A majority of unwanted horse behavior
stems from the animal responding with defensiveness towards any form of
pressure. Spatial and physical are the
most common types of pressure people use to communicate with horses. If there
is a physical resistance and mental distrust towards pressure, this can lead to
a wary partnership between horse and human.
The horse presenting himself to be
haltered, working at liberty, walking past a scary location or object are all
forms of spatial pressure. Tasks such as standing tied, tacking up, being
mounted, and rein/seat/leg aids are all examples of physical pressure.
An overlooked factor in creating a
quality partnership is the rider recognizing the horse’s efforts by offering a
release. Think of the release as an acknowledgement or “thank you” towards the
horse for his effort. It is the only encouragement the rider can offer to horse
to inspire him to keep trying.
The timing of the release is crucial
and can be offered in a multitude of ways. It can be physical, such as
decreasing the use of an aid or slowing the pace; a spatial release could be
encouraging a horse to “think through” a scenario. A rider lacking sensitivity
and awareness, unintentionally creates constant pressure towards their horse.
Mistrust can begin when the horse
complies with the initial pressure, and a rider continues to “take” or demand more
of the horse. Eventually the constant pressure
with no release is too much for the horse, who begins displaying resistant
(fussy, busy, defensive) behavior. If
the horse’s movement still appears “manageable,” his concerns tend to be
ignored, or worse, the rider’s response is to create MORE pressure in an
attempt to “make him” do something or to contain his resistance.
What does this vicious cycle teach
the horse? That every time he displays he has a problem, he is going to have
more pressure applied to him. Eventually the horse has had “enough” and uses
his size and muscle to get bigger, stronger or perhaps more intimidating. The obvious
unwanted physical behavior is often the symptom, rather than the root cause.
A common practice is to mask the
unwanted behavior, with quick and easy “fixes” such as using more severe tack. Adding
equipment, working the horse harder and longer, all forms of pressure, lead to increased
resistance from the horse.
Instead it should feel like a
respectful conversation between the rider and their horse, not a screaming
match. The rider should ask something of
the horse with minimal energy and effort, through clear and specific
communication. The horse can and should
respond in a polite and willing manner.
The reality is that many riders feel
like they are begging for the horse to acknowledge them. Other folks’ approach is
to “make” the horse do something through physical dominance; this fuels the
horse’s defensiveness. Then there are riders who learn to work “around” the
horse, limiting what they ask of them to avoid potential resistance or conflict.
None of these methods contribute to
the horse or rider’s confidence, trust, respect or partnership. So how do we fix it? With young or inexperienced horses, my philosophy
is it is easier to prevent something from happening, than trying to fix it
after-the-fact.
Horses are born sensitive, alert,
aware and curious. But often by the time
you see a horse that has been ridden for a few years they have “lost” a lot of
those traits. So what happened? Through no ill will or bad intention, rather a
lack of quality equine education, many folks have handled their horses in a
manner that has unintentionally taught the horse to ignore them, to be fearful
of the human, and to feel defensive towards people in general.
How does this happen? Contributors
that tend to quickly create mistrust, misunderstanding and concern for the
horse can include but are not limited to:
Professionals who prioritize quantity
of task-accomplishment with the horse, rather than quality and confidence-building
training practices.
Trainers who feel time/financial/ego pressure
to produce results and rush colts or inexperienced horses too fast or hard in
their initial education, creating a fear of the unknown.
Trainers sending inexperienced horses home to
inexperienced riders who “don’t know what they don’t know,” therefore the rider
asks things of the horse that are overwhelming or over-face the horse.
A rider’s general lack of correct usage of
aids, creating a constant heaviness (all pressure and no release) combined with
continual mixed signals and passive communication.
A lack of physical release from the
rider contributes to a mental disengagement from the horse. This is what I
consider as overly desensitized horses or mentally “shut down.” They aren’t interested in participating, and
they are only tolerating the human, leading to continual resistance towards the
rider.
So what if you aren’t working a young
horse, but an older experienced one, can he “come back” from the mental stress
and physical pressures created by people? Absolutely. It does not take long for
the horse to recognize the immediate difference in a “conversation” focusing on
refining his interpretation of pressure and release, defining clear boundaries
and standards as to what behaviors will work and those that don’t. The more the
horse realizes his efforts lead to a release, the more curious he becomes about
what is being presented.
Horses can be incredibly forgiving
animals, and can quickly adapt to positive, clear and specific communication. Re-sensitizing
the horse to being soft on the lead rope, leads to a softer response to the
rein. Following-the-feel and softening
to pressure, should feel like the horse is “melting” towards wherever you first
direct his thought, then his body, whether you’re on the ground or in the saddle.
The horse should feel like putty, waiting for you to mold him however you’d
like. Being a herd animal, he can be very willing to comply and adapt, if the
rider is willing to educate themselves and learn how to support the horse
through scenarios, rather than solely critique his efforts.
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