Hello Centaurs!
Today we are talking about how to keep lesson horses happy.
Often, a lesson horse’s life looks like this:
Walk. Stop. Walk. Stop. Get pulled on. Walk in circles. Stop. Get kicked in the ribs. Walk. Get pulled on some more. Lather, rinse, repeat.
All. Day. Long.
Most of us can agree, that routine sounds… unpleasant.
Fortunately, there are some things we can do to help them to be happier! At Bridle Ranch, we employ the following methods:
Horses are not ridden in lessons more than 4 hours/day.
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Same for horses. They get dull, cranky, tired, and annoyed. (I get that; I do, too!)
- All riders at Bridle Ranch start at Safety Level.
This is our first level, where we teach the basics of riding. By having every rider, regardless of experience, start here, we are ensuring that everybody uses the same cues to talk to our horses. This helps to eliminate confusion and frustration for the horses. They know, when the rein is pulled on, it means to move their head.
We ride in halters.
We have bitless bridles and bitted bridles, but those aren’t used until the higher levels. This way, our beginner riders are pulling on the horses’ faces, instead of inside their sensitive mouths. We save the more refined tools for the more refined riders.
We have lots of routine!
Horses do better when they have a job to do. Our horses know the instructors, most of the students, their riding space, and a lot of the lessons. We feed them at roughly the same times each day. They know what to expect and gain confidence in their routines.
We play games.
Horses like to play. Some of them enjoy competition. We play simple games like Red Light, Green Light, which are easy to understand but it breaks up their routines and gives them interest throughout their days.
Natural Horsemanship Principles are shared by all riders and instructors.
There are a few principles we pull from Natural Horsemanship, which helps the horses to understand exactly what is required from them, and to know they will be treated well. We don’t pat them, except as a gentle reinforcement when they decide to be stubborn. We use repetitive movements both to desensitize and to reinforce. We allow for a lot of curiosity and questions from the horses to help maintain their dignity.
We give them cookies (horse treats)!
Seriously. Unexpected treats will sweeten just about anybody up for their work, and horses are no exception.
- We take care of their physical and social health.
Our horses don’t have worms, rarely get cut more than a scratch, and get to hang out with each other in a fairly large space when they are not working. We also make sure their tack sits on them comfortably and is in good repair.
We give them lots of love.
Horses pick up on our emotions. Usually we associate that with fear, but it’s so much more. All those who work and play at Bridle Ranch love horses, and the horses know it. They get petted, scratched, rubbed, told secrets, given hugs, and share in jokes. I think, on some level, our horses know they are helping people, and are happy to give what they can.
It is so easy for lesson horses to get bored, frustrated, cranky, or sour. Knowing that, I love it every time I see our horses relaxed, happy, focused, or interested. And, the looks on their faces when they know treats are coming is absolutely priceless!
Smile and Stay Happy!
-CR
No comments:
Post a Comment