"If I could talk to animals, learn their languages . . . " mused the fictional Doctor Dolittle. In their frustration, some people have thought that if only they could speak to their horse, training him would be so much easier! (Personally I think a sarcastic, wisecracking horse might cause a new set of frustrations!) Communicating our requests requires, then, that we develop a language system with our horse that is based on the way they think and interact with each other. Although this sounds logical, I still retrain many horse owners who try to communicate with their horses as they’ve seen in movies like Black Beauty or National Velvet .On screen we see "anthropomorphism" at its best. However, attributing human qualities to animals may make for some tender moments but isn’t based on fact.
In the course of training for any riding discipline, the horse needs to know these important things: to be attentive to the rider at all times, to respect the handler’s personal space, to control his fright and flight instinct and perform with calmness, and to move his body parts as requested by his rider. When asked how I teach a horse to do all these things, I sum it up by saying that I make repetitive requests of the horse and respond with No’s and Yes’s until he gets the idea. These No’s and Yes’s can also be described as resistance and freedom or advancing and retreating.
Many riders, especially more aggressive ones, overlook the importance of saying Yes to the horse. Horses in training seek a Yes, as if to say "I take it that I’ve chosen the wrong answer, but what is it that you want me to do?" Ninety per cent of my rewards are simply immediately stopping my cue. From the saddle this might mean softening my hand when the horse yields or slows, or dropping my heel when he moves away from my leg. From the ground, perhaps while lunging, I may lower my hands and relax my body language to show the horse he’s done what I asked. Occasionally, to really support a correct choice a horse has made, or to calm a stressed horse, I will use talk or touch.
Treats: I personally never use treats. Any reward must be given a horse within a second of his correct response; or else he won’t relate the reward to his action. Unless you carry your treat in an open fanny pack while riding, or devise some other instant treat-delivery system, your horse isn’t likely to get the message. In my experience, the drawbacks of using food rewards far exceed the benefits, I find the many horses I’ve trained have consistently remained calm without pawing while standing in cross ties while tied. They are fed only in their stalls and at regular times and never expect snacks in between. No horse stands and gratefully savours his last treat; he anxiously awaits the next one! He becomes pushy toward his handler, searching for more. Jealousy arises between stall neighbours when a doting owner feeds one horse while another is not - why create discontent?
Talking: If I delivered a lecture in Russian to an English-speaking audience, and inserted the occasional English word, the familiar word would likely be missed because the people would have tuned out the entire unfamiliar monologue. Likewise, a horse is most likely to respond to voice commands when used selectively, delivered clearly and the same way each time, because horses respond not to the words themselves, but to their pitch and tone. In addition to a "cluck", a "whoa" and a "kiss", I will occasionally affirm a confused or nervous horse’s correct response with a low "Gooood". I have found this, in addition to the immediate removal of my cue, lets a horse know that he’s found the correct answer to the question I’m asking, and it calms him.
Touching: I think stroking and rubbing rhythmically and deliberately can reassure an unsettled horse and relax tension. Generally, however, I think most people tend to pat and fuss with their horses’ faces far too much, especially their muzzles. I cringe when I see horses allowed to lick and nibble and push their owners.
If you watch a group of horses loose in a pasture, they develop a hierarchy in which no subordinate horse is allowed inside the dominant horse’s personal space. I, as the trainer, am the "top dog" and cannot allow a horse to rub on me as he would his equal in pasture rank. Overpatting desensitizes a horse to boundaries, which must be in place if he is to respect me as his leader.
So watch that next sentimental horse movie with a critical eye! Keep your training sessions simple and analyze what you do. Treat your horses as they treat each other and begin thinking like a horse!
Lindsay Grice trains horses and riders at Lindsay Grice Quarter Horses in the Caledon Hills, 25 minutes north of the Toronto airport.
Her students have won many provincial High Point awards in both English and western events, and have won at major shows in the United States and Canada. Lindsay has been Ontario's top-ranked Junior Hunter Under Saddle Rider almost every year since 1986, and in recent years has ridden several horses to National High Point Top Ten status.
Lindsay has a reputation for successfully training clients' horses for new events, including western riding, horsemanship, equitation, and classes over fences. She strives to create thinking horsemen of her students by clearly communicating the "how's" and "why's" of riding.
Lindsay Grice