Episode 312: Is Your Horse Seeing Contradictions? Serving to Your Horse Perceive

I’ve created a state of affairs the place she needs to do the factor that I need her to do, and I’m stopping her from doing it. Once I hold her within the trot circles after which I permit her, which is the place all of her want and her pace is coming from.

Podcasting from a bit cabin on a hill. That is the Stacy Westfall podcast. Stacy’s purpose is straightforward to show you to grasp why horses do what they do, in addition to the motion steps for creating clear, assured communication along with your horses.

Hello, I’m Stacy Westfall and I’m right here that will help you perceive, get pleasure from and efficiently prepare your individual horses. On this episode, I wish to share one thing that was just lately taking place with my horse Luna. That might be seen as an issue, or it may be seen as a means to make use of anticipation in your favor. I’m going to clarify the issue and the way I triggered it. Then I’m going to clarify two choices for eliminating the issue. And eventually, I’ll clarify why I’m going with possibility three, which is selecting to view the issue as a great factor. Full disclaimer I really like the early levels of coaching. I really like elementary and early highschool levels, and I acknowledge that in these levels, persons are typically annoyed due to the questions the horses ask, and the horses are sometimes asking questions that time out what they view as contradictions. Let’s take a look at the definition of a contradiction. Fiction. A contradiction is a mix of statements, concepts, or options of a state of affairs which can be opposed to 1 one other. How on earth may your horse be considering there are contradictions? Okay, initially, I’m conscious that I don’t view these items as contradictions. I view them as extra layers or including extra particulars, and that is perhaps the way in which that you simply’re viewing it too. However I’m additionally conscious that as horses transfer from one stage to a different, they will simply view issues as contradictions.

Let’s take a look at an instance. Let’s say that you’re a rider who needs your horse to decelerate and collect itself collectively. Let’s say the trot is unbearably bouncy to trip, and you prefer to the horse to collect itself collectively, not be so quick and dashing go into what we may name a medium trot. And the phrase we most frequently use on this state of affairs is that we wish the horse to gather or collect itself collectively. So on this instance, the rider needs the horse to gather. So what do they typically do? The rider will typically collect up the reins to start to sluggish the horse down, however the rider may also apply their leg to maintain the horse from strolling or stopping. It’s comprehensible that the horse may view this software of Aids as a contradiction from the horse’s perspective. The horse might be considering, you need me to cease, however you’re not letting me cease. Okay, you need me to go, however you’re not letting me go. I’m conscious that I don’t view this as a Contradiction. However I’m additionally conscious that the horse that’s now studying this idea can simply view it as a contradiction. The primary concept that I would love you to remove from this podcast is that for the horse, it would typically look like there are precise contradictions. I believe most individuals wish to view or perceive how the whole lot works collectively, and that is very true for those who actually, actually want to do the whole lot, quote unquote, proper.

That want to be sure you apply the Aids precisely accurately and that the whole lot will work collectively is a really real and helpful want to have. Nonetheless, I believe it’s additionally useful to have a look at the components which may appear contradictory to your horse. So once I say that I see the horse’s problem when, as a rider, I start to make use of my reins to sluggish them down and my legs to maintain them going. That doesn’t imply I’ve to surrender my perception that they’re able to studying a highschool stage idea. It simply implies that the elementary stage educated horse goes to view this as a contradiction. So it is smart that they’re going to wrestle a bit bit. So my means to carry each ideas as true. It’s true. The horse may see this as a contradiction. And it’s true that they’re succesful. That is one thing horses can be taught and that is one thing I can educate. These don’t should be one or the opposite. I truly discover it helpful to have a look at each being true. I first bought occupied with share this idea with you whereas I used to be driving my horse, Luna. The instance I’m about to share with you includes educating a horse to spin, and I’m conscious that a lot of you aren’t educating your horses spin, however I truly assume that typically studying about one thing that you simply don’t all the time do leaves you extra open to occupied with the ideas and retains you from getting caught within the approach.

