Now, let's not take this analogy to an extreme: Nobody's suggesting that you get all medieval on your horse. But what I like is the idea of staying cool the bulk of the time and meting out punishment quickly, a reprimand served cold, sans emotion. But is punishment even called for most times? More often than not, no. Can we simply stipulate here then, that smacking your horse unnecessarily is just asking for trouble? We must because it's more than that. Being "rude or disrespectful" isn't winning you any points either. There are two ways to quickly lose your horse's respect: 1) smacking them randomly, for no good reason and 2) not dealing instantly with their disrespect. Be consistent on those two matters and you'll be fine. Slack off and you'll have a brat that you can't take to a restaurant and who mouths-off at family get-togethers.
If you find yourself going around in circles, so' to speak, and your horse just "ain't getting it," begin by asking yourself "Have I kept things business like and kept emotion out of this?" "Can I break the lesson down to make it even simpler?" If you can honestly say "yes and yes" then next ask this: Do I have a horse that is trying at this moment or not?
When schooling your horse, if you're asking and your horse is trying, then no punishment is called for. Not ever. I'll type that again, because it's just that important: If the answer is "He is trying" then you cannot punish whether he's doing what you expect or not. I define "punish" as any sort punitive action such as yanking the reins, spurring, screaming obscenities, etc. If he's trying, you keep asking until he finally stumbles upon the answer or you find another way to ask. Patience is the rule here. Smile: Your horse is teaching you to be a better trainer. Have fun: He can only go 6 directions (up, down, left, right, etc.) so we know he'll get it sooner or later if we stay consistent. And keep Dr. J locked up.
If our questions and answers have led us to "He ain't trying and a reprimand is called for" then try making the "wrong thing uncomfortable and the right thing comfortable" as Clinton Anderson likes to say. Apply more motivation in the form of speeding the horse up, changing the angle of your rein or asking for a different movement entirely. A classic example would be the horse who won't back up or the horse that won't move his shoulders: Rather than getting into an argument, we ask for something entirely different like asking him to disengage his hips. Above all keep this in mind: Your horse is going to make great sport out of throwing roadblocks out in front of you. You can win the day by finding pleasure in successfully dodging them.
This article is part of the "Schooling Your Horse" series. To read more, or to find a clinic or Certified John Lyons horse trainer near you, visit horsemanship101.com.
About the author:
John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman: If your horse won't speed up, slow down, stop or turn, you missed the latest training methods from John Lyons. Have you lost your confidence? Want to fix your horse for good? Invest one weekend to make big changes with John Lyons Trainer Keith Hosman. He's based near San Antonio, TX and is available for clinics, private sessions and training. Keith frequently conducts clinics and demonstrations - with an event coming soon to a town near you. For more horse training how to, or to attend a clinic or find a John Lyons trainer living in your area, visit horsemanship101 now.
Copyright 1996-2009 by Keith Hosman, All Rights Reserved
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