People argue whether or not a horse can be happy in their work. I have serious doubts about their ability to be happy regarding work as if it were something they would choose to do. However, I do believe horses can feel contented and untroubled by working with us. But it can only come by helping them understand that their idea to avoid discomfort comes about by following our idea to work together.
Learning to Wait
Waiting has always been a challenge for me. I think those early years of learning to be effective also taught me that horses were meant to be on my schedule, not me on theirs. But my friend showed me that to get something done when a horse was not ready was an abuse of power and privilege – it’s what bullies do, not horsemen. My job was to either wait for them to be ready or find a way to help them become ready.
Assume Everything You Are Told Is Wrong Until You Are Satisfied It Isn't
Using Feel To Change A Horse's Thought
It has been drummed into most of us that when we apply a feel to teach a task, our horse learns the meaning of the feel by the timing of our release. We know this. We all learn it and we all apply it to some degree. It is a mantra that a horse learns from the release of pressure, not the application of pressure.
Solly Figures Out Western Saddles
This is from the most recent clinic I finished yesterday. The horse is Solly who is a 3 1/2 year old. This is the second clinic in 5 weeks that I worked with Solly. Originally it was intended that I would get him started under saddle for Lorena Russell. However, on the first day Lorena and I agreed he would benefit greatly from another 6 to 12 months of maturing - physically, mentally and emotionally - before he becomes a riding horse.