I have to remind myself that I'm always training my horse when I'm around my horse. Gold Medal and Rolex Champion Eventing Rider Kim Walnes says this.
"Every single time we interact with a horse, we are teaching him. We are either teaching him that he can trust us or that he cannot … That we will listen to his side of the story or that the relationship will only be one-sided.”
This quote appears in the book, What Horses Really Want, by Lynn Acton.
We tend to think that we’re only training our horses when we enter the arena or the round pen. But that’s not the case.
We are training our horses from the moment we enter their stalls or walk out to catch them in the pasture. They pick up on whether we’re focused on them or not, whether we’re calm and relaxed or not and whether they should be tense or relaxed.
I took a Masterson Method Equine Massage Weekend Seminar a few years ago. Our chief instructor started every hands-on session with the reminder to “leave our stuff at the door”. If you’re angry or frustrated or sad or preoccupied, leave that stuff at the stall door or pasture gate and focus on what you’re doing with your horse.
I took that reminder and placed it on a sign on the entrance door to my tack room.
You’re teaching your horse if you’re checking your cell phone while you’re riding. You’re teaching your horse when you’re listening to audio books while you brush your horse or pick her hooves. You won’t pick up on the small signals your horse is giving you if your attention is elsewhere.
So I hope you have a great time with your horse today. Remember you’re teaching your horse from first contact and please remind yourself to leave your stuff at the door.
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