Post by Calaminty Jane on Feb 23, 2011 10:19:29 GMT -5
Yes, You Are a Horse Trainer
by Bob Jeffreys & Suzanne Sheppard
twoasonehorsemanship.com
Posted: Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sometimes in our horsemanship clinics, we'll ask the audience, "How many of you are horse trainers?" Usually only one or two hands will go up. When we then ask, "How many ride, feed, groom or otherwise handle horses?" Almost all hands are raised. That's when we'll say remind them all that everyone who raised their hands either time actually are "horse trainers".
Horses are learning all the time. So whenever we're around them our actions are teaching them something; sometimes good, sometimes not so good! We must recognize this fact and not let outside influences distract us from the task at hand. We spend many hours teaching our horses to give to the bit; not to pull on the lead rope when tied; to move away from pressure, etc.
All these things are taught consciously. But when we are talking to a friend while holding our horse sometimes, we move our hand so that we accidentally take the slack out of the rope. Before our horse yields to that "request", we move our hand back to its original position, which returns the slack to the lead rope. What we've just subconsciously done is taught our horse that sometimes our requests don't really count. The same situation would apply when we're holding the reins either on the horse's back or on the ground.
However, there are other less obvious things that we do that could also affect our horse in a negative way. Let's say our horse is in the back corner of his stall as we put grain in the feed bucket; he sees us and starts to walk toward the bucket to eat. As he approaches, we leave the stall. Seems innocent enough, but from the horse's point of view, he has just chased us away from that feed bucket; therefore he'll assume he is higher in the pecking order than we are, and start to take the proactive or leadership role in other things.
He may even start to pin his ears at feeding time and get more aggressive. Then we unwittingly confirm his thoughts by walking away as he approaches! So take a minute to either bring his feed directly to him or ask him to come toward the bucket nicely; give him a quick rub on the neck to let him know it's OK to eat and then leave.
Don't push the issue by over petting or becoming a nuisance (after all, he lives to eat). This way you've reestablished your role as leader by determining when he may eat without being annoying. Furthermore, when we walk into our horse's stall, he should be aware that we are there and turn and face us if we ask him to. If our horse turns his hind end to us and we ignore this, we are again "teaching" him bad manners are sometimes acceptable.
The point is that we must be consistent in our dealings with our horse; once we take the slack out of the rein or lead rope, whether on purpose or accidentally, we are committed to hold until the horse yields, and then release. If we've established our role as leader (higher in the pecking order), we cannot let doubt creep into his mind by giving him the opportunity to "chase us off" the feed and challenge our authority. Remember, be consistent and thoughtful as you train your horse!
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About Bob Jeffreys and Suzanne Sheppard
Bob and Suzanne are a unique horse training partnership striking a perfect balance between the English and Western disciplines. Bob and Suzanne are AQHA Professional Horsemen as well as members of Team Nutrena, and love to teach clinics for everyone from recreational riders to the pros! They are currently on tour in the US and Canada with their Wind Rider Challenge; an inspiring, cross-disciplinary versatility competition. Visit TwoasOneHorsemanship.com for more info.
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