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Using Aids, Not Anger
When I first started riding horses as a child
at
summer camp, I had numerous "learning experiences" that formed who I
was as a rider. Like the time my horse threw me into the cow pasture
when he wouldn’t stop: and the time when I was bucked off into the
fence breaking all the boards (not to mention my ego). Even in
competition I was unable to get my horse to go into the arena because
he was too scared to go into the roping chute. Not knowing a language
that could communicate with my horse I relied on heavy hands, bigger
bits, stronger tie downs and sharper spurs. When my anger at my horse
became unbearable, I was not above smacking him in the head or
screaming at the top of my lungs. Needless to say, I was only
occasionally successful which probably fueled my interest in learning
more about horse (and human) behavior.
Horses are prey animals meaning that they are
used to being fearful, over reactive and impulsive. Horses need a
language that they understand, one that is gleaned from watching their
behavior with one another: they have their own "pecking order" within a
herd, with some horses being forced off into the fringe because of
weakness or passivity while others dominate the herd through aggression
and fear. In a herd setting, it is the horse who can cause the herd to
move in his direction that becomes the leader. Sometimes this leader is
the horse who is naturally most dominant, but in most cases the horse
that ends up being the true leader of the herd is the horse who is best
able to get along with all members of the herd. Horses must rely on
each other and trust each other, and both of these qualities are
critical to forming a secure and lasting relationship with a human.
Humans are predators meaning that they are
used to capturing, dominating, and controlling their prey. One of the
biggest reasons that humans get into trouble with horses is that they
come from domination when horses are coming from a position of fear.
Anger can come up in humans when they begin to ask more of their equine
friend. Sometimes a rider doesn’t have enough information and this
leads to frustration, causing the rider to want to "make" the horse do
what they want them to do. Sometimes the rider will become afraid of
their horses behavior and because of that fear they accelerate the
horses adrenaline system and make the behavior more dangerous.
As you can see, both humans and horses need
to have a language and a communication system and that allows them both
to be understood. What does every rider want in a horse? They want
calmness, bravery, willingness, respect and most of all, control. And
what does every horse want in a rider? They want an independent seat,
meaning a rider who doesn’t balance below the knee to stay on. Horses
want a confident rider who is light with their hands, who has focus,
rhythm, and leadership. By taking the time to communicate with and have
respect for our horses we can eliminate 90% of the battles we
encounter, whether on the trail or in the arena.
The biggest arguments humans have with their
horses usually revolve around "negative behavior". A negative behavior
in a human includes getting angry, being physically abusive or
punishing of the horse who "misbehaves". A negative behavior in a horse
is anything which puts the horse and/or the rider in jeopardy. These
include being uncatchable, balking, bucking, rearing, bolting, shying,
being difficult to shoe, bridle or trailer load. Negative behaviors can
be changed in horses through language and leadership.
Horses learn through 3 types of movement:
1. RHYTHMIC MOTION: this desensitizes a horse to motion. An example
would be using a plastic bag on a sensitive horse to get them used to
unfamiliar noises and movements. If the horse is too sensitive for a
bag you can start out with a piece of cloth and rhythmically rub the
horse on both sides, as they respond differently from one side to the
other. Using approach and retreat with the stimulus, you teach the
horse that you will release when it calms down and this allows them to
become braver under pressure.
2. STEADY PRESSURE: this sensitizes a horse to respond to pressure and
to yield from it, to essentially "follow a feel". This ability becomes
critical as it forms the basis of your leg and rein aids. Steady
pressure can be taught on the ground by using your fingers, with
increased amounts of force if necessary, to get the horse to move away
from or towards you. As the horse responds more quickly you can lighten
the pressure, and this teaches the horse that as he releases, you
release.
3. RHYTHMIC PRESSURE: this is a combination of the first 2 types of
movement and it both sensitizes and desensitizes horses depending upon
their temperament. Rhythmic pressure is both a lightener and an
accelerant: it can be used to lighten your rein aids or to quicken the
horses reaction time. (BEWARE: this type of movement can also
accelerate negative behavior!) If, for example, you have a horse who
leans heavily on your reins, you can use a stimulus (such as a crop or
your hand) to hurry the horse off the rein and make them more
responsible for both their gait and their direction instead of relying
on your equipment to tell the horse where to be. Remember, we want to
make it as simple as possible for our horses to understand exactly what
it is we are asking of them. It is the responsibility of the rider to
have enough language and consistency that the horse can learn through
trust and reinforcement instead of anger and fear. Be being
inconsistent we confuse and frustrate the horse which only leads to
greater behavioral problems further down the road.