So let’s go to the backstory, the issue, and the way I triggered it. Luna is studying spin. She is on the stage the place I’m wanting her to have a bit bit extra pace and a bit bit extra of a trot step as she does this activate the haunches. So with a view to enhance her pace of her footwork, I’ve been getting ready for my spins by trotting small circles. Once I say Small circles. Image trotting a circle that’s about someplace between 12 to 15ft throughout. After which I’m going from this trot circle and I transition right into a spin. My want is for her to get her trot footwork very fast, after which transition that fast foot pace that she has within the small trot circle into that trot rhythm in her spin. I’ve been doing this for a short while, the place I do preparation with the trot circle after which transition to the spin, and now she has acknowledged this sample. I trot small circles, after which I launch her right into a spin. And that is inflicting the issue of it’s getting tougher and tougher to maintain her trotting within the circles as I trot, she is eager to decelerate and collect herself up and go into the spin.

So I’m having hassle holding her trotting. Typically we’re trotting after which she all of the sudden throws her shoulder to basically dive right into a spin. Do you see the issue? Is that this an issue or a great factor? Or a little bit of each? Let’s first method it as if it was an issue, and let’s take a look at a few of the doable options. Possibility one I may cease doing trot circles earlier than I spin. If I finished doing trot circles earlier than the spin, then Luna wouldn’t see the trot circles after which assume spin. That is logical. So it’s true that if I cease doing the trot circles earlier than I spin. She would start to disconnect the trot circles from the spin so she wouldn’t see a trot circle after which predict the spin is coming. The spin is coming. Now let’s take a look at the potential flaw or the problem. The potential flaw or the problem with that is considering that she gained’t anticipate spinning no matter I do earlier than the spin. She is prone to connect to the spin. So let’s say I cease doing trot circles and I do stroll circles. Then she’s prone to assume, okay, we do stroll circles after which we go into the spin. So let’s resolve that by eradicating that. And let’s say that I’m simply strolling in a straight line after which I’m going right into a spin.

What typically occurs with horses like that is that they then start randomly throwing the spin into something much less preparation isn’t essentially one of the best reply to what to do when the horse is anticipating, as a result of as a substitute of her anticipating the spin in a circle or anticipating the spin after a collection of stroll circles, I can basically start to only transfer the issue of diving into the spin round. So that might imply possibly I’m strolling and I simply take her right into a spin so she doesn’t have any probability to anticipate, however then she begins to anticipate it all over the place. Which brings up one other query. Is anticipation actually the issue? Okay, let’s go to possibility two. Possibility two I may do trot circles and disconnect them from the spin. Which means I may do 3 or 4 trot circles after which not spin trot circles, after which go stroll across the enviornment, trot circles, after which cease and stand nonetheless. And let’s go much more detailed. Let’s say that I try this at a ratio of one thing like 9 to 1. So which means I do a set of trot circles. So I do 3 or 4 trot circles. That’s one set. After which I’m going stroll across the enviornment. In order that’s one set adopted by strolling away. Let’s say that I do one other set of trot circles, after which I stroll a number of toes and cease.

Then let’s say I do one other set of trot circles, after which I simply trot to a much bigger circle. I ultimately may get the ratio to the place 9 occasions I did trot circles of three or 4 and didn’t take her into the spin. I went and randomly did one thing else, after which possibly one out of ten occasions I’d take her into the spin. The purpose is, nearly all of the time I’d be going someplace else or doing one thing else. So on this instance, it’s true. I may disassociate the trot circles from the spin. I may make it so she would now not see trot circles and assume spin. However this brings up the query once more. Is eradicating the anticipation fascinating? I believe it’s straightforward to label anticipation as a foul factor. However what I’ve discovered is that anticipation is commonly a strong software. When you’ve ever taught a horse to cease once you say the phrase whoa, you may have used anticipation in your favor. When you’ve ever taught a horse to go once you give a verbal cluck, then you may have used anticipation in your favor. So anticipation is usually a highly effective factor and anticipation may cause challenges. So it’s true. If I moved the ratio of trot circles being adopted by the rest, not the spin, she would ultimately disassociate the trot circles from the spin. She would now not see trot circles and assume spin.

