–Kathy Bennett-Mann
To capture the horse’s attention is the hinge to the door of training. It’s pretty easy to assume the horse is listening but many times his mind is on something completely different; and if he’s not listening, he’s not in tune with what you are asking him to do.If you put your leg into the horse’s side, you should get some sort of response (an ear rotation toward you, movement, flexion, or softness). Even if he doesn’t know how to react, he should at least give you his attention. A horse who looks away or ignores your contact is not ready for training and it’s important to get their attention back before proceeding.
A good indicator to a listening horse is when he turns his ear toward you. It is a subtle acknowledgment and one to watch for. I’m not talking about him ‘staring at you with his ears’, but the moment when he turns it toward you – even for a brief moment. It is in that moment that you soften and then proceed with the lesson.
Another aspect to training is that the horse must see some relevance. What’s in it for the horse? Why is it important to him to try to figure it out? After all, wouldn’t he rather be out in a field somewhere up to his knees in fresh grass.
The horse acknowledges you with his ears, eyes, and body angles.
In asking for the horse’s attention, begin as light and subtle as possible and give him a chance to respond. But if he doesn’t, increase the pressure until he acknowledges you. When you have his attention, soften up and start the lesson over.
Young horses, especially, need to be taught to pay attention (in short doses that relate to their maturity).
The horse is seeking comfort and relief from pressure. In the training process, this is what matters to him. Many times, we think of training in terms of applying pressure, but the horse is thinking in terms of relief from pressure. When we switch gears and think in terms of the horse’s relief, the horse finds the connection and feels rewarded when he responds. His desire, then, to figure out what you want increases because he knows there is a release somewhere and he will look for it.
Then there is confidence. Confidence affects the horse’s sense of try, willingness to learn, and his commitment to an action (which gives the action power). In training, confidence is developed through consistent and clearly defined cues and rewards, experience with success, and enough time to learn and practice the skill.
And finally, the horse’s satisfaction (comfort) happens when everything works together and he listens, feels comfortable and confident, and is able to do the work he is asked to do.
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