How can a 62-pound 8-year-old and a 45-pound 6-year-old command a 1,000-pound Quarter Horse to follow them around an arena, trot, and stop without uttering a word? The equine communication session was just one of the magical horsemanship lessons that James and Charlotte, my grandchildren, experienced at Salamander Middleburg Resort, Virginia, 40 miles from Washington, D.C. Even though I have ridden horses for decades, the resort’s class gave me a new way of looking at horses and set James and Charlotte up for success as equestrians.
“Participants learn that they can impact the horse by shifting their energy and body language,” said Ashley Farrell, Salamander Middleburg’s equestrian director. “I show what these mean and also translate what all of the horse’s body language cues mean.”
