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Thursday, 21 May 2009 14:11 |
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Q. My horse “Stardust,” along with my daughter Katie, participate in hunter-jumper activities. Recently Stardust has balked more frequently at going over certain jumps—many of them ones that she used to take with ease. They have a new trainer and I am wondering if there is a connection.
A. Most definitely. What many trainers, and their riders alike, do not realize is the extent to which horses (and this follows true of other animals as well) experience the world differently then we do. Horses experience energy/emotions/vibration very differently than humans, and are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment as well as behavioral changes in the humans with who they interact. This sensitivity enables them to gauge what their rider wants from them and also when their rider is nervous or excited. Horses may also (seemingly to us) overreact when they come across something in their path that seems unusual.
In Stardust’s case, I sense that the trainer, though very good at what he does, can be very moody. Sometimes he happily enters the stable, other times quite grumpily. Stardust and the rest of the horses are very sensitive to this. Because they understand his unique “vibrational fingerprint,” they know that he is unpredictable and may become nervous just being in his presence.
In addition to his mood swings, the trainer began correcting Katie on her posture just prior to jumping. At times these corrections have been vocalized in a manner that feels very aggressive to Stardust (and Katie). She then began associating the nearness of the jump to the angry correction that Katie received, and froze in expectation of another upsetting correction. Compounding the problem, Katie is also nervous for the same reasons and is subconsciously—ever-so-slightly—pulling back on the reins. Stardust is receiving mixed signals and sometimes cannot complete the jump.
The solution for all of this is to talk to the trainer, if he is open. If not, changing trainers may be necessary. Before you hire a new trainer, you may want to talk to other riders about the trainer you are considering, as well as sitting in on a few training sessions before you make a decision. We cannot stress this enough: the kinder and calmer the trainer, the better the results for both the horse and the rider.
©2009
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Last Updated on Monday, 06 July 2009 21:57 |
The Spritual Connection 
