Howdy Friends! Did you ever notice how some horses just seem to read their person’s mind? How they seem to always be on the same page? A real solid, dependable team? Did you wonder about, perhaps get a little envious, surely curious, as to how that can be? It has a lot to do with consistency, but it has a lot to do with a person’s emotional stability too. Which I guess is a big part of constancy.
It also has a lot to do with the person’s self confidence, and the ability to respectfully display that self confidence. Horses (and people too) want teammates, partners, and friends they can count on to be there for them. To lead them, hear them, consider their point of view.
And yes horse’s all have their own point of view and it can, and will, meld with ours. They key is to be self confident enough to look and listen for it. Not to correct, or discipline, but rather to support, guide, teach and empower.
I’m all for praising a horse’s misstep, wrong move, or confusion. The key is to praise and support the attempt, no matter how tiny – not correct the misstep or wrong move. Go with the mistake, see where it leads.
Improvements leading to perfection come far sooner with mountains of self confident praise, than with buckets of corrections and discipline. Take the mistake, or miscue and redo the exercise or movement seeking improvement in baby steps along the way.
The secret to those horses who seem to be able to read their person’s mind? I believe it’s as simple as being able to trust their person to be both emotionally balanced and consistent. And respectful. ~ Gitty Up ~ Dutch Henry.
