We deal daily with our horses exhibiting a vast array of behaviours. Some we want and some we don’t. We spend much of our time with our horses correcting or re-training the behaviours we don’t want. Any time a behaviour shows up that gets in the way of our goals, we try to fix it.
But despite the huge number of different behaviours we are always addressing, the causes are very few. Most behavioural problems can be traced to just a handful of root causes. For example, problems such as shying, crookedness, separation anxiety, bridling, jogging, etc very often stem in large part from a focus problem. Problems with trailer loading, leading, picking up feet, and abrupt transitions can also be traced to a problem with focus and following a feel.
Yet, when we encounter a problem many people attack the symptom of say trailer loading so they can cross it off their list. But they often fail to work on the more fundamental problem that their horse does not follow a feel. When you simply address the trailer loading, very often your hose might be more reliable at loading into the trailer, but you are still left with making no improvement in other important responses that relate to problems with your horse's inability to follow a feel, such as tying up or leading.
At a recent clinic, there was a horse that struggled to relax and stand quietly when being saddled. The owner had been correcting their horse when it moved by blocking the horse’s feet from moving. They waited until it was getting ready to move and then applied enough feel in the lead rope to correct their horse. They were chasing the symptom of the horse moving and not addressing the cause of why he moved. When I entered the arena to help, I put the saddle on the fence and spent 10 minutes or so getting the horse to focus and soften to the feel of the lead rope. It was not until the horse was more engaged with working with me did I reach for the saddle. There was an immediate and significant improvement.
There are books, web sites, social media, and videos on how to fix the thousands of responses our horses offer that we don’t want. There are dozens of exercises to fix every problem. But most describe how to address the symptom. And while there are too many symptoms to fix in a single lifetime, they can all be traced to a few root causes.
