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PART OF OUR FASCINATION WITH HORSES stems from the vast potential of the horse-human relationship. There is almost no limit to what a sensitive rider and sensitive horse can accomplish when they work together. You can school a good horse to do many things — leap tall obstacles, run a barrel-racing course, perform difficult maneuvers in a dressage ring, outsmart and outrun the wildest cow, pull a wagon or cart. A good horse has great athletic ability and is swift. But even more important than speed and agility is his receptiveness to training — that is, his willingness to work with humans.
Horses are capable of learning many things. They have excellent memories, but they don’t reason in the same way humans do. Often a rider or trainer makes the mistake of assuming a horse thinks like a human does, which can lead to communication problems and frustration, defeating the rider’s purpose and creating behavioral problems in the horse, especially if the horse is punished for something he does not understand to be “wrong.” But with patience and “horse sense” (that is, understanding how a horse thinks), you can accomplish much — even with a “difficult” horse — by making the most of your knowledge of how horses learn.
A good horseman senses and measures his or her pupil’s abilities, leading the horse step-by-step to greater levels of achievement and response without asking too much too soon or going beyond his ability. The horseman is constantly evaluating a horse’s capacity to perform, and a sensitive, understanding horseman is the best judge of a horse’s mind, able to get the most from that horse in terms of training and performance.
Understanding Horses
Horses evolved as grazing animals that stayed in groups for protection. For millions of years, they relied on their keen eyesight and hearing to warn of approaching predators and on their quick reflexes and speed to escape harm. As trainers, these are the basic characteristics we must work with and overcome, because horses instinctively view humans as predators.
We must first allay a horse’s fears and suspicions, so he can trust us, and then gradually acquaint him with the many “unnatural” things we want him to accept. It is unnatural, for example, for a horse to be confined by rope or stall; in the wild the only guarantee that a horse would not be eaten was his ability to flee. It is also unnatural for him to carry a rider — in the wild, predators were the only things that leaped onto his back — and to submit to the will and direction of that rider, who is hindering his ability to flee from danger. A horse’s herd instinct, or instinctive desire to be part of a group, helps us convince him to accept human dominance; it is our job to win his trust so that he transfers his allegiance from the herd “boss” to us, his new partners. Whenever you handle a horse, take an assertive leadership role appropriate for, and in tune with, a particular horse’s temperament and ability. Then you can forge a willing partnership without having to resort to force, excessive punishment, or some gimmick to “make” the horse perform.
Horses Are Herd Animals
For successful training, you must understand how the horse thinks and learns and how he relates to other herd members and to you as the boss, or leader. The collective strength of the herd allowed horses to survive in the wild, and horses maintain that herd instinct even when domesticated. Many horses are reluctant to leave their herd mates, and they become barn sour — that is, they refuse to leave home — or may frustrate riders because of their eagerness to return to their herd. The horse feels safer as part of a group. Animals in a herd depend on one another for mutual protection: more eyes, ears, and noses increase the likelihood of detecting predators. Another advantage of herd life is collective experience; the older animals know the safest routes and where to find food and water, both of which benefit youngsters.
Horses are herd animals and feel safest when part of a group.
Social Order
To survive in a group, horses develop a social, or threat (pecking), order to determine who leads and who follows. This order is critical for survival in the wild and is actually the reason that horses are easily domesticated and trainable.
The leader in a group of horses is generally an older mare, an aggressive individual who has established her role as boss. She determines when the herd flees; which direction it goes; and when it rests, grazes, and goes to water. She makes the decisions, drinks first, and eats the best feed. She leads the herd, and the stallion defers to her, bringing up the rear to keep any stragglers moving along. Because her dominance is clear, she rarely has to assert herself to keep her position; a mere threatening gesture with ears back, tail swishing, or a raised hind foot is enough to keep lower-ranking herd members in check. In any relationship with a horse, the horseman assumes the dominant position, taking on the role of lead mare in the herd.
And each horse does have a place in the herd. The second-ranking individual can threaten any horse but the lead mare. Each horse has individuals he can boss and those he is bossed by, except the horse who is bossed by everyone and threatens no one. Immature horses are submissive to all adults, but as they grow up, the more aggressive ones challenge the ranking and find their own place in the hierarchy.
ESTABLISHING DOMINANCE
A combination of bonding and appropriate body language gives you true dominance over the horse, placing you in the position of boss, leader, and teacher. This enables the horse to be at ease in the relationship; he won’t aggressively disobey you through lack of respect, nor will he be unduly afraid of you. If you have this kind of control, you rarely have to resort to using physical strength or correction to have him do what you ask.
The Herd “Boss”
A horse is willing to transfer his allegiance to humans because at some point he has submitted to an older member of the herd or to a dominant herd boss and therefore can accept a subordinate position. Horses are very trainable and manageable if we understand this, assume the proper role, and never allow a horse to dominate the relationship. The trainer acquaints the horse with “threat” cues — the pressure of a leg, for example, and a voice command such as Whoa — reducing the need for physical reprimands, just as the lead mare uses a gesture to make a herd mate obey her. (See pages 62–66 for more on the use of natural and artificial aids in training.)
Social ranking is part of herd life; horses react to one another according to the rules of dominance and submission. A horse must figure out how humans fit into that picture. If a horse succeeds in dominating people, he will do as he pleases, disregarding your commands. Horses need ground rules that they know they must obey when being handled by people.
Threatening gestures are a basic means of communication among horses. Here, a mare protects her foal by warning the intruder with ears set back and aggressive head motions.
