Horse Behavior Specialist
Licensed 2 Star Parelli Professional
www.nancyslater.com
52 / Sport and Trail Magazine
I'm With You
I had an old mare who was a very 'okey-doke’ kind of horse. She was safe for almost any rider, however, whenever I went to mount up, she'd be half way down the trail at a trot if I didn't hold the reins tight. She was also a slippery eel if she knew she could slip away from you. Other than that, she was perfect. Oh wait, she was also a grass grabber!
A perfect horse doesn't try to cheat you. A perfect horse waits for you and wants to make you happy. I thought Minnie was a partner because she wouldn't hurt me, and she listened to me if I controlled her. I could ride her anywhere. She was gentle. Sure, she'd get excited, and trot instead of walk, or fidget at a stop, so I rode her in a big bit all the time. Like most riders, I simply prevented the unwanted behavior. I rode that horse hundreds of miles. I guess if you had asked me back then, I would have told you how great a partner Minnie was, bragging on her abilities.
Wait! No really, wait just a minute. If your horse doesn't wait on you, not occasionally, but 100% of the time, you will one day see it escalate into something awful. It happened to me on a big trail ride when Minnie got very uncomfortable and very impatient. I couldn't get her to stand still at all. She pranced and jigged the whole ride and I was so tired of pulling on the reins. It was not an enjoyable ride and that night, she frantically kicked the stall walls all night long. Everyone there, including me, thought she'd hurt herself.
What I had been living with and tolerating as uncontrollable personality quirks, was me simply failing to teach my horse to wait. A Natural Horsemanship education caused me to go back and assess the situation with old Minnie. I didn't have to prevent her from trotting off. Nor did I have to avoid riding in large groups. I didn't have to tolerate my mare’s unwanted behavior! She could be taught to be patient, to wait. My knowledge base and application was now in my toolbox and I could fix the problem.
How many times have we discovered that we don't know what we don't know? If my car was not working properly, I'd take it to a mechanic to get it fixed. I wouldn't drive a car with bad brakes or other issues. I wouldn't blame my car if it hurt someone. I could not make excuses for something that could have been prevented. I like my car, that's why I bought it, so instead of trading it in, I'll fix it.
Here's the best part, once you learn a few Natural Horsemanship skills, you can do a lot of maintenance on your horse yourself, not to mention the rest of your horses! I bet you'd have more trouble and expense fixing your F250 pickup truck! Since Natural Horsemanship works with the natural instincts of horses using appropriate pressure and release, your toolbox will be easy to keep organized. Fix the impulsive behavior with ENOUGH pressure to get the horse to wait, releasing IMMEDIATELY. Of course, the horse, especially the senior boss mare, will resist, but it's ok. You have plenty of 'do-overs’. Never give up! Remember, prey animals are hardwired to not wait on predators. Partners wait, prey animals don't. Teach your horse to be a partner and she’ll wait for you.
My old mare lived to be 41. I didn't introduce Natural Horsemanship to her until she was 30. She was a lesson horse most of her life, and a darn good one. But she became my partner, one who waited for me, in the later years of her life. I remember how she began to look at me, quietly waiting with expressive eyes, asking the question, “Now?” I remember how she changed, standing calmly, and trail riding in groups without jigging. I finally didn't have to rely on a big bit for control. I remember how I began to expect her to reach out and bump me gently in an affirmative way, speaking the language of the horse, saying, “I'm with you, my friend.”
Horses are our greatest gift of understanding, communication, and partnership. They will fill in for us. They will believe in us. They will wait on us, with patience unending, but it's up to us to start the conversation. Every horse needs a purpose consisting of freedom of choice, boundaries, and clear communication. How good it felt to join up with my old grade mare, Minnie at long last. Probably, she thought the same!
Horsemanship education caused me to go back and assess the situation with old Minnie. I didn't have to prevent her from trotting off. Nor did I have to avoid riding in large groups. I didn't have to tolerate my mare’s unwanted behavior! She could be taught to be patient, to wait. My knowledge base and application was now in my toolbox and I could fix the problem.
How many times have we discovered that we don't know what we don't know? If my car was not working properly, I'd take it to a mechanic to get it fixed. I wouldn't drive a car with bad brakes or other issues. I wouldn't blame my car if it hurt someone. I could not make excuses for something that could have been prevented. I like my car, that's why I bought it, so instead of trading it in, I'll fix it.
Here's the best part, once you learn a few Natural Horsemanship skills, you can do a lot of maintenance on your horse yourself, not to mention the rest of your horses! I bet you'd have more trouble and expense fixing your F250 pickup truck! Since Natural Horsemanship works with the natural instincts of horses using appropriate pressure and release, your toolbox will be easy to keep organized. Fix the impulsive behavior with ENOUGH pressure to get the horse to wait, releasing IMMEDIATELY. Of course, the horse, especially the senior boss mare, will resist, but it's ok. You have plenty of 'do-overs’. Never give up! Remember, prey animals are hardwired to not wait on predators. Partners wait, prey animals don't. Teach your horse to be a partner and she’ll wait for you.
My old mare lived to be 41. I didn't introduce Natural
Horsemanship to her until she was 30. She was a
lesson horse most of her life, and a darn good one.
But she became my partner, one who waited for me,
in the later years of her life. I remember how she began to look at me, quietly waiting with expressive