In the News - March 2008
Horsemanship is a partnership between human and horse
LITTLE ROCK - Training your horse takes plenty of patience - for the trainer
and the horse, says Steve Jones, extension associate professor/equine specialist
with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension
Service.
Jones uses four horses, 3 to 10 years of age, in clinics to teach horse
owners how to train their animals.
"Each has been trained with the same philosophy I teach in my clinics. Yet,
each responded in a different manner in training because of how quickly they
picked up on some maneuvers, how difficult some maneuvers were for them and
their reactions to certain cues," he says.
To understand why horses respond differently, Jones says, is in understanding
that all horses are individuals. No matter how good your training program is,
how consistent your cues are or what you think the correct reaction should be,
each horse will respond in a slightly different manner.
"Horses develop their personality from their dams, herd interaction and human
interaction," Jones says. "You add in life experiences - good or bad - genetic
predisposition and athletic ability and you have a unique individual."
To be successful in training your horse, Jones says, owners have to see life
from the horse's perspective. Their main goal in life is to be safe and
comfortable. They don't care about such human goals as success, praise,
recognition or money.
Horses and owners must form a partnership based on communication and trust,
not fear or intimidation.
"We must trust our horse to the degree we want our horse to trust us," Jones
said.
Start with communication. Communicating with the horse is getting them to
respond to a cue correctly that takes into account the horse's comfort and
safety, at least from the horse's point of view.
It's important for the human to establish himself or herself as the leader.
Quality leadership demands emotional, mental and physical stability and
consistency in communication. The horse will try harder for you if you
demonstrate this leadership style.
"The horse's role becomes to follow the leader. The horse also has a vested
interest because it's the one expending the energy," Jones says.
Your horse is capable of many things athletically, but you must include them
in the mental part of training, according to Jones. The horse must be rewarded
for any success. The reward is comfort and safety.
Jones offered these additional tips for including the horse in the training
process:
- Listen to your horse. It will tell you what he or she is
thinking by communicating emotions through body language.
- Build a basis for communication. Reward the smallest change and
the slightest try.
- Be consistent in your cues.
- Expect and accept failure. Each cue isn't going to be
understood and executed. Re-evaluate your communication.
- Build a foundation for success. Everything we ask a horse to
do, he already knows how to do, but you want the horse to do those
things on cue. Everything you ask is a combination of basic
maneuvers. Start slow and build momentum.
- Wait on the horse. Sometimes the horse knows what you're asking
him to do, but isn't confident or instincts say there is potential
danger. If you wait, let the horse try and have success. That will
build its confidence.
- Challenge yourself and your horse. How do you know your horse
is ready for a new challenge? Ask for it, and see what happens. Add
challenges to your routine that causes the horse to think. Horses
become bored from monotony.
For more information about horse issues, contact your county extension agent
or visit www.uaex.edu and select Agriculture, then Horses.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
March 21, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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