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. . . So make sure you're teaching him something you want him to know. He will remember every lesson, intended or not. Above
all, never train with your temper. You're not trying to intimidate the horse with your anger. You're trying to teach the horse
to be a smart, willing partner.
One thing that people sometimes inadvertently teach a horse is to lead the human to the pasture, then rip free of the
halter and take off bucking. This behavior is not only disrespectful, it is dangerous to the human. The horse most likely
doesn't have any wish to harm you, but by virtue of his sheer size and weight, if any part of him collides accidentally with
you, it's likely to end badly... for you.
Let's break this down: it's really three separate disrespectful acts.
First: who is leading whom? Horses become very familiar very quickly with our routines for them, including turnout. The
same horse who wearily drags his toes and lollygags behind you on the way to the grooming stall or arena may surge past you
eagerly to take the lead when you're headed to turnout. It's not a good idea to tolerate this; it's a clear message from the
horse that he doesn't feel he needs to respect your space or to comply with your wishes. In other words, he's the leader,
not you.
If this happens, don't excuse it. Don't put up with it. You may be tired, turning your horse out after hours of riding, grooming,
chores -- but don't quit now. If this is already a pattern, then make sure you save some energy for the end of your day.
As you lead him, try to be aware of where your horse is positioned so you will be aware as soon as possible if he starts
moving up on you. The instant he leaves the position where you want him, set him back. Use your rope: don't try to drag him
back to where you want him, but send him a message with a sharp tug. If he ignores this, try other means: if you're still
in front of him, use the bight of the rope across his chest as a barrier signal.
Remember: this is not punishment for doing something bad. It's making the wrong action difficult. As soon as he resumes
a respectful position, whether you want him exactly at your shoulder, or 20 inches behind you, you immediately stop signaling
and "release." This lets him know that he has found and offered you the correct answer.
If he has managed to surge past you (which only takes about 1/2 a second) because he's feeling good (like the wild thing
pictured above) you will need to respond differently. But whatever you do, I recommend that you do not just continue to walk
forward, because that tells your horse that what he's doing is perfectly ok.
Get his attention, have him make a circle, have him make a few turns, take a few steps backward, have him stop facing
away from the turnout/pasture, do some yields - hind end or shoulders. Again-it's not punishment for wrongdoing: it's simply
giving him a choice: would he prefer to walk calmly with you to his turnout, or have to go to work? Most horses, being the
excellent conservers of energy that they are, will make this choice pretty quickly.
All the little signs of respect you get from a horse add up to a respectful horse. . .
. . . but you have to earn it. . .
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