NOTICE Some terms and expressions used in the “horsemanship” language are not proven by the scientific community. This is sometimes a way to simplify things, though our intention is to avoid any misunderstanding, where possible, between the scientific and practical worlds. There may be some mistakes. The major contributions come from those who are not authors, but horsemen. We would be happy to receive your feedback and make corrections in our next print. This method is a team effort. A real effort has been made to keep an open mind and concentrate on what is right rather than who is right. Copyright (c) 2007 by La Cense Montana, LLC. All rights reserved “American Quarter Horse Association”, “AQHA” and, “American Quarter Horse Association typed drawing”, are registered trademarks of American Quarter Horse Association. “La Cense”, “La Cense Montana”, and “00” are registered trademarks of Le Haras De La Cense COMPANY FRANCE, which has licensed the use of these marks to La Cense Montana, LLC. Equine activities can be dangerous and may result in property damage and serious bodily injury and/or death. Inherent risks that are an integral part of equine activities include, but are not limited to (a) the propensity of an equine to behave in ways that may result in injury, death, or loss to persons on or around the equine; (b) the unpredictability of an equine’s reaction to sounds, sudden movement, unfamiliar objects, persons, or other animals; (c) hazards, including, but not limited to, surface or subsurface conditions; (d) a collision with another equine, another animal, a person, or an object; and (e) the potential of an equine activity participant to act in a negligent manner that may contribute to injury, death, or loss to the person of the participant or to other persons, including but not limited to, failing to maintain control over an equine or failing to act within the ability of the participant. This book is not meant to be a replacement for professional advice. When participating in equine activities it is always advisable to seek the assistance of professional advice before proceeding. In that regard, it is the responsibility of equine activity participants to ensure/seek professional advice to confirm that they are qualified, in good health, and in proper physical condition to participate in such activities. Furthermore, it is the participant’s responsibility to ascertain/seek advice to confirm the adequacy and training of their horse, and for the participant to conduct himself/herself in a manner such as to make the activities safe and enjoyable for all participants. While careful effort has been made to provide accurate information in this book, neither La Cense Montana, LLC nor American Quarter Horse Association assumes any responsibility or liability for errors in it. Neither La Cense Montana, LLC nor American Quarter Horse Association assumes any responsibility or liability for accidents or damages that may occur from the use and application of the contents of this book or the La Cense Method. This method is dedicated to all those who wish to improve their understanding of the horse. SPECIAL THANK YOU: Andy Booth, Jeff Griffith, and the La Cense and AQHA team for their collaboration, without which this book would not exist. Also to all those horsewomen and horsemen who have contributed directly or indirectly to the teaching and formation of the La Cense Montana team, and to the popularity and success of horsemanship throughout the world. Director of collection: William Kriegel Graphic design and production: Olive, LLC Photographs: Kathy Letabareux