| PART 1 | | | | understand the similarities and the differences between |
| Horses, Journey from Fear to Respect. From a | | | | dogs and horses. (sorry, I always refer back to dogs |
| husband's point of view. | | | | because it is what I know.) Both animals need strong |
| The world of horses as a hobby is dominated by | | | | leaders, but for seemingly different reasons that I am |
| women. Yes, this is a generalization. It does not always | | | | not sure I can easily explain in words. If handled |
| hold true, but I can confidently say that this is a fact. | | | | improperly, they are both capable of hurting you. Dogs |
| Two years ago my wife wanted to get a horse. It had | | | | will do it on purpose, horses will do it on accident, but |
| always been a dream of hers, and frankly I was | | | | they have one huge thing in common. Both species will |
| beggin for her to get a hobby. I have tons of hobbies, | | | | almost always do it out of fear. If you can reduce the |
| and when I left to do these things she would always | | | | fear factor, you greatly reduce the chance of anything |
| be a little irked that I was not spending a little more | | | | bad happening. |
| time with her. Frankly I can't fault her. I do have a lot of | | | | Early in my learning experience, I did not fully grasp |
| hobbies. | | | | how important the concept of fear was in horse |
| So she got her horse, and we saw each other less | | | | training. I was so focused on controlling my own fear, |
| and less. At first it was great. We were both happy | | | | that I never fully understood that it was the horses |
| doing what we do, and we made the most of the time | | | | fear that really needed to be quelled. This is a lesson I |
| we spent together. Eventually, we realized that we | | | | learned later, when my wife bought her own horse. |
| would have to meet on some common ground so we | | | | PART 3 |
| were more a part of each others lives. One Huge | | | | At this stage, things start to ramp up a bit. It is one |
| Problem. I realized horses terrified me. (By the way, | | | | thing to be taught how to handle an old, calm, and well |
| she made some concessions as well. Not a ton of | | | | trained horse. The stakes were higher when my wife |
| wives I know that totally get into Buffy the Vampire | | | | bought a scared, untrained, younger horse. His name is |
| Slayer and Battlestar Galactica. But that is a discussion | | | | Sequoia. He is half quarter horse, half pony, cute, and |
| for another time.) | | | | kind. But his confidence was shot. He was head shy |
| Thing is, I am not a fan of being controlled by anything. | | | | and jerky. He spooked easily. He had little to no |
| This includes fear. So I set out to overcome this | | | | dressage training. I went from thinking I knew how to |
| irrational feeling. I know a guy named Paul Creviere Jr., | | | | handle a horse to realizing exactly how much I still had |
| the man was deathly afraid of water. He overcame | | | | to learn. |
| this fear, became scuba certified, and eventually wrote | | | | Early in his training, Leslie realized she needed help. She |
| a book called "Wild Gales and Tattered Sails." It is | | | | turned to Ellie Neerdales, a natural horsemanship trainer |
| about the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. Which by | | | | here in Green Bay, WI. She began to learn this method |
| the way he explored himself. I can't honestly directly | | | | of training, and began to use it on Sequoia. She was |
| compare my situation with his. I believe his fear was | | | | spending between 5 to 8 nights per week with her |
| rooted deeper than mine own. Yet his situation did | | | | horse. (no that was not a typo) About 3 months in she |
| provide me with some small amount of inspiration. | | | | hit her low point. She took Sequoia for his first trailer |
| These animals are huge, powerful creatures that | | | | ride to another stable. If she wanted to be able to |
| seemingly have an unpredictable nature that stems | | | | show him at some point, he was going to have to get |
| from them being prey animals. Huge, Powerful, | | | | used to traveling. She had all kinds of problems. All the |
| Unpredictable. Take all three, and you have a very | | | | progress she had made with him during the first 3 |
| fearsome and dangerous animal. Thus my fear | | | | months just flew right out the window. He was back |
| seemed warranted. But I have motivation, spending | | | | to spooking, and generally acting a little crazy. A girl at |
| quality time with my wife and not completely hating it. | | | | the barn even commented on how bad of a horse he |
| I am dog guy. I love dogs. I have never met a dog I | | | | was, and told Leslie she should give up on him and get |
| don't understand. I can always tell if a dog is | | | | a new horse. (I am not naming names, but I hope this |
| approachable. Does it want to bite me, warn me, love | | | | girl reads this article someday and takes her foot out |
| me, lick me? I can just tell. I cant explain how I know | | | | of her mouth long enough to say I am sorry). That |
| what the dog is thinking, I just do. We fear what we | | | | night Leslie was a bit of a wreck. With the amount of |
| don't understand. Through knowledge comes | | | | hours that she put in she seemed to be at wick's end |
| understanding. Through understanding comes trust, and | | | | and possibly ready to cash it in.The next night, she |
| the absence of fear. | | | | was back at the barn and working as hard as ever. |
| I am Capricorn, thus I think in logical terms. Logically | | | | (Did I mention she is slightly stubborn.) |
| speaking, learn everything you can about the horse's | | | | Most of the time, it seems as though a horse's fear is |
