Our Patterns & Who must change – Horse or Human

     Our pattern and routine in approach and tasks helps to reinforce our horses bad behavior and evasion.

We don’t realize how much our horses study us and our actions. The horse is not nearly as distracted as we can be. He spends his time watching us, even when we are unaware. He knows by our behavior and approach what is about to happen, and if he doesn’t want to participate, this can lead to his avoidance. For example, he may avoid the halter in his stall, run when you want to catch him in the field, or move when you try to mount.

     Many times we enter the stall, and try corner him to place the halter. To correct this avoidance, before entering the stall, kiss and get the horse to face you. Never enter a stall if the horse’s rearend is facing the gate. Now enter the stall and change your pattern, don’t always grab the halter first, sometimes just go in and pet him, rub him, look him over and leave. After a short period, ask him to face you again, then go in and halter. By mixing up your pattern, he doesn’t recognize what your intent is, pleasure or work, therefore he has to wait rather than avoid. This works really well for the stall sour horse.

    Most horses enjoy the freedom of the turnout, why would he want to be caught? After the turnout, it usually means work is following. Again, change your pattern. In the field, teach your horse to stop and face you, and allow you to approach and touch him. Keep him guessing, sometimes just pet or inspect him, then turn and leave. Return later, ask him to stop and face you. This time, you may want to groom, or halter and take him for a leisurely walk. This will keep him guessing, maybe work doesn’t always follow turnouts.   

    Dressing him in saddle and tack or pulling out the mounting block means we are going to work. If your ride is always hard work for him, he will soon react with evasion. It becomes a game of cat and mouse, you step up, he moves his hind end away. Change your pattern. Try stepping up on the mounting block, stand there and have him stand with you. He’s waiting for you to tighten the reins, make a motion to reach for the stirrup and swing up. Instead, try rubbing his neck and hind end, now step off the mounting block. Repeat several times. You are creating a new pattern of patience, and he has to wait and see what is next. For those horses that are determined to avoid mounting, you must get him to disengage his hind end, crossing only his back legs, quick, hard and tight around the mounting post, until he softens. Disengaging the hind end around a mounting block is hard work, and it will convince him to stand

and let you mount. 

     Remember your horse knows you better than you think, he’s had a lot of time to study you. Keep him guessing, change your pattern now and then, and he’ll be less likely to anticipate, and avoid. The horse doesn’t have a pattern, he has a reaction to our pattern, thus we must change .