I have recently stopped going to my former trainer, and am in the process of getting a new one. I would like to pursue non-violent training techniques. The one thing I hear from my trainer a lot is "Horses are like children. They make mistakes, and they have to be reprimanded." She says every horse will try to get away with things if you don't keep them in line. Her techniques definitely work and the horses listen to her. In fact, I've never felt safer around horses in my life, but i feel there is something missing. Her horses are like soldiers. They do exactly what they are told, but they do not WANT to. I want a working relationship with my horse. I have recently purchased a young horse, and am eager to do Join-Up with her. So, all that to say this. . .
If you are practicing Monty's techniques EFFECTIVELY, will your horse try to "get away with things?"
If so, how do you reprimand them?
Here is an example I experienced while with my trainer.
Say you have a very experienced, trail horse who as been standing tied for years with no problems. Nothing happens. It's very quiet outside. She definitely knows better, but she sits down on her rope, breaks it, and runs off. Could she have done that just because she felt like it? If so, how do you reprimand a horse in a non-violent way. Are there ever situations where you should need to reprimand a horse?
In my experience, horse have reasons for doing everything, they don't think like humans. Any problem I've ever had with a horse, some people may call naughty, I've always found a reason for it. Might be a simple thing like she got bit by a bee last time she was tied up so this time she decided she wasn't hanging around for that to happen again. It may have been something like that. Try to think outside the square, like a horse, not a person! If I start having troubles I've not had in the past I go back to the basic ground work schooling and fix it that way. Reprimanding (hitting or growling) generally only builds a fear in the horse. Ignoring bad behaviour, repeating the work until you get the correct response and then praising for it gets a much longer standing learning in the horse... or so I've always found! I use work as a reprimand more than anything else. A good example is if you've got a nappy horse that likes to rush back to the yard after a ride, make him work, small circles, work work work closer to the yard. Stop, walk further away from the yard and dismount there. They soon learn that rushing home only means more work!! hope this helps!
Thanks for the insight indi! Helped a lot.
Excellent Indi!
When I was reading Alexis' example of a negative behavior, I was reminded of Monty's P.I.C.N.I.C. Positive instant consequences and negative instant consequences. The 'reprimand' (work) should be immediate if the horse is to relate it to the undesirable behavior such as running back to the barn.
Running back to the barn...
Now she's good but my mare was very long to get that lesson. Well it wasn't that long to teach her to stay calm wen she's by herself but wen we have another carriage going back to the barn in front or behind us she gets all excited and she's hard to calm down. I've made a lot of U turns in front of the stable saying no your not going to walk in all excited like that let's go back again until you'll walk in calm. She's still like that wen the other horse start the excitement but now if the other horse goes to the other stable I can calm her and if the other horse is calm she stays calm to and it's already a huge improvement. It's important for me that she wont loose energy for no reason. Like I've just said now it's a lot better but this was my major problem with my horse for a long time.
Sometimes I was going back to the stables because I was feeling she was to tired to continue even if I wanted to stay and then just because she would she a carriage in front of her she would try to run. The worst is that wen I dont let her run and keep her walking she walk slower than her regular pace but spending almost as much energy as if she was running. If I do let her run a bit to catch up then we get stuck behind a slower horse and I need to "drive on the break" all the way to the stables. Because if she passes the other carriage she's going to try to run again just because she knows about the other horse behind. Now she's better on that to. Today if I let her put a little distance I can calm her back. Before it was impossible to bring her back and it was a fight to keep her from trotting until the end.
Today I'm happy about the progress she made but it made me furious about her a few times. I know, I understand why she does it. It's the other side that goes with her best quality. She doesn't see her own limits and she's always willing. But that's exactly why I dont want her to spend her energy like that wen I do all my best to save her energy all the time.
Anyway it didn't happend very often and I haven't been violent on her but she really got me mad with that a few time because it was very hard on my patiente and I hate to feel like that about her she's such a good horse.
I know this probably doesn't really help you more Alexis but I felt like sharing the expérience.
But I also think your former trainer was right in one point. Horses are like children and like for the children as adults we should find other ways to teach them with re-enforcement it always works better then with punishment and specially not physical punishment it's never the good answer and always can be avoid.
But we also need to supervise them and let the kids or the horses do what they want isn't the solution either, that's also true it even can get dangerous.