The 4th Of 6 Keys To Building A Life Long Partnership With Your Horse.
In Natural Horsemanship, being patient/tolerant means taking the time do it right so you won't have to go back and do it again and again.
Why do I call the fourth key patients when we are really talking about time, because, if we loose patients we will not spend the time it takes to get our horse through the stages necessary for building a life long partnership. Being patient is very important because it's going to take time to build that partnership.
Let's talk a little about your horse and the time it's going to take to get him from where he is at now to being a green broke horse. Let's assume your horse has never been ridden or ridden very little in terms of proper training or natural horsemanship.
For a horse to feel comfortable having a person on his back will take approximately 300 hours of riding. If you rode your horse 1 hour a day five days a week then it would take a little over a year to get 300 hours of riding time or a little over a year for your horse to feel comfortable having you on his back.
Let's say your not consistent with your riding time, maybe you rode your horse 20 hours and then for what ever reason you turned him out, then 6 months later you rode him 40 hours and turned him out again for another six months, then started riding him again and put another 75 hours on him and this continues until you have 300 hours, how old would he be? If you started him as a 2 year old, he may be 4 or 5 years old or older before you had the 300 hours. The point here is that the quicker you put the 300 hours on him the quicker he will feel comfortable with you on his back. Being patient is important and being persistent and consistent will shorten the time it takes to accomplish your goals.
To take your horse from being a green broke horse to the next level, and by that, I mean getting your horse from the green broke phase to being a solid, safe and dependable partner requires that you gain the necessary skills by going through the different phases of natural horsemanship.
The time it takes to get your horse from the green broke stage to being a solid, safe and dependable partner is around 1,100 hours. I want you to keep in mind that you will never really finish your horse because you will continue to refine your horse for a lifetime.
We have talked about how long it takes a horse to go through the different phases now we need to spend a little time on the individual horseman.
So, how long does it take a person to be considered a good rider? We will approach this question form the thought that the rider is a green novice. It generally takes a green novice about 1000 hours before being comfortable in a saddle. You need to remember it's going to take time for the rider to get used to the horse and how he moves, thinks, acts and feels. The only way to get the feel of a horse is through riding experience. The more riding a novice does the better rider they will become.
Have you ever wondered how much time you should spend working with your horse (Instead of working with your horse why not think in terms of playing with your horse)? Consider this, when it stops being fun for you or your horse you're not playing anymore, it's become work and probably time to stop. When you're playing with your horse, you should think of it as working on yourself and playing with your horse.
One other top I would like to discuss with you is timing. We spent a few minutes discussing playing with your horse and when it's time to quit, equally important is your timing when playing with your horse. Timing will probably be most important to your horse. In your relationship with your horse, it's very important to know when you should quit doing what you are doing. It's not what you do with your horse that counts; it's when you quit doing something that counts.
An example, lets say you have asked your hose to do something through a cue you have given him and he gives you the slightest try, you should instantly quit giving him the cue. You need to recognize that the horse tried no matter how slight. It's your responsibility to have perfect timing and stop what your doing when your horse tries.
When you are learning this skill, remember it's going to take time to get perfect timing and you shouldn't get discouraged, you will learn. At first, it will be difficult, but as you learn to read your horse's body language you will begin to perfect this skill. Natural Horsemanship is about learning this skill, to be able to recognize if your horse is trying to do what it is you are asking him to do. Be careful not to reward the wrong response or reward the horse for doing it with an attitude. If your horse is attempting to do it correctly with the right attitude and you are slow in rewarding him he will be confused because he thought he tried. If your horse gets no reward (relief) after trying, soon he will quit trying.
How long you do something with your horse is not as important as to know when to quit doing it. Know when to take away the pressure (to quit) is as important to the technique as the technique itself.
Have fun with your horse(s)!
Mike
This article is brought to you by perfect horse gifts
If you like this article and would like to learn more or would like to send it to a friend, please feel free to do so. You can subscribe at perfect horse gifts or perfect horse gifts
In the next article, we will discuss Creativeness? Creating challenges for you and your horse. Learning what the two of you can accomplish together. Why settle for mediocrity?
Copyright ? 2005 Mike Gorzalka All Rights Reserved Worldwide
*You have permission to publish this article*
electronically, in print, in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the content of this article is not changed in any way and the author bylines are included.
If you choose to publish this article, I would appreciate a Quick e-mail letting me know where it will be published. perfect horse gifts
*DISCLAIMER*: The information contained in this article is of my personal opinions and beliefs and should not be taken as anything more.
best cleaning company Highland Park ..Animal Communication, or telepathy with animals, is as common an... Read More
It was the Saturday morning of August 20, 2004 and... Read More
Domesticated cats have been gaining in popularity in the United... Read More
"Your cat has feline diabetes." If this is your vet's... Read More
Are you just starting to research the BARF diet for... Read More
A few years ago, before I decided to stay home... Read More
I'd like to talk to you about pet vaccinations. I... Read More
Man's Best Friend is a great companion around the home,... Read More
Peeing on the carpet, knocking you down, or stealing dinner... Read More
Of the thirty-three terrier breeds (most of which were first... Read More
Toy dog breeds include greyhounds, terriers, pinschers, pugs, chihuahuas, pekingese,... Read More
Anyone wanting a new kitten should be a cat lover.... Read More
Americans are more concerned about health than ever before, so... Read More
With ancestors who were a breed of tenacious terriers, most... Read More
Guide for training a dogSo you can use a guide... Read More
Our Charlie's dog health was a very important issue to... Read More
It is entirely normal to look for signs of intelligence... Read More
Why should you use the dog crate training method?Is the... Read More
If you are looking for tips on breeding tropical fish,... Read More
Many of us dream of having a beautiful, exotic bird... Read More
If you have a passion to learn all you can... Read More
Bringing home a new puppy, ushers in a wave of... Read More
If you are having behavioral issues with your dog that... Read More
With all the companionship and love that our dogs give... Read More
"Hamsters?!" I hear you say. "Who cares about some fury... Read More
high-end home cleaning Winnetka ..What does doing natural preventative care mean? I thought vaccinating,... Read More
These days, it's hard to know what decisions are the... Read More
If you are looking for tips on breeding tropical fish,... Read More
We all know how special interest groups can blow things... Read More
Toys are fun both for our dogs and us. Lucky... Read More
When you get a new puppy it is imperative that... Read More
If you are thinking of adding a dog to your... Read More
So you're bringing home that cute little puppy from the... Read More
Selecting a Kitten It is best to choose your... Read More
One of the cutest looking dogs around is the Lhasa... Read More
A major part of a horse's diet is hay or... Read More
Pomeranians have tiny mouths and itty bitty teeth, but not... Read More
Having a dog is a little like having a baby.... Read More
If you have never seen a Shar Pei before, the... Read More
There are lots of ways a horse can go lame.... Read More
Among the most well known cat lover gifts are photo... Read More
As you likely know already, horses have at least 10... Read More
Are there so many great dog breeds out there that... Read More
Just how old is your dog really? More than likely... Read More
Could a horse trainer, born about 154 years ago, teach... Read More
For those pet owners who do not know what a... Read More
Everybody loves a baby animal and Westie puppies are adorable,... Read More
Which kind is your pet? The pooch who is the... Read More
Your poor pooch is scratching himself all over. Plus, you... Read More
The large animal organizations and the public money.It is said... Read More
Pet |