SABLE’S STORY, The ‘Hot-Cold’ Horse (3) Introducing Work In Hand With The Touchier Whip
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video, Sable and I will show you how introducing a horse to work in hand and the gentle, basic use of the touchier whip can be a wonderful way to invite a shut-down horse to come out of their proverbial shell. The horse’s minimal responses to the light touch of the guidance tool of the touchier (touch) whip are especially important when one suspects that the horse might previously have been subjected to some heavy-handed training methods which might have caused them to withdraw from an open two-way communication with their handler/rider. Being instantly rewarded for the slightest movement of a leg that is being touched instills hope and will gradually rebuild a horse's trust that they are being treated as a meaningful partner.
I’d like to say a bit more about the reasons why horses’ resistant or non-compliant behaviors are often misinterpreted as lazy, stubborn, dull or otherwise adversarial responses to their riders’ attempts to work with them.
Horses shut down or ‘turn inward’ because they have learned that, regardless of their attempts to figure out what is being asked of them, they cannot succeed and the infliction of pain or discomfort cannot be escaped. Harsh training measures, disregard of health issues and/or pain-inducing equipment often cause the horses to go into a state of ‘learned helplessness.’ In human psychology, this term describes ‘a state that occurs after a person has experienced a stressful situation repeatedly. They believe that they are unable to control or change the situation, so they do not try, even when opportunities for change are available.’*
Just like humans, horses can no longer properly process information when an overload of stress, discomfort and/or pain inhibits their brain to follow instruction in a calm and logical manner. When a horse is stressed and goes into fight, flight or freeze mode people often don’t know how or don’t have the patience to sort out the situation peacefully. This is inhumane and unacceptable as the horse’s ability to understand, trust and grow is stunted which, with a bit of patience and willingness to learn on the human’s side, could so easily be avoided.
In the first few videos of this series, you will hear me say that I’d like Sable to come out of her shell. The shell will only open up when the horse feels safe to behave in a way that doesn’t elicit punishment in the form of stress or pain. So, in my experience, I can’t rush things. I can’t think that this horse should know/do something already because she/he has been trained to a certain level. I have to basically start over and help the horse understand the new rules of engagement which we will explore together in slow, positive and peaceful manners. New neuronal pathways will have to be formed if we want to help the horse to become a hopeful, joyful and eventually jubilant partner in our riding endeavors.
In this context, the following questions will be addressed in this video:
1. What role does the touchier whip play when I communicate with my ‘less-than-interested’ horse?
2. How can I invite my horse to regain interest and come out her proverbial shell on the ground?
3. Why is it important to have friendly micro-agreements with my ‘shut-down’ horse?
You may like to watch these videos:
SABLE’S STORY, The 'Hot Cold' Horse (1) Introduction: A New Start For Sable - • SABLE’S STORY, The 'Ho... )
SABLE’S STORY, The ‘Hot-Cold’ Horse (2) Inviting Sable To Stretch Forward-Downward On The Lunge Line - • SABLE’S STORY, The ‘Ho...
Thank you for watching! :)
PS: Get your free Arena Pattern Guide at www.katjaelk.c....
* What is Learned Helplessness? www.medicalnew...
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Horse: Sable , 6 year-old mare, Oldenburg; Background: Bred and lovingly raised by owner; ongoing health issues, some of them severe, including botulism as a foal; 2 years in hunter/jumper training; currently in training with me due to behavioral problems and to create a basic Dressage foundation; Temperament (0 being extremely calm/laid-back, 10 being highly excitable/hot): between 2-8 (hot-cold). Personality: Kind, highly sensitive, dominant, intelligent, big heart.
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Note: Viewers should consult a professional before adopting any of the training techniques shown in this video. Any activity you do with your horse is at your own risk and may produce varied results.
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California-based Dressage trainer, instructor, clinician and life coach, Katja Elk, provides gentle training solutions for riders and horses of all backgrounds. Additionally, Katja, a Martha Beck certified master life coach, works with people who are looking for relief from anxiety, depression and/or other challenges in their lives.
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Music by lemonmusicstudio from Pixabay
Loved this, so great! Small steps are so underrated and yet they are the building blocks for our horses. God bless you and your family! 💕
Thank you so much for your kind comment! You are exactly right, it's the small, gentle steps that make sense to the horses and that will help them to learn without stress or fear. Blessings to you, too!
God bless you, Katja! Thankyou for your detailed description in notes. So important that we really understand how we affect our horses. They are so receptive and we can be so crude. I wish I had learned your methods a lot younger. But Mariah and I love you now for what you are doing for us! Beautiful Sable and her family will grow and flourish under your wonderful work! Hugs from us southeast Georgia 🐎 💕
Thank you so much, Beth, for your kind, compassionate feedback! I'm so glad to know that you and Mariah are finding my videos helpful. Always great to connect with like-minded spirits! Hugs to you both! :)
Another great video ❤, thanks so much for posting. Loved how you showed where to use the touchier whip - I'm currently struggling to ask the outside hind leg to take a step forward (e.g. when working on the left rain, myself in front position, asking the right hindleg to take a step forward). I noticed you changed to the other side of Sable to ask for this. Very helpful is you showing how to introduce lateral movements & you stressing the importance of taking breaks in between - really like your kind approach to training ❤.
Thank you so much for your positive feedback, Elizabeth! I'm so glad that my slow but steady process resonates with you and others who are using and/or looking for gentle, effective training methods. I never think it's too slow, but I know how many horses are overwhelmed by what is generally expected and accepted as a 'normal' training regimen. I'm sure your horse is grateful for your thoughtful work.