The Horse-Human Relationship
If you assume the dominant leadership role in your horse-human relationships, both dominant and submissive individuals can be trained successfully, particularly when training begins at an early age. The point at which we enter and influence a horse’s life makes a difference, especially when handling dominant individuals. A captured wild horse is easier to train as a foal or yearling than as an old stallion or lead mare. Some independent and aggressive mature horses that aren’t handled until late in life are difficult to fully domesticate. Submissive individuals train easily at any age.
As a general rule, the younger the horse is when training starts, the easier it is to gain his trust if he’s timid and his respect if he tries to be dominant. Until they are about two years old, horses tend to be submissive to adults in the herd and to human handlers who assume a dominant role. The aggressive youngster, however, may challenge an unskilled trainer but will probably accept discipline from an older, dominant equine. Herd life is often the most effective way to impress upon the young, aggressive horse that he is not the boss.
Develop Good Communication
Strive for quiet confidence and consistency in your actions and methods. As leader, seek to achieve a level of benevolent dominance, which makes the horse feel more secure and trusting. If you are nervous, inconsistent, timid, or angry, the horse will be uneasy and resistant. When handling a horse and trying to communicate with him, your attitude and emotions will contribute significantly to your degree of success.
BE AWARE
You are always sending signals to the horse, whether or not you realize it. Each time you handle him, you are training (or untraining) him, making things better or worse, depending on what you do. You are always teaching him something, good or bad. Everything you do with a horse — whether catching and haltering him or asking for an advanced maneuver while riding him — should be done with some thought as to how he will respond. Constantly scrutinize your actions and methods to determine whether you are helping or hindering your training goals.
Working with a horse is easier when you are attuned to what he is doing and thinking. He should also be comfortable with the signals he picks up from you. Training is a two-way street: the horse must learn to respond to the rider, and the rider must learn how to communicate with that particular horse. As communication improves, the horse learns new things more quickly. Horses “learn how to learn” when handled with patience and consistency. They become easier to train after they know the basics, especially if they trust the rider and the rider always strives to make training a pleasant experience, with good communication.
The Importance of Body Language
Horses can read us well. They sense changes in physical tension — particularly in a mounted rider — which tell them whether a person is angry or frightened. Our body language reflects moods and feelings, no matter how we try to cover them up. Animals have an acute ability to read body language; this is the way they communicate among themselves.
To get a horse to trust you, first you must be relaxed, both physically and mentally. If you are tense and nervous, he becomes tense and nervous. He thinks that whatever is alarming you may be potentially dangerous to him, so he becomes agitated. When you are at ease, he reads this through your body language and tends to become more at ease himself.
Bonding with a Horse
When horse and rider understand each other, they develop a strong bond of mutual trust and respect. This level of communication comes with working together: through proper training the horse becomes conditioned to obey you and knows precisely what you want and you are relaxed, clear, and consistent in how you deal with him. Sensing your quiet confidence, he looks to you as leader and respects you as the “boss horse” in his life.
You must be at ease in your relationship with the horse. Even if you go through the motions of being dominant in words and actions, if in your mind you are afraid of the horse or tense, he will sense it. This overshadows your outward actions and makes him nervous or even aggressive if he is an individual who wants to challenge your dominant role.
Temperament and Learning Ability
There is a direct relationship between the temperament of a horse — is he bold or timid, for example, or is he calm and easygoing or insecure and flighty? — and how easy or difficult he is to train. An emotional horse who is readily distracted or upset may take longer to train and be more of a challenge than a calm horse who can keep his attention focused on the lessons.
But ease of training is not always an accurate indicator of a horse’s ultimate level of achievement. Intelligence and physical ability are often quite separate from temperament. The calm, unflappable animal may be a dullard or a genius. The flighty one may be a brainless fruitcake or a sensitive soul. The latter can become an outstanding performer once you know how to communicate with him and gain his trust. The task is to get to know and understand each horse’s personality and abilities, then to develop a harmonious relationship through good communication.
When handling an inexperienced horse, try to work with him according to his temperament. Make sure a bold one doesn’t dominate you, a lazy one doesn’t cheat and avoid a lesson, and a timid one doesn’t become more afraid. Make sure first lessons go well, always keeping in mind the horse’s exceptional memory; early experiences with you, good and bad, are never forgotten.
Training Principles
A good trainer always tries to think first of the horse: How will my actions affect the horse? What will his responses be? If you strive to know and understand your horse and attempt to work toward thoughtful communication — going step-by-step and never asking more than the horse can handle — your lessons will generally proceed smoothly and successfully.
Work with the Horse’s Natural Responses
Always work with the abilities and inclinations of your horse. This makes the job of training easier by minimizing confrontations and battles of will that you might not win. Even if a horse is reluctant or unable to do what you ask, it’s far better to change your tactics than to belabor a point and lose ground. Flexibility is key. Continue the lesson smoothly, and lead him to think the response he has given is what you wanted, thus maintaining the impression that you are still in control. Progress at a rate appropriate for the horse’s abilities, using his natural responses to your advantage rather than fighting them.
Plan Ahead
Working with a young horse in a friendly environment — that is, a setting where everything is in your favor — helps early lessons go smoothly, and he’ll have a good first impression about being caught, led, tied, loaded into a trailer, bridled, and saddled. If you plan to take a nervous horse for his first ride outside the pen, choose a nice day with no distractions. Taking him on his first outing on a windy day with everything in motion will make your training job harder; the horse will think everything is spooky out there. If he shies, bolts, or is startled into bucking, it can set back your training program considerably. Plan each lesson, and expose him to new experiences only as he becomes ready. Make sure the timing and the situation are right. Build good memories and good habits.
