Episode 312: Is Your Horse Seeing Contradictions? Serving to Your Horse Perceive

I’ve created a state of affairs the place she desires to do the factor that I need her to do, and I’m stopping her from doing it. After I maintain her within the trot circles after which I permit her, which is the place all of her need and her pace is coming from.

Podcasting from a bit of cabin on a hill. That is the Stacy Westfall podcast. Stacy’s purpose is easy to show you to know why horses do what they do, in addition to the motion steps for creating clear, assured communication along with your horses.

Hello, I’m Stacy Westfall and I’m right here that will help you perceive, take pleasure in and efficiently prepare your personal horses. On this episode, I need to share one thing that was just lately occurring with my horse Luna. That could possibly be seen as an issue, or it may be seen as a method to make use of anticipation in your favor. I’m going to clarify the issue and the way I prompted it. Then I’m going to clarify two choices for eliminating the issue. And at last, I’ll clarify why I’m going with choice three, which is selecting to view the issue as a superb factor. Full disclaimer I really like the early phases of coaching. I really like elementary and early highschool phases, and I acknowledge that in these phases, individuals are usually annoyed due to the questions the horses ask, and the horses are sometimes asking questions that time out what they view as contradictions. Let’s have a look at the definition of a contradiction. Fiction. A contradiction is a mixture of statements, concepts, or options of a state of affairs which are opposed to 1 one other. How on earth might your horse be considering there are contradictions? Okay, to begin with, I’m conscious that I don’t view this stuff as contradictions. I view them as extra layers or including extra particulars, and that is perhaps the best way that you simply’re viewing it too. However I’m additionally conscious that as horses transfer from one stage to a different, they will simply view issues as contradictions.

Let’s have a look at an instance. Let’s say that you’re a rider who desires your horse to decelerate and collect itself collectively. Let’s say the trot is unbearably bouncy to journey, and you prefer to the horse to collect itself collectively, not be so quick and dashing go into what we might name a medium trot. And the phrase we most frequently use on this state of affairs is that we want the horse to gather or collect itself collectively. So on this instance, the rider desires the horse to gather. So what do they usually do? The rider will usually collect up the reins to start to sluggish the horse down, however the rider can even apply their leg to maintain the horse from strolling or stopping. It’s comprehensible that the horse might view this software of Aids as a contradiction from the horse’s standpoint. The horse could possibly be considering, you need me to cease, however you’re not letting me cease. Okay, you need me to go, however you’re not letting me go. I’m conscious that I don’t view this as a Contradiction. However I’m additionally conscious that the horse that’s now studying this idea can simply view it as a contradiction. The primary concept that I would love you to remove from this podcast is that for the horse, it is going to usually appear to be there are precise contradictions. I believe most individuals need to view or perceive how every thing works collectively, and that is very true in case you actually, actually need to do every thing, quote unquote, proper.

That need to be sure to apply the Aids precisely accurately and that every thing will work collectively is a really real and helpful need to have. Nonetheless, I believe it’s additionally useful to have a look at the elements that may appear contradictory to your horse. So once I say that I see the horse’s problem when, as a rider, I start to make use of my reins to sluggish them down and my legs to maintain them going. That doesn’t imply I’ve to surrender my perception that they’re able to studying a highschool degree idea. It simply implies that the elementary degree skilled horse goes to view this as a contradiction. So it is smart that they’re going to wrestle a bit of bit. So my potential to carry each ideas as true. It’s true. The horse might see this as a contradiction. And it’s true that they’re succesful. That is one thing horses can study and that is one thing I can train. These don’t must be one or the opposite. I really discover it helpful to have a look at each being true. I first obtained fascinated by share this idea with you whereas I used to be using my horse, Luna. The instance I’m about to share with you includes instructing a horse to spin, and I’m conscious that lots of you aren’t instructing your horses spin, however I really suppose that generally studying about one thing that you simply don’t all the time do leaves you extra open to fascinated by the ideas and retains you from getting caught within the method.

