Training tips from Jason McInnes:
Holding your horse in the past
The most valuable charactistic that the horse can offer us in terms of training, is the ability to forgive us. The horse will recognize when our behavior changes and will adapt to it on a daily basis. These charactistics in the horse enables us to make mistakes in our learning journey, but lucky for us, the horse doesn't hold a grudge.
We've all heard of horses with head shy issues and not being able to get a halter on them or specific fears like spookiness. If we are aware of it, we have a responsibility to help them get over it. These issues for us all have lasting effects on us mentally, emotionally and physically.
They don't just get over these issues over night and we shouldn't think for a moment that the horse has forgotten about those experiences either. The horse is adapting to new conditions the owner or trainer is presenting to them. As the conditions become more consistent, the horse doesn't hold the past against us even if they were in an uneducated environment.
If the owner or educator can change their habits and way of thinking, the horse can move on and not be held in the past. If we reflect a little more and listen to the signals our horses are giving us, shaping their future will become a rewarding experience.
"Keep an open mind when shaping your horse's future."
~
Jason McInnes Jo with her ponies