Motivating a Horse
In training a horse, we ask him to do a specific action in response to a signal. For a horse to learn this, there must be some kind of motivation that makes sense to him. The best motivator is reward, and the best reward for the horse is release of leg, bit, or halter pressure. Your cue is pressure; his response is to perform the desired action to ease the pressure. Reward in the form of release of pressure is a better motivator than the application of more pressure.
Pain and fear are never good motivators; they distract the horse from the desired response. If you continue pulling on the rein or kicking the horse, he will eventually stop responding. He becomes heavier on the bit and harder to stop, or he quits paying attention to your legs, and you have to kick him harder or use spurs to make him go. It’s a vicious cycle. The more pain used, the more futile he feels it is to respond. He becomes resistant to your signals and less cooperative. By contrast, if he is rewarded for a proper response by release of pressure from bit or leg, his response will be quicker and better.
If you ask the horse to do something in a manner that makes him uncomfortable or afraid, he will resist. But if you structure the request in a way he can relate to, his response will be much better. If he thinks he is putting pressure on himself (as he moves into leg pressure or into the bit, into a fixed hand on the halter, or into the elbow that is situated to intercept the playful nip, for example), he will yield more readily. In such a case, it appears to him that it is his own idea to give the correct response; you are not trying to force him to respond. Thus, the horse maintains a better attitude and is more receptive to your cues. He becomes motivated to give the correct response for his own comfort and is more open to learning. He has the proper motivation.
ENCOURAGE AND PRAISE
A good horseman rarely has to punish a horse. Instead, he tries to encourage the horse, communicating his wishes verbally and physically in such a way that the horse knows exactly what is wanted. Be precise and consistent, leaving no room for misunderstanding. Praise the horse for a correct response or even an attempt at a correct response. Cultivate his respect and cooperation.
If you remove the pressure (from the leg, for example, or the bit) when the horse starts to respond properly, he will quickly learn what is desired, for he thinks it’s his own idea. Allow him to make choices, and reward him immediately for making the correct ones, and your horse will learn quickly to make the correct response.
Cue Clearly
Your goal is to give signals to which the horse can react properly. You must be able to predict how he will react; thus, be consistent in your signals so his reactions will be predictable. If you give the proper amount of pressure and release it as soon as he responds, the horse should give the desired reaction.
If a horse doesn’t respond at all or responds improperly, you may not be cuing him correctly. Before you consider punishment, examine your methods; you may need to improve your communication. Usually, an improper response is the fault of the trainer (because he has given unclear cues), not the horse. (See Training Aids on page 62 for more on how to achieve and maintain good communication.)
Reinforce through Repetition
A horse learns to respond a certain way to a cue or stimulus by repetition. He gets used to your handling him a certain way and knows what to expect and how to respond properly. He learns to tolerate things he knows won’t hurt him, such as walking into a trailer, and you gradually build on earlier lessons as he makes proper responses and masters them. As you get to know each other, the relationship blossoms and communication expands to encompass a variety of cues and responses.
Repetition and refinement of cues are the basis for good training. Most horses try to please and, if you do not abuse them with punishment they don’t understand, will keep learning any new lessons we try to teach. A good trainer teaches a horse a new movement and is satisfied with a few steps in the right direction or an attempt at the maneuver.
Complete understanding and refinement of the movement may actually take place between lessons, when the horse develops “muscle memory,” which will make the exercise easier the next time. Because his body has already done a particular movement before, he recognizes it as familiar. You can often use lighter or more subtle aids during the next lesson for a particular movement, because you know he understands what you want and will try the movement again.
Reward and Correction
Training is faster and easier if you carefully consider beforehand how you will reward and correct the horse. (The traditional term punishment implies reprimand for doing wrong. In most instances, however, the term correction is more appropriate when training a horse, for he often does not understand what he did wrong.) But first you must understand the particular horse’s temperament and know how to ask him to do something in a way that will make sense to him.
Some horses require a lot more reward and less correction. If you have to correct a horse, make sure he understands what he is being corrected for by acting quickly, so he associates the error with the correction. And reward him in such a way that he’ll want to repeat the proper response the next time he is asked. Often the only reward needed is the release of pressure, followed by praise and encouragement.
The sound of your voice is important. An approving voice can be a powerful reward or reinforcement of positive behavior. A disapproving voice is often sufficient correction; the horse knows when his human is displeased. Reward and correction via body language, voice, and attitude should suffice when you and your horse have good communication.
GET IN SYNC WITH THE HORSE
Books, videos, and articles describe or demonstrate ways to teach horses various lessons, and there are many good methods. Yet even the best may fail if you apply them without an understanding attitude: you must be in tune with your horse to know what will work best for him. Treat each horse as an individual. What you do is not as important as how you do it. Make cues and requests reasonable; ask your horse to do only things he feels comfortable with and is able to perform successfully.
AVOID EXTREMES IN TRAINING
Two extremes in training methods — neither of which works well — are force and bribery. Because he will fight back, force may make an aggressive horse even more bold and resentful, and it typically makes a timid horse more fearful. Bribery quickly spoils a horse; he soon learns that he is in control. Giving the horse what he wants, whether it’s food to keep him from pawing or letting him head back toward home to keep him from throwing a fit, constitutes bribery. Bribery can take many forms, but it always compromises your role as leader.
