Natural
What does that mean to me, to me it gives the significance of Mother Nature in world that is free and forgiving. Flowers, tree's, the air that we breathe, smells and sights that blossom each day without the interference of man (or woman). Nature in the horse .. Instinct, intuition, bonding, senses, touch, feel, instinctive, alive. Using understanding and psychology to communicate rather than force, fear and intimidation. A vision of Natural is seeing a new born foal and its mother out in the meadow with no interference allowing a new life to start with true natural guidance with an abundance of love, a clear language and true leadership.

Horsemanship...
How do I see this? First we take the word horse then the word man (as in human) and look into the worlds of both. The communication between the horse and the man, how can we even start, where do we look?
Over 2000 years ago man decided to look upon the horse as his friend, taking in the horses trust and then taking the steps to learn about the horse to then deciding to sit upon this powerful yet gentle animal. Taking into consideration that communication was the first tool to a relationship and that learning how to communicate with the horse was the first vital step. The horse already knows how to walk, trot canter, yield, back up and do spins, it was down to man to learn how to stay in tune with the horse and learn how to request the horse to do these manoeuvres when asked using their language without force, micro management and brutality.
To have the horse dance under the stars with the human because a relationship is formed and a bond exists to where they both wish to please each other. From the word relationship we take the last four letters and bind them with horse and man to form "Horsemanship"

A relationship between the horse and man made possible through natural understanding and psychology and playing together in a unique and fascinating environment. The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, and survival of the relationship between the Horse and the Man.

Natural Horsemanship Putting together Natural and Horsemanship gives us what we would like to achieve, a relationship with the horse in its most natural state. Horses interact with each other using sounds in the form of neighs, snorts and squeals and body language such as head snaking, ear and eye movements, the raising of a hind leg, pawing of the front legs etc. This psychology is used to manipulate and influence one another, showing emotional and behavioural characteristics.
The horse uses a series of phrases starting with very subtle signals and increasing until giving a final warning. It is these subtle signals in the horse's body language that we learn to intercept and thus start to communicate with the horse naturally.

Natural Horsemanship as said by Pat Parelli "Is so old it's new" is so true to form. It is only recently that we are starting to realise just what we in the 21st century can achieve from the horse without the use of gadgets and micro management. Professional riders use a system of horsemanship in their work regime combined with classic training and with positive results.

Pat and Linda Parelli have devised a learning system for people to study at home in their own time at their leisure to learn how to develop the skills in communicating with the horse. This system is as we know it is called "Parelli Natural Horse-Man-Ship"

It is not about tricks and performing for an audience, it's not about waving sticks, prodding and poking the horse. It's not about force and making the horse do things it is uncomfortable with.
It is about using ground preparation, learning to see when the horse is acceptable of the rider, learning the horse's emotional state, reading the horse. Horse's have three patterns, Fright, Flight and Fight.
They get scared and run and then as a last resort will fight to survive. A horse wants only to feel safe and comfortable. What we need to remember is that the horse is a living animal with feelings and they are not our enemy, there is no such thing as a bad horse only a bad handler.

Natural Horsemanship for me is about forming a relationship with my horse far beyond my expectations. No matter how strong you think your relationship is with your horse, by using natural methods you will begin to understand just what a true and meaningful relationship is really about.