The Horseman's Dance: From Basics To Brilliance

SIMPLE EXERCISES FOR A FOUNDATION BASED ON FEEL

Horses live and breathe through movement. It's their natural way and they never lie with their feet. They are moving, feeling creatures, tuned to comfort and the pull of their herd. Unless they see their human as a leader and trusted partner, instinct will always win out.

THE HORSEMAN'S DANCE

The Horseman’s Dance is built on four simple exercises—Mini Circle, Straight Lines, Serpentines, and Transitions. They’re the building blocks of everything you do with a horse, from groundwork to riding to liberty. Like words forming phrases, these moves start a true conversation with your horse.

Learning to get each piece in order and doing them well creates consistency between horse and human, so you both know the plan. Then, by adding flow and moving from one exercise to another, and eventually making these movements bigger and in new environments, you prepare your horse for the adversity of real life—especially if you want to get out and have fun!

START CLOSE, THEN GROW

Start close on the ground, where you can be effective and remain connected. Then gradually move to riding. It won’t feel perfect at first, and that’s okay. Stop chasing perfection. The real lesson lives in the transitions between exercises, where your horse tells you what’s working and what isn’t. Pay attention, learn, and keep moving.

When you build flow, you’ll begin to plan ahead, break patterns, and reduce your horse’s anticipation. This is where you and your horse stay “in feel”—a place of relaxation, connection, and seamless movement from one exercise to the next.

EMBRACE THE ROUGH SPOTS

Sometimes you need to embrace the rough spots to learn. Ask yourself: What part got stuck? Was I unclear in my aids or tool handling? Or off in my timing? Or was my horse sticky on the off side, or reluctant to move forward near a scary corner? The answers become your guide.

CONNECTION IN THE REAL WORLD

These basics form the base of your foundation as you and your horse move up the Training Scale. At first, your ask is simple: just path and speed. Then you add bend and balance. Later, flexion, impulsion, and eventually collection.

Each new layer you add within these four core exercises doesn’t just build skill. It deepens connection.

With every step, your horse gains more balance, more relaxation, and more power. That’s the kind of foundation that leads to a true partnership, and it’s where the fun and the amazing feel with your horse really begin.

When you can run these four exercises anywhere—arena, pasture, new facility, or trail—you’ve built something solid. You’ve taught your horse to stay with you when instincts pull, to search for answers instead of reacting, and to move with balance and purpose no matter the distraction.

It’s not luck that keeps you connected when real-world challenges come. It’s the result of a foundation you’ve earned together and one that holds steady when the wind picks up, the herd calls, or the pressure is on.

Your Next Step: Learn The Horseman’s Dance, from ground to saddle—inside Course 1.