Too often a rider or trainer becomes angry or frustrated and corrects a horse for actions prompted by human error — incomplete or inadequate cues, for example, or expecting him to do things beyond his ability or training level. Some riders take it as a personal affront when a horse doesn’t perform properly or misbehaves because of fright, confusion, or discomfort. It’s all too easy to blame him for our mistakes. Many people put too much emphasis on correction and not enough on reward. Obedience is something we tend to take for granted, but the horse needs to be praised for everything he does well.
Reward
Horses tend to repeat rewarded behavior. When you ask a horse to respond to a cue, the reward may merely be a release of leg or bit pressure. When he starts to respond properly, immediately release the pressure. The next time he is asked, he is more apt to give the desired response because he knows it will result in the release of pressure. He will repeat the responses that consistently give him comfort.
Timing is just as important for reward as it is for punishment; you must respond instantly with the reward, such as the release of pressure or giving praise, so the horse will associate his action with the reward.
Correction
Should some kind of physical reprimand be necessary, make it instant and appropriate. You may need only a stronger seat and a firmer leg, or a strong half-halt with the bit, or a sharp kick or tap with the whip, depending on the horse and the situation. These things are covered in later chapters.
BE CONSISTENT
Use of repetition, routine, and lots of small rewards to reinforce positive habits is important at every stage of training. The reward can be as simple as saying “Good boy!” in a pleasant voice, gentle stroking, or allowing the horse to relax after doing something strenuous or complex. Often the most effective reward is to end the lesson and let the horse go back to the stall or pasture.
For some horses, vocal disapproval is enough. For others, especially the bolder or aggressive individual who may be testing you, a sharp swat may be needed. If he’s challenging your dominance, as he might do in a herd situation (trying to be boss horse), you must remind him that you are still at the top of the social order.
Excessive correction makes a horse lose respect for the handler, replacing trust with blind fear or resentment. Continually picking at a horse can also confuse him and is counterproductive. If you continue punishing him, he will either quit trying or become afraid of everything you do.
When a horse does something wrong because he doesn’t understand a cue, correction just makes the situation worse, destroying the trust necessary for good training. If a horse misunderstands a cue, often it helps to revisit something simpler that he does understand and can do, then gradually work back up to the request. It can be frustrating for you when a horse becomes insecure or is threatened by harmless things like shadows or a rock beside the trail, but if you react to such behavior with anger and punishment, the punishment will justify his anxiety, and his alarm reaction will intensify. You must help the horse overcome his anxiety rather than increase it. If a horse spooks at a bicyclist along the road or at something along the trail, he needs reassurance, not punishment.
Develop Mutual Respect
Minimize conflicts by striving to earn respect from the beginning. This is best accomplished if you are consistent in how you handle a horse. He will know what to expect of you and understand that you are the leader in the relationship. By the same token, you must respect him as an individual, take into account his natural reactions, and allow him to be a horse. Don’t expect more from him than he can offer.
A horse is most secure when he knows what to expect. He’ll trust you more if your consistency is kind but firm. If you’re lax, he’ll try to bully you; if you’re too strict, he’ll fear you. Mutual trust is something you develop with a horse as you get to know each other and interact while training.
Treat Each Horse as an Individual
The temperament of your horse should dictate how you handle and train him. Some horses need more firmness to keep them in line; others need more reassurance and encouragement. What works well for one horse might be too harsh or too lax for another.
Progress at His Own Speed
When a horse learns quickly, challenge him with something new or give him a change of scenery by taking him out across country. Drilling on things the horse already knows gets boring. A fast learner needs to be given something new to do or he loses interest and gets into mischief.
For a slower learner, provide careful step-by-step lessons and do not move on to anything new until he has mastered each one. Pushing too fast results in confusion for the slow-learning horse. If he exhibits signs of insecurity, drop back to a lower level and work on things that are more familiar and secure until the horse is ready for the next step.
Not All Methods Work for All Horses
What has worked well for you in training one horse to lead, tie, change leads at the canter, or get into a trailer, for example, may not be effective with another. Tailor your training methods to suit each horse.
There are many ways to train, and they all work — sometimes and with some horses. No method works without fail on all horses. Different horse trainers have different philosophies. Numerous books, articles, videos, and clinics give advice on how to train horses, handle various problems, and teach horses to do specific things.
Some of these methods are similar, but others may be quite different. This doesn’t mean any one of them is either right or wrong. Some may be better, however, for a certain horse. Occasionally, you encounter a horse who frustrates your best efforts; you have to find some other way to get around a problem. This is why it’s good to keep an open mind and continue studying, learning, and searching for the best way to handle your individual horse. Even the best trainers continue to learn; there is always something more to know about handling and training a horse. Just don’t expect a particular method to work equally well on every horse.
LESSON SAFETY
An important rule for evaluating a training method or lesson is to ask if it is safe for both you and the horse. If something were to go wrong, would it put you at risk? Could the horse hurt himself trying to avoid the lesson? If there is any risk involved, find a different method. The use of force, which might backfire, or trying to hurry the horse and skip some steps will prove counterproductive and could even be dangerous in the long run.
The Path of Least Resistance
One of the basics of good training is to make it as easy as possible for a horse to perform a desired behavior. Thinking through your lesson ahead of time and knowing how he reacts to various cues will help you set the stage for making desired actions easy to do and undesired actions more difficult. How you apply and release pressure (on the halter, on the bit, with a leg) will influence how your horse learns. If you can make the desired action easily and the undesired action more difficult, the horse will generally choose the proper response. Horses prefer the path of least resistance.
