THE EIGHT PRINCIPLES OF TAIJI HORSEMANSHIP

1.  To every action there is a reaction

2.  Stillness enhances teaching and learning

• The best way to teach is to effectively communiacte 
• If you are reacting you are not effectively communicating 
• Communication is enhances training and teaching 
• The best way to learn or accomplish something is to focus 
• If you are reacting to a distraction it is difficult to focus 
• Focus enhances learning 
• When distractions are reduced there is stillness 
• With Stillness both teaching and learning are enhanced 

3.  To train we move from Stillness to Movement to Stillness to Movement …….

• We first achieve stillness.  
• We teach a small skill  and refine the communication to achieve the skill as we return to stillness. 
• We repeat this process to teach another skill and another skill   

4.  Every great accomplish is the result of learning a series of simple skills 

• It is use of these simple skills together that we are able to learn more complex kills
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• Combine the simpler skills you can teach more complex skills always refining the communication required to obtain a result as we return to stillness. 
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• The end result is the training of complex tasks executed with the simplest of communication 

5.      Taiji horsemanship embraces progressive  levels of communication

• Ask, Tell and Make 
• Only do you move to a more aggressive form of communication when you are sure that 

        A.    The horse has been given the basic skills to be able to be able to do what is being asked

        B.     That you have clearly communicated what it is that you are asking them to do (Beating a horse is not an effective way to teach them to ground tiee

• The goal with training to achieve  a desired result with the subtlest  of communication.

6.  Perfect balance and harmony results in achievement of  the “supreme ultimate”. 

• Supreme Ultimate can be the ultimate achievement of any goal or tasks and will be different for every single person.   

7.   Open your mind to the possibility of…..

8.    Skills, goals and accomplishments should  evolve, continually giving birth to new ideas and  skills.  

• Every single persons “supreme ultimate”  will change and evolve, as they change and evolve thus constantly giving birth to new skills.