This explains the language part of training a
horse. Now lets look at our aids. Aids are a support system for
enabling understanding of language and for refining communication
between a horse and rider. Common horse knowledge is that there are 3
riders aids: rein, leg, and seat.
REINS: when I train horses, I put in 3
separate reins. The first rein is called the "bending rein" and it is
used for taking away a horses hindquarters. This rein would be used to
stop a run away horse or as a consequence if a horse is unable to
maintain gait without holding by the rider. The second rein is the
"sending rein" or the direct rein, which is used for leading a horse in
the direction you want to go. An example of this rein is when your
horse comes off the rail in the arena and you pick up your rein and put
them back on it. The third rein is known as the "push rein" or the
supporting rein. It aids in lifting and straightening a horse. This
rein is necessary for keeping a horse on a straight line, and every
time your horse comes off of that straight line he needs to be put back
exactly in the line of travel you were previously in, continuing
forward without hesitation or argument. These rein aids are backed up
by your leg aids.
LEGS: your legs should do exactly what your
reins do, so if your rein is on your leg should be on. For example, if
you are using a push rein on the left to lift and guide the shoulder of
your horse, your left leg should be on as well. If you are using a
direct rein your leg should be off, "opening" the door to where you
want to go. If you are using a bending rein, your leg comes on bent as
well, helping to disengage your horses hindquarters.
SEAT: rein and leg aids guide your horse to
where you want to go, and then your seat tells the horse how forward,
fast or elevated the rhythm and cadence should be. For example, your
seat can tell the horse whether it should extend or shorten its stride,
to speed up or slow down within a gait, and of course to stop. This
comes back to the idea of the horse wanting the rider to have an
"independent seat", one that is not used by the rider to merely stay on
board but is communicating effectively with the horse about position
and tempo. For the horse to be able to feel your seat his back must be
relaxed and become a bridge between the fore and hind quarters.
When the circle of riding aids is complete,
the horse is known as "between the riders hand and the leg" meaning it
rests comfortably and can more easily relax into the rider. There is
less resistance to the horse being taught and corrected, and it allows
the horse a sense of calmness, balance and rhythm. If there is any
barrier to this relaxation, the energy will not flow freely through the
horses body to the riders hand. If there is tension, the back will
flatten and the head will go up.
When the horse is between the hand and leg,
you can work on the half halt, one of the most difficult training tasks
to understand. The half halt is controlled forward energy, starting
with the movement of your seat and ending in the absorption of that
forward energy into your hands. The half halt prepares the horse for a
change: it’s a signal that can be used for slowing down, increased
collection or can act as a correction and suggestion. Simply said, it
is the use of the 3 riding aids in concert to create self carriage in a
horse.
Horses understand in a cycle of repetition
and they learn through comfort and safety. If we combine language with
our proper rein, leg and seat aids, we create a horse who is safe and
sane. So many riders have conflicting aids, such as the rider leaning
forward and pulling back to stop or kicking a balky horse to go
forward. We want to use clear direction and reinforcement when teaching
a horse so that they have maintenance of gait and direction, a go and a
whoa, all of which are the responsibilities of a horse. The key is that
the horse has to own his responsibility in the partnership and not rely
on the rider to constantly direct and control it.
As time goes on you learn what your horses
weaknesses are (as well as your own) and you can become quicker with
your support before the horse has time to get his feet into position to
take over as leader. There is a lot of incentive for the human to be a
lateral thinker, to control his emotions and to be patient in training.
It makes the horse lighter, more responsive, less temperamental and
emotional. It causes the horse to be braver and more responsible and to
want to partner with its rider. Eventually this partnership leads to
the horse "filling in" for where the human is lacking and to the human
"filling in" for the horse where it is weak.