Background
Links
Articles
Back to HomePage


Force equals Force: Why a softer approach creates a softer response
Part 2

Building Blocks

One of the phrases you'll hear again and again from "natural" horse trainers is "reward the slightest try". Unfortunately, few riders are tuned in enough to put this very basic -- and very valuable -- training tool into play. Part of the challenge in using this philosophy is being able to mentally break down the task at hand and understand precisely what the horse must do to achieve the complex task. The multitude of training systems labeled as “natural horsemanship” actually utilizes this technique nicely. The underlying -- and widespread -- problem with these packaged systems is that they generally fail to point out that that is exactly what they are trying to teach you! The catch phrase is repeated over and over, but the basic and very effective concept is lost as individuals struggle to achieve the individual "moves" that the system describes.

All of the behaviors we would like our horses to become proficient at consist of what I like to think of as building blocks. Without a doubt, the very bottom block is simply the horse's undivided attention. And


This filly yields her head and neck softly.

that attention must not be fearful, nor resentful, for fear and resentment create tension and resistance. To achieve a fluid, intuitive partnership, the horse must pay attention because he is interested, because he trusts you, because he is curious. Only then will he remain in an open, thinking frame of mind. And only then will what he offers you be truly soft and willing.

Horses are by instinct reactive and distrustful, and so to make the most rapid progress in training them, we must become incredibly skillful at avoiding the moment when misunderstanding becomes fear. The moment the horse becomes reactive, and stops thinking, he stops learning. The most effective way to escalate understanding without escalating fear, then, is to break lessons down into the most basic increments. That is precisely what "rewarding the slightest try" is all about.

The process becomes more complex as the task becomes more sophisticated, but if you drill the idea into your own brain, you will ultimately be successful with any horse, with any task. Keep in mind that this involves a keen knowledge of how the horse must use his feet and his body to achieve what you expect, and so you must train yourself, before you train him, to understand how he operates.

The simplest of examples is teaching a horse to back on a leadrope. A proper step backward starts with flexing at the poll and yielding his head. Then a slight rocking backwards. Then a step. Any of these is a try on the horse's part: a try to understand what you are requesting, and a try to figure out how to gain a release from pressure. Some horses ask the tiniest question -- for instance, a minute weight shift, or dropping the head just a fraction of an inch -- and it requires great focus to recognize and reward. But if you miss it, you have effectively told the horse that he was wrong, and it will be a while before he offers that answer again. If you catch that tiny try, and immediately reward it with release, you have told the horse "YES, that's correct!" Now he knows where to start; now we build on it, asking for just a little more. It's okay to offer just a partial release after you acknowledge the initial try. But the quickest way to teach a horse any behavior is to reward his efforts; sometimes lavishly, with lots of petting and praise, and sometimes with a small partial release from pressure.

A horse brought along using force, fear, shortcuts and training gadgets may demonstrate the movements requested of him, but a horse brought along by instead using softness and a positive approach steadily becomes less reactive, more confident, and much more likely to think his way through difficult tasks.