Discourage Unwanted Behavior
To thwart unwanted behavior, anticipate the horse’s actions. If you know your horse, you can usually predict how he will react to certain things. There are several ways to head off unwanted behavior; the tactic you choose should depend on the horse, his training level, and the situation.
A horse can’t concentrate on two things at once. Sometimes the best way to discourage an action is to distract him by giving him something else to think about or do. If he wants to bolt toward home, make him concentrate on going in little circles instead. He can’t run while he’s circling. If he’s impatient and won’t walk slowly while following a herd of cattle, zigzag behind the herd in a fast walk. This gets his mind off prancing. If you can distract his mind and ask him to perform an alternate maneuver, he won’t be able to continue the bad behavior.
Don’t Intimidate
A horse is stronger than a human. We must influence him to do what we want by using his mind — that is, making him want to do it — rather than resorting to physical force. He must be comfortable with what we ask and able to understand what we want. Because we understand how he reacts to our actions, we work with his mind and his emotions.
Most of us recognize that to train a horse we must be dominant in the partnership. Often, however, we try to force this dominance by physical means, by improper use of whips or spurs or a chain over the nose. This can lead to more conflict. If a horse becomes afraid or excited, which is likely when we resort to physical persuasion, he will be in no frame of mind to listen to us.
Almost all horse-human conflicts involve physical contact — jerking on a lead rope or bit, for example, or kicking the horse in the ribs while mounted. In contrast, almost all horse arguments within a herd are resolved simply with body language. As trainers, we must find ways to resolve conflicts and maintain our “boss” status in the social order without physical contact or force, and this means working with the horse’s inclinations and emotions.
Be a Teacher
Remember, you are working with the horse’s mind as well as his body. Teach him a proper response by having him figure it out. He soon will learn that the more quickly he responds, the sooner he will be rewarded by release of pressure. Some methods that rely on physical manipulation, such as tying a horse’s head around to the side to teach him to be “supple” and give to the bit, may work, but it is easier on the horse if you are more subtle. Again, physical methods are best used as a last resort on an already spoiled horse. With a green horse, you’ll make better and more lasting progress working step-by-step with his mind.
TRAINING CHALLENGES
There’s often no single answer for a particular problem. Every solution or method has some drawbacks. To find the best way to handle a certain problem with a particular horse, evaluate the positive and negative aspects of each method and choose the one that seems most appropriate.
Always think about a problem before actually addressing it. Try to consider all the repercussions of how you’d deal with it, so you won’t inadvertently create more problems. For instance, if you try to teach a horse not to bite by swatting him, you teach him to jerk his head away from your hand every time it approaches his head. This makes future tasks like bridling, treating a head injury, and clipping extremely difficult.
BE CLEAR
Always try to present a lesson in such a way that the horse understands what is being asked. You can’t expect him to respond properly if he doesn’t understand your request.
Plan a Realistic Lesson
Approach every goal with a plan on how to achieve it. If our aim is to teach the horse to go smoothly into a canter from a walk, for example, or to change leads at your signal while cantering, you can’t just ask for this action without some step-by-step preparation.
Your goal should be reasonable. As you would with a lesson plan for a class at school, have some thought-out steps for how to get there. Start the lesson where your horse is now in his training. The more steps you can give the horse between where he is now and arriving at the goal, the more likely you will achieve it without needing to correct problems along the way. Like the fabled tortoise, a trainer who goes slowly and consistently, without shortcuts, will arrive at the goal sooner, without having to correct problems that occur when rushing the training.
Decide When to Correct and When to Be Patient
Often a horse does something unwanted because he is afraid or does not understand a cue. Usually, his behavior is not the result of disobedience. Understand your horse well enough to know the difference, and don’t punish if he’s acting badly out of fear or confusion. The last thing you should do is lose your temper with a horse who does not understand what you want. If he’s afraid, he needs comfort, reassurance, and patience to get past the fear. If he’s confused, you may be rushing him or asking too much. Slow down, and simplify what you are asking; until he regains his confidence, go back to something more basic that he understands and can perform.
If your horse understands what is asked but is being lazy and uncooperative, perhaps testing your authority, he needs a firmer cue to reinforce the one he did not obey. Cease the correction as soon as the horse responds properly, and reward him with release of pressure for complying and moving past the bad attitude.
If you employ a firmer cue and the horse still doesn’t respond properly, he is either badly spoiled or he does not truly understand what you are asking. You may need to rethink your method and try another tactic. Try asking him in a different way if he didn’t understand, or enlist the help of a more experienced trainer if the horse is being aggressively noncooperative.
Don’t Rush the Horse
Lessons should be progressive. Build step-by-step on earlier lessons. Expand the basics, broadening the foundation of his abilities, both mental and physical. Be in tune with the horse so you can recognize his strengths and limitations. Don’t expect him to perform a new maneuver perfectly the first few times you ask, and don’t drill him on it excessively.
A mistake many trainers make is getting caught up in a timetable, feeling they must accomplish a certain goal in a certain time. Never have a rigid training schedule, and don’t assume that today is the day you will introduce a certain movement and tomorrow you will move on to the next. This puts you and the horse under pressure. Take things one step at a time, moving forward only when you feel he is ready. As always, don’t ask him to do anything he doesn’t understand. Sometimes a novice trainer punishes a horse for not performing when the problem is that he doesn’t know what is expected. The horse generally overreacts to the stimulus or refuses to respond at all.
STAY FLEXIBLE
Don’t be so rigid in your methods that you can’t change them if necessary. You may have to go to plan B or even C or D. The method you decided on may not work with this horse. The time frame you laid out may be unrealistic. Your horse, like you, may have good days and bad days. Feel out his attitude as you prepare for a lesson, and shift gears accordingly.
