Certainly, working with horses sympathetically and using gentle methods can be seen in history as far back as 430-354BC where a Greek historian and philosopher, Xenophon, wrote a treatise 'On Horsemanship'.
Again, dressage practitioners in the 17th century also mentioned kinder techniques.
Still, others think it is the latest craze and the only way to be with horses.
Some feel natural horsemanship has been created to replace the harsh and violent means that are sometimes used.
While still others think it is waste of time and completely pointless.
Are these the people who use severe and inconsiderate systems for the sake of time? It could be these methods have a faster result, but at what cost: a potentially stubborn, ill-mannered, unpredictable and possibly dangerous horse.
Whatever your views are, 'natural horsemanship' has become a big part of equine society.
So what is this system all about? Simply put, it is series of training techniques using non-violent methods.
It is a generalisation, but traditional practices of schooling a horse tend to be quite aggressive and put a lot of stress on the animal.
The idea often was to 'break the spirit' of the horse and force it to do what we wanted.
In natural horsemanship, the idea is to build a rapport with the horse and use different communication methods such as body language which is attuned to them.
Pressure and release is also a common method when training.
Here, pressure is applied to the animal until the answer, or even an attempt to answer our request is given, whereby the pressure is released.
I have met several horse whisperers, and they by no means go up and start muttering in the horse's ear! The horse whisperer simply speaks the horse's language, or in other words, adjusts his body language to complement and be in symmetry with theirs, so that horse and man may understand each other a little better.
I try to take a little bit of knowledge from all the systems I encounter.
I think there is some value in almost all approaches, and we must take what works for us and, most importantly,what works for our equine companions.
I'm not sure if it is a good idea to use words like 'traditional' and 'natural' as they are both misleading.
How about we just be kind and considerate and compassionate to animals, particularly those that we wish to work with.