Horse training is an art form that requires skill.
This skill is composed of facets including:
- Trust
- Communication
- Curiosity
- And patience.
Build Trust
Trust is the foundation of any successful relationship, particularly with a horse. Spend time getting to know your horse and building a strong bond of trust. This will make your horse more willing to work with you and follow your lead.
Building trust with your horse is kind of like depositing money in a piggy bank that you can draw out later. You build up a deposit over time by laying a foundation of successful and positive interactions.
This happened to me recently. I recently bought a horse.
I want to ride. I go to the stable,
tack up,
put my foot in the stirrup,
swing my leg over, and ride. No problem.
My horse was obedient.
My horse was compliant.
But I could feel that something was missing. As if she was going through the motions. We weren’t connecting.
I thought about our horse/human relationship and reviewed what was going on.
When I went out to the paddock to get her before the ride, she saw me coming and walked to the farthest reaches of the paddock. This was usual for her. She’d see me and amble away.
That avoidance behaviour was not a trusting behaviour.
So, I “backed up the bus” in my training program and left my saddle in the tack room for a month and did some ground work.
Leading over poles, lunging, stopping, turning, massage.
This morning when I went out to ride…
Was the first time she didn’t walk to the farthest reaches of the field. She came up to me to see what was on offer.
I got to KNOW her.
I listened to her.
I built some trust with her. And she showed me.
Which leads me to
Communication
Humans are verbal communicators. We talk and listen.
Horses communicate with body language. Ears forward, ears back, tail swishing.
There are other, more subtle clues that you can see, if you look for them.
The softness in their eyes. The way they hold their head.
When working around your horse, allow them to “talk” to you. Take a step back and watch your horse. Put away your watch and your schedule and spend some time with you horse.
When working around your horse, allow them to “talk” to you. Take a step back and watch your horse. PUt away your watch and your schedule and spend some time with you horse.
Often we slide into the stable after work and have a finite schedule to groom, ride, put away and we forget that the horse is a living breathing thing.
Leave your clock at the stable door and spend the time with your horse.
Recently, I wanted to take a picture of my horse. As soon as I pulled out my phone camera and pointed it at her, she would turn away. Not aggressively. But, she would turn her head and look away. As soon as I put the phone down she would turn her head back toward me.
The act of pointing anything at her, made her uneasy. Looking at her made her uneasy. And pointing something at her made her uneasy. She is sensitive to body language and I had to understand that.
If I were on a schedule and not “listening” to her, I wouldn’t have picked up on it because it was subtle.
Are you unsure of your next steps? Look no further. Have a 1:1 call with me so we can talk about your next steps.
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Encourage Curiosity
Curiosity is a sign of confidence. A horse that is curious is confident in trying new things and learning new concepts. When we train our horses, we would like them to try new things and understand our requests.
When a horse is curious, they try. They try something new.
Maybe it is stepping on to a hollow sounding bridge.
Or
Picking up the correct canter lead.
Trying new things leads to success. When a horse tries new things on their own, they are exploring and testing. This leads to a motivated horse full of confidence.
Be Patient
Horse training takes time, and progress can be slow. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results. Be patient and consistent in your training, and trust that your efforts will pay off in the long run.