Have an alternative plan for bad days; perhaps you can review some easy lessons he already knows and save the next step for later. Even if you don’t make much progress on a given day, if you keep his attitude (and yours) positive and prevent a confrontation, you still will have gained ground. Flexibility is key in any good training program.
Most things a horse must learn to do under saddle require physical conditioning as well as mental learning. He will use muscles differently, develop new muscles, and acquire the ability to perform various maneuvers as he gains the strength and dexterity to do so. If you push him too fast, he’ll be physically sore as well as mentally soured; if he hurts, he will resent the lessons.
A horse may develop a bad attitude about training, especially for an athletic or performance career, if he is worked too long and hard; pain will actually teach him avoidance behavior. A training schedule should allow time for him to recover from previous strenuous activity; the greatest progress is made when you take ample time to get there. Shortcuts generally end in failure of one kind or another.
Keep thinking. Plan the next lessons. Evaluate previous ones. If today a horse did not react or respond the way you wanted, look closely at your methods and cues. Consider how you might alter things for tomorrow; be flexible. Most of all, try to understand the horse and why he reacts the way he does. Every horse is different, and each one will be teaching you while you are teaching him. If you are willing to learn as much as the horse does as you go along, you will become a good trainer.
Give the Horse a Break
Now and then, horses benefit from a vacation from daily training drills. The good news is that horses continue learning even during a break. Often after a vacation day, the horse will be sharper in his responses or will perform a new or difficult maneuver better than when you left off. A good training program combines daily sessions with an occasional break. This allows the horse time to soak up the training and come back to his lessons refreshed. Intermittent schooling also helps prevent overdrilling, sourness, and boredom. If a horse becomes bored with his lessons, he will stop trying to learn. Strive to keep training interesting, and give your horse a break when he needs it.
Enlist the Aid of a Role Model
Inexperienced horses learn some things more quickly if a trained horse sets an example. Just as a foal learns to eat grain by mimicking his mother, so does a green horse tackle a new challenge — crossing a stream and stepping over a log, for example — more willingly if he sees another horse doing it. When taking a young horse on a first ride across country, it’s easier if an experienced horse accompanies him. By observing his companion, he will learn that mud puddles, barking dogs, cars along the road, and birds that fly up are not so scary.
Horses also take cues from other herd members. If one panics, they all prepare to flee. In the wild, horses depend on one another’s acute senses for survival. A spooky horse communicates fear to the herd. A calm horse traveling with a youngster, on the other hand, communicates security and steadiness. When encountering unfamiliar or threatening situations, the green horse takes courage from the fact that the other horse is not afraid. With this reassurance the youngster is able to settle down and relax and again pay attention to his rider.
Take advantage of role models. Load a young horse into a trailer with a buddy for first lessons, or pony (lead) him from a calm horse. Tie the foal next to his mother, or tie a young horse next to a dependable stablemate for his first tying lessons. You can also ease a horse through a trying situation if he trusts and accepts you as he would a dominant herd member. If you project a relaxed attitude, your horse will more readily lose his fear, just as he would take cues from a more experienced and secure herd member.
CHECKLIST FOR TRAINING
Keep in mind the basic nature of the horse and how horses communicate and learn.
Take into consideration the temperament and personality of the horse you are working with.
Make sure rewards and corrections fit the situation and the individual horse and that they follow immediately after the good and bad actions.
Arrange to have lessons take place in an environment free of distractions.
Use repetition (building step-by-step on earlier experiences) to reinforce proper actions and good habits.
Use logical lessons that last no longer than a horse’s attention span; try to end on a positive note while he is doing things right.
Always try to improve your communication with the horse, and take advantage of the way horses learn.
Training Aids
The rider uses voice, attitude, and body language, as well as riding aids such as weight shift and leg and rein signals to “talk” to the horse, communicating his or her wishes. As horse and rider become partners, they get into sync with each other. The horse learns what is wanted and is able to respond more precisely to cues. Artificial aids — a whip or crop to be used as an extension of your hand or a spur to more specifically focus a leg cue — also can be helpful when training.
Hands
To have perfect communication, you must keep your hands in contact with the horse’s mouth. Your hands are your communication link: they give subtle signals, collect him, allow him to extend, keep him at exactly the speed you want, and maintain him perfectly under control. Your reins control the forehand (the front part of the horse), and your legs control the hindquarters.
If you are using one hand on the reins (with a curb bit), check the horse with a flex of your fingers and wrist for slowing, stopping, or backing. Neck-rein him for turns, moving your hand forward and upward to press one of the reins against his neck to signal the turn.
If you are using both hands on the reins (with a snaffle bit), you will have them fixed momentarily or squeezing and releasing to encourage the horse to slow down, halt, or back up. You will use one hand more actively when turning. To make a sharp turn, the active hand is opened slightly outward while increasing tension on the bit. This slows the horse as he turns; the passive hand gives as much as the active hand takes. In a wide turn, the active hand is carried outward and leads the horse around the turn while the passive hand gives.
You can also use your hands as a cue to move your horse sideways as he travels. To move him to the left, for example, carry the active hand (the right one, in this case) to the left without crossing the withers, which produces tension to the left and rear. This keeps the horse relatively straight as he moves forward and to the left.
Legs
Use your legs to indicate direction and to increase speed. Leg pressure causes the horse to use his hind legs more vigorously or to move his hindquarters to one side or the other. Leg pressure on one side of the horse makes him move over. Using your legs helps him make smoother turns and keeps him traveling straight when he doesn’t want to.