So let’s go to the backstory, the issue, and the way I prompted it. Luna is studying spin. She is on the stage the place I’m wanting her to have a bit of bit extra pace and a bit of bit extra of a trot step as she does this activate the haunches. So in an effort to improve her pace of her footwork, I’ve been making ready for my spins by trotting small circles. After I say Small circles. Image trotting a circle that’s about someplace between 12 to 15ft throughout. After which I’m going from this trot circle and I transition right into a spin. My need is for her to get her trot footwork very fast, after which transition that fast foot pace that she has within the small trot circle into that trot rhythm in her spin. I’ve been doing this for a short while, the place I do preparation with the trot circle after which transition to the spin, and now she has acknowledged this sample. I trot small circles, after which I launch her right into a spin. And that is inflicting the issue of it’s getting tougher and tougher to maintain her trotting within the circles as I trot, she is desirous to decelerate and collect herself up and go into the spin.

So I’m having hassle retaining her trotting. Generally we’re trotting after which she immediately throws her shoulder to basically dive right into a spin. Do you see the issue? Is that this an issue or a superb factor? Or a little bit of each? Let’s first method it as if it was an issue, and let’s have a look at among the potential options. Choice one I might cease doing trot circles earlier than I spin. If I finished doing trot circles earlier than the spin, then Luna wouldn’t see the trot circles after which suppose spin. That is logical. So it’s true that if I cease doing the trot circles earlier than I spin. She would start to disconnect the trot circles from the spin so she wouldn’t see a trot circle after which predict the spin is coming. The spin is coming. Now let’s have a look at the potential flaw or the problem. The potential flaw or the problem with that is considering that she gained’t anticipate spinning no matter I do earlier than the spin. She is more likely to connect to the spin. So let’s say I cease doing trot circles and I do stroll circles. Then she’s more likely to suppose, okay, we do stroll circles after which we go into the spin. So let’s remedy that by eradicating that. And let’s say that I’m simply strolling in a straight line after which I’m going right into a spin.

What usually occurs with horses like that is that they then start randomly throwing the spin into something much less preparation just isn’t essentially the very best reply to what to do when the horse is anticipating, as a result of as a substitute of her anticipating the spin in a circle or anticipating the spin after a sequence of stroll circles, I can basically start to only transfer the issue of diving into the spin round. So that will imply possibly I’m strolling and I simply take her right into a spin so she doesn’t have any likelihood to anticipate, however then she begins to anticipate it all over the place. Which brings up one other query. Is anticipation actually the issue? Okay, let’s go to choice two. Choice two I might do trot circles and disconnect them from the spin. Meaning I might do 3 or 4 trot circles after which not spin trot circles, after which go stroll across the area, trot circles, after which cease and stand nonetheless. And let’s go much more detailed. Let’s say that I do this at a ratio of one thing like 9 to 1. So which means I do a set of trot circles. So I do 3 or 4 trot circles. That’s one set. After which I’m going stroll across the area. In order that’s one set adopted by strolling away. Let’s say that I do one other set of trot circles, after which I stroll a couple of ft and cease.

Then let’s say I do one other set of trot circles, after which I simply trot to an even bigger circle. I ultimately might get the ratio to the place 9 occasions I did trot circles of three or 4 and didn’t take her into the spin. I went and randomly did one thing else, after which possibly one out of ten occasions I might take her into the spin. The purpose is, nearly all of the time I might be going some place else or doing one thing else. So on this instance, it’s true. I might disassociate the trot circles from the spin. I might make it so she would not see trot circles and suppose spin. However this brings up the query once more. Is eradicating the anticipation fascinating? I believe it’s simple to label anticipation as a foul factor. However what I’ve discovered is that anticipation is commonly a strong software. For those who’ve ever taught a horse to cease whenever you say the phrase whoa, you’ve used anticipation in your favor. For those who’ve ever taught a horse to go whenever you give a verbal cluck, then you’ve used anticipation in your favor. So anticipation could be a highly effective factor and anticipation may cause challenges. So it’s true. If I moved the ratio of trot circles being adopted by the rest, not the spin, she would finally disassociate the trot circles from the spin. She would not see trot circles and suppose spin.

