Horseback riding is a sport based entirely on partnership. Unfortunately, as equestrians we have to find ways to communicate with our partners even though we do not speak the same language. We must learn to not only find ways to communicate clearly with our horses through our aids, but we must also convince our partners to trust us in all situations.
The top riders in every discipline will tell their followers that they were able to be successful due to their partnership with their horses and that they could not have done it with another. Every time we groom our horses, lunge them, graze them in the field, and ride them we are forming a bond. The relationship between a horse and rider will often determine how well they work together and it will often determine how successful they become.