What are the four most important lessons in horse training? According to experts, you need to teach your horse about motivation, spot, direction, and reward.
Horse trainers who find it hard to handle horses will need to teach these four lessons to their horse. It doesn’t really matter if you’re training a performance horse or a colt because these lessons are essential to the training program. Don’t let your horse control you; you need to act as the leader of the herd.
Horse training is also about proper control. Training horses can be compared to building a brick house. It takes some time before you can finish building it. So you need to give your horse time in learning the various lessons of the training program. The different body parts of your horse should be easily controlled; you can start by controlling one part at a time. While doing this, you need to be an active rider, not a reactive one.
Motivation
This is the first lesson to introduce to your horse. Horses are wild animals by nature. They eat, play, groom, and sleep. However, they are also known as herd animals and a mare controls the whole herd. In order to effectively train your horse, you will need to act as the leader of the herd. Since you’re going to train your horse, it’s like asking your horse to work for you. You need to think of something that will motivate your horse to follow the training program you’ve set up for him. Horses don’t want to be led and that’s one fact that you should accept. But it doesn’t end there. You should not give up yet.
Spot
This is where ‘spot’ comes in. You need to find a particular spot that you can control so that your horse will follow. This may take time but just keep on trying to identify the right spot on the horse’s body.
Direction
After you’ve found a spot, you need to decide on the direction. Each part of the horse’s body can go in different directions – left, right, forward, backward, down, and up. Choose only one direction. Make sure that your horse understands your aids or signal so that he will not be confused.
Reward
This is the last lesson. When your horse follows your signals, don’t forget to give him a reward. You can give him a treat or you can simply pat him lightly and say ‘that’s a good boy/girl’.
The four lessons seem very easy but it’s different when you’re already on the training ground. Stubborn horses are difficult to handle and you will need a lot of time and patience. If you lack experience, don’t hesitate to consult the experts. Don’t be discouraged because not all horses are stubborn; there are also those who are easy to work with. The secret is to teach the four lessons one at a time. When your horse is familiar with the lessons, you will encounter fewer problems.
Identifying a motivating factor is not as easy as you think. Start out early. You should also be a good rider so that you won’t be confused in interpreting the horse’s moves. Learn all that you can about proper horse training. You must study the horse’s behavior and personality. Try to learn how to incorporate these four lessons to your training program and best of luck to you.
Most horse trainers often say that it is important to learn the language of the horse. If you know how to talk with horses, you can easily calm them whenever they feel uncomfortable. In horse training, you should have the ability to calm your horse when the need arises.
There are times when the horse gets frightened. It’s really amazing how the owner can calm the frightened horse. You might be wondering what made the horse calm – could it be the tone of the owner’s voice or could it be the words being used? The answer is both.
As a horse trainer and owner, you should have the confidence in handling them properly. Your voice should have a soothing, gentle, and pleasant tone. Try to imagine calming your horse with an intimidating tone. Your horse will not calm down and your voice will only frighten him even more.
The words you use to calm down your horse may not mean anything to him but with constant training and use of such words, your words can be associated with ‘calm down, nothing is going to happen to you, everything will be alright’.
The repetition and rhythm of how you say the words can mesmerize your horse. It can be compared to poetry or music. Here’s a very good example. When humans are troubled, stressed out, or anxious, listening to poetry or even music seem to calm their thoughts. The words and music seem to grab and reach out to you. You immediately find yourself paying attention to what you’re hearing. Your thoughts are diverted to the poetry or music and somehow you feel calm and relaxed.
When a horse is excited or frightened, it can be dangerous and at times, deadly. If you’re capable of calming your horse, you will enjoy a safe and fun ride free of any serious accidents. Some of the techniques used by some horse trainers are ‘300 Peck Pigeon’ and the ‘head down’. The duration of the execution of the technique is also important. Another way to calm your horse is to bring the head of your horse toward the side. When the neck is stretched, the tension is relieved. However, you should be careful in executing this technique as it may trigger a negative effect; the horse will see you as a predator taking him down. So try to be extra careful and don’t use too much force.
As a horse trainer, you should not panic. You should be calm in order to calm your horse. Keep your posture non-threatening and avoid abrupt movements. Your face should have a smile or laugh maybe. This shows your horse that you’re not bothered by his movements. Find out what caused your horse to panic. You can tell your horse to lower its head or you can rub the neck and withers.
Always have hay nearby and try to give it to your horse; sometimes giving your horse food calms him. If you can make your horse stand still, face him and exhale through your mouth but don’t blow. Follow the breathing pattern of your horse. After a couple of minutes, your horse will calm down.
During horse training, you can use these various techniques just in case your horse panics. The techniques are effective especially when executed properly. Just be confident and think that you can handle the situation.
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