Comments on: Do You Demand Your Horse's Complete Attention?

By: Ann

Ann — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:45:08 +0000

Sometimes the kid staring out the window at school could answer the teacher’s question better than anyone else.

By: I Don’t Even Need A Horse To Fall (Or, Multi-Tasking Is Not Your Friend) | enlightened horsemanship through touch

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 04:41:58 +0000

[...] reality around them in a diffuse way, for which they are sometimes punished. I wrote about this in Do You Demand Your Horse’s Complete Attention? and then it was discussed with great alacrity at Glenshee Equestrian [...]

By: If Scientists Use Positive Reinforcement Strategies to Study and Measure Equine Learning, Why Do Most Horsepeople Use Negative Reinforcement? « enlightened horsemanship through touch

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:04:25 +0000

[...] undesirable behaviors in the horse, University of Limerick by enlightenedhorsemanship In my post, Do You Demand Your Horse’s Complete Attention?, I wrote a little about the problems associated with differences in perceptual styles between [...]

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:28:24 +0000

Hi Anne
I enjoy your website, The Equestrian Corner very much. If I only had a horse right now, I’d buy something!
Thanks for coming here and commenting. I really hope you will come here often–it’s nice to have a new voice!

By: Anne Coyle

Anne Coyle — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:57:34 +0000

Excellent point! Not only as prey animals, but as herd animals, horses have evolved to be aware of far more details in their environment than just the horse riding blanket on their backs. Mutual respect is a far greater and admirable goal than bullying a horse into submission or obedience. I hope more riders will take your comments to heart and reward their horses for responding to requests, rather than adding to an already “nervous” animal’s fears.

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:33:36 +0000

Hi sabinomesteno

I am enjoying reading your posts and think you’re doing a great job.

I think you’ll find the horse world to be loaded with double standards like the one you describe. One of the hardest things as a horse owner is to be congruent with them. Consistency in what we ask and when we ask it, and being true to our hearts when we ask it, are the most important things for building a trusting relationship. So many mistakes can be overlooked when you have that.

By: sabinomesteno

sabinomesteno — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:52:28 +0000

I’m a new horse owner and of course have a green 3 year old shetland fillt, so both of us are going to be learning together. After reading all the comments here I thought that isn’t it interesting about this concept of demanding total attention and ‘respect’ when WE want to but we think it’s soooo cute when they are checking everything out – as long as they aren’t checking out all those cute things when we want them to pay attention to US! A bit of a double standard I think.

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:55:03 +0000

Hi Horseypants,
I love your name. Makes me smile every time I read it. You said it best when you said: “, feel free to scratch that itch, but then please pick up your foot.”
Sounds like you hit the happy medium right off the bat.

By: Horseypants

Horseypants — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 14:06:57 +0000

I’d like to weigh in as a person who started out being TOO forgiving and permissive with my horse. It’s just my personality. So when I started working with my trainer, the idea of demanding respect brought about alot of improvement in my relationship with my horse. He actually seemed happier too–more relaxed. But this does not mean I expect to control him all the time. Rather, my expectations have changed in things like having him respect my personal space, work time vs. break time, asking for something and expecting some kind of an honest response, etc. My daughter (who is nine) and I use these words: be the boss, but be a NICE boss. Because let’s face it, they’d rather be eating! Or napping. Or scratching that itch. Of course, feel free to scratch that itch, but then please pick up your foot…like that.

By: Welcome to the August Carnival of Horses! « EQUINE Ink

Welcome to the August Carnival of Horses! « EQUINE Ink — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 13:28:10 +0000

[...] post resonates with me because I worked on it today in my lesson: Do you demand your horse’s complete attention? posted at Enlightened Horsemanship Through [...]

By: Affirmations of Awareness for Horsepeople: On Perception « enlightened horsemanship through touch

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:02:58 +0000

[...] my post on demanding the horse’s attention and many valuable sources, we know that horses perceive the world in a much different way than we [...]

By: Horse Training Tips: Demanding Your Horse's Attention & Stall Rest and Hand Walking | Regarding Horses

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:48:12 +0000

[...] discussion originated at Enlightened Horsemanship Through Touch. The human nervous system, because we are predators, is capable of complete focus, excluding all [...]

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:28:53 +0000

caroline maybe as we age we lose a little of our straight line thinking and drive as well. for me, that would be a good thing. It would also be a good thing for my horse. I have seen Manolo Mendez walk up to a horse and instantly make friends. He makes no demands. I wonder if that's because he lacks nothing, and therefore needs nothing from the horse. So many riders need to fill empty spots. Unfortunately, they ask their horses to fill them. Pity you can't always learn from watching someone like Manolo.

By: caroline

caroline — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 04:43:42 +0000

Had just that discussion today with a friend. Agreed that as we age, we communicate better with our horses because they mellow into us when we approach them, touch them, care for them with respect first and foremost. When we respect their nature which is social and bond forming, when we recognize how easy it is to stress them with our drive and aggressive demands and expectation of obedience NOW, NOW, NOW. I work with a trainer who does not chase horses around. He walks up to them, stands, touches them and the horse are his. I have seen LTJ and the same phenomenon applies. Respect, recognition. Time. This is what good relationships are based on, and not just with horses either.

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:47:18 +0000

jme

So glad to get your brain going. I don’t consider it trouble at all! I’m buzzing over to your blog right now. Yippee!

By: jme

jme — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:29:13 +0000

I’m glad this came out of your big jumble! I started to write you a comment but it got so long I couldn’t post it, so I decided to post it on my blog with a link back here. Now you’ve got my brain going and we’re all in trouble

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:19:08 +0000

whp

I understand your view that respect and attention are partners, but I do not see one as sole evidence of the other.

And as you know, with stallions there is a lot to pay attention to. There is a lot in the environment to attend to besides us and our demands. Of course, safety is utmost in importance, but as you say, giving them a loose rein and the ability to decide on his own (they do have brains, after all!) what’s most important (hopefully YOU) means your respect them.

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:15:25 +0000

ghm

or a broom!

Thanks for responding.

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:14:34 +0000

Pattie! How nice to see you here! Wow!

“I think we owe them the respect of when we are being with them, we are BEING with them.”

So true. And it doesn’t hurt to look at the world through their eyes from time to time.

By: enlightenedhorsemanship

enlightenedhorsemanship — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:13:19 +0000

horseideology

People foolishness–so well put! It will be a great day when people foolishness stays with people and is left out of the barn altogether. Isn’t that one of the reasons we ride? I prefer horseplay any day.