Pets Information


How To Use Horse Training Thinking To Solve Dang Near Any Problem With A Horse


Horse training can be a relatively mysterious subject to people who have not studied it. Even more mysterious is a behavioral problem a horse has that causes his owner stress and frustration.

What many horse owners don't understand is often the handler, not the horse, is causing the problem.

That being said, that is the first consideration in unscrambling the horse's ill behavior.

For instance, a common problem riders have is a horse being spooky. In layman's terms, that means a horse is nervous and afraid something is going to "get him". Thus, whenever the horse and owner go for a ride it's not usually a relaxing moment.

As a matter of fact, both horse and rider are on edge.

So if we take the premise that the rider is causing the horse to spook, then we must ask, "How is the rider causing this."

An uninformed rider may not be aware that perhaps he is sitting tensely in the saddle. Also, maybe he's stiff as a board and has a white-knuckle hold on the reins.

Believe it or not, the horse can sense and feel this tense. When the horse is in the habit of feeling it then the horse's spookiness is also the rider's.

Picture it like this. Two deathly scared kids are walking home at night. They both hear sounds and see things. One kid thinks he saw something and nervously asks, "D-d-d-did you see that?" Seconds later the other kid hears something and cries, "D-d-did you h-h-hear that?" Together they intensify each other's fears and their anxiety grows leaps and bounds.

So it is with the rider and horse. Maybe not to that extent, but still it happens.

And since the rider is human and capable of reasoning, then he or she must be the one to interrupt the pattern of behavior. The rider must loosen up while in the saddle. Relax. Have fun. Learn to watch the horse's signals that he has spotted something - and then talk to the horse and start giving him confidence.

Soon, the horse's demeanor will change and the result will be a more relaxed, fun to ride horse.

Whether the rider realizes it or not, he or she is training the horse by just riding. The horse simply reacts to the stimuli he gets. If the stimuli is consistent, the horse's reaction will become a habit until changed. If the stimuli is tense, causes fear reactions, and so on, the result is a spooky horse.

This is but one example of how us humans can actually be the reason the horse does or does not do something we ask of him. Although it's true that the rider is not the cause 100% of the time, it's a good place to start untangling the problem because it's often where it begins.

About The Author

Andy Curry is a nationally known horse trainer and author of several best selling horse training and horse care books. For information visit his website at www.horsetrainingandtips.com. He is also the leading expert on Jesse Beery's horse training methods which can be seen at www.horsetrainingandtips.com/Jesse_Beerya.htm.


MORE RESOURCES:

msnbc.com

New York Fashion Week: It's on, pets
Boston Globe
It's Anna Wintour, "Gossip Girl" Blake Lively in a graphic, beaded, and appropriate dress (T-4 days until the season premiere: ooh-la-la! ...
Game Plan: Your Dallas FNO ItineraryNBC Dallas-Fort Worth

all 642 news articles »


VCA Animal Hospitals Offers Free Boarding for Pets Affected by Colorado Wildfires
MarketWatch (press release)
"VCA wants everyone affected to know that during this difficult time, they can keep their pets safe and comfortable with VCA's free boarding offer. ...

and more »


StarNewsOnline.com (blog)

The Haven sponsors National Pet Adoption Weekend Sept. 11- 12
Gulf Coast Newspapers
You can help a homeless pet find love during the PetSmart Charities Second Chance for Love National Adoption Weekend this Sept. 11-12. ...
PetSmart teams with TAL for national adoption weekendTexarkana Gazette
PetSmart of Midland Hosting Adoption Clinic This WeekendNewsWest9.com
Adoptable animalsThe Coloradoan

all 6 news articles »


Buckle up the whole family, including your pets
Chicago Sun-Times
Eighty-five percent of people don't use safety restraints or crates for their pets in the car. Allie Henning, of the Orland Hills PetSmart, secures a safety ...



RacinePost

Colorado Residents Urged to Take Pets with Them If Evacuating
Media Newswire (press release)
The Humane Society of the United States reminds residents of the Boulder area to take their pets with them if they evacuate. An uncontained wildfire burning ...
Humane Society to Offer 'Name Your Own Price'WSET
Fourmile Fire: Left-behind pets rescued from SugarloafDaily Camera
'They suggested specific people be 'hunted' and 'euthanized' ...'The Jersey Journal - NJ.com
9NEWS.com -Asheville Citizen-Times -KKTV 11 News
all 25 news articles »


Jed and Billy, Southern Pines Pets of the week for 9-09
WDAM-TV
HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) - Two adorable three month old kittens, Jed and Billy, are this weeks Pets of the week at the Southern Pines ...

and more »


Tbo.com

Keep your pets safe with these critter contraptions
Tbo.com
As Americans, we often treat our pets as if they're children. When you compare what we do for our pets with what we do for our children, ...

and more »


Pet Amnesty Day in Orange: Free rabies shots
Orlando Sentinel (blog)
Pet Amnesty Day will take place from 9 am to noon Saturday, Sept. 11, at Cypress Grove Park, 290 Holden Ave., Orlando. During the outreach and education ...



MSN Money UK

'Quarter ready to borrow for pets'
The Press Association
One in four people would be prepared to take on debt in order to pay for veterinary treatment for their pet, a survey has suggested. ...
Pet insurance bigger priority than health insurance for BritsFair Investment Company
Britons put pet's health ahead of their own, survey findsMyFinances.co.uk
Pet owners put health of animals before their ownEasier (press release)

all 32 news articles »


Black Pug Darby Stolen from Pets, Inc. in West Columbia, SC
WLTX.com
West Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- Organizers at the Pets, Inc. Adoption Center in West Columbia say someone took a four-year-old black pug named Darby on Sept. 8. ...

and more »

Google News

home | site map
© 2007