Josh Nichol is a Canadian horse trainer whose “Relational Horsemanship” approach to working with horses of all breeds and in all disciplines has gained him an ever-increasing international following. Josh believes that training based on understanding and meeting a horse’s needs, rather than on any kind of dominance-based paradigm, creates a foundation of trust that allows us to help the horse learn to think through pressure, instead of simply reacting according to its nature. This in turns allows the horse to respond to our requests with both softness and lightness, while promoting a deep connection and exceptional communication. Warwick Schiller calls Josh Nichol “a game changer” for the world of horse training, and we are thrilled to have him as a contributor to The Essential Horse.