| language so you can eventually understand it's | | | | born out of new situations, new sounds, new places. In |
| reactions and the reasons for these reactions. | | | | general, it is the unknown that causes the horse to |
| The process that gets us there is much more | | | | freak out, and it is impossible to introduce your horse |
| complicated. | | | | to every possible scenario or sound that may cause |
| PART 2 | | | | this reaction. Since you cannot prevent the scenarios |
| Usually when you are trying to overcome something | | | | from happening and you cannot fully prepare your |
| or learn something new, you always have that "Ah | | | | horse for every scenario, then what you must do is |
| HA" moment. The moment where something suddenly | | | | reduce the level of your horses negative reaction to |
| clicks. When this happens, it usually gets you over the | | | | these events. In my humble opinion there is one way, |
| hump and on the path to victory. My moment came at | | | | and only one way to do this. Through TRUST. Trust |
| a barn where the owners had two great danes in their | | | | must be built and earned with a horse. The most |
| yard. They were separated off by invisible fencing and | | | | important thing in any relationship is trust, and that goes |
| some "Beware of Dogs" signs. As we walked up to | | | | for both people and horses. Each time Sequoia ran into |
| the barn, they came barreling out of the house, barking | | | | an obstacle, Leslie would break it down with time and |
| and growling, doing their job. The big one (Mighty Joe) | | | | trust. So many horse owners just seem to accept |
| was saying "This is my house, don't do anything stupid." | | | | certain behavior, and by accepting the behavior they |
| Well, I love dogs, and I grew up with big dogs. When I | | | | reinforce it. |
| saw them, I simply had to meet them. So I entered the | | | | Sequoia was afraid of the fly spray bottle. Rather than |
| no fly zone. I know all the rules. I kept my eyes down, I | | | | accept his fear, she beat it. She took him in the arena, |
| knelt down in an attempt to soften any aggression | | | | set the spray bottle on the ground, and made him |
| they may sense, and I let them smell me for several | | | | stand by it and look at it. When he seemed |
| minutes before petting them. It took about 5 minutes | | | | comfortable, she picked up. Not sure why, but as soon |
| before I was rubbing bellies and scratching ears. | | | | as she was holding it, it became a whole new threat. |
| Sitting there playing with a couple confident 150 pound | | | | She waited til he calmed down and then made him |
| predator animals, I took a gander at my wife across | | | | look at it and smell it again. She then proceeded to rub |
| the way brushing a 1000 pound slightly nervous prey | | | | the bottle all over his body until he was completely |
| animal and realized that I can do this. I just had to learn | | | | comfortable with it, and finally she was able to spray |
| the signals. If I was not afraid of two barking/growling | | | | him with it. The process took over an hour, and it had |
| Great Danes, then there is no reason I should fear the | | | | to be repeated several times, but he has no problem |
| horse. So I immersed my self one step at a time. | | | | with the spray bottle anymore. |
| It started with exposure. Just being around horses, and | | | | Now I realize that most horse owners may not be |
| listening to everything my wife and her trainer (Karen | | | | willing to put in this much time in to get their horse over |
| Zoelle) said during lessons. Early on, without doing | | | | a fear of a bottle, but what they fail to realize is that |
| anything but listening, you would not believe how much | | | | this positive reinforcement was a brick in the |
| I learned. At this time, my wife was just beginning | | | | foundation of the well balanced horse that Sequoia |
| formal training. Thus her lessons started right from the | | | | became. The time spent with the spray bottle served |
| basics, both in riding and handling a horse. Being able to | | | | to increase the horse's trust in it's owner. He began to |
| listen at first, without having to do, allowed me grasp | | | | realize that she was not going to hurt him. Every time |
| some understanding and thus confidence. Slowly I | | | | he conquered a fear with her assistance his trust in |
| learned to brush, pick hooves, put on a saddle, and | | | | her would grow, and the time it would take to |
| even ride a little. The most important part of the early | | | | overcome each obstacle would slowly decrease. His |
| experience was Karen. (disclaimer: so I don't get yelled | | | | trust has grown to the point where he not only trusts |
| at, my bride plays the biggest role in all of this as we | | | | "her" to not hurt him, but to the point where he believes |
| move forward) I am not sure if Karen did it on | | | | she will protect him. |
| purpose, but she kind of hand picked my first | | | | Now when faced with a new and dangerous lawn |
| experiences and made sure I did not end up in any | | | | chair, he no longer "spooks". His reaction is much more |
| negative situations. | | | | subtle. He looks to his trusted leader and seems to |
| I am still not sure when it happened, but at some point I | | | | ask, "Should we be scared." And through the simple |
| suddenly realized I was no longer afraid. I still did not | | | | act of letting him see and smell the obstacle she |
| have a lot of confidence, but the paralizing /hand | | | | seems to answer, "There is nothing to be afraid of." |
| trembling fear was gone. In it's place was a healthy | | | | Now that the horse is trained, it is my turn to be |
| respect for these incredible animals. I had come to | | | | trained. |