So now let me clarify choice three and the way I’m going to deal with this dance. My considering, and the rationale I’m selecting choice three is that though the anticipation is actually inflicting challenges, the anticipation can be a superb factor. The truth is, I consider her anticipation is a part of her need to spin. It’s a part of what’s creating what we’d name a draw to spin. So it feels just like the spin is sort of a magnet drawing her into it, versus me, quote unquote, making her spin. She’s begging to spin. She desires to spin. She’s drawn with a need to spin. So it’s her inner motivation to spin that’s really being displayed when she’s anticipating it. So consider it for a second. From Luna’s standpoint, she is aware of for a reality the spin is coming, and since she is aware of it’s coming, she desires to enter the spin as a result of contained in the spin is the place I’m going to say whoa and cease and reward her. So regardless that the spin is type of a tough factor to do, it additionally represents one thing she understands. I Systematically taught her in sluggish movement do it. After which I added the trot circles. And now she deeply wishes to enter the spin, places in effort and goes realizing that there’s a whoa, a cease, and me praising her on the opposite aspect.

So regardless that the spin is a tough factor, she’s really volunteering to do it as a result of she’s making use of an idea that I’ve talked about earlier than on the podcast. I’ve created a state of affairs the place she desires to do the factor that I need her to do, and I’m stopping her from doing it. After I maintain her within the trot circles, after which I permit her to enter the spin, which is the place all of her need and her pace is coming from. This instance of anticipation is occurring as I’m shifting up the phases of coaching the spin. Within the very starting, her spin didn’t have this degree of anticipation. For instance, Ember is simply studying spin and she or he’s in a really step-by-step part, and trotting the circles that Luna is doing would really be too superior. So Ember is studying the mechanical steps, however with out the pace, and it additionally comes with out as a lot anticipation. Luna occurs to be on the stage the place I need to add pace, so I’m really utilizing her anticipation to my benefit when she sees the trot circle and is aware of the spin is coming, it really feels a bit of bit like she’s excited like a child with Christmas coming. She’s excited and able to go. She’s asking to spin. It’s really a very cool feeling. Besides in case you concentrate on the issues that it’s inflicting within the belief circle, it might be very simple for somebody to concentrate on the issues when Luna presents to dive in together with her shoulder.

That would turn into one thing that somebody would hyper concentrate on and need to utterly eliminate. Simply discover. Fully eliminating it might additionally scale back a few of that asking or that need. It will even be very simple to essentially concentrate on the truth that she’s slowing down with out being requested to, as a result of once more, she’s gathering herself as much as spin. In order that could possibly be seen as a resistance to going ahead. And that’s partially true, however I believe it’s price retaining in thoughts why she’s doing that. So you start to see there’s a dance between what she’s providing and the way I need to method supporting her or serving to her. So once more, because the rider or the coach or Luna’s coach, I must see that these issues in her type, if we need to have a look at it like that, it’s like she’s obtained poor type in her trot circle, however these issues are literally coming from her placing in a excessive diploma of effort. They’re errors from Luna making an attempt too onerous. So though I do tackle these issues, I don’t attempt to stomp them out like one thing’s on fireplace. I don’t make her burning need to spin into an issue. I maintain gently guiding her out. Or gently guiding her ahead. I’m persistent, however I’m not making an attempt to take away her considered the spin.
A unique method I might clarify it’s I’m not searching for a plus to attract circles proper now. I’m searching for possibly B minus to attract circles with that effort and readiness in order that the minute I ask her to enter the spin, she takes all of her effort into it. So I’m discovering the sting of a adequate circle the place she’s nonetheless fascinated by the spin, and I really feel that considering mirrored in her physique as her need to decelerate, or as her need to enter the spin. However I’m not really permitting her to throw herself into the spin, and I’m not really permitting her to refuse to go ahead proper on that fringe of a adequate circle with loads of need. Proper there’s the place I can gently open the door, which occurs to be my inside leg, and invite her right into a spin, and she or he goes there with loads of effort. Right here’s a special instance of permitting. This can be a piece of successful story that one in all my college students inside my Resourceful Rider program just lately shared. It says your potential to explain issues from the horse’s viewpoint has helped me tremendously. The only greatest subject has been instructing my horse to hunt for the cease. The very first time I consciously allowed him to cease on the path simply occurred to coincide with him having to pee.

