 |
Re: [RC] Getting in the trailer - Lif StrandAt 10:22 AM 8/23/2004, Jody Rogers-Buttram wrote:They do Bend their wills to meet your request. But they are giving in to you, because you have convienced them that you will be in control. I don't think that when one of my horses walks into a trailer with the lead rope over his back and no urging from me at all, he is convinced that I am "in control" - any more than if someone opens the door to the car for me and I get in without being shoved, pulled or tapped on the butt with a whip, that I am getting in because I'm convinced that the person who has opened the door for me is "in control" of me! I'm getting in the car because I want to, because I've already agreed to (for whatever the reason might be). I assume my horses get in the trailer because they want to, because they've already agreed to do it, and not because of anything involving me and control. Maybe me and a *request*, or me and a suggestion, but not me and control. We can't know what a horse is truly thinking - we can only know that they comply for one reason or another ,and we can speculate on what they have or have not been convinced of. However, we all tend to think that horses are thinking like we do in some ways. It's a trap (or a tool) that we all get into. Whichever way, I try to be careful about putting words in a horse's mouth, so to speak. I also am aware that how we think about things ourselves strongly colors our actions and therefore our body language, and horses do read human body language well. So I try not to even think using terms of coercion. "Bending their wills", "giving in to me", "being in control" are not the sort of concepts I allow in my head. Not only does it make dealing with horses easy, when I carry that over into my relationships with people, life is easier, too. Just some observations based on my own (long time coming) experience. Everyone else is of course free to think and do what they want. ________________________________
Lif Strand fasterhorses.com
Quemado NM USA
|