Introducing Kjrsos Magazine, Volume 13:

The Path of Connection and Understanding

 Are you searching for a clearer, more direct path to a true partnership with your horse?

This issue is a guide to cutting through the noise and focusing on the foundational principles that truly matter. 
It's about moving from a mindset of "what to do" to a deeper understanding of "how to be" with your horse.

Inside this volume, you will learn:

• Rider-Induced Biomechanics on the Horse's Back: The most critical piece of the puzzle is discovering how the rider is the single most influential factor on the ridden horse's back and what that means to the horses. 
• It isn't as Different as We Think: We think the world of the rider and the world of the equine facilitator as separate practices. But for those who have walked these paths, a quiet dissonance begins to emerge in that thought. Challenging the very labels we use. Seeing whispers of a single, unified path that lies beneath the two we thought were separate..
• How Many Leg Aids Do You Know?: Why is it that we know any number of rein aids, but most people only refer to one leg aid? What are we missing?
• The Profound Dilemma: Students come to us struggling. Looking for the key to unlocking the next level of their journey. Our first instinct is to give them our most expert-level answer. The Kjrsos way, however, asks us to practice a more difficult and patient art: the art of Progressive Disclosure.

Volume 13 provides a clear, purposeful framework for riders, teachers, and facilitators who want to replace confusion with clarity and learning to understand what is happening here with our horses. It’s about building a partnership based on sound biomechanics and a quiet, profound dialogue.

When We Don't Respect The Miracle of the Horizontal Pupil

What does it do to the horses when their vision is deliberately obstructed? This isn't a hypothetical. This is the reality we impose on horses, often unknowingly, when we interfere with one of their most crucial survival mechanisms: their remarkable vision. We have a responsibility to do better.

The Kjrsos Art of Progressive Disclosure

As guides, we often face a profound dilemma. A student, full of trust and ambition, comes to us struggling. They ask for "the secret," the key to unlocking the next level of their journey. Our first instinct, as people who have travelled the path, is to give them our deepest, most expert-level answer. We want to share the beautiful, complex truth we've worked so hard to understand.

The Kjrsos way, however, asks us to practice a more difficult and patient art: the art of Progressive Disclosure.

Understand Connection or Face Failure

We spend so much time pushing ourselves into their space, forgetting the immense power—and the inherent dangers—of forcing an interaction that has not first been offered. It is in allowing the space for them to come to us, in waiting for that quiet moment of being chosen, that a true partnership is born—a partnership that has the power to change everything.

A Guide to Your Horse's Back

The central blind spot in modern riding is the horse’s back. This is a problem with deep roots, and it breaks down into three parts. People don't know to look, they don't know what to look for, and they don't realize how important it is. Let's explore this together.

Why Horses Quit Moving Their Backs: The Research

A horse that quits moving its back is giving invaluable feedback. It is not being stubborn; it is communicating. By understanding this clear link—from the rider's influence, to the physical damage it can cause, to the horse's protective response—we can truly begin to solve the problem at its source.

The 5 Hearts of the Horse

You may have heard the old equestrian saying that a horse has five hearts. While anatomically they possess only one, this wisdom speaks to a profound truth about equine physiology, how each of the four hooves acts as a powerful auxiliary pump, essential for healthy circulation. This "hoof mechanism" is a marvel of evolutionary engineering, but it's also delicate.

Modern horse-keeping practices can inadvertently hinder this vital function.