Running Before You can Walk or the Importance of Groundwork

Nothing more than a Monkey on the Back of a Horse ...
or the Importance of Groundwork
by Gwenyth Browning Jones Santagate, MA Lic Equine Specialist

Help! What can I do? Tzar is great under saddle most of the time but he has these unpredictable fits! Mostly when I'm asking him to go away from the barn. Why does he do this? It's like he doesn't even know I'm on his back!

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Lucy is the most wonderful horse. I mean, like, we have this great relationship except when she decides she doesn't want to go where I want her to go. Then she tries to rear and spin and bolt or buck me off. I've had her checked for any physical problem so it isn't that. But what is it? How can I fix this?

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Charlie is an awesome horse. He's always running up to me for food and loves to rub his head the entire length of my body. Sometimes, though, he won't quit and he almost knocks me over. Then he won't listen to me on the leadrope. He'll barge right by me and I'm not strong enough to outpull him. What can I do?

These questions are like many of the questions I receive from horse owners and riders both on the web and in person. People who honestly love their horses and think the world of them. But ... there's always the "but". Truthfully I have to say that ,barring any physical or equipment problem, the basis for these challenges lies in the relationship between the horse and the person. Because horses can be nothing more or less than a horse, the responsibility for the behavior rests on the shoulders of the human. Horse cannot willingly change their "attitudes" but people can. Horses can be motivated to change their attitudes ... with help from the person. But they simply cannot just make up their minds to change their attitudes. Horses don't think that way nor are they created that way. The responsibility for the manner in which the horse will behave under saddle or in hand rests entirely up to the human's capabilities to adapt to the immediate challenge.

Horses are very socially structured animals. There is always a mare that will be the leader of the entire herd as well as a leader in each sub-group of horses. Every day sees a vying for who will assume the role of leader. Usually, the challenges are slight and the lead mare will assert herself with no problems. Most horses are basically laid back and would rather not have the responsibility to be a leader so, ultimately, most herds are rather quiet in this respect. The vying which goes on is swiftly taken care of each day. However, when there is a question as to the assertiveness of the leader the other horses tend to get in a bit of a turmoil. This nature of the horse is inherent with the species. Even when there is just one horse and one person, this, in the mind of the horse, makes up a herd. Who is the leader in the herd? Is it the horse? Or is it the human? Ideally, in order to keep a sense of security and calm, the human must assume the role of leader. This is also to help ensure the safety of the human while working with the horse. It also helps to establish a proper balance of respect ... respect from the horse towards the human.

There are a number of different types of respect as well as a number of different ways to obtain respect from a horse. Let's take a look at two different types of respect which might ensue between a horse and human.

a. Respect born from fear. A human can force another human or animal to do something contrary to his/its nature. The kind of respect that evolves from this type of behavior is one which is based in fear; fear of pain and fear of fear, itself. A dog may slink to the underneath of a table with its tail between the legs when its master tell it to "go lie down!" The manner in which the dog obeys signals respect from fear. The dog fears pain and hurt that will be inflicted upon it if it does not obey its master. A horse may be seen running away from a human because that human has hit it violently with a crop as a signal for the horse to stay out of his/her space. The horse will stand yards away with a wary eye. The horse is obeying out of fear of being hit with a crop; not out of willingness to do what is asked. Respect which is brought about from fear will turn to aggressiveness eventually when the animal finally has its last straw, so to speak. That is when the horse or dog turns on the person with a violently aggressive behavior such as a kick or a bite. The human may, at that point, out of fear and anger, proceed to "teach" the animal a "lesson". The dog is beaten or kicked; the horse is whipped unmercifully. Every living creature has a point of no return ... a point where it will zone out of reality in order to escape unbearable pain, either emotional or physical. Many never recover and live out the rest of their lives in abandonment of its very self. The dog which sulks around with no joy, no wagging of the tail or the horse which stands in a paddock without the sparkle in its eye or the joy in existence which horses naturally display.

