Forward is not always the answer…. There I said it, and I’m feeling the wrath of many horse trainers who are reading that opening statement.
Years and years of playing with horses, many lessons, clinics and reading books, and the most common piece of training advice I hear is, add more leg, make it go forward,
And some habits hold strong. Let me take a step back (figuratively not literally). It’s fair to say, training my beautiful clydie boys, gave me a false sense of security. They are so giving, and trusting, and relaxed that it was a relatively easy process. Long and drawn out, but rather smooth sailing. No major dramas, any speed bumps were over come rather easily.
I guess that made me think that my training method would work for any horse. And I guess I ultimately still think that. But then came along Luna, my Andalusian mare.
She has forward. She has forward in spades. What she doesn’t have is ‘relax’. Luna is as keen as mustard. Get her in the long reins, and especially get some weight on the traces, and she just wants to go forward, sometimes at a jog. Problem is, in my game, we spend more time just standing, and this is a skill in itself.
I had hit a bit of a brick wall. Needing to progress to pulling a cart, but struggling with pulling a tyre. She would pull happily, but when asked to stop, she would fidget, then she would walk backward or step sideways, getting tangled in the traces. While she could untangle herself, it was incredibly frustrating that she wouldn’t just stand.
Looking for a solution I began talking to other trainers (none of which would take her on), but speaking to one particular trainer, who helps many horses for combined driving events, one thing he said really hit me in the head like a gong.
‘You need to teach her patience’. Far from the ‘forward is always the answer’ mentality, he told me to make her understand that doing ‘nothing’ is ok.
She will stand tied up. After working, she will stand calmly at the tie up rail and wait. His advice to me, was to use that, to make her realise that I wanted her to do nothing.
Harness up, then go inside and make and drink a coffee. Come back take her for a drive, drive up to the tie up rail, then pull out my phone and face book for a while while still holding the reins. Normalise expecting nothing.
Take her for another drive, this time, stop her back from the rail, so she gets the idea that when we stop, we can just stand, and each time stop slightly further away from the rail.
Going back to basics sucks, and it’s boring, but in only 3 sessions, Luna seems to have relaxed. Her walk has slowed considerably, she seems less reactive to things. I haven’t progressed back to the tyre yet, but I’m still feeling we are moving forward (figuratively not literally).
I’ve also had to remove the time pressure from myself. I desperately want to get these guys working, so I can add them to my team, but I also have to slow down, and trust the process.
Interestingly, with her new found ‘nothingness’ she has become just a much ‘easier’ horse. She is more affectionate towards me, easier and less objectionable about going in to the yard at night. The floating issues have disappeared, she doesn’t barge off like she did. She has stopped fighting about having the bridle removed. Quite simply, she is just being less of a bitch.
I was discussing this with a ‘baroque’ friend, who indicated perhaps setting these new boundaries for her, Luna has accepted that I am worthy of being her leader, and that this is bonding is actually rather typical of baroque breeding.
I’m not sure if that’s it, but it would certainly explain a lot. I’m now finding myself keen to spend time with luna, and optimistic about progressing with her, rather that the dread that was beginning to develop.
Stay tuned over the next few months, as I feel Luna and my partnership is only just getting started…