Ride with Confidence

In recent years, I have been approached with requests to help with difficult training issues such as bolting, spooking, rearing, and aggressiveness.  In most cases, the horse owner wants to know how long it will take to change the horse’s behaviour.  Unfortunately for the owner, I can only answer “it depends”.  It does not depend upon the owner’s time frame or agenda.  It does not depend on the owner’s budget.  It does not depend upon the show schedule, the upcoming big trail ride or the weather.

It depends upon the horse.  It depends on how deep the behaviour is ingrained.  It depends on what caused the behaviour in the first place. It depends upon how much the horse is able to forgive and is willing to let go of the old behaviour.  It also depends upon how much responsibility the owner is willing to accept for the behaviour and how willing he or she is to change how he or she is with the horse.  If the owner isn’t willing to change their behaviour and learn a different way of being with their horse, is it really fair to expect the horse to change?

Being with a horse is based on relationship.  What is true for our human to human relationships is also true for our human to horse relationships.  I cannot change anyone else.  I can only change myself.  The amazing thing is that as I change, the people (or horses) around me will notice and be affected by my change. 

There are no quick fixes with horses … or with people for that matter.  Be wary of anyone who guarantees they can “fix” or train your horse in 30 days.  This type of training relies on “one size fits all” thinking.   Be especially wary of trainers who do not want you to be part of the training process.  You need to know how your horse is being trained so that you can continue with the same training program when you take your horse home.  Be extremely wary of any trainers who do not want you to watch them training your horse.  You need to see how your horse is being trained so you can be sure that no violent methods are being employed.  Be wary of trainers who do not or cannot provide satisfactory answers to your questions.  There is always an explanation for what is going on and why a certain method is being used.

It is unfortunate that many people have been lead to believe in the 20 minutes in the round pen to taking the first saddle, bridle and rider; the 30 day “breaking” or starting model; the 3 months under saddle and ready to compete or be the perfect, “bomb proof” trail horse.  Training must never be rushed and must be set at the horse’s pace, not that of the owner or the trainer.

Remember the answer to “how long with it take” is always the same … “it depends”.

You might find this thread about a difficult training situation on the Chris Irwin forum interesting. 

 “I am having a problem with a three year old paint colt, who has spent his life to date handled with Chris’ methodologies. His groundwork is impeccable, he walks trots and canters in beautiful frame and has accepted bridle and now saddle and 6 months of lunging work. The issue comes about when the rider is mounted, and he is asked to go forward. While kept in a bend, he can stand to be mounted, but when enough of the ‘bend’ is let out to allow forward movement, he will snatch his head up, rear and flip over.  Yes, he has had his teeth checked and his chiropractic work done.  This trick seems to be a manipulation as he waits until the rider is in the awkward position of letting out enough slack, makes the request to go forward and the colt knows perfectly well he should step forward.  Rather than taking the step, he just says ‘No’ by a really nasty and dangerous device.  This is not a ‘half rear’ and threat, he means business and has gone over twice now. The rider is not in good position to address the evasion as hands and legs are pretty well occupied in self preservation.

Any ideas on how this could be handled would be much appreciated. We are getting pretty close to the end of the rope with this guy.”

You can read the full thread, including my response, by following this link http://www.chrisirwin.com/forum/index.php?topic=245.0

Anne Gage - The Confidence Coach
Helping horses & humans be better … together.
www.annegage.com
high.point.farm@gmail.com

While having coffee with a good friend the other day, the conversation turned to horses and the particular problem she was experiencing with her new riding partner who is a relatively green horse.   She had recently bought him to replace her older, well schooled mare.  She was having problems with the trot to canter transitions.  The transitions were inconsistent.  Sometimes he ran into them.  Sometimes he picked up the wrong lead.  Sometimes they were okay.  Sometimes she couldn’t get them at all.

My friend was not blaming her horse. She sincerely wanted to resolve this problem both for her horse’s sake and her own.  However, she was making an assumption about her horse.  She was assuming that he “knew” what she was asking him to do and that he was capable of just doing it.

