Post by Casper on Feb 19, 2007 16:27:16 GMT -5
#1 The Friendly Game
This is about proving to your horse that you wouldn't hurt him even if you could. Rather than just petting him and going quietly about him, you need to expose him to situations that scare him so you can prove that those situations are not going to hurt him.
You should be able to rub him all over, toss ropes around his legs, over his back and head, even skip around him. This is about desensitizing your horse to 'scary' movements, objects and situations. The secret is to offer the 'scary thing' with some rhythm, a smile on your face and relaxed body language. You need to keep going, with rhythm, until the horse realizes there is nothing to worry about and becomes able to stand still. As you gain more knowledge and experience, you'll develop 1000 ways to play this game.
Many horses, even though they've been ridden for years, have never had the chance to get acquainted with their saddle. You can play the Friendly Game with the saddle and pads by lightly tossing them on and off until the horse feels confident and can stand completely still to be saddled.
There are two things that are extremely important here. One is to allow the horse to move, to drift around a bit while he is getting over being afraid. You just need to keep him facing you with some slack in the rope until he decides he can keep his feet still. Second is to stress the importance of using rhythm. Offering anything to the horse with rhythm gives him confidence because he learns to anticipate what is coming. This game should always be played first, and in between each of the other six games. Every time you play it with him, you reassure your horse and keep the balance between friendship and dominance.
This is about proving to your horse that you wouldn't hurt him even if you could. Rather than just petting him and going quietly about him, you need to expose him to situations that scare him so you can prove that those situations are not going to hurt him.
You should be able to rub him all over, toss ropes around his legs, over his back and head, even skip around him. This is about desensitizing your horse to 'scary' movements, objects and situations. The secret is to offer the 'scary thing' with some rhythm, a smile on your face and relaxed body language. You need to keep going, with rhythm, until the horse realizes there is nothing to worry about and becomes able to stand still. As you gain more knowledge and experience, you'll develop 1000 ways to play this game.
Many horses, even though they've been ridden for years, have never had the chance to get acquainted with their saddle. You can play the Friendly Game with the saddle and pads by lightly tossing them on and off until the horse feels confident and can stand completely still to be saddled.
There are two things that are extremely important here. One is to allow the horse to move, to drift around a bit while he is getting over being afraid. You just need to keep him facing you with some slack in the rope until he decides he can keep his feet still. Second is to stress the importance of using rhythm. Offering anything to the horse with rhythm gives him confidence because he learns to anticipate what is coming. This game should always be played first, and in between each of the other six games. Every time you play it with him, you reassure your horse and keep the balance between friendship and dominance.