Build Trust Not Fear In Your Gaited Horse
By Gaye DeRusso
Does your gaited horse feel safe?
Many gaited horses are fearful because they do not have much training, or they have been over powered by a human at some point in their life.
When you work with a horse, you either instill confidence by building trust or you instill fear, by not handling the situation, not handling it correctly or by trying to overpower the horse.
Horses learn from every interaction you do with them. From leading them out of the stall to grooming, to hand walking, to riding.
Every interaction you do with them teaches them one or the other. It shows them if you are a trustworthy leader to keep them safe or if they need to rely on their instincts to keep, them safe.
This is the basics of many people’s issues with their horse, and you must go back and build the trust with your horse. If you do not prove you are trustworthy, they will never listen to you, when in distress.
If when you are getting them out of their stall, you are distracted, talking on the phone dropping your phone, dropping their halter and so on, they conclude that you do not have focus and you are not truly with them.
When you groom and saddle them, they will tell you with their body language that they do not like something. This could be too hard of a brush or touching their groin or tightening the girth too fast.
If you continue to ignore their signals, and not change what you are doing, they conclude that you do not understand them or do not care.
If when you lead them, they look around and walk on top of you and pull you to the grass, they learn that you are not a good leader. Because you failed each test they gave you.
If you never do any ground work, they do not learn your language and you do not learn theirs. Therefore, they learn that you don't care enough to teach them what you want or how to handle themselves in stressful situations.
If when you ride them down the trail, they give you signals that they are distressed and you do not respond, they know they are on their own.
If you take them to cross water or to load on a trailer, and you do not show them how to do it correctly with patience and direction, but instead beat them, they learn you are not to be trusted.
When they get to a steep hill and they feel unsafe with you riding them down it, they stop. This is to tell you they are unsure and probably off balance. But you don't get off and you make them carry you, they learn that you will not help them. Now they no longer want to go down hills or even on the trail.
If the horse did not understand what you were asking and you beat them to make them do what you want, you instill fear and they learn humans are not to be trusted.
Every horse goes through these situations, especially young or untrained or inexperienced horses or horses that have had previous bad experiences. They will look to you for help, they will give you signals that you must catch. But you can only help them if you are patient, mentally with them and know how to handle and help the horse in these situations.
When they say wet saddle pads and miles, make a great horse. They are talking about good rides and good miles. Miles of bad rides makes for an untrusting horse which in turn makes a fearful horse which in turn becomes a horse with bad behaviors. And that is when the owner finally notices something is wrong.
That’s when I get the call that their horse suddenly bucked, reared or bolted. He or she use to go willingly on the trail but now plants their feet and won't go.
It did not happen all of a sudden. You just didn't notice or care about how your horse felt about his or her safety, until it affected your safety.
The horse gives us many chances, to be a trustworthy leader.
They want a leader because it makes them feel safe. Most horses will do anything for you, if they feel safe doing it, but It all starts with you.
Instill trust not fear.
By Gaye DeRusso
Does your gaited horse feel safe?
Many gaited horses are fearful because they do not have much training, or they have been over powered by a human at some point in their life.
When you work with a horse, you either instill confidence by building trust or you instill fear, by not handling the situation, not handling it correctly or by trying to overpower the horse.
Horses learn from every interaction you do with them. From leading them out of the stall to grooming, to hand walking, to riding.
Every interaction you do with them teaches them one or the other. It shows them if you are a trustworthy leader to keep them safe or if they need to rely on their instincts to keep, them safe.
This is the basics of many people’s issues with their horse, and you must go back and build the trust with your horse. If you do not prove you are trustworthy, they will never listen to you, when in distress.
If when you are getting them out of their stall, you are distracted, talking on the phone dropping your phone, dropping their halter and so on, they conclude that you do not have focus and you are not truly with them.
When you groom and saddle them, they will tell you with their body language that they do not like something. This could be too hard of a brush or touching their groin or tightening the girth too fast.
If you continue to ignore their signals, and not change what you are doing, they conclude that you do not understand them or do not care.
If when you lead them, they look around and walk on top of you and pull you to the grass, they learn that you are not a good leader. Because you failed each test they gave you.
If you never do any ground work, they do not learn your language and you do not learn theirs. Therefore, they learn that you don't care enough to teach them what you want or how to handle themselves in stressful situations.
If when you ride them down the trail, they give you signals that they are distressed and you do not respond, they know they are on their own.
If you take them to cross water or to load on a trailer, and you do not show them how to do it correctly with patience and direction, but instead beat them, they learn you are not to be trusted.
When they get to a steep hill and they feel unsafe with you riding them down it, they stop. This is to tell you they are unsure and probably off balance. But you don't get off and you make them carry you, they learn that you will not help them. Now they no longer want to go down hills or even on the trail.
If the horse did not understand what you were asking and you beat them to make them do what you want, you instill fear and they learn humans are not to be trusted.
Every horse goes through these situations, especially young or untrained or inexperienced horses or horses that have had previous bad experiences. They will look to you for help, they will give you signals that you must catch. But you can only help them if you are patient, mentally with them and know how to handle and help the horse in these situations.
When they say wet saddle pads and miles, make a great horse. They are talking about good rides and good miles. Miles of bad rides makes for an untrusting horse which in turn makes a fearful horse which in turn becomes a horse with bad behaviors. And that is when the owner finally notices something is wrong.
That’s when I get the call that their horse suddenly bucked, reared or bolted. He or she use to go willingly on the trail but now plants their feet and won't go.
It did not happen all of a sudden. You just didn't notice or care about how your horse felt about his or her safety, until it affected your safety.
The horse gives us many chances, to be a trustworthy leader.
They want a leader because it makes them feel safe. Most horses will do anything for you, if they feel safe doing it, but It all starts with you.
Instill trust not fear.