Opposite Illusions

Articles in this Topic Discussions in this Topic

Aug 8, 2005

What is the opposite of bucking? "Not bucking" you say? Nope, that's not it. What is the opposite of "jigging"? Nope, wrong again. It's not "not jigging". What is the opposite of shoving? Hmmmm, "not shoving"? Nope ... read on, my Friend.

For every action there is a reaction and for every action there is a counterpart that is the opposite. The opposite of "bucking" would be walking forward. The opposite of shoving would be backing up. The opposite of jigging would be standing still or walking forward quietly. Instead of "punishing" an unwanted behavior in a horse why not think in terms of changing the negative behavior to a positive one and being able to reward your horse for doing something "right". In essence, teaching the horse to do something else INSTEAD OF the offensive behavior? Give the horse a choice between the behaviors and making the "right choice" a rewarded experience. Sound pretty funky to you? Well, let's take this scenario;

Susie has a 10 year old QH that is highly bred and extremely versatile. Susie has good riding background but limited ground training. (Notice that I said "Susie" has limited ground training vs. the horse having limited ground training!) ... Roger, the QH, INSISTS on flying out the stall door whenever its opened, completely disregarding poor little Susie who tries desperately to stay out of his way yet at the same time, hang onto him. Susie's trainer has suggested that everytime Roger begins to bolt out of the stall that Susie whack him on the chest with the crop. Susie's TRIED to do this but Roger seems to be totally oblivious to Susie and her crop and manages every time to just keep on bargin' through, dragging little Susie behind him. By now you're thinking "I'd get a chain over that horse's nose and that horse would learn a lesson or two!" Ah ha! What KIND of lesson would he learn? To be more respectful of Susie or the human standing in his way? Or would he learn to respond to pain, confusion, frustration and determination to get out of the stall and the experience even more quickly?

Horses naturally want to get along with their herd members. Part of their social interaction is learning to get along. Learning their own place within the herd and learning to respect those above them in rank. Horses are, by nature, gentle animals with extremely strong ideas about "fairness". Doesn't seem fair to me to punish Roger for barging out of the stall when all he wants to do is be a horse and get outdoors to move!

Go To Page: 1 2 3 4

The copyright of the article Opposite Illusions in Horsemanship is owned by Gwenyth Browning Jones Santagate. Permission to republish Opposite Illusions in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.