[drivingpairs] Re: is this a training hoax?
- From: "Helen @ DP" <helen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 6 Aug 2003 10:45:03 -0500
<I'm wary of hooking a beginner animal up to a cart when I'm a beginner
driver...>
Beginner horse + beginner driver = potential accident
<Have any of you heard of anything like this?>
I boarded once at a farm where they owner claimed to be an experienced whip.
Then I saw his modified jeep type vehicle he used to hook the new horses up
to. DO NOT TRY THIS!!! The most important training principle is
trust. There is no shortcut and no easy fix.
You don't need to get into the cart to drive your horse the first few times.
Assuming you are using a small cart, you can drive from the ground. But
you don't even put the cart to the horse until you've done ALL the necessary
ground work. How do you know when it's time to hitch? By watching your
horse during all the ground work. You can't pull a tire or a log too much.
But you CAN do too little and risk injury to you, your horse and equipment.
The idea is to teach the horse to pull the cart, not the old beat up car.
He should do it because he wants to please you and enjoys doing it. Not
because he is forced into a box where he can't get out. IMHO that defeats
the purpose.
<What do you think; worth trying or a complete hoax?>
It's not a hoax. People still use that, as well as other unnecessary and
inhumane techniques to "train" horses. There are much better and proven
ways.
Ground drive your horse until you are bored to tears, then ground drive him
some more. Take him out on the road, around trees, around machinery.
Then hitch him up to a tire or log and let him pull that over all kinds of
surface. He needs to hear all the different sounds behind him without
being frightened. Talk to him, assure him when you see him get nervous.
Make sure he stops dead in his tracks when you ask for a halt (whoa, halt,
etc) always use the same commands. Be consistent. Teach him to stand
until asked to move....during grooming, harnessing, or just waiting. When
you're ground driving him out on the road, pick a shady spot to the side and
stop. I call this "practicing whoa". Don't just stop a moment then go
on. Take a drink with you and stand for a while, and drink your drink.
Teach him that standing and waiting for a command to continue is ok.
Practice this until he drops his head, cocks a rear foot and takes a
nap.....literally. This is extremely important in driving. There are so
many things you can teach your horse about driving without ever hitching him
up. Then when you do, he'll already know how to do these things. Go
slow. Don't hurry.....slow is fast. You won't be sorry, I promise.
Good luck. Be safe, enjoy your horse and allow him to enjoy doing things
with you, too. If he can have fun too, he'll always be ready and willing
to work with you. Please keep us posted on your progress.
Helen
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