s the sum total of all the things we’ve done to get him prepared to operate confidently and safely in the human world as a riding horse.” But that wasn’t entirely true. Plenty of well-trained riding horses don’t track their humans like Buckeye did.

Her question lingered in my mind for years. I needed to understand what I was doing and how to teach it deliberately. It took me about 10 years of reflection and practice to figure it out.

During my journey, I recalled advice from my mentor, Jim. He once quoted Ray Hunt: “Get that horse so he’d rather be with you than anywhere else, and keep that working for you.” I began to understand that this was about getting, keeping, and directing the horse's attention—also known as "getting the horse with you" and "getting his mind."

Your horse's ability to have their attention gotten, kept, and directed is what makes them safer, more confident, handier, and more fun to be around. It’s not luck that creates this.

When we approach our horse work by getting, keeping, and directing attention systematically, we build better communication and understand when to do more/get bigger, when to do less/get smaller, when to pause, and when to change the subject. Your horse becomes a clear feedback device, teaching you what to do and how. Once this attention is established, everything else you want to build with your horse becomes much easier and possible.

This essential skill is something you and your horse can learn, practice and achieve together. You can do it, and I am here to help you! Throughout "The Attention Course" I will guide you step-by-step through the foundational techniques necessary to achieve the partnership you’ve always dreamed of.

Let’s build this foundational skill together, so you can take it with you wherever you go with your horse and to whatever task you ask of him.

Warmly,

Kathleen Beckham