First off, Happy New Year!!
Second, lets make sure that we start off the year on a good foot. Out with the old and in with the new (Bit keep the stuff that works).
When it comes to training our horses, one thing you will always hear me say is listen to your horse. Learn their language. Each horse has their own communication style, learning style, and personality. There are many many different training methods out there and it is up to us as owners, trainers, and horse lovers to understand which method works for our horses.
If one thing does not work, we need to find the next thing that does. I have had horse owners come to me to help me with their horses due to the issues that they were having. They would continue to try to correct the undesired behaviors, yet that technique wasn’t working. So as a trainer, it is my job to help find which techniques work best for that owner that their horse.
The Missing Link is an exercise I designed to help equestrians visibly see the missing link in communication between themselves and their horse.
A few tips for when you are working with your horse:
If you know what you should do to correct the behavior, do it. Do not give half ques, or you will get a half response from your horse. Be clear in your communication.
If you are honestly unsure of what to do or how to correct a behavior, try the best you can safely, or reach out for help.
Be mindful that sometimes how we react to our horses reactions, can only make the problem worse.
I hope that you find this exercise useful. If you find some broken links in your communication, please feel free to reach out, or I hope that you find alternative ways to assist with the behaviors.
Happy Hunting in finding the missing link!