Horse training- are you throwing the baby out with the bath water?One of the most frustrating things for me as a trainer is to watch someone throw the baby out with the bath water after a lesson, especially if that lesson has been beneficial and fruitful. What do I mean? One of the sources of conflict between humans and horses is inconsistencies in how we handle and communicate to them. If we change the way we handle them depending on the situation, it opens the door for conflict and confusion. Handling them one way in a lesson and then another when leading or grooming them is a great example of throwing out the baby. Think of it like this. Your kids are attending school and learning their ABC’s. At school they learn that there is a specific order to the ABC’s, a,b,c,d and so on. Now at home you want to try to help them, but you’re tired and distracted from a tough day. So you let them say it in any order they want. How well would your child do at school if you constantly unraveled what the teacher did in the class room? How much quicker could they learn ABC’s if you and the teacher taught them in the same order? Training horses is the same thing. If you are training the horse to do something, then be consistent in all areas of interactions not just in a formal setting. If you want the head to stay down and relaxed when riding then require it to be down when leading. Does your horse have problem with stopping, especially when things are getting a little exciting on the trail? Then train them to stop and stand when leading, grooming, saddling and mounting. Does your horse have a shying problem? Don’t allow them shy away from things when being led. Any time they are allowed to side step away from something, you are actually training them to shy undersaddle.
I hope you get the picture. Training is a total commitment, not just when it is convenient or in a formal setting. Anytime and every time you interact with your horse, even if it is at liberty, you will be training or de-training something. By being relentless you will protect your horse from any mental and emotional distress and make riding time so much more enjoyable and safer.
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