How the Natural Horseman Trains Horses

By Heather Toms


When teaching horses, you need to keep in mind that the equine species requires repetition and more repetition to learn well. A horse may usually need 5 or 50 repetitions of directions to finally grasp the action, and the point is this: if you are not capable of exercising great patience, you haven't got any business teaching horses. If you approach your horse the right way, you'll find that as the training advances, your bonding with your horse swiftly improves, and in turn, that decreases his learning cycles.

Try to stick to those methods that have successfully withstood the test of time. To my mind, pony coaching isn't a matter that calls for intensive innovation. The methodologies that have come down thru the ages are the ones that have emerged successfully thru years of trial and error, and they have served generations and generations of horsemen very well. You need to use creativity to adapt them to your particular circumstances, but don't tinker with the fundamentals.

You will struggle to find a better approach than natural horsemanship. This system stresses the need to understand equine psychology and a bit of the history of horsemanship as a prerequisite to fulfillment in coaching. It is very important to be well capable in these subjects to gain maximum effectiveness.

Some significant features of training based totally on natural horsemanship

* Natural horsemanship eschews force and negative reinforcement while coaching. This strategy believes in the efficacy of easy-handed persuasion. It is attested for by renowned reporters like Laura Hillenbrand who have specialized in equine matters.

* Each problem related to horse coaching has a solution. The onus is on the tutor to come up with the best solution to every issue that pops up. You will find that as you pursue your coaching endeavours, you become a much improved human even as your pony learns more and becomes a better animal for it.

* Keep one thing in mind: if the horse is not responding well, the issue most probably ensues from the trainer.

* Keep your mind and mind-set free from the kind of unhealthy perspectives that arise from ownership pride.

* In the opening stages, don't waste time on aspects to do with riding your pony. The far more important thing is to bond totally with the pony; this makes him a much better learner and makes your future coaching a cake walk.

* Horses have herd instincts. Since they're prey animals, they have also got powerful survival instincts. They naturally tend to form herds as a survival mechanism. You need to keep this under consideration as you train your pony, because this knowledge will be instrumental in helping you understand horses.

* Horses use body signals extensively as a strategy of communication with one another. You'll gain immeasurably by watching them closely. Be particularly alert to their use of their ears, eyes and body position to convey emotions, alerts and moods.

* The horse's head position is a good indicator of its mood. If the head is bowed, the pony is feeling submissive; if the head is raised, the horse may be feeling concerned or rebellious.

You want to govern your pony with an iron fist in velvet gloves. NEVER use the fist to strike, though. After he gets used to the concept that you are the boss, your pony will happily follow you. But before things reach that stage, he is probably going to try you out. He'll go against you simply to test if you're resolute of purpose. When you convince him that you are , he's going to be fine. Just accept the proven fact that even as you are teaching your horse, you are learning things yourself. Be patient and you'll soon see the massive advantages of natural horsemanship.




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