Playing with horses in their own space

I have recently been playing with my horses in their pasture, taking advantage of the natural obstacles to challenge our communication skills and increase our mutual trust. We have walked and trotted sideways over logs and creeks, squeezed between tree trunks and under a tarp, practiced traveling circles on a point-to-point course, and more.

The horses are enjoying the novelty of playing in a different yet familiar place, and I find that my own imagination and creativity have been inspired by the change of environment. Even the horses that I’m not playing with get into the spirit of things and tend to follow us from obstacle to obstacle. Maybe they are getting some ideas to use in their own horseplay when we aren’t around. Food for thought!