Re: RC: LONG!! What "Natural" Horsemanship is to me...

[sweety@nni.com]

Hmmm, to me this just sounds like good horsemanship! {And yes, I'm one of
those that just gets irked by the term 'natural' preceding 'horsemanship'}
Agree wholeheartedly with 99% of this - the 1% being, of course, the term.
Even though you are using methods similar to the ones horses use on each
other, it is not 'natural' unless you are another horse. It is good
horsemanship, though. But then, perhaps I just desire too much precision in
language {Silly me! This is *english* after all!}.
Again, great description of good horsemanship - if I market a line of horse
training products and books, could I convince you to simply call it 'good
horsemanship'? 
just nitpicking, and all in fun...you can call it whatever you like as long
as you're doing right by the horse and yourself...
~Shere {who shall henceforth be known to promote the methods you describe,
which will be called GOOD horsemanship, retail products to follow, pricey
demonstrations on the way, and shortly I will proclaim that I am not only
the first but best at these methods and will conveniently ignore the fact
that they've existed since Xenophon}


>Gee, folks, I hate it when I start sounding like a staunch advocate for
>any one training regimen, but I have to open up my silly mouth and
>clarify what NH is for me.
>
>I advocate what makes sense and is effective for me. Unfortunately the
>whole story can't be told in a few lines of email, or I'd do it. Am I up
>to more than a few hundred lines on NH?? A few thousand? 
>
>Horses "naturally" communicate by kicking, biting, ramming and shoving
>each other with very strong forceful moves. They are also very loyal 
>and affectionate to each other, building patterns of accommodating 
>behavior that cements their bonds as a herd.
>
>NH (Natural Horsemanship) is based on communicating with a horse in 
>the language they understand and respect. It has to be strong enough 
>to demand respect, but has to accommodate the horses need to be accepted 
>by a leader. The whole technique is built on attaining and retaining 
>respect and validating the hierarchy between horse and rider. There is 
>a lot of talk about prey / predator relationships with NH, but for me 
>it all amounts to respect and appreciation.
>
>How tough are horses on each other when disrespect is implied? Brutal. 
>I have evidence in my pasture! Kadance and Gavilan get tons of 
>attention, and a 3 YO stallion here, Roar, despises them. Roar adores 
>attention, only gets it from me, is isolated from other horses because 
>he's an aggressive stallion who hasn't been trained to behave around 
>horses. I want to change that, but he has a fractured shoulder, 
>gotten by ramming stalls in frustration... 
>
>I'm his only friend. I unfortunately spend more time with my own horses 
>than I can with Roar, and he sees it. He's great with other horses when 
>I'm around because I'm tough on him if he's not. When I'm not there? 
>He's a stallion that hasn't been trained. A TB race horse that can't 
>be sent to the track because of his problem with other horses.
>
>My boys escaped their pasture to raid the barn on Tuesday... bucket
>burglars! I have NO clue how they got out! They didn't get into the 
>barn, but while eating the grass outside Roars paddock, they angered 
>him and he broke out (re-fracturing his shoulder), and whopped both of 
>them, gnawing Kadance to hamburger. Kadance is 3 hands shorter and 
>700 pounds lighter, a Napoleon-complex pony, and was raw skin and 2 in.
> deep contusions everywhere... he looked horrible! Gav got away with 
>a few lacerations, and will be at Castle Rock this weekend. The next 
>day Kadance was fine. He's very tender, but fine. Horses are so tough 
>in some ways, and so delicate in others.
>
>The point is, "Natural" isn't "Soft", and Mother Nature isn't nice when
>she's dis'ed by the kids. When a horse disrespects a stallion or alpha
>mare, that horse will get retribution.
>
>That is "natural".
>
>NH is "talking" with the horse in terms they comprehend and respect.
>Communication is verbal and physical, and for the most part, involves a
>great deal of kindness & infrequent physical discipline. The discipline
>is there, it *is* stern, and it's delivery is assertively prompt. Horses
>appreciate swift and stern discipline... if you are strong enough to 
>lead justly, they're safe following you!
>
>Horses engaged in dominance battles aren't tentative. When a horse does
>something dangerous - disrespect to a human is dangerous - I react
>appropriately. That is the NH way. Set them up to do the right thing,
>and don't tolerate more than an alpha horse would tolerate. They have to
>respect you. Without absolute respect, they won't trust, and without
>trust and respect, they won't obey unless it's convenient or easy. Gav
>doesn't behave just because I give him buckets! I'm powerful enough for
>him to depend on, the most powerful entity in his life. That's the key.
>They aren't humans, and don't have the same priorities. I can save his
>butt - when I'm around!!! Kadance saved it on Tuesday.
>
>Those gentle looking rope halters are sold for training with a bull snap
>lead rope that has leather poppers on the end. You get a horses
>attention from either end. When the rope is flipped solidly while
>holding the end, the bull snap can whop the horse in the face. The
>popper on the other end is a noisy thing when swung in a circle, but
>stings if it lands. If abused, yacht rope lays a welt almost like a bull
>whip. These are corrections only made when absolutely necessary, just
>like the appropriate use of a crop. Usually the rope is wiggled, as a
>crop is shown or used to tap. If you use the right timing and are
>consistent, forceful corrections seldom necessary. Like a crop, the bull
>snap training rope can cause a lot of pain, and can be misused.
>
>NH halters are thin and strong; a solid yank on them is a strong
>correction. They have knots on the nose band that are used to influence
>the horse laterally, encourage give. They can be very mild and very
>gentle, but are influential enough that I'll ride almost any horse
>I know in one... the exception is a horse that doesn't bend; the "Whoa
>of last resort" in a halter is a lateral maneuver. 
>
>Successful NH trainers don't hesitate to make a stern correction when
>it's called for. There's a strings of words along the line of "ask,
>promise, deliver". When asking a horse to back up on the end of a line,
>I snake the end of the rope very slightly (the ask), then I swing it
>once or twice with more emphasis (the promise), and if a miracle occurs
>and my horse isn't offering to back, they get a bop with the bull snap
>(I deliver). I'm always fair and set them up to be successful, queue
>them to expect a request of some sort, so if they aren't responding,
>they are blowing me off. They know better and don't do it.
>
>NH methods set the horse up to understand what's being asked, and make
>it easy for them to do the right thing, hard to do the wrong thing. It's
>soft training when the horse is soft, hard when the horse is hard. It's
>a way of training the horse to willingly do the right thing, to not
>resist.
>
>Set the horse up for success, and give them freedom to make a the
>choice, because if you don't let them be wrong, you can't train them to
>make the right choices without constant guidance.
>
>It isn't perfect!!! Far from it. It's a tool. That's all. A tool. A fine
>craftsman can do great things with it. I'm a serious hobbyist. I'm only
>fond of the tools because of what I can do with them. A well trained
>horse is my objective, not adeptness with the tools used to train. Call
>it what you want, it can work.
>
>I'm not a zealot, not precise with it. It's fun for me. I use other
>stuff too. For me, NH *IS* natural, it's how I'm most effective with
>horses. The word "natural" may annoy some folks, but is appropriate for
>me.
>
>  -- Linda
>
>-- 
>
>
>  Linda Cowles    
>  Lion Oaks Ranch  
>  Gilroy CA
>
>
>
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~Shere
			    



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