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Take an Exercise in Equine Problem Solving© by Gordon Adair |
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Take an Exercise in Equine Problem Solving© by Gordon Adair |
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| Adair Horse Training Magazine | Education Center | www.adairmag.com |
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page 2: Here is my opinion on each choice:
1. To continue riding in a situation in which your horse is scared can be very dangerous. It is only a matter of time before the horse or human will get hurt. In addition to being dangerous, this method is not much fun. The trail is not the best environment to teach a horse something he does not understand because his mind is being distracted. A horse's mind is only capable of concentrating on one subject at a time. When the horse's mind is thinking about something frightening around him, he will have trouble learning. Association is very important when teaching. By continuing in this environment, both the horse and rider will soon begin to hate trail-riding. 2. Using a stronger bit will only provide a temporary fix. There is a fifty-percent chance the horse will yield to the bit and a fifty-percent chance the bit will escalate the problem even more. If the bit works, then the problem is only being camouflaged but not eliminated. When a horse does not listen to bit communication, using more bit will not help. 3. Avoiding the situation is obviously the easiest and most common solution. The situation can be avoided until you feel you are better prepared but total avoidance unfortunately, is not always possible. The situation will arise again unexpectedly. The situation outcome will appear in a different manner with possibly a more serious outcome. It is not fair to the horse or the rider to be deprived of a certain activity because of the lack of communication. 4. To re-enact the situation is a good technique to test for a problem but not necessarily a good method to solve the problem. The excitability level is too high in this environment for learning to occur. It has already been proven that the horse and rider cannot handle the situation. Many times we view the whole picture as the problem when in fact it is only a portion of the situation in which the problem exists. 5. Going back to the arena is the correct answer. Most problems are traced back to a weak foundation and require the need to perfect the "basics". The other common source is pushing a horse into a situation that is beyond his current training level. The horse does not know how to handle the situation. It is best to go back to a familiar area and work with a good training program to achieve a higher level of communication. 6. To put the horse in training definitely works for me! Professionals can take the danger out of training for people by solving problems and creating cues to discourage inappropriate behavior. However if this owner hired me I too would go back to the arena with this horse. Owner participation is vital so the rider can reinforce what the horse has been taught. This will help prevent the problem from reoccurring in the future. 7. To blame another person for your horse's behavior is simply making excuses for you and your horse. This response was initially meant to be humorous. Unfortunately riders will seriously accuse another riders of getting their horse all excited. Ask other riders to modify their riding to accommodate yours forever is not practical. The other riders should assist you in controlling the situation, however, ultimately you must control your own horse. |
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