Small Pet Advice

Natural horsemanship isn’t really a new concept, and doesn’t require that you are born with a special gift that enables you to effectively train a horse. However, it does necessitate that you have lots of patience, confidence, and the ability to use common sense. If you lack the confidence in working with horses, it’s best to seek advice from a professional trainer. Being fearful or nervous around horses can get you hurt.

First and foremost, the key element when it comes to training horses, is that there is more than one way to do things — some techniques may work better than others for certain horses, not all horses are alike and often need to be handled differently. Think, be creative, and use common sense.

The first principle of understanding natural horsemanship deals with the herd mentality. Horses naturally gravitate into herds when they live in the wild, and even domestically when turned out together into a field. The main purpose of this behavior is for safety and security. If you spent some time observing a herd of horses in the wild or a pasture you would learn a lot from their behavior. You’ll see that they eat most of the day, sleep a bit, and challenge each other for position. It’s important to understand the dynamics of what is going on in the herd to be able to relate this to how you will use this behavior in your training program. The leader of the herd does just enough in order to accomplish a particular task, no more and no less. If they want another horse to move, they apply only the amount of energy required. Often just suggesting the other horse move, and then they back off. The boss horse most often does not waste energy bullying or flagrantly displaying power. Other horses respect this type of leadership and tend to follow along willingly.

When practicing natural horsemanship, the key is in knowing how horses relate to one another. They communicate prominently through body language. Of course, unlike horses you can’t bite, kick, or intimidate them by laying your ears back. Alternately you’d use a method of of pressure and release. When negative behavior is displayed, pressure is applied to indicate displeasure from the trainer; similarly, release of pressure indicates a job well done. When applied correctly, neither fear or pain is necessary in horse training.

If you consistently apply these basic rules by coming across as the leader of the herd, the horse will respect your leadership. Not only will the horse come to respect your leadership, but they will also look forward to being around you and doing what is asked of them. The dominant style of horsemanship has been used for thousands of years to train horses and is really the foundation for what’s commonly known today as “Natural Horsemanship”.

Horse training is an art, not a science. You have to be patient and flexible, find what works for you and experiment. Don’t avoid doing things because you’re afraid of. Understand your limitations and don’t do things that make you or the horse uncomfortable.

If you found this article useful you can find more horse articles and tips like this at the Hitching Post, a site for equestrian singles and those with a passion for the Country way of life.

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