Making the Connection
Horses are more forgiving than most human beings and this alone
has been proven to me over and over again every time I have
had to re-educate a horse to trust again.
To train a horse is the easier part of the partnership. It
has been a bigger challenge to educate the owner to first understand
what the horse is feeling and wanting from them. It really
takes a sense of commitment to be able to succeed at any task
you may be wishing to accomplish so it is important to learn
to have a lesson plan at hand so you understand what we are
wanting to teach your horse at any given time.
Asking for too many tasks at once will only confuse the horse
and overwhelm you with your training session. Having the patience
to let the training happen and not force it to happen is vital.
Your horse will always let you know how much he has learned.
Teaching people to connect with the horse in such a way that
a meaningful conversation and lesson has been fulfilled with
the horse and knowing when to stop.
Learning from mistakes
If our horse makes a mistake – don’t take it personally!
We learn by our mistakes and horses learn the same way. Enjoy
the journey rather than becoming intense and forceful. You
will both gain a lot more by taking your time.
This is how the foundation of horse training starts to evolve.
Starting a young horse under saddle with a step by step lesson
set in place allows the young horse to make mistakes with out
causing himself harm or pain. When he starts to pay attention
to what you are asking of him rather than reacting, he has
began the process of condition/response.
Emotional horses
One of my favourite horse’s who was the most emotional
one out of my herd, was so bad he would jump at his own shadow.
It’s true - he would spook at anything. I had to come
to realise I had created some of his behaviours by sheltering
him from scary situations – much to my horror! By desensitizing
Muddy with lesson plans that focused on decreasing his emotional
energy, I have made him feel more confident in himself and
easier for me to control him to keep us both safe. Mohegan
Muddy Waters is quite a good entertainer at Equine Expo’s & Demo’s
and does this with outstanding confidence in front of 100’s
of people. He is quite an amazing boy and loved by many students
and friends & I am his number one fan……
He is
one very special boy.
Float loading
Float loading a difficult horse starts from lack of foundation
training and control of the horse’s body and mind. If
your horse lacks "forward" - forget getting him in
the float. Re-establish the forward cue. If there is no control
of the horse’s head, shoulder’s and hip, he will
be dragging you every which way as a bit more entertainment
on his part. If the horse is being emotional, he needs to be
taught to calm down and relax first. Every horse is unique
and the training should be adjusted to individual horse’s
needs.
When Float Training, the horse must be conditioned to respond
to cues to be able to get him on the float willingly. The horse
offering to go forward is the end result of the amount of control
you have of your horse’s attention and direction and
how much he has learnt through the lesson you have put in place.
There are never problem’s, only solutions – For
your horse to be a good student, you must have the knowledge
and knowhow to educate your horse.
Every horse deserve’s the best chance possible to show
us their best potential. Training is ongoing through your horse’s
life. I like to think of it as levels of education through
the schooling years.
1. Kindergarden (weanlings);
2. Pre-school (yearlings);
3. Primary School (2 year old starting under saddle);
4. Secondary School (3 years and up); and the finishing result
is
5. University (Performance horse for chosen discipline).
Making the Connection
Learn to ‘Make the Connection’ and break down the
barrier and become a clear communicator. Your horse will love
you for your efforts, I guarantee you will see the change and
reap the rewards.
May the horse be with you,
Karen White
