“WILLING” HORSES ARE THE PRODUCT OF SKILLED AND THOUGHTFUL TRAINING
“WILLING” HORSES ARE THE PRODUCTS OF SKILLED AND THOUGHTFUL TRAINING
Back in late February 2018 I took this footage of Tommy, a 3 year old warmblood’s first training session in the process I used to start horses (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QBMKaD4j1I). In this footage you will see a very anxious horse. He is worried about everything….he is worried about me, what he is being asked to do, what is on the sides of the round pen, the wind in the trees, the rustling of leaves.
Fast forward just over 9 months and you will see a snap shot of a very different young horse working in an indoor arena, with other horses and a lot of activity going on around him. His name is Tommy and he is owned by my good friend Katrin Kuenstler who has meticulously carried on his training that I started in the very early stages. Training, that she is documenting on her Facebook page that you can find here: https://www.facebook.com/Katrin-Kuenstler-Building-the-Core-for-a-Better-Ride-1310218172396194/.
Unlike the first video, you see Tommy working like a dressage horse. He is relaxed, focused and seeking beautifully into the contact. All in an environment that has a lot more going on than that first day in the round pen!
Katrin has got to a point in Tommy’s training where she is taking him out and about to expose him to new environments and trips in the horse float. It is very common for people to stop Katrin and ask her what is Tommy’s breeding because he has such an “amazing temperament”. They assume this because they see this willing young horse that is taking new environments in his stride, shows the relaxation in his paces and is obedient both under saddle and on the ground. Therefore, they assume this is something inherent to Tommy’s genetic makeup. They completely miss the fact that Tommy is like this because he has been trained with a lot of care, thought and skill to ensure he has clarity and confidence at each stage and aspect of his training. The fact is that Tommy is actually a highly sensitive horse and you can see his raw disposition in the first video! Naturally, he is easily made uncomfortable and is quick to get tense. But the training process he has been put through has ensured he has learned how to learn, how humans communicate, how to do things he is expected to do and most importantly he has learnt to TRUST and FOLLOW Katrin.
If there is one thing I wish my sport of dressage would understand is that relaxation and willingness are products of TRAINING. Sure you can get horses with very forgiving dispositions but poor training can turn these horses into anxious, worried, tense or aggressive horses! But great training can transform ANY horse into a willing and enjoyable horse to work with.
