Why would you decide to restart your horse with a different type of horsemanship?
Many of the reasons for sending horses to a new trainer or to start a horse with a new program are often selfish on the rider side. What does this mean? Does it mean that a rider is selfish for wanting their horses to perform better? No, but it means that often, retraining or restarting a horse is not done for the horse's mental well being or happiness, but simply for the horse's performance, and sometimes to correct the behavioural issues it has that bothers the rider when trying to perform.
I am not blaming anyone, I was guilty of this too. It is also how I started looking around for a way of helping my own horse. She was rearing under saddle, she was anxious and she was often hard to handle both on the ground and under saddle. I was having a hard time with her and I wanted her to simply be "easier".
The difference with how I think about it now is that I am restarting my horse and keeping her in this long journey for us to be happy. Obviously, I want a horse that performs well and that is easy to ride, but now I also realised that she could not perform well and be "easy" without feeling better in her own mind. It meant that I should care about her well being, not only physical, but also mental. In the end, how can you ask someone to give you their best if they cannot cope with the basic things in their life? It does not mean that most riders do not want a happy horse, it is just that they do not think about the fact that their horse might be badly behaving because of fear, anxiety or discomfort. After all, the horse has food and water everyday, some physical exercise, a warm blanket and a clean stable.
But horses are complex animals and require time and understanding. However, as getting someone happy and comfortable with their life does not take a few days, getting a horse in a better state of mind asks for patience, time and consistancy. It can also ask for many sacrifices, such as not competing or riding your horse until your horse is ready for it. It might mean months without riding, without competing. Restarting a horse does not take a few weeks and it is not something that will be effective if you do not see both sides of the equation. You are two minds, two beings competing TOGETHER and the rider should never forget that.
When you restart your horse, taking their comfort and happiness into account, and when you start recognizing the signs of their discomfort and fear, you are telling them that you care, and that you are able to listen to them. It starts a real partnership. It can change so much in a horse's mind to know that their human is now willing to listen and understand. It is how they can eventually feel safe with you in all circumstances and give you their best willingly.
I have been working with my own horse, Upstar, since August 2017 with the objective of having this happy "us". We had ups and downs but I like to believe that Upstar currently feels a lot happier and more relaxed now than when we started. I have learnt how she shows her discomfort and how she shows her anxiety. I have learnt when I have to be firmer with her and I have learnt when I have to be softer, quieter and I can now recognize when she is asking me for help. About 2 weeks ago, signs of anxiety and discomfort showed up, and I could see that my horse was trying to tell me something. It is how I found out that her saddle was causing her pain and that her back was now a total mess. She has now an appointment with the chiropractor in 3 days.
Restarting your horse requires many sacrifices, much time, patience and sometimes money, but the reward is huge and the parternship is amazingly strong.
I am not blaming anyone, I was guilty of this too. It is also how I started looking around for a way of helping my own horse. She was rearing under saddle, she was anxious and she was often hard to handle both on the ground and under saddle. I was having a hard time with her and I wanted her to simply be "easier".
The difference with how I think about it now is that I am restarting my horse and keeping her in this long journey for us to be happy. Obviously, I want a horse that performs well and that is easy to ride, but now I also realised that she could not perform well and be "easy" without feeling better in her own mind. It meant that I should care about her well being, not only physical, but also mental. In the end, how can you ask someone to give you their best if they cannot cope with the basic things in their life? It does not mean that most riders do not want a happy horse, it is just that they do not think about the fact that their horse might be badly behaving because of fear, anxiety or discomfort. After all, the horse has food and water everyday, some physical exercise, a warm blanket and a clean stable.
But horses are complex animals and require time and understanding. However, as getting someone happy and comfortable with their life does not take a few days, getting a horse in a better state of mind asks for patience, time and consistancy. It can also ask for many sacrifices, such as not competing or riding your horse until your horse is ready for it. It might mean months without riding, without competing. Restarting a horse does not take a few weeks and it is not something that will be effective if you do not see both sides of the equation. You are two minds, two beings competing TOGETHER and the rider should never forget that.
When you restart your horse, taking their comfort and happiness into account, and when you start recognizing the signs of their discomfort and fear, you are telling them that you care, and that you are able to listen to them. It starts a real partnership. It can change so much in a horse's mind to know that their human is now willing to listen and understand. It is how they can eventually feel safe with you in all circumstances and give you their best willingly.
I have been working with my own horse, Upstar, since August 2017 with the objective of having this happy "us". We had ups and downs but I like to believe that Upstar currently feels a lot happier and more relaxed now than when we started. I have learnt how she shows her discomfort and how she shows her anxiety. I have learnt when I have to be firmer with her and I have learnt when I have to be softer, quieter and I can now recognize when she is asking me for help. About 2 weeks ago, signs of anxiety and discomfort showed up, and I could see that my horse was trying to tell me something. It is how I found out that her saddle was causing her pain and that her back was now a total mess. She has now an appointment with the chiropractor in 3 days.
Restarting your horse requires many sacrifices, much time, patience and sometimes money, but the reward is huge and the parternship is amazingly strong.