Horse Training - Bombproofing Series #8 - R & P

Bombproofing Your Horse
Series #8


Yesterday I talked at great length about
getting a horse to do something you ask of him and
how to go about it.

I pushed how important patience and
perseverance is.

I also talked about reward and punish-
ment.

Now, I want to talk more about reward
and punishment - because it's REAL important to
know how to do it so your purpose is achieved.

Most people cringe when I say "punish-
ment". I know the word makes lots of people
wince.

But what you should know is this. I
don't advocate hitting, beating, whipping, or
any other insane action. You're merely showing
your horse that when he makes a wrong choice
then there are "not so pleasant" consequences
for it.

Thus, if your horse is acting unfavorably
then you definitely won't reward him for it, right?

Right!!!

So the only other thing is punishment. Or
if you prefer an easier word, then let's use
consequence.

Consequence can be very mild such as no
reward period. For instance, if your horse won't
do something you're asking him to do, then he doesn't
get petted.

One of my most effective consequences to
use is "goin' to work."

If my horse doesn't do what I ask...and I
know he knows what to do...and I know HE know's that
I want him to do it...then it's time to go to work.

We might do some figure eights. We may turn
a few small circles one way and then the other. Or
perhaps I'll double him.

Whatever the consequence is, the horse needs
to know his bad choice results in unpleasantness.

If you took my horse training quiz and correctly
answered question number two, then you know how a
horse (and practically all living beings) gravitate
towards pleasure and flee pain.

Pain can be in the form of hard work - something
a horse doesn't exactly have on the top of his priority
list.

By the way, if you haven't seen the quiz, you
can see it at:

http://www.horsetrainingandtips.com/horse_training_quiz.htm

Onward.

So when your horse is slow to do what you ask
of him, it's important he understands that he can do
more than one thing - in other words, he has options.

He can decide to do what you ask (walk over
the ditch) or he can experience a smidge of un-
pleasantness (work). (Hey, maybe I'll try that on
my kids!)

Now when your horse does what you ask and he
finds it a positive experience, then it builds his
confidence and trust in you.

If you consequence him from anger, then it
leads to cruelty. This is BIG NO NO!!!

If you haven't yet, you'll get frustrated with
Mr. Horse at some point.

Hopefully you will dismount and cool off before you
do something you'll regret. (I've actually got emails from
people who hit their horse over the head with a 2x4. What's
worse, the way the told me the story, they felt they were
justified. Sigh.)

You see, ultimately, you are changing your
horse's behavior. You're turning a negative response
into a positive one. If you're gonna have a horse
you want to depend on, your horse has to know he can
depend on you. And that means being his friend.

Because a horse is child-like in lots of ways,
you gotta make a big deal out of it when he does what
you ask...especially if it was hard for him. He needs
that praise. Remember to do it immediately after he's
done what you ask.

Ways to reward a horse are kind words. A rub
on just in front of the withers. A rubbing just above
the eyes (this one is magnetizing to a horse).

Wanna know a cool and effective way to hand out a
powerful consequence to a horse and not even touch him?

I'll tell you tomorrow. (Don't you hate that!)

Sincerely,

Andy Curry
www.horsetrainingandtips.com


P.S. Remember, my next "No-Charge" horse training
teleseminar is coming up February 8th, 2005. Sign
up by clicking here:

http://www.horsetrainingandtips.com/teleseminar_signup.htm


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