So now let me clarify possibility three and the way I’m going to deal with this dance. My considering, and the explanation I’m selecting possibility three is that though the anticipation is really inflicting challenges, the anticipation can be a great factor. In actual fact, I imagine her anticipation is a part of her want to spin. It’s a part of what’s creating what we’d name a draw to spin. So it feels just like the spin is sort of a magnet drawing her into it, versus me, quote unquote, making her spin. She’s begging to spin. She needs to spin. She’s drawn with a want to spin. So it’s her inside motivation to spin that’s truly being displayed when she’s anticipating it. So consider it for a second. From Luna’s perspective, she is aware of for a reality the spin is coming, and since she is aware of it’s coming, she needs to enter the spin as a result of contained in the spin is the place I’m going to say whoa and cease and reward her. So although the spin is form of a tough factor to do, it additionally represents one thing she understands. I Systematically taught her in sluggish movement do it. After which I added the trot circles. And now she deeply wishes to enter the spin, places in effort and goes realizing that there’s a whoa, a cease, and me praising her on the opposite aspect.

So although the spin is a tough factor, she’s truly volunteering to do it as a result of she’s making use of an idea that I’ve talked about earlier than on the podcast. I’ve created a state of affairs the place she needs to do the factor that I need her to do, and I’m stopping her from doing it. Once I hold her within the trot circles, after which I permit her to enter the spin, which is the place all of her want and her pace is coming from. This instance of anticipation is going on as I’m transferring up the levels of coaching the spin. Within the very starting, her spin didn’t have this stage of anticipation. For instance, Ember is simply studying spin and he or she’s in a really step-by-step part, and trotting the circles that Luna is doing would truly be too superior. So Ember is studying the mechanical steps, however with out the pace, and it additionally comes with out as a lot anticipation. Luna occurs to be on the stage the place I wish to add pace, so I’m truly utilizing her anticipation to my benefit when she sees the trot circle and is aware of the spin is coming, it truly feels a bit bit like she’s excited like a child with Christmas coming. She’s excited and able to go. She’s asking to spin. It’s truly a very cool feeling. Besides for those who concentrate on the issues that it’s inflicting within the belief circle, it could be very straightforward for somebody to concentrate on the issues when Luna gives to dive in together with her shoulder.

That would turn out to be one thing that somebody would hyper concentrate on and wish to fully eliminate. Simply discover. Utterly eliminating it could additionally scale back a few of that asking or that want. It might even be very straightforward to actually concentrate on the truth that she’s slowing down with out being requested to, as a result of once more, she’s gathering herself as much as spin. In order that might be seen as a resistance to going ahead. And that’s partially true, however I believe it’s value holding in thoughts why she’s doing that. So you start to see there’s a dance between what she’s providing and the way I wish to method supporting her or serving to her. So once more, because the rider or the coach or Luna’s coach, I must see that these issues in her kind, if we wish to take a look at it like that, it’s like she’s bought poor kind in her trot circle, however these issues are literally coming from her placing in a excessive diploma of effort. They’re errors from Luna attempting too laborious. So though I do deal with these issues, I don’t attempt to stomp them out like one thing’s on hearth. I don’t make her burning want to spin into an issue. I hold gently guiding her out. Or gently guiding her ahead. I’m persistent, however I’m not attempting to take away her considered the spin.
A special means I may clarify it’s I’m not searching for a plus to attract circles proper now. I’m searching for possibly B minus to attract circles with that effort and readiness in order that the minute I ask her to enter the spin, she takes all of her effort into it. So I’m discovering the sting of a adequate circle the place she’s nonetheless occupied with the spin, and I really feel that considering mirrored in her physique as her want to decelerate, or as her want to enter the spin. However I’m not truly permitting her to throw herself into the spin, and I’m not truly permitting her to refuse to go ahead proper on that fringe of a adequate circle with a whole lot of want. Proper there may be the place I can gently open the door, which occurs to be my inside leg, and invite her right into a spin, and he or she goes there with a whole lot of effort. Right here’s a distinct instance of permitting. This can be a piece of successful story that one among my college students inside my Resourceful Rider program just lately shared. It says your means to explain issues from the horse’s viewpoint has helped me tremendously. The one greatest subject has been educating my horse to hunt for the cease. The very first time I consciously allowed him to cease on the path simply occurred to coincide with him having to pee.