Using both legs with equal pressure at the same time signals the horse to move forward. Sometimes you use just the inside leg when making a turn, to steady him and keep him from turning too sharply. Often you use one leg farther back behind the girth to push the hindquarters around a turn or to move them over. A good rider uses legs often, though with very subtle movement or pressure. Leg cues, in conjunction with subtle bit cues, are much more effective than relying on the bit alone.
Weight Shifts
Body weight — shifting forward, back, or to the side — indicates speed and direction. Shifting forward slightly changes the horse’s center of gravity, causing him to move forward to restore it. Shifting back encourages him to slow or stop.
Voice
Your voice should relax a horse, give him confidence, command, and praise and occasionally reprimand him. Speak in your normal fashion, not too loud or too soft; you want him to become accustomed to your regular voice. If he’s nervous or upset, use your voice to reassure him. Calm a nervous horse by speaking softly, humming, or whispering — give him something soothing and monotonous on which to focus. Don’t use a loud voice even if you get upset. Never shout a firm command, such as Whoa; just speak more strongly than you would when soothingly saying Easy. Always give the same command in the same tone and the horse won’t become confused. Remember, a horse responds more to the tone of your voice than to the words you are saying.
Whips, Spurs, and Other Artificial Aids
Draw reins, spurs, whips, and other devices are called artificial aids. Some of these may be beneficial when used correctly, but used incorrectly, they can make a problem worse or cause new ones.
The Whip
A whip is effective only as a training aid. If used for punishment, its value is lost because the horse will associate it with pain instead of simply as a cuing device. He can’t concentrate on what you’re trying to teach because he’s worried about the whip.
But a whip can be a helpful training tool. It enables you to reach parts of the horse you otherwise could not touch, as when encouraging him to move forward (by touching him on the hindquarters) while standing by his shoulder or when asking him to stay out in a circle while longeing instead of cutting corners or coming to you. Used properly, the horse will think of the whip as an extension of your arm.
FAMILIARIZING A HORSE WITH THE WHIP
Run the whip gently over the horse’s back, neck, legs, and belly. If he is afraid of it, simply place it across his neck and let him stand. Once it is resting there and motionless, he can relax. He needs to learn it’s nothing to fear — that it’s a cue, that its tapping is what he is supposed to move away from. You should be able to place the whip anywhere on his body without frightening him. Approach a horse matter-of-factly or casually, not aggressively or timidly. If you are worried he might be afraid of the whip and then go about your instruction timidly, the horse may sense your worry and think there is something to fear.
Spurs
Use spurs as an aid to better performance. A spur is an extension of a rider’s heel; use it to gain an instant response from the horse when an instant response is needed. The purpose of a well-designed spur is to pester a horse into response, encourage him into obedience, and guide him in a certain direction. The horse moves away from pressure, and light application of the spur gently prods the horse to move. Proper use of spurs produces a quicker response and enables the rider to maneuver his mount with more precision.
The dressage horse, cow horse, or jumper often performs more effectively with the use of spurs than without. The rider merely has to touch the horse lightly or bring his heel toward the horse. The signal is crisp and instant, with less leg and heel motion than if the rider had to squeeze with a leg or press with a heel.
Used properly, a spur is an extension of the rider’s heel.
If a horse is sluggish or doesn’t turn quickly when asked, the spur gets his attention more emphatically than does a squeeze. The horse understands that the rider means now. When precision and instant response are important — to block a dodging cow or to leap a ditch or fence without hesitation — spurs give the rider an edge in communication. A good rider, using spurs judiciously, can make a good horse even better.
Improper use of spurs defeats their purpose; they serve only to irritate the horse or deaden his responses. Spurs are like whips: they are an aid — an extension of your hand (the whip) or your leg (a spur) — and should never be used for punishment or to cause pain.
JUDICIOUS USE OF SPURS
Spurs need not be large or sharp. A small blunt spur is less likely to hurt the horse. A novice rider should not use spurs; an inexperienced rider may touch heels to the horse when he doesn’t mean to. Nor should you use them for early training on a green horse. The green horse must first learn the basics of response to leg pressure, without being startled by the inadvertent use of a spur. The spur is added later, as a refinement of leg pressure, used in instances when the rider desires a certain response or to reinforce a signal, as when teaching the horse to respond to the lightest leg pressure. (If he doesn’t respond to light pressure, firmer pressure is applied. If he doesn’t respond to that, he feels the touch of the spur and soon learns to respond to the lighter pressure.)
Other Artificial Devices
A number of devices, among them tie-downs, martingales, and draw reins, are sometimes used to position a horse’s head or to keep him from raising his nose. Whenever an artificial aid is used to set the horse’s head or for more control, the rider may depend on this rather than trying to develop better balance or control with training. The horse may come to depend on it, leaning into it for part of his balance, and thus cannot truly balance himself. Usually, these should be used only as a last resort on a spoiled horse — never in training a green one. A young horse can learn proper head carriage and collection with step-by-step training. The horse who won’t collect or carry his head properly usually has had poor training.
Sometimes, a trainer will use a tie-down or a martingale as a shortcut instead of spending time to teach the horse how to balance and flex or will use them on a spoiled horse who already has developed bad habits in trying to avoid the bit. Draw reins are used for more control, but if they are used as the only set of reins, they pull down the horse’s head to his chest, and then he is out of your control.
