12/01/2023
Horse Training Notes
If you take up the challenge in becoming a horse trainer then you become deeply entrenched not only in the horse's behavior but more importantly in your own behavior.
This can never be taken lightly, as you discover those well hidden pieces of yourself that aren't always so pleasant to see.
This is where the road forks for many people, they either take on the challenge to improve themselves, or they come to the realization it isn't for them.
That's ok too!
But to those of us who do take on this very worthwhile study, the road is full of hairpin turns and potholes and very rough at times, yet the scenery is so very sweet. From that view we can see and experience things we could not in any other way. Our horses too, will benefit from this as they are forever grazing in the lush fields in the sunshine, and we can gaze upon them knowing they are happy too!
How far you come as a horseman is 'fully' dependent on how far you 'want' to go and it is only 'you' who can do it. How much effort you put in, how honest you can be with yourself is totally up to you. Listening to opinions of others who are not searching for what you are, are not only useless, but harmful and can even weaken your resolve if you let them. So take every piece of advice with a grain of salt and throw out that which does not serve your greater purpose.
Every horse has his own strengths and weaknesses, and although he won't always be the best at something you ask him to do, with the right training, he 'will' do it anyway. This is something often taken advantage of, and because of the horse's generous temperament, he gives of himself even if it injures him to do so. I speak in terms of psychological and physical.
That is one of the most valuable lessons a great horse trainer can learn ;
To never ask the horse to do something for too long or at the wrong time and when he is not ready to do it.
When he is not ready means he is not in the right balance, physical and psychological, to perform what we ask of him.
The aim then is to ask for a little and only of a short duration and reward the horse immediately on the slightest try, and in the right balance.
The horse will often show you 'how' he can do something. That is a very beautiful thing;
to be able to feel this dialogue unfolding.
As a good trainer we should be able to show the horse what we want and then 'allow' him to do it, without any further intervention from us.
Then he will do it willingly with all his power. Many riders often do not recognize the beginning of this dialogue and start to force the horse which shuts him down, rather than building on his confidence.
It won't be perfect at first, because the horse is a beginner and if you want to train him to understand fully, you must start with small steps which instill confidence, and then build on these small steps.
If you were not clear to the horse with your request, he will not understand. Importantly it is paramount that we pause and reflect on what we have done before we insist that he does it. We must also have a clear goal in mind. We modify our request if it is not understood so that the horse can understand more clearly.
This is like building a foundation brick by brick. We make sure that each brick laid is solid. The more solid the foundation the more the horse will also become calm and his enjoyment in learning, greatly increased. Anytime he starts to lose confidence, we simply retrace our steps back to something the horse understands, and go from there.
Riding is like music, it is not the end of the music we want to get to, it is purely enjoying the moment with the music. It is the same with our horses; to enjoy the beautiful music we make together in that moment.
Sometimes we think of a moment as if it were of a short duration, but with better understanding, these moments last longer and longer.
A famous horseman who traveled to Australia many years ago said that one must hurry slowly.
In the same way; If we rush, we lose.
One other thing about horses that must be understood is;
He knows when you have pushed him too far. He knows when you were being unfair. You know that too.
He has a mind , and many a rider has become unstuck because they have treated him like a machine. He's too intelligent for that and will never give the rider his full capacity unless he has been trained with courtesy and respect.
