Horse Training Help- Segmented Learning

The Positive Influence of Segments

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By Samantha Harvey, the Remote Horse Coach
Alternative Horsemanship™

I've been back in the US for the last three weeks, teaching Private Clinics across the western States. Some things taught included working on preparing a young horse to accept a rider, re-educating one that had previous trauma associated with being ridden, riding in areas that were once "scary," (re)introducing saddling, hoof handling after farrier trauma, interrupting quiet patterns of fixation, building confidence, or teaching the humans to offer real-time adaptability in how, when, and where they offer supportive communication, to simultaneously build the horse's try and trust.

I thought I'd share a post from earlier in the year, reiterating the importance (to the horse) of why presenting/asking reasonable segments is crucial to evolve the partnership.

P.S. I'll be heading up the East Coast in November and still have a few days open, visit Private Clinics for details.

Underrated Human Skills to Improve our Horse Time

"I have a plan"

"I want to work on x, y, and z"

"I need to practice for the upcoming event/competition/trip"

"I just want to try one more time"

These are the often taught ideals- meaning if you the human are "focused enough" the horse should and will comply... and then you show up and your horse is .... pacing, calling out to the neighbor, doesn't want to be caught, willing to be caught but anticipative and pushy, etc.

So what do you do?

• Get annoyed?
• Offer critical communication?
• Get lost in the story of wondering "why" the horse is reacting as he is?
• Compare what your horse does versus "theirs?"

Or do you...

• Adapt?
• Break down what you're asking of your horse into smaller segments?
• Address the horse's distraction (without criticism)?
• Let go of your original intentions and "meet the horse in the moment?"

How one perceives the horse's behavior often reflects their skill set- the more one has learned how to interrupt and redirect the horse's thought, help him drain (literally) physical tension, and are able to separate out asking him the focus from his movement, the more options a person has to help the animal work through a troubling scenario, let go of it mentally, and be available to willingly participate.

But, for a lot of people, they either don't realize how few options they have in their "toolbox" (how they communicate")- until the day the horse is "suddenly" reacting or offering new responses or behaviors...

Rather than thinking of your horse time as "training for the moment"- if you shift your focus to creating a common language- (see the how, what, when, where post I made last week,) and then refining your understanding of how the horse's thought and movement is connected, what patterns occur when he is triggered, teach him how to think through scenarios versus physical compliance, the more "options" you have for presenting anything, anywhere, at any time- whether or not you've practiced a scenario before.

Catching and teaching the horse to lead - i.e. having the horse willingly participate without using food, coercion, or patterns of familiarity- requires more than 50% of the skills you'll need for everything that follows... yet for most people- catching is how quickly will the horse comply to be in close enough proximity without too much physical resistance that they can physically get the halter on...

Most horses I observe "tell me" everything I need to know about their perception of the human experience based on their behavior during the catching.

Work with Samantha

Alternative Horsemanship™ with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach offers horsemanship clinics worldwide, distance horse coaching, equine re-education and rehabilitation, colt starting, and lessons. I'll be heading up the East Coast of the USA in November, and still have a few days open. Message for details.

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