SEPTEMBER 2012 THE RIDER /53
3 Simple Steps to Improve Your Relationship With Your Horse
By Anne Gage
Would you like to have a bet- ter relationship with your horse? Because horse people “love” their horses, they want to feel like their horses love them back. If you want unconditional love from an animal, get a dog. Humans and dogs have a more similar social organization than horses. Horses don’t want your love. They want safety and security. They need to be able to trust and respect their herd mates, and particularly the herd leader - the alpha - to provide safety for the entire herd. Here are 3 simple steps you can take to gain your horse’s respect, build the foundation for trust and become your horse’s herd leader.
1. Awareness - Develop constant awareness of yourself, your horse and your environment. In the wild, horses’ survival depends upon their level of awareness. As prey ani- mals, they need to be aware preda- tors before they are too close. The top horse in the herd is the most aware horse. Not the biggest or the strongest. The most aware of potential danger so that she can tell the rest of the herd to move. The herd communicates through body language. When the alpha horse says there is danger and it’s time to move, there is no dispute or discus- sion.
2. Boundaries - Set appropriate boundaries that tell your horse where not to go. Horses do not pull each other around, they push each other. The horse that pushes anoth- er horse into a boundary is the bet- ter horse. A horse pushed into a boundary cannot run away. Not a
good place to be for a prey animal. Use “contact” to create boundaries that tell your horse where not to go. Whether working with your horse in a halter or bridle, leading, lung- ing or riding, contact through the rope or reins creates boundaries. Respect your horse’s personal space (the head and neck) and ask that she respect yours. The alpha horse does not get bitten or kicked, pushed or blocked by any other horse in the herd. The alpha horse can go anywhere, take the best food, drinks first and all without challenge or question. If your horse nips you, threatens to lift her foot to kick or strike, pushes you with her head or shoulder, leans into you or pins her ears when you go into her stall, she is not seeing you as her trusted leader.
3. Consistency - Horse’s feel secure when the rules stay the same and they know what to expect. Whether you on the ground or in the saddle, apply the same rules every time you are with your horse. Horses are reading us as soon as they can see us not just when we are working with them. They don’t know that we don’t know their lan- guage. If we don’t make sense to them they will tune us out, push us around or be terribly insecure and flighty around us.
Riding starts with ground work. Your relationship with your horse starts the moment your horse can see you. They don’t miss a thing. In the wild, their survival depends on their level of awareness of their herd mates, their ability to communicate through body lan- guage and their awareness of their environment. If you want to devel-
op a better relationship with your horse, start applying these 3 simple steps - Awareness, Boundaries and Contact - and you will create a trusting and respectful relationship. Your horse will love you for it.
Anne Gage is a Gold Level trainer certified in the Chris Irwin method of horsemanship. She teaches adult riders to confidently work with their horses, improve their riding skills and bring the joy back into their riding experience. Her train- ing and coaching methods are based on building mutual trust & respect between horse and human. Anne coaches and trains clients out of High Point Farm near Orangeville, Ontario, Canada and also travels to other locations giv- ing one & two day clinics, work- shops and private sessions. For more information, visit her website
http://www.annegage.com
New Show
All Equine – Ontario’s Premier Equine Show
Show Dates: March 15th – 17th, 2013 Location: The Agriplex, Western Fair Dis- trict
able to bring their own horse to interact and participate during these clinics.
The spring is a busy time for Western Fair District in terms of a number of trade and consumer shows, agricultural events play a major role at this time of year. Farm Show, Junior Beef Expo and the Poultry Industry Conference and Exhibition now welcome an horse show component to the mix with Western Fair District latest foray
On the Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon of the event the Agriplex Arena will showcase the Equine Gala - Evolution of the Horse which will feature entertaining vignettes in the areas of work, sport, play and companion. As a harness-racing facility organizers look forward to incorporating a strong racing component to the show. The tradeshow aspect of the All Equine event will offer host demon- strations with booth rental and an 80 X 80 ring will be featured on the Pavilion/Tradeshow floor for demos.
Doug Mills
into agricultural programming - All Equine, March 15-17. Western Fair District is involved in many other equine related shows and our team’s experience will build another strong agricultural event that will continue to serve the organizations mandate of sup- porting the ongoing development of the agricultural industry.
The All Equine Show will feature clinics and education in our theatre style auditorium and the Agriplex Arena will play host to the event’s main headliner Clinician – Doug Mills, Horsemanship Trainer from Kamloops, BC , as well as other clinics that will have a strong pres- ence within the show. Individuals will be
A junior component is an impor- tant aspect of this new horse event and will feature previous Rodeo Event Champions working with youth in this exciting sport. Clinic instructors will include event Cham- pions like 2 time World Champion IPRA Steer Wrestler: Matt Mousseau, Canadian Champion Bareback Rider: Travis Whiteside, Bull Riding Champion: Luke McCoug. Alberta/National High School past champion, Goat Tying, Pole Bending, and Breakaway Roping – Dusti Whiteside. Juniors will compete on Friday evening in the Western Fair District Jr. Showdown Competition. This will encompass juniors from all Rodeo events.
Bilyea Consignment Horse & Tack Auction
OCTOBER 19 - 20, 2012
ILDERTON AGRI-PLEX, ILDERTON, ON. 195 King Street, Ilderton, ON N0M 2A0
Friday 7:00 p.m. - Tack 9:30 p.m. - 25 Head of Horses Saturday 9:30 a.m. - Tack 12:00 p.m. - 125 Horses and Trailers
Large indoor & outdoor rings Stalls for 100 head under cover
CONSIGNMENT FEES:
Horses & Trailers: $50 Entry Fee. 8% Commission on Sales. Tack: 20% Commission per item on sales up to $100. 15% per item on sales over $100.
BOOKINGS OPEN SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2011 COMMISSION MUST BE PAID ON ALL TRANSACTIONS
34756 Granton Line, RR #1, Granton, Ontario N0M 1V0
NELSON & KATHY BILYEA (519) 225-2130
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