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Training For the Horse Baby Come to Me
If you've been around horses at all, you know the joy of trying to catch a horse that doesn't want to be caught. At U Rock 'n Ride we're about taking it slow and being consistent. We have the chance to practice patience on a daily basis since we don't believe in shortcuts when it comes to training a horse. And guess what? Catching a horse is a fundamental training opportunity.
Let's start with rethinking what we're trying to accomplish. It's really less about catching the horse and more about inspiring the horse to come to you. Yes, semantics. But work with us here. If you're in the right frame of mind when doing anything, you'll be closer to achieving the preferred end result. Think about the horse's frame of mind. Horses don't typically see us as the respected friend we want to be -- especially if horse and human are new to each other. A horse sees you as the predator and themselves as the prey. When a horse is at this stage their choices are simple, fight or flight. It's the whole law of nature thing.
Good news. You're smarter than the average horse. The bad news is that most people's first instinct when they try to catch a horse is to attempt various forms of bribery. It's a bad idea to bribe a child and just as bad of an idea when it comes to working with your horse. That carrot or grain in your hand isn't going to help you achieve the respect of your horse in the long run. Begging is also a bad idea and it doesn't work, although it's rather entertaining to watch someone attempt. It's also not a good idea and even dangerous to try to back your horse into a corner to catch 'em. The horse will get around you one way or another. You stand a fair chance of getting run over if you're not quick on your feet.
So we've covered what not to do. What should you do? It's pretty simple really. Tell that horse to run. Yep. Motivate your horse to move around the paddock, pasture or round pen. And keep him going. Bring a lunge whip if you have to but keep him moving. And don't let him stop. When it does come time to stop, it will be because you're in control. The idea is to make everything happening in this training session your idea. Frankly, it's fun. You're not scaring or hitting the horse, you're encouraging him to move out. Keep him running. It's a good idea to start in a fairly contained area like a smaller paddock or round pen. You'll have more or less of a work out yourself depending on the size of the area you're encouraging your horse to run around in for this exercise.
At first, keeping him moving is great, but you also want your horse's attention. Keep him moving in the direction you tell him. Remember, horses by nature move in a herd. There's a pecking order to every herd. You're establishing yourself as the dominant animal and you're going to make your horse move left, right, forward, and backward just as a dominant herd horse would. It's okay to step in your horse's path to make him turn, stop and roll in a different direction. He'll get it and he's going to start to get tired. As you're working with him, controlling where he's going and how he's moving away from you, you're also gaining his respect which is your ultimate goal. You want the horse looking to you for guidance on which way to turn. Most pros will tell you not to turn your horse into the fence at this stage because that's his way of avoiding you. If he turns into you, you have him really listening and engaged. If you're closer to the fence when asking him to turn, he's more likely to move toward the open area. Again, though, it's your idea, not your horse's. As long as he's turning into you, looking to you for guidance, keep him feeling good about the decision. The idea is not to intimidate your horse, but to have him do what you're asking because you're in control.
Your horse is going to start to tire. Watch for it. Is he relaxing? Is his head lower? If so, he may be willing to come to you on your terms. He's definitely thinking about a way to stop running. Now, you're ready to go for the money shot. Position yourself as if you're going to ask your horse to change direction again, but instead of asking him to turn, you should stop and walk toward the center of the ring. What you're hoping for here is that your horse also stops. Turn and face him. What you're going for here is that you're horse is figuring out he's tired and that standing still really feels pretty good. Just stand there. Let a couple of minutes pass and then walk toward him. If he bolts, and you have a better than even chance he will, drive him around the pen another five minutes and try again.
In a perfect world, the horse will approach you and stop. In the almost perfect world, you will be able to approach your horse without him bolting. With either scenario, you want your horse next to you so you can start loving on him. Start at the shoulder and move toward his head. Let him know it's a good thing to be with you, next to you. And guess what? It's on your terms. You've shown the horse it's a lot less effort to be with you, next to you, than being driven around the pen by you. Take a couple steps. If your horse follows, stop and love on him again. Keep doing this. Not only will you be able to put a halter on your horse, he'll follow you wherever you go. After a few sessions with this success, your horse will welcome you every time you come to catch him and actually come to you and maybe even meet you at the gate.
Keeping it real, more than likely you're not going to get the money shot in one session. Training takes time, repetition and consistency. In every session, the goal is to get the horse to listen to you. Stop when you ask. Turn when you ask. You're the alpha horse, but always a humane alpha horse. You're horse should be looking to you for the cues of what he does or doesn't do next. You're establishing trust and respect at this stage.
One more thought. When you're working your horse in this manner, watch how he moves. Most horses favor one side or the other. Notice it. Remember it because it will come into play when you're working him under saddle. Whichever side your horse favors, work him, turn him, run him in the opposite direction. Help him build his flexibility and strength to that weaker side. Ground work is important at this stage when you're thinking about how your horse will work under saddle.
Good luck. Give this a shot and let us know how it works for you!
See It - Do It!
Comments
Great article, Jess. I've working Tango like this in the small paddock where we board him. Still he's reluctant in the turnout field to come up. Oh well. I'll just plug away at it until he decides I am the Alpha. Or maybe I should settle for Beta? ;p
Jenna
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