Some horse training tips
Dec 4th, 2008 by Carolyn
Hi. Apologies for those of you who were expecting today’s blog post a little earlier. Somehow the day just ran ahead of us, you know how it goes sometimes!
I often get asked what is the best method for training a horse and I think you know me well enough by now to know that I’m not that prescriptive. So, for people who are really confused about all the different rules and methods of training a horse, I want to help you make your choices in deciding which way to turn.
Many times, it appears that all the rules are in disagreement with one another. How can this be? How does one sift through them and choose the right method when you lack experience with horses? How does one handle all these controversial expert opinions?
I can make it very simple for you - all of the methods work or they would not be methods and all are based on rules that pertain to their program. The rules of the method guide you to the best results of that particular method. The best method is the one that is the easiest for you to apply and the one that you and your horse resonate with. So pick one you like. If that works for you, then stick with it.
This is very important because practicing will cause the method to work and if it fails, then change to a new program. Most of the time people do not stay with the method of choice long enough. When the method fails, don’t drop it, get help. In time, you will be able to use all methods well, once you develop your horsemanship skills. What will happen is you will begin to use methods and apply them in a manner that works for you.
Here are some guidelines and suggestions:
- Follow horsemanship rules to play it safe and to get you started
- Choose the rules that work for you
- Use the rules of horsemanship when they bring about harmony and unity without force and rules that the horse resonates with
- Don’t force a horse because he needs to follow the rules, it could be your lack of skill
- Seek guidance that matches your needs and philosophy
- Break the rules when you know the way. Once you figure out what the rules are trying to accomplish and you have developed some skill, then do it your way if you like. This way you can change the rules to work better for you and your relationship with your horse
- Horses should have no fault insurance if you are conscientious and are interested in the art of connection
Have a great weekend!
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn this is a very impoprtant statement today. I work a lot with horses and people in my profession and often see them struggling going from method to method or trainer to trainer or NO METHOD!!! People often don’t see that they are confusing the horse. The horses seem frustrated and uncertain of what to do. I think the most valuable lesson a horse can teach us is for us to recognize when our method is not working. Instead of blaming the horse acknowledge when they tell us” hey I don’t get it”. They try so hard and they communicate so subtle, but yet so loudly if you listen. I think you are a wonderful, inspiring horse women. It is wonderful to see how many people truly recognize the spiritual aspects of being with a horse and haveing them accept us into their herd.
This is truly good “horse sense”
Boy, oh boy does this resonate with me. I have been really frustrated with (well-intentioned) folks who insist that training MUST be done JUST SO, using the COMPLETE PROGRAM or else any bad results are all your fault because the EXACT PROGRAM has been worked out by some Yoda-like Guru whose equine wisdom is so profound and advanced you couldn’t possibly understand it, and if you just spend another $400 for videos and workbooks (oh, and for the $80 halter and $70 leadline) and FOLLOW THE PROGRAM EXACTLY, you’re guaranteed results…
Ugh!
If I feel like an awkward fake in someone else’s shoes, my horse dang well knows it. But when I try to gather some wisdom from the experts (I don’t doubt that they do have great experience and wisdom, but so does my horse) and then “say things in my own words”, he gets it. Even when I’m clumsy or my timing needs work, he works with me. Because it’s ME he has the relationship with, not some anonymous hotshot trainer 1,000 miles away. He needs to hear things from ME, in an honest and genuine way. The relationship is between US, in all its faults and fumblings.
Maybe I’m kidding myself, I don’t know. It just seems like when I try to be someone else for him nothing works.
Hello Carolyn and everyone,
My name is Valezka and I live in Cockatoo Australia. I am a relative new commer to horses and so I havent felt that I could contribute to the discussions but this weeks post was very relevant for me. I have two quarter horse mares and the one that I am having trouble connecting to was a rescue called Mia. I began with the water hole rituals because of her as she was so shut down and scarred that she was very dangerous and unable to be handled. I used a few different things in the natural horsemanship way but these were too dominating and agressive for her, she couldnt take the pressure. We have now spent 2 whole months on just the sharing space and what a different horse she is. We are friends now and I can halter her, groom her, do feet and lead.
Mia has taught me so much, we have only been together for 5 months and now that I am listening to her and she feels that I am understanding her with the use of this method, I feel that there is a great future for us.
So to sum up, being a newbie I recieve tons of advice from many different methods and I have been labelled too soft and unknowledgable, but the horses teach us and just like Kate said the horse is looking for a connection and relationship with us, not some fancy trainer, they need and want us to step up and work out what method or combination of methods works best for us. I am truly grateful for your method Carolyn it has greatly changed me as a person.
Valezka
These are very beautiful guidelines — such a lovely combination of respect for other methods and yet continuing to follow the horse as the ultimate Teacher. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Carolyn,
This is such and important topic! One of the things that Linda Tellington-Jones talks about is making sure the training method feels good to your HEART! That is, trust your intuition and your inner guidance. If what a trainer does makes you feel bad–walk away! To me it is also of utmost importance that the method honors the spirit and intelligence of the horse. I have seen some of the most well- marketed trainers out there actually making fun of the horse or basing their entire method on the outdated concept that horses are dumb and unable to think!
Just for fun and to fly in the face of this type of thinking, I have been teaching a series of clinics called, “The Thinking Horse” Clinics! They are TTEAM and TTouch clinics but with part devoted to research that look at the intelligence of horses and other animals. I talk about the two brain wave studies that have been done with TTEAM and TTouch that show horses with the same brain wave patterns that are associated with logical thinking in humans! Talk about fun! It simply proves what many of us already know!
There is a enormous difference in the way a person would work with a horse based on whether or not one thinks the horse is a dumb animal or a thinking being! I choose the latter.
And just to update you on Xcel since I saw you last, he has had some minor problems with his feet mostly because we have very carfully let him be barefoot a few weeks this summer and a few this fall. We also blocked him and did an extensive set of digital x-rays in both feet which told us nothing accept that blocking him up to his pasterns made him go sound. Seeing him trot on the lunge line perfectly sound was such a thrill and He instantly lengthened his top line and I could see a future for him if we can just solve this last bit of pain. My vet is at the AAEP meeting this weekend and she hopes to come home with new ideas. She is leaning toward injecting him with stem cells which can be produced from his own blood! We may start with just injecting his coffin joints with Adequan. His hoof quality is better than it has ever been since I have owned him.
I have been working on the newest chapters of “Reschooling The Thoroughbred” on my web site which is about Xcel. I am writing about the worst of his problems which were three years ago. I actually had forgotten how many surgeries he had! What a very difficult time it was! Some day I hope to be able to write about how good he is at Liberty work!
Hope you and your ponies are well!
Dear Jan,
Nice to hear from you. It was such a pleasure to get to work with you. For the readers of this open letter, Jan took a 3-day clinic with me on my Waterhole Rituals and it was great too to work with a practitioner of Linda Tellington Jone’s TTeam & TTouch.
Jan, in case anyone in is interested in taking your courses, please write back and let everyone know how to get intouch with you. I do recomend Jan and her courses. She is a top horsewomen in her field.
Lots of love,
Carolyn
You can reach me at: goodpony@aol.com. My web site is: http://www.theexcellenthorse.com. I am tentatively scheduled to appear at the Horse World Expo in Harrisburg, PA at the end of February. I will also do a lecture at a local feed store here in Marshall, VA sometime this winter. I don’t have any other clinics scheduled right now though. I take horses in training and have a couple of off-the-track Thoroughbreds for sale.
Thanks!