MORE BASIC TENETS OF

NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP

 

• A high head is a tense, on-alert horse; a low head is a relaxed horse, so teach the horse to relax and lower his head; the mind follows his body.

Teach the horse to relax through a lowered head

• Don't push horses over fear thresholds, but instead read the horse well and compassionately, and perceive the tolerance threshold ahead of time, backing up and returning to where the horse was comfortable. Then and only then, slowly work your way back up to the threshold area, retreating before the horse reacts, and you'll get past the fear threshold more quickly and easily. Our jobs are not to frighten horses, but to empathetically guide them in the directions of building confidence to overcome their fears.
• Return to bonding whenever the horse is afraid to nurture him through his fears, and he will glide through fears, regaining confidence, far more quickly.
• Horses as a rule will try to do things right, so don't constantly be reprimanding them for things done wrong. Reward successes, don't punish failures and you'll get there faster.
• Let the horse use his own mind. Present the task at hand, and then let him figure out how to get there, and he will learn far faster; he will also develop into a more rational, less fearful horse because he's learning to use his mind.
• Make the right thing easy, the wrong thing hard.  Since horses naturally, instinctively, steer into the direction of what is easiest, then set it up so that what you want him to do is easiest, and what he wants to do that is wrong, harder.
• When teaching a horse a new behavior, stop while it is working! What this means is, stop while the horse is cooperating, "getting it," and the next time you come back to it, even days later, the horse will be farther along on that learning curve.
• Rub, don't pat.  To reward a horse, stroke it; don't pat it. Unlike a dog, horse's don't understand patting, nor appreciate it much, though they do learn to tolerate it. Stroking simulates a mother horse licking the foal and is rewarding behavior they not only understand, but also greatly appreciate and enjoy. Plus, they have very sensitive skin and rubbing simply feels better to them than patting!
• There are generally no truly bad horses, only confused horses. Try to remember that one when working with them to learn a new behavior. They are not intentionally being "bad," they usually simply don't understand what is being requested of them. Progress (and reward!) in baby steps, smaller digestible lessons, and they will get there quicker and happier.
• The horse is the best teacher there is. Pay attention and learn from every horse you work with, and you'll be surprised what each one teaches you!
• Always end a horse session leaving the horse in a good spot! Horses have a tendency to remember most what happened at the very last in a previous session, so always leave on a positive, even if this means manufacturing a positive at the end of a particularly difficult session or ride, in order to make sure the horse is left on a positive, and he will be more willing to try again later.

Always leave a horse in a good spot before walking away from a day's

lesson or ride, and he will be much more willing the next time around

 

• The greatest gift you can give your horse is the gift of your time. Spend time with your horse, lots of it, and he'll make it worth your while. The more time you spend with your horse, the deeper and more bonded your partnership will grow.
• Finally ... There really are no horse problems, only people problems. This one is sometimes the hardest for people to hear or to understand and maybe accept. The truth is, without man, horses do just fine! Most horse problems are man-made problems. Horses have survived for thousands of years splendidly on their own. When man steps into the picture, not fully understanding prey animal psychology and how to work with it, not against it, and instead, institutes predator psychology, problems arise. Learn and institute prey animal psychology and speak the language the horse already understands (as opposed to expecting the horse to learn the language of man) and you'll create a quiet, willing partner.

Natural Horsemanship is a lifelong learning skill.  The day you think you've learned it all is: 1) the day you simply stopped learning, and 2) the day you should probably stop training!  Stay open, stay learning from all the best Natural Horsemanship masters "out there," and working with your horse will be a rewarding adventure where truly it can be said: "the journey is the reward."

We can all learn from each other!