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Training
~ Expectations
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If you were trail riding your horse in the forest or open range land, dismounted and took the bridle off your horse, what would happen? What is your expectation of the horses behavior in this situation? Many of you would say that this would be the last time that you ever saw your horse alive. My expectation would be that my horse would stand quietly until I asked for something else to happen. These are my expectations. I have been in the middle of open rangeland and dismounted only to have my horse startled by an aggressive dog. My horse made a large circle around me (round penning), and I was able to yield her and get her to hook on and come back. All of this from body language without me having to move. This was with a three year old horse that had six months of training. You and your horse can get to this point too. When a horse is afraid or startled, you want their first reaction to be to look to you for what to do. This is the concept of support. You dont want them to run into you or through you to flee from whatever "spooked" them. If a horse has your "respect" and looks to you for support, they will first look to see if the noise or movement creates a reaction in you if you are calm they will be calm. If your first reaction is to get "big", grab the lead rope or rein and expect that the horse will over-react it probably will. You must build the relationship with the horse before you can gain their respect. Its real easy to train a horse that whenever a loud noise occurs they should get nervous, throw their head up in the air, spin and flee the area. Its equally easy to teach that same horse to remain calm when a new situation arises. If you project a catastrophe when a new situation arises thats what youll get.
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There is some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Horses can cause serious injury. Be sensible and dont attempt anything that is outside your comfort level. This information is intended to illustrate how we apply our training techniques, you are responsible for using this information wisely. If you dont feel comfortable with your abilities or an exercise, dont do it! Seek advice or assistance from a professional horse trainer. Stay on the "high side of trouble". Natural Horse Supply Training Information, (c) 1999 Natural Horse Supply. All rights reserved. Duplication of any material prohibited without express written permission. This prohibition is not intended to extend to personal non-commercial use, including sharing with others for safety and learning purposes, provided this copyright notice is attached and you have written permission. E-mail to submit comments or request reproduction permission.
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