Don’t pat your horse, pet your horse. He is one of the most sensitive animals but yet when we are happy or excited we pat or slap them hard on the neck; hard enough for everyone to hear. Have you ever really stopped and thought about why? It may make us feel good but it certainly doesn’t feel good to him. I shouldn’t be able to hear how happy you are with your horse, but he should be able to feel how happy you are with him.
Ray Hunt articulates this quite simply and perfectly:
“He can feel a fly land on him. You folks who have been around horses know that because you put flyspray on him in the summertime.
And yet when you ride him, you ride him like he doesn’t have any feeling.”
He’s sensitive enough to respond to your cues through your fingers. He’s sensitive enough to feel your satisfaction or your frustration through your feel.
We hold a lot of power in our hands, literally. Its important not be careless with it and to understand the good (and bad) you can do with it. There’s always a softer way to go about things, allowing the horse time and space to learn rather than using strength or fear to get the result you want. The goal isn’t for him to fear your hand but rather to welcome, accept and respect it.
To me it is imperative that you don’t destroy the spirit within your horse and their willingness to learn by not understanding this concept. We are working with animals with brains that think and feel, that have feelings. It’s our job as horsemen to acknowledge and respect that.
It’s not what the horse can do for you, it’s always what you can do for the horse.
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