10/ NOVEMBER 2022 THE RIDER


Pro and Non-Pro Reiner Article Series Wait on the Horse


“We usually have two op- tions with horses: We can either give them time to think or wish we had.” Mark Rashid


One of the biggest les-


sons we need to learn in training horses is to wait on them. Waiting on the horse means giving the horse the opportunity to process what we are asking of him and let him make a choice. When you first start training the young ones they are learn- ing, everything is new; they need to be shown what we want them to do and get the release when they do it, so they know they got the right answer. Over time as the horse


gets more familiar with the training, and confident that he can get the answer right, we need to give the horse a chance to make a decision - we don’t micromanage his every move – we don’t con- stantly tell or babysit him in his actions. It is our job to create


the path of least resistance for that horse to learn and to choose, and the choices need to be clear. Horses learn through repetition and small things learned develop in to bigger things. During the training process, we hu- mans can over-complicate things, asking too much; all at once, too soon and creat-


ing an obstacle course for the horse instead of the un- complicated path of least re- sistance! The path often is not


clear and confusing for him, and he doesn’t always know when he gets the answer right because the release isn’t there, just more ask


from the trainer. We may add more re-


sistance by injecting our emotional state of mind dur- ing this process, because frustration starts where knowledge ends. In turn the horse senses and becomes a reflection of that state of emotion which can rattle us


even more, and it becomes a spiral of negative emotional reactions. In today’s fast paced,


instant gratification world, we forget to tune into and work at the horse’s pace, we are often so wrapped up with that hustle and bustle, the hurry and rush feeling which, when we think about it, we know has no place in horse training. Each horse is different,


just like we are. Each horse deserves and needs a pro- gram designed and adjusted for him to learn the best. Some trainers train only one way, ‘my way’ and many horses fail to fit the program and the trainer considers the horse no good. Some horses are pushed too far too fast; some clients are impressed with the trainer who can get their horse trained up the quickest. And those horses are often the ones who end up hurt, with a short career and a lifetime of lameness and ailments afterwards. Some horses


pushed because they have the papers to do a certain job – but that doesn’t mean a thing if the horse does not enjoy the job he is ‘sup- posed’ to do. Like forcing someone who loves work- ing outdoors to sit at a desk and do IT all day, a horse forced to do a job he hates will not be happy. Moving too fast in a


horse’s training we can hurt the horse, both physically and mentally, because the horse is not now a willing partner but a subjugated an- imal responding either be-


cause of fear or has been drilled so hard in certain movements he becomes ro- botic. These horses have considerable holes in their foundation work which will surface somewhere down the line. In the long run, the


are shortest route to a happy and


healthy horse is taking your time, and waiting on the horse. Because if you don’t, you’ll wish you had. —————


Pro and Non-Pro arti-


cles written by Jen Jonas of Jonas Performance Horses (Pro) and Sharon Jones of


Be A Better You (Non-Pro). Together, they are J&J Rein- ing Inc. Both Jen and Sharon


are believers in continual learning – if you’re not learning you’re not grow- ing.


Shari Irwin


2022 Judges Committee (905) 440-5941


Kelly Lehman Secretary: Kit Bartle


(519) 807-2660 (519) 732-0263


Website: www.whao.org 2022 Sr. Judges


Cally Jo Fritz 21 Taylor Blvd., Elliot Lake, ON P5A 3H5 H: (226) 289-8563, C: (519) 280-8169 Email: callygene@gmail.com


Shari Irwin 166 Gleasons Corner Road, Castleton, ON K0K 1M0. (905) 349-1092, Cell (905) 440-5941 shari_irwin@hotmail.com


Jamie Kuhl 899 10th St. W., Owen Sound, ON N4K 3S3 H: (226) 909-1447. C: (647) 290-6093 jamie@archlines .ca Kelly Lehman 895893 Oxford Rd. 3,, Drumbo, ON N0J 1G0 C: (519) 807-2660. E: maddavery@gmail.com


Anne Marinacci 65 Swayze Court, Smithville, ON L0R 2A0 905-957-5619


Kris Simpson 711 Middletown Rd., RR #2, Waterdown, ON L8B 1P7 (519) 831-7922 richlandshowhorses@gmail.com


Don Stauffer 9626 Wellington Rd. 14, P.O. Box 16, Conn, ON N0G 1N0 (226) 258-9206, Cell (519) 604-8864 thestauffers48@gmail.com


Robyn Storey 6-120 Dudhope Ave., Cambridge, ON N1R 4T7 (519) 620-9015, Cell: (519) 841-3934, gatorrocks@hotmail.com


Brenda Thompson 284 Whitmore Dr., Waterloo, ON N2K 2N5 (519) 884-4050, Cell (519) 577-7320 bmctearnen@yahoo.ca


Mike Tucker 1581 Maple St. N., R.R. #4, Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0 (905) 892-5610, Cell (905) 984-1581 m.tucker@hotmail.ca


Inactive Judges John Ward


Celebrating 69 Years! Jr. Judges


Dave Black 36 Woodhouse Ave., Port Dover, ON N0A 1G0 C: 905 921 0359 Email: diamondbquarterhorses@gmail.com


Lorie Duff H; 613 867-0776, C: 613 867 0776 Email: dufflorie@yahoo.com


Erin Fawcett 9 Strong Court,Brantford, ON N3R 7Y4 C: (519) 754-3526, H: (519) 753-0757 Email: efawcett78@hotmail.com


Erin O’Drowsky 253 James St. N., St. Mary’s, ON N4X 1A5 H: (519) 284-0684, C: (226) 377-0244 Email: eodrowsk@gmail.com


email: shari_irwin@hotmail.com email: maddavery@gmail.com email: drumbolady@hotmail.ca


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