Then he stopped to pee each time we rode out for at the very least a month. Path using is a lot calmer now. The truth is, he now exaggerates and stops simply to fake he may need to pee. Haha. Anyway, I can canter up a hill and he slows to a stroll on the high as a substitute of battling me. I can trot for some time and he’ll loosen up his neck and can now transition to a stroll when requested as a substitute of working up an anxious head of steam. You’re constant. Explanations from the horse’s viewpoint are pure gold. Thanks. There are a number of issues I actually like about this story. Primary, this tells me that I’ve obtained a rider with an consciousness of after they would possibly be capable to launch, as a result of regardless that the rider didn’t know the horse was on the brink of pee, the rider did sense that the horse was asking the query about slowing down and the rider allowed it. So the very first thing I discover on this story is the rider’s degree of consciousness. The second factor that stands out to me on this story is that though many riders might suppose, oh no, I’ve prompted an enormous drawback, this rider is staying open and curious. This rider is letting the horse discover the vary of asking this query, even when he doesn’t actually must pee.

So this can be a open minded, curious rider. And quantity three, similar to Luna, I can inform that this rider is already transitioning the will to cease and absolutely fake they’re going to pee into different areas, just like the cantering uphill and slowing down, or the transition to the stroll the place he used to construct up a head of steam. These are displaying me that there are different areas the place there’s sturdy carryover from permitting what different riders would possibly think about to be an issue. And right here’s the place I see this line up with Luna’s story. Luna actually desires to enter the spin, and that’s a genuinely good factor, and I can gently part out the larger shows of what we might label issues like her resisting going ahead or her need to dive into the spin. I can gently part these out with out eliminating the trouble or the attempt. The identical factor is true for this rider. This rider can gently part out the complete blown cease, however it’s fairly darn cool that this rider found they might permit one thing like this. And now that cracks open the door into a complete totally different thought course of for a horse that was once rushy and ahead. I might summarize it like this. Take a deeper have a look at what’s bodily occurring. Search for the behavior sample that’s occurring in my instance. It’s the trot circles earlier than the spin. After which have a look at that factor out of your horse’s standpoint.

What do they see? Are they making an attempt onerous to get to the subsequent step. They usually’re really placing in loads of effort. And that’s a superb factor. Like it’s right here in Luna’s instance. Or is that this an space the place you actually do want to vary up the behavior sample, the place you do actually need to disconnect? Half one from half two? Examples of locations that I incessantly need to disconnect. The first step from step two or locations I need to completely discourage dashing can be issues like main the horse in from the pasture. Perhaps I’m going to place them within the stall and grain them, or main them out to pasture, they usually’re very enthusiastic about being turned out. I really absolutely need to disconnect these issues. I need the horse to be affected person. Having a horse stand tied is one other place the place I need to discourage dashing. These are additionally areas that don’t require loads of bodily effort, so the spin requires loads of bodily effort. However standing tied requires extra psychological effort, main quietly to and from stalls and pastures, even with the anticipation of fine issues on both finish, that requires loads of persistence and maturity. Keep in mind, you probably have questions, you possibly can name in and go away a voicemail over on my web site. Thanks for listening and I’ll speak to you once more within the subsequent episode.