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Dear Equine friends, For this installment of my column I would like to address a problem a young friend of mine is having with ground training. Every morning her human stands at the gate and calls for the herd to join him in the barn for breakfast. The filly is frequently too busy to respond immediately, which, as we all know, causes a very undesirable response in most humans. The two legged companion soon appears in her pasture with his head held high and his chest thrust out in a most aggressive manner. All the while he is swinging his arms and carrying the human weapon called a lead rope. This human obviously lacks proper ground manners. The filly responds appropriately. She runs away saying, "I'm sorry to have delayed your plans. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Feed the other horses and get on with your day. I'll try to remember to come when I am called tomorrow." The human, being human, does not relent. He chases the filly until both of them are tired and frightened. It is an amusing game to watch but, in reality, no one wants to actually be involved in such an event. The fact of the matter is, with proper training the whole ugly scene can be avoided. It is important to note that humans feel the need to win. They are always trying to gain dominance. If they feel they are not in command, they become aggressive. It is equally important to note that many humans do not realize their natural body language denotes aggression. For example, their ears are always pinned. They frequently show their teeth. To complicate matters, the most confident of their species walk like an combative stallion, head up, chest out and very fast. None of this is desirable. It is imperative that we show the poorly trained human, in simple terms, how to behave. Naturally, when a human becomes aggressive our first thought is that a good swift kick in the head or bite on the shoulder will bring them to their senses. But, take it from me, that is not the best approach. Believe me, I have tried. Humans respond better to gentle guidance. So the question remains. How do you get a human to drop their head and be less aggressive? There is no easy answer. Every human is different and no one solution will work for every training session. But, when humans do act appropriately, we must reward their good behavior with a desired response. If they approach like a friend, asking, not demanding, our company, we should respond by allowing them to clip a lead rope to our halters, take us to the barn and worship our presence with food and grooming. This is positive re-enforcement for desired behavior. Everybody wins. What can a respectful Equine do with an aggressive human? One who consistently misbehaves? An educated horse will look for opportunities for their human to display positive traits. Is your human really good at throwing hay flakes? Show your appreciation with a few grunts of satisfaction as you eat. Be sure to paw at the hay, spread it out and roll on it. This shows that you are pleased. Does your human keep your stall clean? Show them you care, leave an extra pile. Do you have an abundance of water? Make sure your human is looking and then drink, play and wallow in your trough. Humans appreciate a horse who can show multiple uses for one element. They understand practicality and thrive in its presence. The most important human training tip I can give is to be consistent. If you allow a human to get away with undesirable behavior they become incapable of knowing what desirable behavior is. Never reward misbehavior by letting them obtain their goal and always look for opportunities to encourage display of the lessons they have already mastered. Understand that you are dealing with a limited brain capacity in an inferior species. Simple lessons are absorbed more easily than complicated curriculums. Take heart, a human is a human. Every single one them has potential. It is up to the equine to assess the talent they are capable of and then to polish the human until they shine with the skills needed to be an asset to the horse world. Until we meet again, I ask you to be safe, dear friends. Stay away from moldy hay, getting cast and partially frozen farm ponds. Always remember...a good show of being lame, whether you actually are or not, can delay any unfortunate circumstances associated with the untrained human. With admiration and respect I
shall remain your friend, |