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of this rider-influence is that it was noninterfering. With Flamenco, there was noway forward without his consent. If thebit was wrong (although it was little morethan a presence), if the saddle didn%u2019t fit, ifhe wasn%u2019t comfortable, communicationwas blocked. Many horses don%u2019t complain. Theysubmit to force. Maybe they try to complain or resist but give up. They endurepain and loss of heart. Animation is notnecessarily free of fear. It may be, can be,should be an expression of joy. Flamenco%u2019s mother, his grandmother and hisgrandsires were abundantly endowedwith the joy of movement and the willingness to be cheerful, compliant partners.Sadly, bad men destroyed the stallions%u2019good will and health. This was not goingto happen to Flamenco. After the initialfearless young cowboy left, Flamenco unseated two subsequent trainers Flamenco taught me subtleties of communication I%u2019d overlooked with otherhorses. If I pushed for too much too soon,he was ready to fight about it. KnowingI%u2019d lose, I learned to pay close attention towhat he was communicating, to negotiate,and try to win his agreement. In the beginning, a friend always worried watching me saddle up. She recognized his wildside and the colt%u2019s rare character. But wemade progress. The body language that Ipractice made Flamenco feel like doingwhat I was asking.One day, Flamenco decided the commotion of nearby construction was toodangerous to approach, much less walkpast. I turned around. Any measure ofpressure would have intensified the issue.This didn%u2019t mean that Flamenco had suddenly become the boss. It meant his realfear had been communicated. I listened.We could dial back to where he felt safe20 Arizona Horse Connection July, 2026OCTOBER 10, 2026horseswithheartaz.org/2026-barrels-polescontinued on page 22