Thoughts on Training

Training your own horse is one of the most enjoyable projects you can ever undertake. Dealing with the problems that arise is just part of the training process. No training program is ever going to proceed in a perfectly smooth, linear fashion, but by thinking clearly about your horse, your training methods, and your goals, you can achieve steady progress.

There will be times when your horse will not be sure that he can do something, and you will need to insist, pleasantly and politely. Most of the time, the magic words in training are "please" and "thank you"; occasionally the magic words are "now" and "thank you." If you are understanding, honest, fair, and appreciative, your horse will enjoy being trained by you.

Timetables, Watches, and Egos

Q You once gave a lecture at a conference called "Egos and Watches" or "No Time for Egos" or something like that. I've been asked to give a presentation on horse training at our local junior college, and I would love to borrow some of your material. That was the best lecture I ever heard on horse training, and I know these students could learn a lot from the ideas you presented.

A The lecture was called "Timetables, Watches, and Egos," but I must say that I like your "No Time for Egos" title just as much. Timetables, watches, and egos are three things that trainers must leave outside the stable door. The trainer's focus must be on the horse and in the moment, with total awareness of the "now" — but with perception, not with pressure. Good trainers understand that there are no shortcuts, that training is not a formula, a trick, or magic. It's not instant — it's a process that requires knowledge, understanding, patience, persistence, and time.

Good trainers know that things take time. If you take the time to train correctly, you won't need to invest additional time and money and effort later to correct your mistakes and fill the holes in the horse's training. Every horseman's motto should be festina lente — "make haste slowly." If you go slowly, you get there faster. More importantly, if you go slowly, you get there. If you're in a hurry, you won't get there at all.

Here are the keys to good training: The better the trainer, the easier the training process will be, and the less training time will be wasted on misunderstandings and miscommunications.

A good trainer has long-term training goals in mind, understands how the short-term goals fit into the overall training plan, breaks down the short-term goals into tiny steps, and ensures that the horse masters each step before being asked to take the next one.

* Self-discipline before discipline: Good trainers use appropriate equipment for training; they don't use equipment to substitute for training. They know that riding and training effectively require hard work and self-discipline on the part of the human.

* Horses reflect their riders and even more so their trainers. If you want to change something about your horse, look closely at yourself and make the change in yourself first. Often, that's all you will have to do — the horse will reflect that change.

* Good trainers are always learning, always improving, and always aware that they don't (and can't) know it all.

A good trainer's goals for a horse must encompass more than a specific level of performance. If a trainer is exclusively preoccupied with developing a horse's obedience and mechanical skills, the horse will never become all that he could be. Goal setting must depend on the individual trainer and horse. If the horse is lucky, the trainer will have realistic expectations and the horse will not be hurt, frightened, or confused as he makes continual progress toward the trainer's goals.

Certain ongoing goals should shape and inform every training session and every trainer-horse interaction. One such goal is for a horse in training to develop and maintain a cheerful, enthusiastic attitude toward training and riding. Another ongoing goal is the improvement of the horse's appearance — over the course of training, a horse should become steadily more beautiful as his body develops correctly. The horse should also become steadily more enthusiastic and confident as his mind and understanding and trust develop correctly.

Trainers need to know their horses — not just what they see in front of them in the arena, but everything about their horses. If someone asks you to longe an unfamiliar horse, the horse's appearance and demeanor will give you some information about his conformation, condition, fitness, and training. His responses to your signals will give you much more information. But to be really effective, you need to know still more. Where does this horse live? Is he alone or does he have companions? Does he spend his time in a stall or a dirt enclosure or a field? How large is the field, what is the terrain like, how is the footing? How is he fed, what sort of hoof care does he receive, what sort of attention do his teeth receive? What has his life been up until now? What sort of work is he being asked to do? Can he do it? Will he be able to make progress at it? Does he enjoy it?

Good trainers realize that they, like the horses they train, are forever works in progress. They work hard to develop their powers of observation and analysis and their communication skills. They read and learn, watch others and learn, work and learn, study horses and learn, and strive to become the best trainers they can be.

Could I Train My Own Horse?

Q I am trying to decide whether it is feasible for me to keep a five-year-old gelding or if it would be better to find him a new home. I am very fond of him and want to do what is best for him as well as what is realistic for me. I am 43 years old, work fulltime, and have all the usual family, work, and social life commitments. I am a green rider living in a sparsely populated area. As far as I know, the closest trainer is several hours away. The horse has had 30 days of basic training. I also took several lessons on him in an indoor arena.

In my estimation, as well as that of the trainer and my riding instructor, he is basically a good horse with potential but is still green, a bit spirited though...