HORSE TRAINING

     Horse training is a complex endeavor involving psychological and physical factors. There are many methods - each of which has myriad adherents and detractors.

     Basically, horse training involves teaching your horse to respond according to your wishes and commands and molding your animal into a calm, gentle and obedient companion.

     From the psychological end, it is important to know your animal's natural instincts. For instance, horses are herd animals and dogs originated as pack animals. In each case, orderliness and cohesion are maintained in the herd or pack through a "pecking order": leader, second in command and so on down the line.

     In order for your horse training to be successful, you must convince your horse that you are the herd leader. This takes some careful doing since you must be assertive yet non-threatening.

     Watching horses in a group can be most informative. Close observation will reveal that horses communicate through body language. They jockey for higher positions in the pecking order through sudden, aggressive moves into another horse's space. If the other horse resists, a fight may break out with the winner either retaining his/her position in the pecking order or moving lower in the hierarchy.

     When horses are feeling friendly toward one another, they move into each other's space with slow, relaxed steps. This is why a trainer must be totally familiar with this and other signs in order to effectively communicate with his charge.

     Your horse is showing you dominance if the tail is down tight and ears are pinned back. One method of asserting your dominance over his is to move your horse out of his space with a sudden arm waving movement toward him. Head dropping or turning and chewing are signs that the animal is conceding his leadership to you. The tricky part is to avoid being too threatening in order for the horse to retain some confidence.

     Since horse training involves behavioral changes in your animal, you must carefully consider your methods and revise each one that appears to invoke a negative reaction in the horse. It is important to remember that a horse, being a prey animal in nature, is programmed by instinct to flee from anything perceived as threatening. That is why the trainer must walk a fine line in order to convince the horse that he is the boss but is also a friend.

     In summation, in order to successfully train your horse - do your homework. Read, watch instructional DVD's, listen to audio, talk to trainers and gradually adopt the best methods for you and your animal. And most important of all, know your horse! Hoe or she is an individual like you and will adapt to some training methods more readily than others. Learn how your horse thinks and practice communication to help your animal understand what you expect from him. It is also important to ride your horse as often as possible as riding frequently is the best way to establish a rapport between you and your horse.

     It pays to remember that horse training is not a science but is an art and as such, must be approached in a creative manner. The rewards are significant!