First meeting with Arthur -
I focus on what he is focusing on before returning my sttention elsewhere in contentment.
His energy and adrenerline will slow, his head and neck will lower, he will not be so seeminly tense, he may wonder a bit and smell the ground, perhaps where you have walked, he may digest his thoughts, lick and chew, his eye and ear may stay on you and hemay wander a little closer and shadow you around. If something catches his attention and he becomes tense again, he may flee over nearer to you direction before becoming back to a calmer state of being again. There is more to go into, but i will leave it here for now.
So even if we had perhaps already made a invetation, he may not yet have been ready to take us up on that offer. Only in his time will he become ready and only in our time will we become ready to become a passive leader.
When his focus turns back to us, again lower our enegery, put out our hand and make ourselves inviting and clear in our offer. Whatch his reaction, is there still to much 'pressure' on him? Maybe step back, look away or dont face hoim head on. You can only figure out what your horse is comferorble with in that moment by listenting to him.
Lets say he comes forwards, but stops a few metres off and release air, drops his head licks and then looks over at something. Glance over to and come back to him, offer again he may come completely over, or maybe you need to take of you focus of him and step away a few steps before he refocuses onto you. I will explain a little later...
more on this focus. If he does come over and he sniffs you hand, this does not nessacirly mean we can now halter or touch him. Does he turn this head and/or neck with unsurness, does he back a step, does he just look over or focus onto you does he move up to you closer for grooming? Again there is more but lets keep its simple. Even if he accepts your invetation to be with you this may still at this time exclude physical 'touch'. Read what he is saying and you will know but DO NOT let the human desire or even worse habit get the better of you and go in for a quick rub or scratch! I personally never touch a new horse so soon..