How to Avoid Conflict and Common Pitfalls
No matter how far you progress when training your horse, there will be times when you and your horse are just not on the same page and experience a conflict. This is partly because we (horse and human) are not machines but rather individuals with moods and feelings. Sometimes we simply fall out of sync. Also, the horse-human relationship is always in flux. The young horse is growing up, learning more, going through phases and stages. Like parent-child, teacher-pupil, boss-employee relationships, the horse-human relationship is never static. Training is a dynamic process that we can’t take for granted; we must constantly work at it.
The horse’s mind is like that of a young child. He wants to please you, but he may also want to exert his independence. If he can get away with some little thing, he may try to get away with more. As previously mentioned, some conflicts arise because you have not communicated well enough with the horse and he does not understand what is being asked. But other arguments happen because he is trying to see what he can get away with. Perhaps you were too lax in tolerating small infractions, and now he is becoming bolder in his disrespect or disobedience. You must be able to pinpoint the cause of a conflict and deal with it appropriately.
Know your horse. If it’s a horse you are just getting acquainted with, you must feel your way along. Sometimes you’ll have to revisit more basic lessons to regain the horse’s respect (see chapters 3 through 5 for more information).
Above all, try to understand the horse and why he reacts the way he does. And evaluate your own actions. Every horse is different and will teach you while you are teaching him.
Control Your Temper
Anger and frustration have no place in training a horse. At times you’ll become impatient and frustrated, but try to avoid or at least minimize these reactions as much as possible; they get in the way of proper communication. If you are angry, you are no longer in tune with the horse, and the communication is gone. Horses learn through repetition and in response to positive or negative reinforcement. If you punish in anger, the horse will react in fear or confusion and is less likely to give you the proper response. Anger will usually make your horse afraid to try that same movement again because he will associate it with punishment. And this can undo all previous training.
Anger Management
When you lose control, you lose the key to staying in sync with and in control of your horse. If you tend to get impatient or lose your temper easily, beware of the early warning signs and head them off.
A TEMPER IS DANGEROUS
Take a deep breath and think about what you are doing before you react to a horse’s disobedience. When you lose your temper, you lose control of yourself and no longer think clearly. The rush of adrenaline can make you overreact and put you at risk if you forget the rules of safety and good horsemanship.
If you are physically fighting with a horse, you may do things you would never do otherwise, such as striking him in the head, or pitting your meager strength against his stronger reactions, again putting yourself in danger. In addition, the horse will be reacting blindly, from alarm or pain and possibly in self-defense — perhaps trying to bolt, buck, or kick — and this too puts you at serious risk.
Begin each training session with a positive and open attitude. If you are already upset about something that messed up your day, don’t work with your horse until you have put that behind you.
If you feel anger coming on during a lesson — when the horse reacts improperly or does something that displeases you — try to calm down before it escalates and damages the training session. If he is doing something wrong, stop what you are trying to teach him and go back to something he can handle better, so he can do it right and you can both feel a sense of accomplishment. Remember your priorities and goals. The horse’s welfare comes first. You want a well-trained horse, and you don’t want to ruin your progress by losing your temper. Tell yourself to relax and focus.
If you absolutely cannot halt the impatience and anger, stop the lesson. Let the horse walk freely on a loose rein (or let him stand, if you are doing ground work) while you calm down. After you are more relaxed, think about what triggered the anger. Don’t blame the horse; take responsibility for your temper flare-up. You will have to work on training yourself as well as your horse!
Dealing with a Bad Attitude
If you know your horse is having an off day or has a certain phobia, how you handle him and what you ask him to do can make a difference in whether you have a confrontation. Sometimes the best way to deal with a problem is to avoid it; in this case, do something that will create a positive effect for that lesson rather than a negative one.
On the other hand, if you get into a situation in which the horse exhibits a bad attitude, how you deal with it makes a difference in whether it is resolved positively or becomes a hindrance to further progress. If the horse is aggressively disobeying, such as breaking into a trot when he’s supposed to walk or backing or rearing instead of standing still, it’s important to let him know immediately that his behavior is unacceptable.
DISTRACT WHEN NECESSARY
Avoid situations in which you are at odds with a horse and cannot win. If there is a problem and you are not able to resolve a particular conflict, find something else for the horse to do that will make him think you have won and are still dominant. Don’t fight; shift gears and ask him to do something else that you know he can and will do, so the result will be his willing obedience rather than his victory. This enables you to keep the psychological upper hand and can help prevent further conflicts or attempts at disobedience.
Correction should be instant and appropriate: check with the bit to keep him at the lower gait, exert leg pressure to hold him in position and keep him from backing, use firm leg pressure along with a pull to one side so he cannot rear, for example. When you are consistent in your correction, he will eventually stop trying to make these decisions on his own and instead wait for and respond to your cues.
Use Proper Timing and Patience
Instant response (correction when needed, reward when he does it right) enables the horse to understand what you want (or do not want) him to do — that is, he will associate your response with his action. If you don’t correct a bad action immediately, he’ll assume he can do it whenever he wants.
If your conflict with a horse is due to his inability to understand your signals, patience rather than correction is needed. Try again to communicate, this time more clearly. There must always be some compromises. If you can’t get him to do something using one method, try another. If you get stuck, don’t struggle. Do something else for a moment, end the lesson on a positive note, and ponder the problem before you try again. It often helps to sleep on it. By taking some time away, you might come up with a better way to handle the problem or to resolve the communication impasse.
If you can think about it for a while, you should be able to figure out ways to “explain” it differently or create different circumstances that will make the lesson easier for the horse or the problem less challenging. The horse will also have a chance to give things a fresh look; some lessons soak in better after a horse has had a little time to absorb them.