When training a horse, leave your emotions at home

Laura F · Well Schooled

When training a horse, leave your emotions at home

Barnmouser Ash · Grand Prix

I thought this article was fantastic. It's so very true that you must leave your emotions at the gate when working with horses. If not, you risk potential abuse (intentional or not), and even some severe safety risks (having a mental break down on your horse can lead to horses flipping over backwards, etc etc). This is some very solid advice with some nice references. :)

Jennifer Lamm · Yearling

I think horses read emotions and know when you are in a bad mood and then mirror you maybe..... I know with my training, I concentrate on me...... not him...... am I being the best person I can be at all times?

Barnmouser Ash · Grand Prix

Jennifer: That's a great point. It's very hard to drop every emotion you have at the door and focus on just training your horse and building a connection with him or her, so kudos to those who can. But you bring up a good point, that you should focus on making sure you're the best representative of the human race to your horse at all times, in that situation ;)

sedonasilver · Advanced

Oh Lorenzo can read me like a book. He loves to push my buttons when he knows Im in a bad/stressed mood. Cheeky little bugger!

barnfrog · Advanced

Horses do not try to 'push buttons'. THat kind of anthromorphism is often the basis of 'emotional' reactions in people. Horses just choose the path of least resistance based of previous requests. It is OUR job to help them choose the 'right' reactions.

Jennifer Lamm · Yearling

:) My decision to be the best person I can be came from the fact that I have a very emotional mustang.... I've raised him from a baby..... if my heart races too fast, Oliver almost feels the need to jump.... probably away from me..... in order to keep my emotions under control to be the best leader for Oliver, I learned, actually, from Chris Irwin, whose videos I have watched on this board, to be the "level headed mare".... the one who can handle the crisis at all times...... I went through hynosis first, to learn to channel my rear, then I made sure I ate something in the morning to keep me calm..... then I made sure I just hung out with Oliver for a few weeks to get to know him better...... and after 6 years, may I say, our "two way street" is that neither one of us get mad at one another..... he is as patient with me now as I am with him... and I make a load of mistakes a 6 year old youngster could really get pist at.... but he just doesn't..... I believe he knows that I am keeping myself in check so that I can be his level headed mare.... :) for me I am all about being the best person I can be for my horse..... why get pist off at my friend.....

Equos sanos · Yearling

in the lecture I was with DR Gerd Heuschmann he said something really good if you get mad at your horse your more likely mad at the reflection in the mirror.
I took that to heart I can say.

justice · Grand Prix

For example:
jigging.

We, as riders, are taught 1000 whys and 1000 ways as to why this is a bad thing and how to stop it. So. We are mounted, horse starts to jig, we apply all that we know with no desired result, horse keeps jigging. Why?

Deep in your heart, where you can't lie, even to yourself, you really DON'T MIND!! Tell me honestly that sitting on a horse that is jigging with spectatours available is NOT a power trip? Not right, not appropriate, not legal in most rings but, privately enjoyed nonetheless, however momentarily.

Horses have to filter thru our human secondary agendas as well as our emotional smorgasbords in order to figure out what it is we really want from them. The answer, for them, is where there is clear truth. They honour that truth because it is the only thing that makes any sense to them, until they learn our language : ).

-- Edited by justice on Wednesday 30th of March 2011 07:06:31 AM

Marlene · Advanced

This is so true, and I like the way you expressed this Jennifer. Some horses are more sensitive and it's our job to work on ourselves so we can help them reach a better way of going. That takes time, and therefore we have to be patient, for as long as it takes. After a year and a half with my arab gelding I am finally, gradually sensing a real change in his demeanor, but I could sense it beginning even last fall. We are now about where I thought/hoped we might be a year ago. He's had his issues, I've had some of mine. But each time things didn't go well I was looking at the long term picture. He had to find out gradually that no matter what, he could count on me just calmly carrying through, before he could relax himself. So I feel like we are just starting to get it together, this season will be different from last season, but I'm sure we have lots to learn about each other yet. Trust is not something that just happens overnight, or necessarily in the first month or two. A relationship with a horse is like aging fine wine, it changes and developes over years. Any attempt to rush it can damage the final result, although we don't have to fret over small setbacks, just keep working (or better yet playing) with it.

Goatgirl · Advanced

I had a coach years ago that said 'when your horse is misbevaving before all else ask yourself 'what am I doing that my horse doesn't understand,' I live by that in the saddle

The only thing that belongs in the saddle - on the ground with horses - is patience and a sense of humour. -

Horses are such kind and generous animals - treating them with anything less than respect and patience is - well ...just rude. -- imo anyway...

that said -- some horses like to tease - like to see 'how much you mean it' - if they can get you to back off - etc...They are no different than we are.- but their motivations aren't usually 'nasty' - they want to know that you're leader material - they test and challenge each other constantly...much as people challenge each other's leadership...

but getting mad, taking out frustrations, etc...- yeahhh that's not acceptable - though I can't say I'm not guilty of having done that..when I was younger - now if I'm having a bad day I don't get on...-

I was watching my son snotty one day - and he was asking his horse to side-pass and his horse was saying 'yeah not today' - Rio has a bit of attitute...so after a bit of an 'arguement ' Rio saying 'yah maybe later' and my son saying 'now please' ...he got a side pass to the left - they did some other things ' then my son wanted to ask to the right --My son was already preparing for Rio to say no - he was already - edgy and tense ...I could see he was thinking - 'the horse is going to pitch attitude' -- and Yepppers....Rio pitched a major fit when he asked for the side pass to the right...I told him to just go for a canter and chill --and they both cantered off - relaxed - my son cooled off then asked for the side-pass and the horse gave it to him sweetly...

if I was in any doubt before(I wasnt') - that day I saw how quickly things can go sideways when you let your emotions get the better of you when you're in the saddle