Patience, Horses, and Humans

 Patience, Humans & Horses

I've had many comments over the years about how I seem to never lose patience with the horse during moments that for most people would trigger a rollercoaster of emotions... such as in the scenarios of when a horse:

Resists being caught

Difficult to Trailer Load

Bolts when Led

Won't stand quietly tied

Avoidant towards the farrier

Has excessive movement when tacked or mounted

Is sensitive about fly spray or bathing

Is buddy or "barn" sour

None of the above "problems" are the horse's actual issues. Instead, they are symptomatic responses reflecting the many missed "building blocks" that go into the equine's education that creates a solid foundation.

When I see these and numerous other unwanted behaviors, I translate the responses (feedback) from the horse showing his fear, defensiveness, and anticipation, due to the "holes" in or lack of Quality education.

I see many horse training videos referring to all of the above unwanted behaviors as the issue(s)- and offering quick "solutions"- without EVER teaching, discussing, or educating horse owners how to recognize addressing the contributing root cause(s) of the undesired equine responses.

Far too many equine "answers" is to basically teach conditioned response via a degree of constantly imposing driving pressure or using food incentives without ever actually addressing the horse's fear.

When the human priority and value system is to learn to read the horse's subtle physical communication- the ear, eye, jaw, muzzle, neck, tooline, shoulder, knees, ribcage, hidquarters, hocks, and tail, all constantly change offering real time reflection of the horse's everchanging mental and emotional state, "guessing" what will happen diminishes.

Prioritizing learning and refining one's horse skills of creating mentally available and directable equines completely eliminates hopeful interactions. 

Understanding how to check-in with the horse to assess his feedback, delegates what to address and when, to help him release physical tension and decrease his mental avoidance. 

This emotionally neutral communication is what creates a two-way Conversation. This allows the human to address the horse's concerns, build his trust, and encourage his try when asked to participate. 

Especially in previously triggering or unfamiliar scenarios, the Quality of the communication (and if it has any meaning or value to the horse)- is what influences mental, emotional, and physical changes in the equine leading to desired responses while building his trust.

The more emotionally neutral one is, the faster their ability is to observe, assess, and make decisions. Believing the animal's honest communication without inserting a human emotional filter of how it makes you feel- or judging it, the more specific and supportive one can be in helping him work through his fear and defensiveness.

The irony is when people remove the emotionally triggered "I want" it now demands, and address the horse in a way that has meaning to him, the equine will offer far more than the human could have ever imagined.

Have you struggled with emotions that cause you to become impatient?