How many times have you gone eagerly to the barn with great expectations of a wonderful ride, only to find that your four legged riding companion does not share your enthusiasm or has a grouchy attitude about doing the simplest things? After experiencing numerous bad attitudes, you may feel your horse does not appreciate anything you are doing for him. You may slowly become discouraged because your horse is more work than fun. Even worse, you may feel your horse does not love you. Do not despair, your horse may not be doing it on purpose. He may not know your standards. Before you Òthrow in the towelÓ, make sure your horse knows his bad attitude bothers you. Simply, tell your horse which attitudes you like and which attitudes you do not like. Your horse does not know it is better to work with you than to oppose you, because horses are not able to reason. They respond to association and do things out of habit. If a bad attitude is left uncorrected, the same attitude will occur again. Eventually it will grow into a habit. Slowly, you will see other bad attitudes branching off from the first in different ways and areas.
Bad attitudes can appear in many ways, ear pinning, rearing, tail switching, biting, striking, or kicking. Bad attitudes may be used to: demand food while feeding, leave or return to an area, discontinue an exercise, refuse to be caught, or avoid being bridled. Bad attitudes may be directed towards people, horses, or other animals.
Gordon Adair is a professional horse trainer and riding instructor with over thirty-four years of experience. Gordonıs specialty is instructing owners with their horses, the philisophy of teaching and communicating. The ability to teach and communicate can then be used with the ownerıs own discipline and personality. Visit Gordonıs web site on the Internet at www.adairmag.com/gordonadair for more informtion.
© All rights reserved. reproduction of this site in whole or part without permission is prohibited.