Praise Your Horses Don't Beat Them
Why were the riders at Wilson College beating their horses?
A few years ago, I had an opportunity to work with the OPRC, also known as the Equestrians of Fine Vintage at their annual riding camp at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA.
Riders were split up into several small group sessions. We worked on a variety of exercises including warm up stretches, our 12 step program, preparatory commands, transitions and lateral movements. Time after time I was excited to celebrate the horses' willingness to try and their improvements. But when I would yell “praise him” the horses were slapped on their necks. Of course, not one single rider meant any harm to the horse; in their minds, they were praising the horse for a job well done.
Horses would much rather be rubbed then slapped or scratched. If you want to say, "Good Job, I'm proud of you, trust me, relax, you are Ok," then rub the horse in front of his withers or on his face in the direction the hair goes very slowly. Then watch his eye soften, his head drop and his mouth lick and chew. When a horse is slapped, he is startled, the head comes up, he muscles up and the eyes get big. Most horses get used to it and become desensitized, but they still don't hear what we meant to say, which is, "Good job buddy, thank you so much for your efforts."
One very large handsome gelding literally gave an award winning performance over some very large fences, but when he was finished, he was slapped. His expression immediately went from "Look what I did Mom?" to a very startled "What did I do wrong?" Fortunately for him and for me watching, he was quickly relieved to hear his Mom's kind words of reassurance and praise.
Horses are very sensitive not only to our touch but also our body language. We've all heard that a horse can tell when you are afraid. Of course, they can also tell when they are with a confident, trustworthy and respectable leader. They can sense it through our body language. A confident leader stands tall, eyes up and forward and knows exactly when, where and what they want to do. A trustworthy leader is consistent and always uses the preparatory commands. A respectable leader is always honest and communicates to the horses in a language he can understand, like rubbing him instead of slapping.
Horses that spook, are barn or buddy sour, or won't load on a trailer are lacking good leadership. A horse is a herd animal. In the herd someone is in charge and everyone else follows. You see this a lot on trail rides. The leader is in front and all the other horses follow not knowing or caring where they are going. They know that it is the leader's responsibility to pick the path and keep them safe. The leader tells the herd where they are going, when they are going and how fast they are going there. Most horses are content to be the follower and let someone else be in charge. Those are the horses that are considered to be easy to train. Others are more of the army general type or think they are the boss. These are the horses that are more difficult to train.
So, why were the riders at Wilson College beating their horses? Well, actually they weren't. I just said that to get your attention, so hopefully more horses will actually hear "good job" today. Next question: How many times do we mean to say one thing but the horse actually hears something totally different?
Terry Peiper, CSE
Saddlefit 4 Life Certified Saddle Ergonomist
Richard Shrake Accredited Instructor/Trainer
American Riding Instructors Association Certified Instructor
Since I wrote this article I have noticed that some other people also agree with my theory.
Temple Grandin wrote in her book, Animals in Translation "people don't realize that you have to stroke animals, not pet them. They don't like to be petted. You have to stroke them the way the mother's tongue licks them.
On The Horse Show with Rick Lamb, Rick says "Horses are not big dogs. They don't like to be patted or slapped, even though most will tolerate a certain amount of that. The best way to pet a horse is to stroke, rub, or gently scratch him, and until you get to know him, it's best to first pet him on his neck."
Cherry Hill wrote in her book, How To Think Like A Horse "In general, horses like to be rubbed, not tickled or slapped. They enjoy being rubbed on their forehead, neck, withers, back, croup, and chest."
A few years ago, I had an opportunity to work with the OPRC, also known as the Equestrians of Fine Vintage at their annual riding camp at Wilson College in Chambersburg, PA.
Riders were split up into several small group sessions. We worked on a variety of exercises including warm up stretches, our 12 step program, preparatory commands, transitions and lateral movements. Time after time I was excited to celebrate the horses' willingness to try and their improvements. But when I would yell “praise him” the horses were slapped on their necks. Of course, not one single rider meant any harm to the horse; in their minds, they were praising the horse for a job well done.
Horses would much rather be rubbed then slapped or scratched. If you want to say, "Good Job, I'm proud of you, trust me, relax, you are Ok," then rub the horse in front of his withers or on his face in the direction the hair goes very slowly. Then watch his eye soften, his head drop and his mouth lick and chew. When a horse is slapped, he is startled, the head comes up, he muscles up and the eyes get big. Most horses get used to it and become desensitized, but they still don't hear what we meant to say, which is, "Good job buddy, thank you so much for your efforts."
One very large handsome gelding literally gave an award winning performance over some very large fences, but when he was finished, he was slapped. His expression immediately went from "Look what I did Mom?" to a very startled "What did I do wrong?" Fortunately for him and for me watching, he was quickly relieved to hear his Mom's kind words of reassurance and praise.
Horses are very sensitive not only to our touch but also our body language. We've all heard that a horse can tell when you are afraid. Of course, they can also tell when they are with a confident, trustworthy and respectable leader. They can sense it through our body language. A confident leader stands tall, eyes up and forward and knows exactly when, where and what they want to do. A trustworthy leader is consistent and always uses the preparatory commands. A respectable leader is always honest and communicates to the horses in a language he can understand, like rubbing him instead of slapping.
Horses that spook, are barn or buddy sour, or won't load on a trailer are lacking good leadership. A horse is a herd animal. In the herd someone is in charge and everyone else follows. You see this a lot on trail rides. The leader is in front and all the other horses follow not knowing or caring where they are going. They know that it is the leader's responsibility to pick the path and keep them safe. The leader tells the herd where they are going, when they are going and how fast they are going there. Most horses are content to be the follower and let someone else be in charge. Those are the horses that are considered to be easy to train. Others are more of the army general type or think they are the boss. These are the horses that are more difficult to train.
So, why were the riders at Wilson College beating their horses? Well, actually they weren't. I just said that to get your attention, so hopefully more horses will actually hear "good job" today. Next question: How many times do we mean to say one thing but the horse actually hears something totally different?
Terry Peiper, CSE
Saddlefit 4 Life Certified Saddle Ergonomist
Richard Shrake Accredited Instructor/Trainer
American Riding Instructors Association Certified Instructor
Since I wrote this article I have noticed that some other people also agree with my theory.
Temple Grandin wrote in her book, Animals in Translation "people don't realize that you have to stroke animals, not pet them. They don't like to be petted. You have to stroke them the way the mother's tongue licks them.
On The Horse Show with Rick Lamb, Rick says "Horses are not big dogs. They don't like to be patted or slapped, even though most will tolerate a certain amount of that. The best way to pet a horse is to stroke, rub, or gently scratch him, and until you get to know him, it's best to first pet him on his neck."
Cherry Hill wrote in her book, How To Think Like A Horse "In general, horses like to be rubbed, not tickled or slapped. They enjoy being rubbed on their forehead, neck, withers, back, croup, and chest."
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