As originally published in the Nov.
3rd, 2007 issue of The New Falcon
Herald
FALCON CREEK FARM NEWSLETTER
(November 2007)
BUILDING YOUR HORSE’S CONFIDENCE
I
recently went on a trail ride in the mountains with several friends. One woman
was on a young horse that had been on several previous rides and was content to
follow behind the other horses wherever they went: up hills, across streams,
under low branches and over rough terrain. The trail, however, was strewn with
fallen trees from the past winter, and the horses had to step and sometimes
jump over the logs across the trail. At the first log, the young horse came to
a dead stop.
The
log was just a little too big for him to jump over - or so he thought. It
wasn't too big; he just lacked the confidence to jump it.
The
dictionary defines confidence as the "belief in oneself and one's powers
or abilities; full trust, assurance." Many people think horses are big, tough,
fearless animals that can do anything we ask of them, and these people become
irritated by a horse that won't jump over a silly little log or cross a tiny
creek. These horses are often labeled as "bad." But such reluctance
doesn't equate to bad, lazy or stubborn - it comes from a lack of confidence.
Horses
are genetically wired with primitive survival mechanisms that have worked for
thousands of years to keep them alive. A horse's No. 1 need is safety, and when
a horse feels safe, he is confident. If a horse does not feel safe or trust his
handler to keep him from harm; he will be tense, anxious and difficult to
handle.
For
example, many horses are afraid of loading into a trailer. From a horse's point
of view; a trailer is small, dark and confining. It looks suspiciously like a
cave that could trap a horse and make him vulnerable to predators. A horse that
loads easily has gained trust and confidence in his handler and through
experience has learned that no harm will come to him in the trailer.
A
horse that tosses his head during bridling fears that his rider will hurt him
with the bit, either while having it put in his mouth or while being ridden. He
has lost confidence with the whole bridling process.
A
horse that balks at a small creek or puddle is saying, "I can't go in
there - an alligator or snake might get me!"
Creating
confidence is much easier than restoring it. If a horse hasn't been given the
chance to build confidence in relation to a task, humans increase the horse's
tension and anxiety by asking for too much, too soon. Too much pressure can
cause reactive and explosive behavior, and, once a horse has been frightened by
a situation, rebuilding confidence is difficult.
The
best way to teach a horse how to confidently jump logs on the trail is to start
at home in the arena, walking and trotting over ground poles and then
graduating to low jumps. A horse that is scared of crossing creeks may need to
start out with shallow puddles. I always tell my students to think of horses as
1,000-pound chickens. Of course, they aren't, but thinking of them in this way
helps us to understand their seemingly irrational behavior.
While
too much pressure can destroy confidence, curiosity can help build it.
Sniffing, pawing, tasting and looking are all signs of curiosity. I encourage
my horses to investigate things they are afraid of until they almost seem to
grow bored of them. It is crucially important to give a horse time so he can be
assured that no harm will come to him through curiosity.
Timing
expectations also can affect confidence. If we expect a horse to suddenly lose
his fear of crossing water or jumping into a trailer, we are asking for too
much. It may take hours, days, weeks or even months for a horse to build enough
confidence to willingly and trustfully do what you want.
The
next time you see your horse exhibit what you think is silly, over-reactive
fear or plain stubbornness; ask yourself if he lacks the confidence to try. You
may think he can do it, but it's what he thinks that really matters.
Happy Riding!!!
Comments and feedback are always welcome!
Leslie Laing @
Falcon Creek Farm
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