There are many people who love horses but for many reasons choose not to ride.
The Non-Ridden Equine Association started in the UK and now has chapters world-wise. There’s no web page but there is an active FB group: The Non-Ridden Equine
Playing games with your horse on the ground is another way to enjoy him without being in the saddle. Agility, popular in the canine world, is also catching on with horse people. The International Horse Agility Club (FB Group: The International Horse Agility Club) www.thehorseagilityclub.com.
Horses are also used for personal development, corporate team-building, and therapeutic sessions to treat trauma and physically and mentally challenged clients and patients. The largest and best-known groups are: EAGALA: Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. (FB Group: Eagala Network. This is the umbrella group. Some regions have their own FB page.) www.EAGALA.org
Equine Experiential Education Association. (FB Group: Equine Experiential Education Association (E3A) http://e3assoc.org
A new trend in the non-riding world is to create an environment that closely mimics conditions in the wild. Often referred to as “Paddock Paradise” it is designed to allow horses to live as ‘naturally’ as they would in the wild, but with the security of adequate feed, water, and veterinary care. Information is found at: Association for the Advancement of Natural Horse Care Practices www.aanhcp.net. Paddock Paradise is the ‘practical application’ wing of AANHCP. www.paddockparadise.net (FB Group: Paddock Paradise USA).
If the idea intrigues you, here are a few YouTube videos that demonstrate how tracks were planned and developed.
This is from Red Gate Farm in Illinois. Owner Sean Danielle takes a walking tour of the system with details of how and why it is designed and how it works for both the horses and the people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHurNwnRINE
This is from Gydjulind, a lady from The Netherlands. This is very detailed with drawing of her layout and tour of her system for caring for her Icelandic ponies on just 2 acres. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Js4eKkpqs
More and more study is being done on equine communication. Sharon Wilsie is the premier researcher in this. Her books are “Horse Speak: The Equine-Human Translation Guide,” “Horses in Translation,” and “Essential Horse Speak” Continuing the Conversation.” In addition to the print books, there are e-book versions, DVDs and a streaming version. Available through www.horseandriderbooks.com (FB Group: Sharon Wilsie) Website: www.sharonwilsie.com
