Gerbtitz Horsemanship #6 Article
Eliciting a response from our horse’s feet
www.gerbitzquarterhorses.com
I will touch on the subject of how much we might do to elicit a response from our horse’s feet?
Enough, not too much...
Each horse is a unique individual -- learning, accepting change, expressing confusion, frustration,
anger and joy differently.
This makes reading a horses expression from moment to moment important. Misinterpreting a
horses actions can cause confusion to both human and horse.
For example, when he kicked out, was he being a bully or feeling bullied.
Knowing the type of horse we are dealing with helps us decide what sort of approach to take. You
might spend a little more time rubbing a horse between exercises, whom trends towards being more
timid and less active. And spend more time doing things to keep a horses feet busy if that horse
trends towards being more assertive and active by nature, that doesn't mean you wouldn't rub them
too, it just means you might do that less in a session due to the amount of time you might spend
keeping that horses feet busy in order to deter him from taking over. You might also keep a timid
active horse quite busy to avoid making them feel trapped and spend that much less time rubbing
them too. It boils down to good judgement.
With practice and experience it can become quite simple to tell what sort of horse you are dealing
with at the moment and adjust your approach as needed. I would try to stay away from putting a
horse into a single category for life. As horses change their way of going from moment to moment, so
should we. If we don't, we could turn a bold assertive horse into a timid fearful horse over time, by
doing too much. Or turn a timid fearful horse into a bully by doing too little.
So, how do we know how much is enough in terms of teaching horses where, when and how to place
their feet. It is enough, when you get the message down to the feet. Again, knowing what sort of a
horse you are working with can help you make better judgements on the technique you might use and
how much pressure to offer. Enough, can come in the form of direct pressure, indirect pressure (nonphysical), putting the horse in a physical position (such as on a lateral bend) and waiting for them to
offer to move or allowing them to find their way off their own pressure. That may take one ounce
or many pounds of direct pressure, very little or very vigorous indirect pressure (non-physical) from a
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hand, rope or flag, one moment or many minutes of putting a horse in a physical position (such as a
lateral bend) or as much time as it takes to allow them to find their way off their own pressure. And
take much less of any of these forms of pressure the next time you asked, if you're timing of the
release was right. A horse will naturally seek a way to become comfortable, same as most of us. So
when we apply pressure it should be enough but not too much, to elicit a response from the horses
feet.
Some horses like a tea party and some like to play in the dirt, same as people. Some horses are like
some people, real athletic with a need for a positive physical challenge. Others are more calm and
don't care for too much activity. Some enjoy a mental challenge and physical activity and others like
to get to the point without expending too much energy, the list of combinations goes on and on. I
might consider these things in selecting a horse for myself or a client so both parties can feel satisfied
in their work. I often see horses come to our farm for training based on the horse exhibiting
some undesirable behavior(s). Sometimes those horses have foundation gaps and are simply
confused. Sometimes that horse might be a better fit for another person. A timid horse might work
better with a more confident non-agressive person, while a confident but mild mannered horse might
help fill in for a more timid rider. However the good news is this: people can learn to adjust to fit a
variety of different horses' natures if they are willing to work on themselves a little. I've seen this time
and again as people learn to adjust to fit the horse they have. That is what horsemanship is about,
working on one’s self.
The type of horse I have at any given moment will determine how much is enough. We can change
our approach to fit the horse much easier than they can to suit our needs. We can't expect to change
a horse’s character but you can change the way you work with them to bring out the best of that
individual, so we can both can get closer to what we want.
This month the horses I started riding last month are working on lateral flexions, longitudinal flexion,
upward and downward transitions, leg aids and some additional ground obstacles (bridge, tube,
tarp). The two that I speak of can be high energy and do well when they are kept busy and
introduced to new things regularly. One is more bold and confident and the other can be more timid
on initial introduction to new things. I keep that in mind as I progress them and try to do enough, not
too much. As I try to preserve their confidence and interest in learning.
Engage the Mind, Guide the Body, Preserve the Spirit
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