Our society can be infatuated with the big things – things that are incredible, flashy, powerful and entertaining.
This situation can cause us to miss the smaller things that may not seem so important yet are in the long run.
My wife April and I can be caught up in this dilemma as well as anyone else. We do not have satellite or cable TV because we feel we watch too much antenna TV as it is. Hollywood can be one of the biggest sources of big things that keep us from the little things. We like that we still enjoy watching our animals as they play and move about the yard. I believe it is the little things that can help us be more sensitive to each other as well as our animals and therefore safer with each other also.
I was working with horses many years before I obtained many of the little things that could make a difference in communicating with horses better. There are probably little things I pass by now that would help me do better yet.
Generally speaking, we skip the little things when we are in a hurry, are preoccupied or are feeling lazy. Here are some little things that can add up to a better relationship if we don’t mind taking the time to do them.
When catching a horse, get them to catch us by enticing them with range cubes and then get them to follow us before haltering them. When putting a halter on, stroke them with the halter as it is being put on. Be able to stroke a horse all over their body, realizing that the head area may need to be stroked with our hand because a normal brush may still be too rough.
We need to be able to move a horse over very easily between brushing and working around them. Be sure to rub a horse in the exact same place we might have needed to tap them to get them to move over. When saddling them, let the blanket land hard (when teaching) but the saddle land soft. Notice whether a horse is blinking, or licking and chewing. If it is not blinking, it may be getting ready to do something defensive. Sensitivity here might be good health insurance. Good horse people always have good soft warnings before they enforce a signal. This is one of the biggest little things that separate them from mediocre riders. Use obvious low energy voice noises for slowing or stopping (don’t yell “whoa” for a smooth stop). Use obvious high-energy noises for more go. People usually do the opposite; they usually yell out a high energy “whoa,” and lullaby them to sleep with a low energy “come on” or “let’s go.” The “whoa” sound needs to be sleepy and the high-energy noises need to be sharp and or staccato. Perky sounds – such as kissing, clucking, hissing or spitting – will go a long way to warn horses before enforcement of signals.
Clear and obvious body language separates good riders from bad ones also. This done well actually eliminates equipment and gets horses working at liberty. These things get horses more attentive and willing, therefore smoother and safer.
These little things are really a big thing.
Mike Daniels is a horsemanship trainer and barefoot trimming specialist from Raymondville, Mo.
Email: rlhorse58@yahoo.com.
