Is the use of force really going to get rid of a horse’s nervousness? Are you joking? It’s obviously going to make it worse and worse. It has no place to go but downhill. And that is the secret about using force on a horse, any time, any place, for almost any reason. The more force you use, the more scared he gets. The more scared he gets, the more he resists. The more he resists, the more force you use.
See where this is going? Your only hope is to feel that original nervous tension and to instantly think, “Why? Why is my horse responding this way? Is he hurting in some way? If so, where and why? Or is my riding confusing him? Am I asking something he doesn’t understand? Am I driving him too hard? Is he getting tired, frustrated, anxious?”
Your only hope is to find the real reason and start by trying to fix it. No force. Don’t go there. Don’t start that snowball rolling.
Is the use of force really going to get rid of a horse's nervousness? Are you joking? It's obviously going to make it worse and worse. It has no place to go but downhill. And that's the secret about using force on a horse anytime, any place, for almost any reason. The more force you use, the more scared he gets. The more scared he gets, the more he resists. The more he resists, the more force you use. See where this is going. Your only hope is to feel that original nervous tension and to instantly think, Why? Why is my horse responding this way? Is he hurting in some way? If so, where and why? Or is my riding confusing him? Am I asking something he doesn't understand? Am I driving him too hard? Is he getting tired, frustrated, anxious? Your only hope is to find the real reason and start by trying to fix it. No force. Don't go there. Don't start that snowball rolling. This is a quote from Denny Emerson's latest book. Begin and Begin Again, the Bright Optimism of Reinventing Life with Horses. 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 boarded in barns where riders used various types of force to fix nervous tension. It didn't work and seemed to be part of a progression to more forceful fixes and a more nervous horse. I attended a Shawna Karrasch Positive Reinforcement Clinic this weekend, and Shawna told a story about a mare that had become dangerously aggressive after increasingly forceful handling. She said the mare was subjected to instant and forceful correction whenever she did something the trainer wasn't happy with. When sold to the trainer as a filly, this horse had been calm and easy to handle. When Shawna and her co-presenter Jessie checked on the mare, they were told not to enter the horse's stall. It was too dangerous. Dressage Naturally clinician Karen Rohlf tells a similar story about her childhood horse being sold to what was expected to be a good home. The horse's new owner subjected the horse to forceful training and forceful equipment, and Karen says she was warned about entering the horse's stall when she went to visit the horse. So what happens to most of these horses that become unmanageable after the use of force as a training tool? They're probably sent to kill auctions. Their lives end early because of the use of force in training. So I hope we all heed Denny's advice and don't use force. Don't get that fear and force snowball rolling with any of your horses. 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.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. One more note, I use Descript for editing the podcast. If you do any video or audio editing, you should check out what Descript offers. It's an incredible tool for creatives. I'll also have a link to Descript in the show notes. 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.