This message is from: Robin Churchill <rbc...@yahoo.com>
I understand that you are not supposed to treat if the horse mugs you or demands a treat. I think if you like CT that's great but I think it takes considerable skill to get the timing of it and I guess after the first couple minutes when it's really cool, I find it time-consuming and boring. I'm sure it has a place in the training spectrum but it seems to me that I can train my horses to do the same things with much less effort and faster with whatever it is that I do. I'm sure there are people on the list and elsewhere that are more skilled at horse training particularly under saddle training but I tend to be pretty good with all the ground handling things and my under saddle training skills are improving particularly now that I have 2 horses that are well-suited to my temperament. For example, I can consistently load my 3 on the trailer in probably 6 minutes--the time it takes to walk them to the trailer from the barn. I don't know how I trained them to do it, partially by practicing when we are not under pressure and by putting treats and hay in the trailer but mostly because they "respect" me and when I tell them to get on the trailer, they get on, even if they are not thrilled about it. Similarly, I didn't teach Magnus to self-load, I walked him on the trailer the first few times and he went because I said so, then one day, I just threw the rope over his neck and he walked on and has ever since. Now Levi, that's another story but I think it is harder to get them to self-load in a box stall which is where he goes when I haul 3 horses which is at least once a month. Maybe I just have easy to handle horses, but as far as trailering goes, I don't think the way you get a horse on a trailer is not for him to know he's going on, it's because you know he's going on. I personally think most of this stuff is in the trainer's head and it's their "aura" and confidence that get the horse to do what they want. And the NH stuff gives people a method and confidence and that's what makes it work. I also think there is something to the idea that whoever moves the horse is the boss. I have seen horses that are boss move other horses and personally experienced how much more respectful and submissive the horse is when the trainer moves him/her. Once I was lunging a horse that kept falling in and didn't really respect pointing the whip at the shoulder. When he would fall in, I would back up then I thought "wait a minute--this horse is moving me" Next thing I did was step forward boldly when he tried to fall in. Guess what, he went out on the circle and stayed there. From then on, I paid attention and didn't let a horse back me up when lunging again. Sometimes you just have to be smarter than the horse :) Robin Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw FH_L Shirts: http://tinyurl.com/8yky94l
