Week 2 Influence, Energy, and Intention

Welcome to Week Two. Let’s Explore Influence, Energy, and Intention

This week, we’re shifting our focus from balance to something just as powerful,  how we influence our horse through presence, emotion, and intention.

But influence isn’t about control. It’s about connection.

Horses are incredibly sensitive to energy. They respond not just to what we do, but to how we are; our focus, our routine, our inner state. They pick up on tension, but they also respond to calm. And when we show up with clarity and kindness, they offer us trust.

Together, we’ll explore:

• How your horse might experience training and communication from their side

• What it means to ride with intention, not just instruction

• And how your energy shapes the partnership you’re building

This week offers space to reflect, to experiment, and to consider your partnership from both perspectives, horse and rider.

Understanding Your Horse’s Energy & Perspective

When we ride, we often focus on what we want to achieve our goals, our plans, our cues.

But this week, I’d like to flip the perspective.

Let’s pause to consider how things feel for your horse.

What are they picking up from you your energy, your intention, your focus?

And what might they be trying to communicate in return?

This week is about becoming more aware of the emotional undercurrents in your partnership. Think less about control, more about connection. It’s not about doing more. It’s about noticing more.

We’ll start by observing your horse’s energy patterns when they feel relaxed, reactive, curious, or uncertain. Then we’ll begin to notice how your own energy and focus might influence that state, even in subtle ways.

How Your Energy Shapes the Ride

Working with horses isn’t just about what we say or do, it’s about what we bring into the space.

Some days, we show up with calm and clarity. Other days, there’s tension, distraction, or emotion we’re not even fully aware of.
And your horse notices.

This card is an invitation to check in with yourself, and with your horse.
What energy are you arriving with today?
What do you notice in your horse when you soften your focus, breathe more deeply, or simply pause?

Taking a few moments to centre yourself can help your horse settle too.
When you ride with calm, clarity, and consistency, you create space for your horse to respond with trust.

Try It: Ride with Feel, Focus, and Flow

Let’s explore how subtle shifts in energy and intention can shape your connection.

Try this simple but powerful exercise:

• Ride a 20-metre circle in free walk.

• Or, if your horse is ready, ride the same circle in a stretching trot, encouraging them to lengthen their neck and take the rein forward.

• Tune into your horse’s rhythm, the balance between you, and the quiet conversation happening through feel.

Then, experiment with a downward transition:

• Take a gentle breath in

• Think “half halt” without using your reins

• If in trot, try slowing your rise gradually to invite a walk

This isn’t about precision. It’s about connection, those small, shared signals that build trust and understanding, one thoughtful moment at a time.

Tuning into Your Equi-Impulse

Equi-Impulse is a word I use to describe that quiet moment when horse and rider move as one not through force or perfection, but through feel.

It’s that instinctive awareness you begin to develop when you ride with empathy, curiosity, and a willingness to listen.
Noticing a shift in energy.
Sensing when to ask.
Knowing when to pause.

This isn’t about doing more it’s about deepening your sensitivity and trust in the small signals between you and your horse.

As you explore this week’s theme, try asking yourself:

• When do I feel most connected to my horse?

• What subtle signs or shifts do I notice before I act?

• How do I respond when something doesn’t go as planned?

You don’t need to have all the answers. But the more you reflect, the more your awareness grows and that’s where Equi-Impulse begins to take shape. What did you discover this week? Did you notice a moment of true connection, softness, or clarity? Head to the Rider Lounge and share your experience.