Jimmy Anderson, a cowboy and colt-starting champion, says that this meeting of minds between humans and horses is key. “Horses are really amazing at how much they will be a partner. They try a crazy amount, and I want to try that same amount back for them.
We know that horses are social creatures and recent research shows that they use up to 17 different facial expressions to communicate with each other. We’ve also discovered that they’re able to interpret the expressions in our faces, which enables them to form bonds with humans. Anderson doesn’t believe in breaking horses; instead he “starts” them. In Equus: Story of The Horse, we see Anderson work his magic with Shiver, an “unbroke” two-year-old colt. Within a single morning, Anderson puts a saddle on Shiver, climbs on without any bucking, and takes him for a ride.