Before we get into the nuts and bolts of the ATRUM method, there's a couple of things I would like to touch base on.  First, we must understand that ATRUM is a reciprocal relationship.  What this means is that each element must be developed in the human and the horse.  For example, if we don’t have our attention on our horse, then why should our horse keep their attention on us?  If we don’t offer trust to the horse, then why would he want to give us his trust. If we don’t take the time to learn where our horses are coming from, then how can we expect them to understand where we are coming from. Hopefully that’s why your taking the time to study horsemanship in the first place.  The same is true for respect and motivation. The rider must offer every element of ATRUM to their horse if we expect them to give every element to us.  So, the point to remember is don't expect more from your horse than what you are willing to give.

Also, it should be said that the ATRUM method is not a cookie cutter method. It is a method of looking at each horse individually and determining how you can help that horse and obtain a relationship of willing cooperation.  It is important to understand this because so many people look for a step by step program to train their horses, and, unfortunately, it just isn’t that easy.  Every horse is an individual thinking, living, breathing animal.  Thus, each horse must be looked at individually in order to determine the best path to help it. 

What the ATRUM method does do is give us a starting point to categorically break down what areas we can look at in order to determine the best way of helping the horse. Remember, the entire goal of our horsemanship program is to develop a relationship of willing cooperation.  To do so, we use the ATRUM method, which can be adjusted to help any horse.  So, we need to know what each letter in the acronym of ATRUM stands for:

Attention  ~  Trust  ~  Respect  ~  Understanding  ~  Motivation

Before we look at each element individually, however, we need to understand that we don’t necessarily achieve them in this order. We may need to earn trust before attention, or understanding before motivation. Also, they are all interlocked. You can’t focus on one without having an effect on the other.
 
When I have someone ask me for help with a horse, one of the first things I do is try to find out which elements of ATRUM haven’t been established in the relationship with that horse. One horse might need someone who can spend a lot of time earning their trust and developing an understanding, such as pressure won’t hurt you. Another horse might need to understand that pressure can hurt if they don’t learn to respect your space. Some horses need some creativity from our part to get their motivation up, so that they feel like there is something in this for them. Some horses can be very herd bound animals, and keeping there attention on you and away from other horses can be a tricky task. You start to see how the pieces fit together?
 
For learning purposes, this section of the library is to help you understand why each element is important to have.  Understanding the psychological make up of the horse is what determines how we go about obtaining these elements. This is where knowing how to read your horses body language is so important. If you can read their body language, then you can basically listen to them telling you what they are feeling, and what they need help with in order to achieve a balanced level of ATRUM, and ultimately a relationship of willing cooperation.  At this point however, I just want you to know why each element is important, and to become more aware of how they are interlocked and affect each other.  You can view each element through either the flyout menu above, or by clicking on one of the links after the first paragraph.