At one point she said that she didn’t mind if her horse ran into the canter because a bad transition was better than no transition.  At least she was getting the canter.  Again, she was making an assumption.  She assumed that the transitions would just get better eventually.

What my friend assumed was that her horse understood “exactly” what she wanted him to do.  She assumed that his understanding of her aids and intention was exactly the same as her understanding. 

Truth is this young horse doesn’t really know what specifically he is being asked to do.  He has been trained to understand that certain cues or aids mean he should go forward.  But, forward could mean more trot, an extended trot, a collected trot or a canter transition.  He gives a response to a cue.  If his response is what the rider was wanting, he has to be told “yes” in a way that is clear to him.  Removing the pressure of the cue would indicate that he has given the desired response.   If his response is not what the rider wanted, he has to be told “no” in a way that is clear to him.  The rider also has to make sure that the horse is set up properly in order to be able to complete the desired task.  In my friend’s case, for the canter transition, she first must make sure the horse is traveling in a balanced, forward trot with his hind quarter engaged and his back round.  Once that is achieved, she must give the cue for the canter transition.  If the horse responds by “running”, she needs to tell him “no” by bringing him calmly back to the balanced, forward, engaged trot.  Then she must give him the exact same cue for the canter transition.  Every time he responds with anything other than a canter, she must bring him calmly back to the balanced, round, forward trot.

My friend listened, nodded, and replied, “So if I let him run into the transition, he will think that is how he is supposed to do it.”  She would be training him to run into the canter transition rather than smoothly moving into the canter from the trot.

Horses are not mind readers and don’t know what we want.  Here’s an exercise to try with a friend which will give you a better idea of what it is like for the horse.  Stand with your arms stretched out in front of you and hold a lunge line between your hands to simulate the horse having the bit in his mouth.  Your friend stands behind you holding the ends of the lunge line like reins.  You close your eyes.  Have your friend move you around the arena without giving any vocal cues just by moving your body with pressure from the reins. 

My friend had been assuming that her horse“knew” what was expected and had been getting frustrated that he wasn’t responding the way she wanted.  Once she changed her thinking and understood her horse’s perspective, she was able to change her training method to help her horse achieve the kind of transition she wanted.

Rather than assuming what your horse is thinking or understanding, how can you change your perspective so that you can grow as a rider?  Assuming is a self-defense mechanism. If you assume the horse is just being difficult, or stubborn, or lazy, you can’t be at fault.  The key to good training is not assuming, but understanding.

Anne Gage - The Confidence Coach
Helping horses & humans be better … together.
www.annegage.com
high.point.farm@gmail.com

I was shocked, amazed, surprised and ecstatic on Saturday night when Chris Irwin presented me with the very first Gold Level Coach & Trainer certificate in his Train the Trainer program.    I have been studying the Irwin Method of Horsemanshp for about 6 or 7 years now.  I was double certified Silver in the fall of 2004.  At the time, the program was new and there were only 3 categories - Bronze, Silver and Gold.  Since Chris is “the master” and the definition of a Gold Trainer at the time, we all thought that Silver was as high as any of us would ever go in the program.  Then, as the program grew, 2 additional categories were added - Platinum and Diamond.  So, we all thought that maybe, one day, some of us would move up the ranks.  That was 2 years ago and no Trainers in the Training Program had achieved more than Silver. 

In the meantime, I sold my ribbon business so that I could focus full-time on working with horses and coaching riders again.  I became the Ontario Region Coordinator for Chris’ company, Horsepower Productions, and have been assisting Chris at all of the events in Ontario this year.  I spent the winter and spring focusing on training horses & getting more time in the saddle than I’ve had in years.  And, I guess all my hard work has paid off.   I’ve achieved Gold Level Certification as a trainer in the Irwin Method of Horsemanship.  Words just can’t express what an honour this achievement is.

Thanks to all the horses and people who have been apart of this journey.

Read the article recently published in The Orangeville Citizen …. http://highpointfarm.homestead.com/Articles.html

  Ride with Confidence!

www.highpointfarm.homestead.com