Training

Horses follow cues or aids; an aid is either a suggestion to move into or away from pressure.  Depending on where we put this pressure they will either move forwards, backwards, sideways, up, down or into flexion!!!

What is very important here is to note that it is when we take the pressure off that the learning occurs. 

Sounds easy enough, but here is the rub!  We need to have in place the following attributes: Focus and Feel, Timing, Calmness, Clarity Consistency and Effectiveness, if we do not have these attributes horses get confused which will lead them into an emotional state where training becomes an unpleasant experience and very little positive learning occurs.

It is very important to constantly be aware that horses mirror our state of mind, our emotions and therefore our attitude.  All this is relevant to training.

Here are some classic examples that most of us have experienced:

•  Running late, cannot catch your horse….

•  Off to a show, cannot load your horse or horse keeps fidgeting

•  Worried about the jump, horse puts in a stop

•  Nervous of the dressage test and the transitions fall apart

•  Lacking confidence out on a ride, horse jigs and jogs, shies a lot

•  Concerned about hacking out, horse will not leave yard

As the above suggests, training is just us much about us as it is our horses, so the foundation of training starts with basic theory of the application of horse & human behaviour to training, we must understand what motives our horses and what motivates us humans!

It is not a co-incidence that some of the greatest horsepeople in the world are focussed, clear, calm, confident & effective… and often quiet people.  They operate more on their intuition, their ‘feel’ and this cannot be done if you are constantly talking whilst training.

The good news is that all the above can be achieved, you do not have to be born with it.  It can be taught,  and it is what I teach through private  and group lessons workshops lectures and clinics and as of 2008 through the One Year Diploma Course.