| Horses train themselves while hanging around in the | | | | Who cares, indeed? Well, the horse owner who does |
| pasture. No really, I'm not kidding. I've seen it happen | | | | not have all the time in the world to spend riding might |
| over and over again. A while back I rode one of my | | | | care. The person who gets easily frustrated when |
| mustang mares in a beginner reining clinic. During the | | | | their horse doesn't seem able to learn a new |
| clinic, the instructor asked: | | | | maneuver quickly might care. The person who can |
| "How does an untrained horse reverse direction when | | | | only afford to have a trainer sit on their horse once |
| at liberty?" | | | | every few months might care. |
| After we all volunteered various wrong answers, the | | | | This phenomenon of horses being able to learn by |
| instructor told us that the untrained horse will reverse | | | | themselves and integrate new moves into their |
| direction by walking in a half-circle. Specifically, he | | | | physical vocabulary with ease is important for a |
| pointed out if that if your throw a flake of hay behind | | | | number of reasons: |
| the untrained horse, he will circle back to reach he hay. | | | | 1. It lets us off the hook. |
| He will not pivot on his hind end. | | | | If the horse can learn by herself, we can just show her |
| Fascinated, I went home and watched the horses in | | | | the moves and see how far she takes it. Then when |
| my herd, and sure enough, all of them walked in | | | | she hits the end of her learning curve, we step in and |
| half-circles to change direction. | | | | do more work together. |
| Horse Training and How Horses Learn By | | | | 2. It keeps us from pushing our horses too hard. |
| Themselves | | | | When performance horses start needing hock |
| Having verified that the instructor's words were true, I | | | | injections at age 4, we are training our horses too hard. |
| returned to the next session of the reining clinic with | | | | But if we can simply bring our horses to a certain level |
| the same mare. In this session of the clinic, we taught | | | | of training and then let them wrap their minds and |
| our horses the basics of the turnaround or spin. My | | | | bodies around that knowledge by themselves, we |
| mare did not perform this maneuver well at all, despite | | | | won't push them as hard. Plus, we'll end up with |
| a great deal of effort on her part. I was a bit | | | | healthier and happier horses. |
| disappointed, but the instructor pointed out that my | | | | 3. It gives colts time to catch up with their knowledge. |
| mare did not have the correct conformation for the | | | | Around here, most trainers bring 2-year-old colts to the |
| sport and that I should not expect much from her in | | | | point that they can walk, trot, and lope in both directions |
| terms of spinning. | | | | quietly. Then they turn them out for the winter and give |
| After the clinic, I was not able to ride for several | | | | them time off. This practice works well because it |
| weeks because of rainy weather. However, I was | | | | allows the colts to process what they have learned |
| fascinated to see that my mare began to pivot on her | | | | and integrate what they have learned into their |
| hind end in the pasture when she wanted to change | | | | knowledge base. It lets colts grow up a bit between |
| direction. Instead of walking in a circle to reverse | | | | periods of horse training, and they usually emerge in |
| direction, she began planting her hind legs and moving | | | | the spring of their 3-year-old year with clear minds and |
| her front legs around. Granted, it wasn't a totally | | | | the ability to handle more knowledge. |
| correct half spin, but she doing the pivot maneuver, | | | | Horse Training Does Happen in Pasture |
| which she had never done before. Having learned a | | | | If you don't believe that horse training does happen by |
| new movement at the clinic, she immediately | | | | itself in the pasture, teach your horse a new |
| incorporated it into her daily movements at liberty. | | | | maneuver, and then observe carefully how he |
| Weeks later, when I was able to get back to riding, I | | | | behaves in pasture over the next few weeks. I've |
| was surprised that this same mare was able to | | | | seen it happen over and over, whether I teach a colt |
| perform the spin better than she did at the clinic, | | | | to trot with his neck stretched long and low, or I teach |
| despite the fact that I had not been able to ride her. | | | | a colt to back. Within a day or so, I see these new |
| She had, in fact, been practicing on her own in the | | | | moves being integrated into the horse's movements in |
| pasture. She was engaged in horse training... without | | | | pasture. The colts practice their newly learned physical |
| me! | | | | movements so that I don't have to keep drilling on it. |
| Why Is This So Important? | | | | Way cool! |
| Of course, all of this begs the question, "Who cares?" | | | | Is this your experience as well? Yes, no, maybe? |