Horse Training TipsHave you noticed that horse training tips are like “opinions”, everyone’s got one! All you have to do is ask! Everyone loves to offer up their latest tips. The day I stopped asking people and started asking “the horse their opinion” my training and ability to communicate improved ten fold. After all, horses try really hard to tell us how they feel - mostly through their ability to demonstrate emotions. Since we know what emotions feel like too, all we need to do is try and interpret them. The better you can be at identifying the changes in their emotions will dramatically increase your ability to communicate more effectively thus solving problems rather than creating new ones.
Here is some sound advice if you are considering buying a horse
Have you seen these kinds of emotions & reactions in horses?Frustration, fear, panic, anxiety, curiosity, pain, love, sadness, confidence, un-confidence - the list is extensive and as varied as humans are in personality traits. A sure fire way to know if you’re interpreting it correctly is to pay a lot of attention to your “inner guidance system” or the “gut check”. You will never steer yourself wrong! All you have to do is TRUST what your first “gut reaction” is.
Here are some horse training tips that I used with a highly FEARFUL horse.SCARED STIFF!I nicknamed him Sparky for his ability to ignite, like a Roman candle in a firework display, when he perceived anything to be of danger. The problem was he thought everything was dangerous and scary, and worthy of fleeing from! His anxiety to objects was fiercely riddled with a huge lack of self-confidence. This 12 year old gelding was like an 800 pound frightened rabbit! When I first met Sparky he was unable to willingly load onto a trailer, especially one with a ramp. Also he was unable to even look at a bottle of water; touch a plastic bag; be within ten feet of a ball; and tarps!.....well just forget it! He couldn’t stand comfortably in the barn with things hanging on the walls; have anything fall over; or have a rope gently tossed upon his back, just to name a few. You get the idea - the list goes on and on, making him a prime candidate for my horse training tips! Utilizing only positive reinforcement methods, I started Sparky down a different learning adventure. My initial goal was simple: help him find his confidence and reward for every little try, even if all he could muster up was to look at the thing that scared him. Armed with a pocket of goodies, Sparky became a willing participant in no time at all!
“What the heck is that?” says Sparky.
“Well, maybe just one more look. Does it bite?” he snorted.
“Hey, it doesn’t bite, but if it falls over or moves, I’m outta here!”, he assures me.
The Plastic Monster!Like many horses, Sparky thought that noisy plastic is a very scary thing!
Recognize that scared stiff look?! He's one step away from fleeing so it's time to utilize those horse training tips. Right after I touched him with the plastic, I quickly removed it to demonstrate that I was in agreement with his decision not to leave. Here is where building confidence is essential in helping him succeed.
Utilizing correct timing to release his anxiety produced a much calmer disposition. I then tested for “truth” and dropped the lead rope to allow him to leave if he wanted to. He chose to stay. Hurray! I would still want to repeat this lesson over as many times as necessary until Sparky is completely confident about noisy plastic bags.
A Session in Trailer Loading
After spending a session with Sparky sending him over an open wooden bridge (about 4 feet wide by 8 feet long) we moved up to the trailer ramp. He was allowed to sniff that ramp for as long as he wanted to (until the next day if that's what he chose!) Turns out though, he only needed about 5 minutes.
His courageous first step! Since I allowed him all the time he needed for investigation, he took the next step all by himself!
We ended our trailer loading session there with some extra goodies and nibbles of grass.
Horse Training Tips TimelineMy sessions with horses can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as an hour or more. It all depends upon the horse’s well being and experience. But you can be sure that I include lots and lots of recess! Who doesn’t like recess?!! Knowing that horses live in the “Now”, or in the “Present” moment is a powerful notion to utilize. We can learn a great deal from this message. It occurred to me many years ago that time watching is of no value or consideration to our horses. They just don’t care how long it takes, even if we do to! As a result of this realization my conversations and results with horses improved immensely. The pivotal moment of improving everything is when our goal becomes how “well” we accomplish communication and tasks set forth, rather then how “fast” we can get them done. This does not mean we need to take forever either. For I know that when people become great teachers for their horses, their horses become astute students and quick learners. So throw away your watches and instead take notice of every little effort your horses make. You will be amazed at how time becomes of no consequence while your training unfolds at incredible speeds. The responsibility lies with us to become great, patient teachers. I remind myself of my own school experiences where the teachers I learned most from were kind, respectful and patient. Yet the teachers who were overloading me with too much information, homework and expectations were always harder to learn from and I dreaded going to their class! You will always find your way if you follow your intuition and your horse’s heart.
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