Frequent Horse Coaching Errors – Horse Illustrated

These 4 widespread horse coaching errors are simpler to catch and proper while you’re conscious of them.

As a clinician, there are a number of coaching errors that I see time and again which are fairly simple to keep away from as soon as you understand to be careful for them. At one level or one other, I’ve fallen into all of those traps myself, and want to assist others keep away from them.

1. Boring Your Horse

This downside is turning into extra widespread on a regular basis. It often comes from place on the a part of the coach; she or he is attempting to be thorough and canopy all the required coaching steps, then repeat them till the horse has it down pat.

Though repetition is vital in relation to coaching horses, continuous repetition is boring, takes away a horse’s need to be taught, and makes the coaching uninteresting. Take into consideration essentially the most boring instructor you ever had in class, and also you most likely get the image.

Begin to assume when it comes to high quality as an alternative of amount in relation to coaching. While you’re getting response out of your horse, transfer on from that lesson for the day and do one thing else. Additionally attempt mixing in new classes or placing little twists on previous ones to alter issues up.

2. Solely Path Using or Solely Using in an Area

In the event you all the time experience in an enviornment, you stand a fairly good likelihood of ending up with a horse that is aware of a whole lot of maneuvers and handles effectively in a managed setting, however he’s most likely missing in general life expertise as a result of he hasn’t been uncovered to a lot.

In the event you all the time experience in a straight line on a path experience, you’ll possible have a horse that could be very quiet and has been uncovered to a lot of issues, however most likely doesn’t deal with very effectively—and he possible steers like a giant cruise ship.

You want each sorts of coaching. You don’t want an precise enviornment to do what I’m going to seek advice from right here as “arena-type workouts.” To have a well-rounded horse, it’s best to work on bettering suppling, steering, leg-yielding, and all the opposite workouts that you simply may do in an enviornment that may get your horse well-trained and helpful.

You additionally have to spend time driving your horse on the paths to show him to the world and to combine issues up. Higher but, apply your enviornment workouts on the path to make for a extremely well-rounded horse.

3. Too Many Packages

With a lot horsemanship data obtainable at this time from so many alternative sources, it’s very simple to get swamped with data and overwhelmed. This turns into an issue is while you take all this data and jumble it collectively, and even worse, continually change this system you’re utilizing.

Not all horsemanship packages match collectively, and pondering you’re going to throw every thing into a giant bowl and blend it collectively usually isn’t that efficient. Consider it this fashion: In the event you add chocolate chips to a pancake combine, you might have a barely totally different sort of pancake, which is ok. In the event you add onions, trout, and a bag of chips, it’s most likely not going to be an excellent combine, despite the fact that all these issues are good on their very own.

As you develop into extra skilled, you possibly can add little components from totally different packages, however to start with, it’s often higher to remain the course with this system that you simply’re planning on utilizing.

Continuously altering packages will be essentially the most damaging as a result of the horse by no means will get an opportunity to succeed. If each lesson is one thing utterly totally different, he by no means will get a good likelihood to be taught something correctly.

This may be no totally different than if somebody tried to show you 5 new languages on the identical time; likelihood is, you’re going to be overwhelmed and throw your palms up in frustration. I’ve seen a number of individuals take this strategy with their horses, they usually usually find yourself with a horse that shuts down as a result of he feels that he by no means will get a win and has by no means finished something proper. Some horses will take it tougher and utterly blow up as a result of they’re so exasperated.

I’m not saying which you can’t be taught from everybody. However you might want to keep the course along with your coaching if it’s working and make small modifications as you go as an alternative of continually making huge modifications.

If what you’re doing isn’t working, then you may make some larger modifications as wanted. Additionally, as you get extra skilled, you’ll know what will be added into your program with good outcomes.

4. Tack or Tools “Fast Repair”

After all, it’s best to use good tack and gear that matches correctly and is appropriate for the job you’re attempting to do.

What I’m referring to right here is consistently searching for that one device that’s supposedly going to repair every thing along with your horse. Everyone knows that one who’s all the time shopping for a brand new bit, is consistently altering saddles, and is searching for each new coaching contraption in the marketplace to repair the issues they’re having with their horse.

Switching gear might help in some instances, however most of the time, the modifications are minor. The primary downside that I’ve with this isn’t a lot that the particular person is altering gear, however that they’re placing the main focus and energy within the unsuitable locations.

Assuming your horse is sound and wholesome, 99 % of the time the answer to coaching points rests with you, his coach. I can’t start to let you know the variety of occasions individuals have informed me they have been going to purchase one thing new to repair an issue when it couldn’t have been extra apparent that the particular person was making a coaching error.

When you shouldn’t be against altering gear in the event you’re having an issue, ask your self truthfully in the event you could possibly be making a coaching error that’s inflicting the issue. It’s fairly laborious to purchase the answer to a coaching downside—it’s possible going to be matter of engaged on your self and your horsemanship.

What to Do with the Data of Frequent Horse Coaching Errors

By being conscious of the errors which are incessantly made when coaching horses, you possibly can spot the traps extra simply and keep away from them. I hope the following tips aid you in your horsemanship journey.

Extra Horse Coaching Recommendation from Jason Irwin

◆ Jason and Bronwyn Irwin Horsemanship Web site
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◆ Coaching Your Horse to Cross Water

This text about widespread horse coaching errors appeared within the October 2023 subject of Horse Illustrated journal. Click on right here to subscribe!