Develop a working relationship with your horse using Respect , Focus and Trust!
Before you can begin any serious training with your horse, you must first develop a positive relationship. As with any relationship, Respect, Focus and Trust are the key component!.
Anyone who has spent any time with me training horses knows my primary philosophy….. develop the relationship first! Most trainers only provide you with training methods, i.e. how to flex, how to side pass, how to trailer load etc. Very few provide components that, in my view, are the most critical. Let’s break this down……
Respect – If the horse hasn’t learned to respect you, not only does this create an unsafe environment, but the horse simply could care less about anything you’re trying to accomplish. A horse that is pushy, has attitude, want’s to be dominant does not respect you!
Focus – If the horse is not paying any attention to you, then how can the horse learn anything from you? If the horse is more concerned about grabbing grass, other horses or the famous horse eating monkeys in the trees, how can the horse be aware of you or your cues? In order to effectively communicate with your horse, you must have the horse’s focus!
Trust – I could write a whole article on trust, but here’s a synopsis. I can get a horse’s respect and focus relatively quick, trust, however, cannot be forced, it has to be earned! How do we earn a horses trust? The simple answer is …. always be fair to your horse!
How do we be fair to our horses? First and foremost, be patient! Understand that you are bringing your horse into your world, not theirs! Never ever loose your temper! If you feel yourself getting frustrated STOP, regroup yourself, better educate yourself and re-approach the issue.
Next, be consistent! It is totally unfair to ask your horse to do something one way today and a different way tomorrow! How many of you have had bosses do this to you? Remember how it felt!
The most difficult things to learn are Timing and Feel. This will come with experience. Learning when to apply pressure and when to release it, in my opinion, is an art form. It requires empathy and understanding the horse. Communication is a two way street! When your horse is trying to tell you something, learn to listen!
Lastly, dedicate your self to your horse. Spend quality time with your horse! We all have jobs, social time etc., but you should never neglect your horse by not spending time with them. Horse are social beings. If you drag them out only to serve your purpose once a month, don’t expect your relationship to improve.
Just as in any relationship, with your spouse, with your kids or with anyone for that matter, there must be Respect, Focus and Trust for that relationship to grow!