Is Your Horse Saying

(Yeah Right)

Frankly, I'm amazed at the different schools of thought when it comes to training horses.

The different methods, tips, tricks, and techniques I get are astounding.

But there "is" a principle that us trainers all seem to agree on - and that is

"Being Ignored."

As a human being, I don't like being ignored - especially if I'm talkin' to someone.

As a horse trainer, to be ignored by the horse is to not have his ear and respect.

when working with a horse you should have his attention AND respect to teach him things.

How do you know if he's ignoring you?

Here's one way.

If he's lookin' away from you...your horse is ignoring you and is telling you...

"Yeah...right!"

Can you imagine trying to talk to someone and they're looking away from you? Wouldn't that be annoying? Oh yeah.

Then we can't let horses do it either. After all, we're trying to teach them things.

And like dogs and children, horses must have manners.

I can't teach a student who keeps lookin' out the window and ignores me.

Not only that, when you have your horse's attention on you, it deepens the respect for you.

Plus, he knows where you're at - and in case he spooks he's less likely to run over you if you're next to him.

How do you get the horse to pay attention to you?

Simple.

Make him move his feet.

In the herd, the alpha mare makes the subordinates move. They pay attention to the leader "real good like" when they have to move.

You must remain in constant comunication with your horse in one form or another and the gentler the better.

I don't remember if I have brought this up in the past but it is good to re: establish this in your mind. That if you can at all watch a horse in the pasture or better yet in the wild and see how they treat others.

(Firm but Gentle)