Author: Dale Anderson
Article source: http://www.focus-on-training.com/. Used with author's permission.
Here's a simple way... to help your horse learn twice
as fast.
We are all pressed for time, seems there is just not enough
of it. There is the job, family duties, maybe social
events, all competing for our time. Our horse is ignored and
we end up with a 10 year old "greenbroke" horse, which can
mean anything from they buck or, spook sometimes, to
they still need to be gee-hawed to go left, or right.
They may still be trying to figure out go and whoa.
Well I have found some easy ways to double the results I get
when training horses, you can do the same if you
will try.
Tip #1 - Rub you horse all over
You must be able to rub your horse from one end to the
other, neither end is more important than the other. You
should, be able to handle the mouth and ears as well a
rubbing under the tail, start stroking with the hair on each
side of the tail. When the horse unclamps the tail and
raises it, you can then rub under the tail.
You must be able to do this or you may have to go back and
redo the training later, like I did. I had a paint stallion
in for training and he already had four months put on him by
an other trainer, but he still was spooky and not a nice
ride at all. I noticed that he did not like his ears
touched but I was trying to hurry and moved on. Three weeks
later he threw himself over backwards while being bridled.
You better believe I spent about three days on ears 101, then
bang he got it and changed, was one laid-back
easygoing pussycat from then on.
Be smart and learn to rub your horse, rub don't pat or slap
them, that is not soothing to them. What would you like a
back rub or a back slapping?
Tip #2 - Stop punishment when wanted behavior occurs.
Whoa! you say, what's this punishment talk? Well I would
like you to realize there are a multitude of things we
do to a horse that are "punishment" in the horses mind,
maybe not your mind, but definitely in the horses mind.
Here is a little list of punishments according to the
horse:
1. pulling on a rein
2. using a spur
3. using a quirt or whip
4. using a stud chain
Do I want you to quit using the above? No, just stop using
them when the horse does anything close to what you want.
Let me give you some examples;
You pull the left rein to turn your horse left, the second
he starts left quit pulling, if you want to turn left more
ask again, as many times as you need to but reward the horse
for the try.
You put your spur against your horse to move over, when he
moves the slightest amount take that spur out of there, do
it again if you have to, but reward that try and soon
you won't even need to wear those spurs as the horse will
move off your leg, because you reward that try.
Tip #3 - Reward your horse for the right behavior.
Now you can consider the end of punishment as a
reward, and that is true, but the term reward will be used
to mean giving something extra to the horse for trying to do
the "right" thing. If you can find a way to reward the try
in the horse, you will have your dream horse, that partner
you wanted or some of you maybe had as a kid. Kids can be
givers easier than adults, my grandson gave me a kiss today,
my brother never did, because he was almost an adult when I
was born. Learn to be a kid again, reward your horse with:
some grain
a soothing voice
a rub on the neck
a drink of clean cool water
a handful of grass
a modern horse treat
a chunk of carrot
a slice of apple
getting off his back
The list is almost endless, the trick is to give the reward
at the right time for the right behavior.
quit training at the good spots
If you will take the time to follow these tips, you can
double the size of your horse training toolbox. You
probably already know the punishment side of training use
it right and add the reward side to double your training
results.
Put your ego aside, be a giver to your horse and they will
give back to you in ways you can only imagine. Dale Anderson
http://www.breeds-of-horses.com
dale@breeds-of-horses.com; 360-398-1261
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