Cause and Effect in Horse Training

We all know that if you cause a horse to do something then you will get a certain effect. What a lot of people don't understand is how much effect they actually have on a horse. The reality is that every second that you are with your horse you are training him even if you're unaware of it. It is not uncommon for people to try to do something with their horse and actually teach it something completely different, or something they do not want him to do.

A common example s trying to teach a horse to pick up its feet. All to often as you get a foot up he will fight you with it. Now lets say as he fights you by attempting to pull it away, you unintentionally let go. What happens is that at that moment you have taught the horse something. That is that he can pull his foot away from you if you try to hold it. And so if this continues to happen too many times then you have a problem.

The horse learned he can pull his foot away and he doesn't have to hold it up for anyone. So, instead as you hold the foot, don't let him have it back until he has softened and settled down. When he quits pulling it away and is calm with it, then carefully set his foot down. This teaches the horse that you are not out to hurt him and so develops trust and confidence.

In reality it is the little things that tend to escalate and get you into trouble. The littlest thing can cause big troubles for you if you don't know the cause that created the effect. Another example is a horse that moves forward towards you after you have put him in a spot to stand. Initially most people would bump the horse backwards in an attempt to rectify this issue, and this is correct. However, most forget to place the horse back in the original position.

This is discipline for the horse, and it is discipline with love and caring. It's like telling your kid, that they have screwed up, now get back over there, stay in line, and remember that you're okay and that your relationship is still good because you love them. You get better results with horses as with children if you discipline with love rather than just discipline alone. You gain trust and loyalty, which is want we really want from our horses.