| Training horses is like training young children. They | | | | the cue and reward the horse with a pat or "good!" |
| have short attention spans, they like to play, they are | | | | when he responds with the correct answer. If the |
| easily distracted, and they need lots of praise. It is | | | | horse has been trained correctly it is very likely that it |
| important to recognize their individual differences at | | | | will be able to figure out what the new rider is asking |
| learning because horses, like children are unique in their | | | | quickly. |
| abilities. The trainer must be flexible and sensitive, | | | | Just as in humans, some horses learn faster than |
| bringing each horse along at their own pace. | | | | others, some have shorter attention spans, |
| The best way to recognize whether or not a person | | | | conformation issues that make the lesson harder or |
| or animal has really mastered a lesson is to see if they | | | | easier for them, differing sensitivities to stimulus, and |
| can apply what they know to different circumstances. | | | | different physical strength or weakness in different |
| Horses frequently demonstrate that they haven't really | | | | areas of their body. So it is very important that the |
| learned a lesson when they do things like spooking at | | | | rider/trainer consider these differences and apply their |
| an object that has been moved to a new location or | | | | knowledge to each horse individually. Too often a |
| because they are moving in a different direction. Yes, | | | | trainer falls into a "system" that they apply to every |
| the object may look slightly different from a new | | | | horse without recognizing the individual differences in |
| perspective, but that is exactly the point, they are not | | | | each horse and then declare that a horse is difficult, |
| applying what they know about the object by | | | | inferior, or untrainable. A young horse might also be |
| recognizing that it is only a different view point. They | | | | labeled exceptional or a star because they have the |
| were conditioned not to spook at the object as it | | | | mental and emotional make up to excel early in their |
| appeared previously, but they did not really learn that | | | | lessons, but no consideration is made to whether or |
| the object is not going to hurt them. For training horses | | | | not they have the conformational or physical |
| it usually takes repeated conditioning using as many | | | | development to sustain the level of training and they |
| possible variations of the lesson as possible for them | | | | break down. In many horse sports these talented |
| to really master the problem. | | | | youngsters appear to be expendable - there are |
| Even the cues under saddle must be taught in both | | | | always more coming along - so the long term quality |
| directions, at all the gaits, under different circumstances, | | | | of life is not considered. |
| but yet consistently the same, for the horse to be | | | | Many sports, both human and equine, are striving for |
| confirmed as mastering that cue. Otherwise, another | | | | the perfect athlete. Perfection is rarely possible, but the |
| rider will not get the correct response from the same | | | | ability to recognize individual differences and develop a |
| cue because it is not possible that they will perform it | | | | training program that will address them without force |
| exactly as the horse was taught. The horse must be | | | | or unrealistic expectations should be the goal of every |
| able to recognize that the cue is like one their first | | | | trainer. I have seen horses and humans who were |
| trainer taught and choose the correct answer. | | | | able to perform at levels that conformationally they |
| Sometimes they might pick the wrong one due to the | | | | appeared not to have the ability for, but someone had |
| fact that many cues are similar and riders have as | | | | brought them along with patience and proper |
| many differences in the way they use their hands, leg, | | | | conditioning of the mind, body and spirit, and they easily |
| and seat as horses have in the way they respond to | | | | and happily won the gold! |
| them. A sensitive, experienced rider will calmly repeat | | | | |