| |
| |
|
Pets and their care |
 |
|
With Understanding Comes Success
One of the reasons I strongly encourage horse owners to train their own horses rather than ship them away to a professional trainer is familiarity. Quite simply, an unfamiliar party will not understand your horse nearly as well as you, and this understanding of a horse is the backbone of any successful training plan. This is not to suggest that all horse trainers are clueless individuals that bumble along hoping to do something right, because most professional trainers will take the time to understand a horse before ever thinking about saddling him and training him to ride. But all too often an impatient or inexperienced "trainer" will misread a horse's problem or intention and react incorrectly due to his lack of understanding. Too many of these incidents can prolong the training process (thereby costing you money) and potentially mentally scar your horse for life. Far too many head-shy horses can be attributed to inexperienced or abusive past trainers and/or owners who lacked an understanding of the horse they were working with. Once a horse has developed this mistrust or fear of people it can take a good while to reassure the horse that another cuff is not waiting around the corner. And who can blame the horse? If every past exposure with a dog resulted in the dog biting you, chances are you would be very wary, if not outright panicked, by future exposures to canines. To correct an improper action it is first important to understand the motivation that lies behind it. For example, let's say that you are training a young filly to walk alongside you to your left. Suddenly without permission the filly slams against your side, but being that she's still young it doesn't do much more than get your attention. What would you do? 1. Ignore the behavior - no harm was done after all. 2. Jab your elbow into the filly's shoulder and growl at her to remind her to respect your space. 3. Take a moment to detect the reason why the filly brushed against you. If you selected the first option, you chose wrong. Although your heart is in the right place in your willingness to "write off" a seemingly harmless action, eventually if you ignore these things they can compound to worse problems. Your filly won't always be so small and light! If you selected the second option you might have reacted correctly if the filly was gently asked to respect your space previously and elected to ignore the request out of defiance. In such a scenario you would need to reinforce your authority lest she view herself as being the alpha leader amongst you. But what if the filly stepped against you because the wind was carrying along a plastic bag that startled her? In such a case if you discipline your horse you do her a huge disservice because she's not trying to be defiant or challenge your authority - she's scared and she wanted your reassurance! If you start cuffing your filly for violating your personal space she will be like a deer caught in a car's headlights; the bag to her left and the handler to her right are scaring her and she'll either bolt or become paralyzed. Had you understood the root of her concern you could have forgiven the invasion of your space and instead showed your filly the plastic bag was nothing to be concerned about. Such reassurances would have put her mind at ease, allow her to regain focus on the task at hand and hopefully become desensitized towards future encounters with plastic bags. A trainer that believed in the "one size fits all" philosophy would probably have chosen option two in the above scenario since at face value that would be the correct reaction, but without understanding the horse or the motivation behind her action his "correction" would have further compounded the problem. It is essential a handler take the time to understand a horse's behavior before attempting to correct it since one size most definitely does not fit all. And who would better understand your horse than you? In addition the training process does not have to be the stressful battle of wills that most of us initially believe it to be. Taken slowly, both the horse and the owner can actually look forward to advancing along the lesson plan. As the owner and horse work together, each will develop an even better understanding of the other's mannerisms, personality and expectations? and with understanding comes success. Jeffrey Rolo, owner of AlphaHorse and an experienced horse trainer and breeder, is the author of the above article. You will find many other informational articles dealing with horse training and care as well as games and other horse fun on his website: http://www.alphahorse.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
7 Good Reasons for Playing With Your Cat Playing reinforces the bond between you and your cat.Playing with your cat is the best possible way to build up a bond between the two of you. A Look at Discount Bird Cages Buying a pet bird can be quite an investment. After spending money on your bird and its supplies, you might be looking to save a little on the cage. If You Want a Friend, Get a Dog! Carl Icahn, the hostile takeover master who was THE original corporate raider, is often quoted as saying, "In this business, if you want a friend, get a dog!" The rest of us already knew that dog was man's best friend, and with good reason. Dogs as pets date back at least as far as the days of Pompeii, where the remains of a dog stretched out next to a little boy were recovered from the rubble at Pompeii. How to Maintain Your Love Affair With Your Dog: Part One - Training Training Tips for a Happy and Healthy Relationship with Your Canine CompanionWhen I first laid eyes on my little ball of black fluff at an adoption fair, I knew there was no turning back. My husband and I had been looking for just the right dog for months, and all the research and networking had finally paid off. Protecting The Family Pet Ever since the beginning of time there has always been the pet and the family, today's pets have become an integral part of the family, and even considered by some to be a part of the family. With this relationship being so vital, protection of the family pet is a major concern of many pet owners. Goldfish Tips - Choosing The Right One Tips to getting the right GoldfishGoldfish are a temperate breed that can be found in cool streams, lakes, and ponds throughout Asia and part of Eastern Europe. However, the ones you will buy for your tank have been bred in captivity. How Many Dogs Are Too Many? I'm a pariah among the dog fanciers in my community. Why? Because I testified in support of a new regulation to limit pet ownership to no more than a total of three dogs and/or cats, older than six-months of age, in one household. Christmas Gifts For Cat Lovers The act of offering Christmas gifts is always enhanced if you take some trouble in matching the gift with the recipient.Sometimes, though, it is not as easy as it may seem, especially if the gift is for someone you have not seen very often throughout the year; or someone whose tastes you do not know that well. Horse Training Creativeness: The 5th Of 6 Keys To Developing A Partnership With Your Horse The 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With YourHorse.Today I am going to ask you to think about being creative when playing with your horse. Online Guide For Training A Dog Guide for training a dogSo you can use a guide for training a dog. At one time or another we all did. Biting & Nipping Behavior Can Kill Your Dog! Dog bite injuries are alarmingly the most common condition that we human suffer from as a result of contact with dogs. In the United States alone, there are between 1-2 million people bitten by dogs each year. Thats No Paris Hilton! An Overview of Dog Obedience Training Videos Mention the word "video" and different people would come up with different ideas. Some would remember those home movies they made during special occasions spent with family and friends. Feeding Your Pet Stingray - The Essentials of Maintaining a Varied Diet Stingrays will eat a wide variety of foods. Maintaining a varied diet is extremely important in captive animals, as monocultural diets incur a risk of nutritional deficiencies. How To Know What Your Cat Wants When It Talks To You - Cat Communication Explained Many people think cats are asocial, but in fact they are very social animals. They bond with other cats in their house or neighborhood, their owners, even other pets like dogs and birds. Is Pet Insurance Worth It? Many pet owners often wonder if it's worth it to purchase pet insurance. The way I see it, there are two main considerations, your opinion when it comes to risk-taking and the expected health of your pet. How to Housebreak Your Dog or Puppy Dogs are creatures of habit; and once they develop a habit, breaking it can be a long, frustrating process. Your dog needs guidance and encouragement from you to develop a toilet habit you can live with. 6 Common Dog Emergencies Sure, you may be a master of human First Aid. But do you know what to do in a dog health emergency?Approaching Dog Health Emergencies: Two StepsIn any dog health emergency, stay calm and think. You Should Teach Your Puppy Proper Chewing Behavior As much as you may love your cute, new puppy, if she chews on everything in sight--including you--she will not be cute to you for very long. Puppies that are left to their own devices can destroy a home quickly. Managing Horse Pasture A major part of a horse's diet is hay or pasture. A horse weighing 1000 pounds will eat about 500 pounds each month. Im Allergic To My Cat! Having a cat allergy came as something of a surprise to me. Growing up, I had many pets - cats, dogs and birds.
|
| home | site map | Partner Sites |
| © 2006 |
