I’ve found that no matter what experience you have, you really need to experiment. I think that is what good trainers actually do. They ride and they have their antennas out, and they’re always feeling for things.
So I want you to use your feel more than your logic. Don’t just repeat aids that you see in a book. After you’ve experimented, and you’ve found what your horse tells you he needs, then you can go home and try to figure out the logic of what just worked and why. The bottom line is, the more you experiment, the more successful you’re going to be.
Remember, the most important relationship is between you and your horse. not between you and an instructor that says, “That looks good.” … You and your horse’s understanding of one another has to come first, before what looks good. That’s always my first priority.
So remember, you are the expert on your horse. You should know your horse better than anyone else. Learn from the experts and their books, videos and clinics and then experiment with your horse to find out what works and what doesn’t work. You and your horse will be better for it.
I've found that no matter what experience you have, you really need to experiment. I think that is what good trainers actually do. They ride and they have their antennas out, and they're always feeling for things. So I want you to use your feel more than your logic. Don't just repeat aids that you see in a book.After you've experimented and you've found what your horse tells you he needs, then you can go home and try to figure out the logic of what just worked and why. The bottom line is the more you experiment, the more successful you're going to be. This is a quote from Karen Rohlf from her book, Improve Everything You Do with Your Horse. Welcome to the Almost Daily Second Half Horsemanship podcast, where we talk about using your mind more than your muscles on the path to better horsemanship in the second half of life. The podcast features a thought for the day on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and a more in depth discussion or interview on weekends. I'm your host, Paul Sherland. I've been following Karen Rohlf for several years, and I'm a big fan of her Dressage Naturally website, Facebook page, and podcast. She recognizes that horses are individuals with individual personalities. One aid or technique is not going to work with all horses. Part of building a conversation with your horse is your willingness to experiment with variations of aids or the absence of some aids to find out what works for you and your horse. Karen also says the following. Remember, the most important relationship is between you and your horse, not between you and an instructor that says,"that looks good". You and your horse's understanding of one another has to come first before what looks good. That's always my first priority. So remember, you are the expert on your horse. You should know your horse better than anyone else. Learn from the experts and their books, videos, and clinics, and then experiment with your horse to find out what works and what doesn't work. You and your horse will be better for it. Of all sources of training information for your horse, Karen's website and podcast are some of the best. She focuses on training with relaxation. If your horse is responding to your aids without relaxation, you have a problem. I'll have a link to Karen's website in the show notes. The Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society Training Challenge was held yesterday here in Texas. This is an event where professional and amateur trainers spent three to four months training rescued horses to give them a new start in life. If you'd like to donate, I'll have a link to the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society website in the show notes. Thanks for listening to the Almost Daily Second Half Horsemanship Podcast. If you're also on the second half horsemanship journey, please leave a comment on our website, second half horsemanship dot com. We're always looking for topic and interview ideas. When I use links to books, products, and services in the podcast, some of those links might be referral links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I earn a small commission when you purchase something through those links, but you will not be charged more by using the links. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews help the podcast reach a larger audience. Thank you very much.