YOU GOT SOLD A DANGEROUS HORSE (PART 2)
You Got Sold a Dangerous Horse (Part 2)
Yesterday I posted Part 1 on this topic and my inbox blew up with people wanting to know how they can support their new horse that obviously hasn't transition well into its new home and things have gone pear shaped.
Read Part 1 here.
They all asked...So Shelley HOW can I turn this situation around?
My answer - by LEARNING some stuff.
I worked out that if I could get people understanding the way horse's see the world better and taught them 21 simple things to effectively communicate and teach a horse (yep just 21 things)...I changed people and their ability to help and work with horses.
The 21 things are essentially the simple things that create the horse's foundation training. These include how to respond to the halter, to lead, simple groundwork, standing still for mounting and the basic foundation riding responses. Essentially the horse's operating system that everything else is built on top of. When you skill people up to be able to put an "operating system" on a horse they become effective at helping the horse understand and navigate their new world and new owner.
Understanding the way the horse perceives the world is really important. Horse's really are poorly understood and we tend to hang onto traditional beliefs about why they do things. Things like the horse is just "naughty" or it is because my mare is an "alpha" or he is just spooking to "get out of work". Instead people learn that horse's experience the world completely differently from us and at any time are just letting you know how they FEEL and what they UNDERSTAND.
The first thing I tell people at clinics is to look at the horse and understand that they are networkers. They are programmed to network and process the work, stress and their emotions collectively with other HORSES (not us!). When we isolate them, they have to do it alone and that is confronting for them. We have to coach them to use US to network and nurture their individual abilities to process and regulate stress. That horse is not naughty, not an alpha, not wanting to get out of work...it is just struggling, insecure, doesn't understand and is feeling threatened and defensive....or sore!
When people interpret how a horse is responding to a situation better, they make better decisions. When you skill them up with how to use pressure with thought and effectiveness...they can action their better informed decisions!
It works and as I transform the knowledge, skills and self awareness of people, the horse transforms. The transition of the horse to the new home (even if the "new" horse arrived years before) is finally supported and conflict eliminated from the relationship and a partnership can finally be built.
But Shelley...How long does this take?
Well it is quicker than you think. It is not 5 minutes but if you can dedicate 3-4 days a week working through a process in a disciplined dedicated manner - in 4-8 weeks - things turn around and your ability to influence and help horses is changed forever.
To support my clients and clinic participants...and anyone anywhere in the world I created 4 courses:
1) Things to Know About Horses - That is the knowledge piece of the puzzle!
2) Then split the 21 things up into *3* "How to Courses" (round penning, groundwork and building a riding foundation). If you don't have access to round yard, you just start with the groundwork course.
If anyone had their confidence thrown by their experiences of a new horse doing pear shaped or just started struggling with nerves, I also wrote a book about how to build confidence and trust back.
Finally, I even wrote a book about the how buying a new horse and how to safe guard against things going pear shaped!
You can find all these resources (courses & books) described and links to purchase them here:
https://www.calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au/courses
I hope that helps guide people to how I can help and what I can offer.
If I can help in any other way please just message or email admin@calmwillingconfidenthorses.com.au
Please...remember what I said in Part 1 - Horses that come into your life are a GIFT. They reveal the gaps in your knowledge and skill. If one reveals a gap then you have a high chance that another horse will reveal the same gap. Close your gaps...it is less difficult and more fun than you think
Cheers, Shelley
