Finding and working through resistance.
Whether you are working with your first horse or have worked with many horses you will quickly realize that a big aspect of training your own horse means drawing out resistance so that we can work through it and therefore produce better results utilizing a step by step approach. At Pearson Equine LLC we like to break down each training session so that both the horse and horse owner can easily develop an understanding.
Alright I bet your wondering how can we find resistance in our horse? We find resistance by asking the horse to perform a task based on our cue followed by reward. But what if the horse dosn’t understand the cue? This is when the training begins, you have found resistance due to the horses lack of understanding. Resistance is described as the refusal to accept or comply, an attempt to prevent movement by creating opposition or difficulty. This can apply to all forms of training at all levels but remember it is our job as trainers to remove all frustration by taking a step backwards, that’s right taking a step back to identify contributing factors.
One of the most common contributing factors when working with horses is simply fear. So it is is up to us to immediately reflect on what went wrong and make a new plan on how we can minimize resistance while still progressing forward.
What if I asked my horse to perform a movement under saddle and I feel the horse tense up? We can even look at tension in our horses bodies as a form of resistance that we need to help them work through. This is why we often want to remove all tension from our horses with a warm up session before we begin applying our training techniques to get the horse to relax and remain comfortable throughout each session while still maintaining both drive and forward movement.
When starting horses under saddle during our groundwork sessions, standing in the cross ties, in the stall with a lead rope and halter on, and with our general handling we are often working through resistance in the simplistic form. By utilizing things such rubbing the horse down with your hands looking for high tension areas to arise and working through the tension until the muscles relax from their contracted state. Lifting their feet both up and back, but also forward allowing your extra hand to support the horses leg to allow the leg to stretch without over extending it. Try standing off to one side and work with the horses tail moving it up and down and side to side. Are you feeling tension or relaxation? Will your horse lower softly lower his head? Can you feel flexion at the pole? How about asking the horse to flex at the neck? Will the horse bend at the rib and move away from pressure? Can you elevate the ribs and engage your horses back? The more we can prepare our horses for training by removing hypertension in their body, the easier the training session will become for both you and your horse.
Now it is important that we understand that working through resistance is not a bad thing, in fact it is required in training. Working through resistance helps establish a bond of trust, respect, understanding. It is also how we help our horses to physically develop. As we work through resistance we are helping the horse mentally establish an acceptable response to our cues, but did you know that this has a physical impact on our horses as well?
Resistance training helps your horses body develop and prepares them for a rider by building and maintaining muscles mass, bone density, improved metabolism, and even reduces anxiety! So with each training session that we put forth a conscious effort towards our goals, we are progressing with our horse. As we are working with our horses we want to always be sure that we are part of the solution and look towards ourselves to what we can do different by utilizing good techniques and minimizing any triggering reactions from our horses.
As we look around the arena we want to increase our awareness. It is important that we realize that progress must be gradual and slightly increasing as we deal with resistance. We do this by breaking down any old patterns and creating new patterns by seeing signs of any issue that arises. Any resistance to the new patterns is because of a resistance of change based on your horses old patterns.
Working through a horses resistance gives us the opportunity to find ways always make them feel safe and comfortable by using a respectful approach. We may be helping them through a previous traumatic experience, environmental changes, changes in movement, dealing with applied pressure, better response timing to our cues, even issues with physical abilities. Working through resistance is a positive thing, it welcomes new behaviors and creates engagement. Remember the horse does not want to resist, they just are lacking a developed understanding.
Are you struggling with through resistance with either yourself or your horse? Be sure to take advantage of a helping hand by visiting the services page on our website.
