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Just
Training Horses for Therapy
like a 3 year old , horses have a ‘ No ’ stage ,” explains expert trainer Mike Aldridge . “ They ’ ll stomp their little foot and say , ‘ No . I ’ m not doing it !’”
That ’ s just one of the reasons why Aldridge , a Cedar Hill resident , strongly believes child psychology applies to more than just humans .
“ Horses go through the developmental stages too ,” he says .
Aldridge , who boasts more than 40 years experience with the animal he refers to as poetry in motion , says there is a popular term among horse trainers called “ breaking horses .” However , he doesn ’ t support the mentality behind this system .
“ I don ’ t break horses ,” Aldridge stresses . “ I gentle them . I earn their trust , and I ask them to work with me .”
By Melanie Hess
He calls this method of training , “ the only way to do it .”
Of course , he didn ’ t come to believe this overnight .
Although he was exposed to horses as early as age 6 through his neighbors , his immediate family did not share his excitement for them .
“ I was fortunate enough in high school to take a course at the junior college ,” he remembers .
It was there that he learned styles and more technical elements regarding the care and training of horses . His grasp of the horse ’ s mind began with a psychology course he completed during nursing school .
“ At the time , I was doing a lot of training with my dogs and horses and I started realizing that these young horses are going through the same developmental stages young kids go through ,” he explains .
Through his career , Aldridge also has witnessed that the developmental stages are not the only commonality between horses and humans . Like humans , horses have unique personalities too .
“ I ’ ve got some that are mischievous and I ’ ve got some that are just like ‘ Why can ’ t I just stay here in my stall today and eat hay ? I don ’ t want to go out .’ Those are my couch potato horses ,” he laughs .
“ They have likes and dislikes . I have horses that get out of their stall and go let their friends out , but they leave their enemies in ,” Aldridge recalls . And like humans , horses are largely communicators . According to Aldridge , horses can be observed communicating with each other in a pasture . “ A good trainer and rider learn to understand that language .”
“ When you learn to understand them and read them , they talk to you , they tell you , ‘ Oh , this is what you want . Okay .’ and then they tell you when they ’ re mad about something and when they ’ re scared about something .”
Jokingly , he was requested to read juries for an attorney client . Aldridge
38 DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2017