Every time you go to the paddock to be with your
horse you need to be consistent in your attitude, expression and methods. As you progress the process will become more
and more subtle but you must never forget the steps you are going through.
Once your horse is caught you will probably proceed
to groundwork and then to in saddle exercises.
Personally I prefer ground exercises that translate to the in saddle
work. Here again there are a great
number of instructional DVD`s by experienced horsemen for ground work
programs. You should examine as many of
these as you can, to find the one that is the best fit for you.
The objective of this phase of the process is to
establish clear communications between the human and the horse. The length of time that this takes is
dependent on the experience level of the human and the horse. For someone embarking on this path for the
first time you should be prepared to spend several months before you get to a
level of trust, confidence and understanding at which a firm bond begins to
form between human and horse. The path
to a true partnership really never ends.
It must always be in your mind with a view to continuing to improve the
strength of the bond.
How do you know when there is a bond developing
between you and your horse? The signals
will come from the horse.
- · The horse will meet you at the gate.
- · The horse approaches you with ears forward and head lowered.
- · The horse will offer to do things for you, picking up a glove you dropped, putting his foot on a ball, bowing, holding the lead rope in his mouth, etc.
- · When the horse sees you near the paddock he/she whinnies at you.
- · When you approach your horse when he/she is lying down they stay and allow you to approach and stroke them.
- · The horse will want you to carress and rub their head and ears.
- · When you are with your horse he/she will be fully relaxed.
The horse begins to see you as a part of the herd,
in particular a leader of the herd. This
is a position of trust which you must learn to accept and honor. Maintaining this relationship with your horse
never ends and the rewards just keep growing for both of you.
