| A common question? When to discipline your horse? | | | | all you are attempting to do. |
| Your horse is a large animal. | | | | Your goal is to build trust in your horse for you. |
| You need to make sure he knows you are the boss | | | | Not going beyond horse logical pressure while working |
| just as your stern teacher in the fifth grade needed to | | | | with him - but just applying - releasing and then |
| make sure you, his students, knew he was the boss. | | | | re-applying these pressures and keeping them close to |
| That was the one teacher you probably will never | | | | something your horse already knows is what builds his |
| forget...and would never want to come before again. | | | | trust in you. |
| He made you feel hopeless because you did not | | | | That trust then leads to the horse being relaxed which |
| already know what you were there for him to teach | | | | leads to rhythm, the two things that everything you |
| you. | | | | teach your horse are built upon...relaxation and rhythm. |
| He yelled loudly at anyone who made mistakes. He | | | | So you build the trust then you show your horse what |
| was belittling and rude and all you wanted was to | | | | you want him to do with the use of horse logical |
| never have to go to that class again. | | | | pressures - pressures applied by crop or rein pulls or |
| Right? | | | | halter pulls or knee presses - stirrup presses, lunge line |
| That is why the answer to the above question...when | | | | - totally ignoring any wrong moves he may make as |
| to discipline your horse...is never. | | | | you continue to show him. Once he accomplishes that |
| Not ever. Period. | | | | which you are working toward, rub him, scratch him, |
| Your horse is an animal who has to be close, very | | | | stroke him and reward him. |
| close, to what he already knows when being asked to | | | | If he does not achieve it yet let it be, try again |
| do anything. If suddenly something is loud...physically or | | | | tomorrow. It does not matter how many times you |
| psychologically...your horse will move to escape it. | | | | may have to show him before he "gets" it. Patience is |
| You need to always remember your horse responds | | | | a virtue here...and you must use it. |
| to horse logical pressure only to the point where they | | | | A great horse will be your reward. So you should not |
| shape the horse's behavior. If you go beyond that with | | | | have to wonder again about when to discipline your |
| any of the pressure moves you perform you will undo | | | | horse. The answer is never...not ever. |