b. Respect born from respectful assertiveness. Think about this for a moment ... there is a wide gap of difference between actions performed in assertiveness vs. actions performed in aggressiveness. Many, many people think they have "respect" from others because they "are the boss" and others "know their place". Aggressiveness breeds fear. Fear then will turn a point to retaliate aggressiveness. It is a vicious cycle. However, think of the person who asserts his or her authority in a manner which includes the choices of the other party. The other is not forced to do something nor frightened into doing something which is asked. The task is completed out of a genuine respect for the leader's request. A leader who is fair and just, kind and gentle, will always receive the respect of man and animal alike. There is a feeling of "willingness" to do what is asked and a feeling of wanting to please. Generally, those who are performing a task out of respect and willingness to please is apt to take a few further steps than what is originally asked just to please the leader. A leader who works *with* its team is more likely to be accepted and respected as well. One who just stands and barks out orders is not a "leader"; that person doesn't guide and advise others ... that kind of person is basically a bully. No one likes a bully.

What does all this have to do with horsemanship, you ask? It is the essence of good horsemanship ... to be able to form a partnership with the horse based on a fair and just, kind and gentle leadership will promotes respect. This respect then nurtures the growth of trust. That trusted partnership is based on the horse being a horse and the human being the leader ... being the "good" leader. This kind of relationship with a horse does not evolve from the use of force ... of whips and spurs and martingales or tie downs. This kind of relationship is akin to the growth of a flower. With the proper nutrients and water, a flower bud emerges. Plenty of sunlight and warm days and the flower begins to open. Finally, one day, the flower is in full bloom. Gently, softly and over time.

Now, you ask, what on earth does all this have to do with me and my horse? My horse barges through me, rubs me so hard with its head it knocks me over and doesn't listen to me. How can I kindly and gently to respect me if I don't show him who's boss? Well, the answer to that is preliminary ground work, my friend. Just as the soil must be tilled, turned over, composted and readied for the seed to be planted, so must the groundwork for the partnership between you and the horse be established. Horses are not machines. One cannot simply throw a saddle on the back of the horse and expect that horse to "turn on" and go where ever, whenever, and however we ask. Besides, that horse would much rather laze in the sunshine eating grass with the rest of the herd, including its leader, than have to sweat and trot in circles or jump over a bunch of poles. The leader in that herd is the horse's safety ground. The leader tells him when to move, where to move, when to eat, what to eat, when to drink, when to run for its life. The horse trusts that equine leader. The trick is to transfer that leadership to you, the handler or rider.

Read this carefully ... the lead mare tells the others when to move and where to move, how fast and when to rest. The others follow the lead mare because they trust her for their very lives. So ... based on this concept, let's discuss ... walking BEFORE we run!

A well-known horseman once said, "Get to the horse's feet and you get to the horse's mind." OK, what the heck does that mean, you ask? Think again ... the lead mare tells the others when to move, where to move, etc. It stands to reason that if we, as horsemen, can get our horses to move their feet when and where we want to as well as how fast, then the very physical action will help the horse to see us as the leader! Now, do we want a leadership based on respect from fear? Or, do we want a leadership based on respect from trust? There are numerous articles written on the use of the Round Pen. This is not something we will go into in this essay. Nor will we go into the specifics of HOW to get the horse's feet to move. That is discussed in the Round Pen articles. The important issue here is WE CAN'T RUN BEFORE WE CAN WALK! If the relationship on the ground is not established first, then we have no right business climbing on the back of a horse. If we have not established ourselves as the leader, then we presume to be nothing more than a predator being taken for a ride. Read that again. ... a predator being taken for a ride. If we do not establish our partnership with our horse with firm, solid, foundational blocks of trust and mutual respect than we are a monkey on the back of our horse.

So, to those who are having problems in the saddle wherein the horse does not comply with your requests or otherwise is behaving just like a horse would with a monkey on its back, get your foundation re-built. Get out of the saddle, get down on the ground and get a relationship with your horse; a partnership that is based on kindness, consideration, gentleness, consistency, fairness and most of all ... respect.