Then he stopped to pee each time we rode out for no less than a month. Path driving is a lot calmer now. In actual fact, he now exaggerates and stops simply to faux he may need to pee. Haha. Anyway, I can canter up a hill and he slows to a stroll on the prime as a substitute of battling me. I can trot for some time and he’ll calm down his neck and can now transition to a stroll when requested as a substitute of working up an anxious head of steam. You’re constant. Explanations from the horse’s viewpoint are pure gold. Thanks. There are a number of issues I actually like about this story. Primary, this tells me that I’ve bought a rider with an consciousness of after they may have the ability to launch, as a result of although the rider didn’t know the horse was on the brink of pee, the rider did sense that the horse was asking the query about slowing down and the rider allowed it. So the very first thing I discover on this story is the rider’s stage of consciousness. The second factor that stands out to me on this story is that though many riders may assume, oh no, I’ve triggered an enormous drawback, this rider is staying open and curious. This rider is letting the horse discover the vary of asking this query, even when he doesn’t actually should pee.

So this can be a open minded, curious rider. And quantity three, identical to Luna, I can inform that this rider is already transitioning the will to cease and totally faux they’re going to pee into different areas, just like the cantering uphill and slowing down, or the transition to the stroll the place he used to construct up a head of steam. These are displaying me that there are different areas the place there may be sturdy carryover from permitting what different riders may think about to be an issue. And right here’s the place I see this line up with Luna’s story. Luna actually needs to enter the spin, and that’s a genuinely good factor, and I can gently part out the larger shows of what we may label issues like her resisting going ahead or her want to dive into the spin. I can gently part these out with out eliminating the hassle or the attempt. The identical factor is true for this rider. This rider can gently part out the complete blown cease, nevertheless it’s fairly darn cool that this rider found they might permit one thing like this. And now that cracks open the door into a complete totally different thought course of for a horse that was rushy and ahead. I’d summarize it like this. Take a deeper take a look at what’s bodily occurring. Search for the behavior sample that’s taking place in my instance. It’s the trot circles earlier than the spin. After which take a look at that factor out of your horse’s perspective.

What do they see? Are they attempting laborious to get to the subsequent step. And so they’re truly placing in a whole lot of effort. And that’s a great factor. Like it’s right here in Luna’s instance. Or is that this an space the place you actually do want to vary up the behavior sample, the place you do really want to disconnect? Half one from half two? Examples of locations that I continuously wish to disconnect. The 1st step from step two or locations I wish to completely discourage dashing could be issues like main the horse in from the pasture. Possibly I’m going to place them within the stall and grain them, or main them out to pasture, and so they’re very enthusiastic about being turned out. I truly totally wish to disconnect these issues. I need the horse to be affected person. Having a horse stand tied is one other place the place I wish to discourage dashing. These are additionally areas that don’t require a whole lot of bodily effort, so the spin requires a whole lot of bodily effort. However standing tied requires extra psychological effort, main quietly to and from stalls and pastures, even with the anticipation of excellent issues on both finish, that requires a whole lot of endurance and maturity. Keep in mind, when you’ve got questions, you may name in and go away a voicemail over on my web site. Thanks for listening and I’ll discuss to you once more within the subsequent episode.