An entire universe of hopeful horse pros ask themselves this one question. What makes a great horse person? What are the special talents that enable a rider to become one with their horse? A completely merged and integrated whole of all of the finely coordinated parts?
Even if this were a reference book and not an article, I am not sure I could competently describe what goes to make a fine horseman. There is so much of it that's intangible, not conducive to proper description. How am I able to describe a feeling, an aura, a merging of spirits?
What I will tell you about is probably the most important qualification a fine horseman wants. It is something that most, or all riders can achieve. It's the light touch.
You can hope to become a fine horseman only when you learn how to ignore your inherent instincts to get more physical when your pony is not responding the way in which you need it to. When you follow your natural instincts, you start piling on more stress on the bit or you utilise your legs more energetically or, heaven forbid, you even start whipping your pony. To be a fine horseman, you have to go against your natural instincts. You must perfect a completely weightless touch that teaches the horse more thru vibration, if I am able to call it that, than through physical pressure. Perfect coordination with your pony is a little like ESP, which is why it isn't straightforward to explain.
You achieve that coordination when you approach your pony not as an animal that must be subjugated to your will, but as a detachable part of yourself that responds to your mental urgings just the way your legs and arms do, there is no recognisable message, no traceable process. The response happens practically at the same nano-second the command is given.
You achieve that coordination when you appreciate the fact that you are the creature with the flexible mind and the pony is the creature with the unidirectional one. You can think up and back down and round and round, and the horses thinks only straight ahead. Therefore , you do not expect your horse to mould his thinking to you; you adjust your mental processes to tune in on his frequencies. You don't talk with him the language of a superior human attempting to dominate him, you speak to him the language of an equal human being trying to be a pony.
The point is this: train your pony with the will, not the whip. Teach him to recognise and spontaneously respond to the most discreet cues and commands from you. Desist from compelling him to do anything, lure him into doing what you want. The right way is to reward him every time he does something right. Instead of punishing him when he does anything wrong, simply get him to repeat it until he gets it right. Don't overdrive him, if he has yet to pick up on a new trick despite repeated attempts, give him a break. Give him a rubdown, let him feed, let him share a little time with the other horses if there are any.
Approach your pony with supreme belief that you will get your way. Horses are receptive to mood, and if you start doubting yourself, the doubt is going to rub off on him and adversely affect his behavior.
Remember: when you reach across to your pony, he'll reach back to you.
Even if this were a reference book and not an article, I am not sure I could competently describe what goes to make a fine horseman. There is so much of it that's intangible, not conducive to proper description. How am I able to describe a feeling, an aura, a merging of spirits?
What I will tell you about is probably the most important qualification a fine horseman wants. It is something that most, or all riders can achieve. It's the light touch.
You can hope to become a fine horseman only when you learn how to ignore your inherent instincts to get more physical when your pony is not responding the way in which you need it to. When you follow your natural instincts, you start piling on more stress on the bit or you utilise your legs more energetically or, heaven forbid, you even start whipping your pony. To be a fine horseman, you have to go against your natural instincts. You must perfect a completely weightless touch that teaches the horse more thru vibration, if I am able to call it that, than through physical pressure. Perfect coordination with your pony is a little like ESP, which is why it isn't straightforward to explain.
You achieve that coordination when you approach your pony not as an animal that must be subjugated to your will, but as a detachable part of yourself that responds to your mental urgings just the way your legs and arms do, there is no recognisable message, no traceable process. The response happens practically at the same nano-second the command is given.
You achieve that coordination when you appreciate the fact that you are the creature with the flexible mind and the pony is the creature with the unidirectional one. You can think up and back down and round and round, and the horses thinks only straight ahead. Therefore , you do not expect your horse to mould his thinking to you; you adjust your mental processes to tune in on his frequencies. You don't talk with him the language of a superior human attempting to dominate him, you speak to him the language of an equal human being trying to be a pony.
The point is this: train your pony with the will, not the whip. Teach him to recognise and spontaneously respond to the most discreet cues and commands from you. Desist from compelling him to do anything, lure him into doing what you want. The right way is to reward him every time he does something right. Instead of punishing him when he does anything wrong, simply get him to repeat it until he gets it right. Don't overdrive him, if he has yet to pick up on a new trick despite repeated attempts, give him a break. Give him a rubdown, let him feed, let him share a little time with the other horses if there are any.
Approach your pony with supreme belief that you will get your way. Horses are receptive to mood, and if you start doubting yourself, the doubt is going to rub off on him and adversely affect his behavior.
Remember: when you reach across to your pony, he'll reach back to you.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers read more
passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of
articles with other horse lovers read more
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