POULSBO — Though he may appear to most people as a horse trainer, Scott Thomson might more aptly be called a people trainer.

That’s because in teaching natural horsemanship skills to folks across North Kitsap, he’s found that it’s the owners — not the horses — that need the most work.

“I like to say that I teach the person first and the horse will follow,” Thomson said.

That is the philosophy behind Scott Thomson Horsemanship, which Thomson began this year. The Poulsbo resident offers training for horses and humans in natural horsemanship at local barns, stables and even back yards. In fact, Thomson will go just about anywhere to teach the principals of natural horsemanship. There’s just one stipulation.

“I will not work with your horse unless you’re involved,” he commented. “This is about building a partnership with your horse.”

Most often recognized by its Hollywood term of “horse whispering,” natural horsemanship is a method of working with equines that is gaining popularity with riders of all styles, ages and levels. But there’s still one major hurdle the discipline has been fighting against. While the famous movie introduced many people to natural horsemanship, it also gave many the wrong idea about the use of the art, Thomson said.

“A lot of people believe this is something you just do with a horse who has never been handled or with one that has troubles or has specific issues,” Thomson said. “This is so much more of a science plus art. It’s a non-verbal language that you have to learn. I think the magical thing that happens is with the people, not the horses, because (the horse) already knew this.”

Unlike most in his field, Thomson admits he did not get into horsemanship because he’d worked with horses his entire life. In fact, his first introduction to natural horsemanship was during an annual horse riding trip in California with his wife, who is a much more seasoned rider. He recalled that, to his surprise, he found many of the skills he already had as a successful business man and competitive basketball player were more helpful in learning natural horsemanship than any prior riding experience would have been.

“I started to get really hooked on it. I’ve been a student of behavior for a long time,” he explained. “The missing component between the relationships of horses and people is usually management and leadership.”

He is now a Horseman Level graduate of the Reis Ranch Universal Horsemanship program, where he studied under one of the top natural horsemen in the United States.

Thomson stresses with his students that horses are herd and prey animals hardwired like computers with behavior that no amount of breeding has ever removed. Yet in the world of humans, horses are forced into many situations that are against their nature. This includes things like living in solitary stables to just the simple acts of shoeing or saddling, which in many respects appear like a predator attack to the horse.

The key, Thomson said, is the owner creating a relationship with his or her horse where they are the leader of that horse’s herd. By communicating the way horses do and assuring the horse you are in charge, the owner can do anything from calming an unruly horse to making everyday interaction with their equine an easier and more fun experience.

Thomson gave the example of his work with his own horse, Cody. For instance, where most riders put a bridle on by reaching above the horse’s head, Thomson will not put Cody’s bridle on until he has put his head down to Thomson’s hip level.

“He absolutely believes I’m not going to put him in a dangerous position so he’s going to give me the benefit of the doubt,” Thomson said of his horse.

One of the big mistakes horse handlers of many levels make is something they might not even realize they’ve done, Thomson explained. While horse owners often talk, click or coo at their horses, a horse by nature is non-verbal. That means that every gesture from the owner indicates to the equine whether the person or the horse is in charge. Thomson urges handlers to think inside and outside of the arena about what he calls being “prepared for a position for a transition.” That means thinking ahead to the next step in order to be able to clearly indicate commands to the horse in a non-verbal way.

“Since every gesture means something, if I’m fumbling with my tools, to that horse, I’m not a leader,” Thomson explained. “So as a horse, I’m going to kick you, bite you, get you out of here.”

And besides offering the unique service of house calls to work with owners and their horses, Thomson said natural horsemanship is a great tool for commuters to consider. That’s because while natural horsemanship stresses daily interaction with your horse, there are exercises that only take 15-20 minutes but provide tangible benefits.

“There’s things here you can very quickly to get them into the thinking side of their brain and have fun with them so when you do have more time, you’ll have a solid foundation for that,” Thomson explained.