TEN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES TO REMEMBER WHEN DEALING WITH HORSES

  1. HORSES ARE “HARD WIRED” BY NATURE TO BE AFRAID OF EVERYTHING UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE
  2. HORSES HAVE A LEARNING SIDE OF THEIR BRAIN AND A REACTIVE SIDE. THE REACTIVE SIDE IS THE LARGER OF THE TWO, BUT THE SMALLER SIDE CAN BE IMPROVED
  3. YOU NEED TO GET TO THE HORSE’S MIND. BUT YOU MUST WORK THROUGH THE BODY TO GET TO THE MIND.  WHEN THE BODY GETS RIGHT THEN THE MIND WILL BE RIGHT
  4. HORSES LEARN AS FAST AS HORSES LEARN (SOME QUICKER THAN OTHERS), BUT NOT AS FAST AS YOU MAY WANT THEM TO LEARN
  5. HORSES LEARN THROUGH PRESSURE AND RELEASE, REPETITION, AND CONSISTENCY OF CORRECT PRESENTATION – WITH FEEL AND TIMING BEING ESSENTIAL TO THE LEARNING PROCESS
  6. YOU CANNOT FORCE YOUR WILL ON THE HORSE. YOU MUST GAIN THEIR TRUST AND BUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE (TRUST MEANS NOT BEING AFRAID AND BUILDING CONFIDENCE MEANS GIVING HIM LOTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND PRAISE IN THE LEARNING PROCESS)
  7. HORSES WILL “TEST” YOU AND SOME PART OF YOUR PROGRAM EVERY DAY UNTIL YOU PART WAYS. THE INTENSITY AND DURATION OF THE TEST WILL BE LONGER WITH YOUNG HORSES THAN WITH OLDER HORSES WHO HAVE BEEN CORRECTLY SCHOOLED
  8. YOU MUST ANSWER EVERY TEST IMMEDIATELY, WITH AUTHORITY AND WITH THE CORRECT ANSWER
  9. LEARN TO SEE THE WORLD THROUGH THE HORSE’S EYES AND LEARN TO FEEL WHAT THE HORSE FEELS
  10. DO NOT OPEN “PANDORA’S BOX” UNLESS YOU HAVE ENOUGH TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO CLOSE IT AGAIN