|
Factor Two: UNDERSTANDING THE ANIMAL Natural horsemanship is an attitude of
belief system involving the training of a horse using the horse's language. It's purpose is to build a foundation
of trust and leadership between the handler and the animal in a language the animal can understand. It is important
to remember that a horse is a horse. They can only react as horses. To be effective, you need to understand what it
means to be a horse. A student of natural horsemanship must begin with the knowledge of herd behavior and know how a
horse thinks, reacts, and relates to its herd and environment. You must also understand that a horse's relationship
or place within the herd is the pivot point that supports every move and decision that horse makes. The ultimate
goal of natural horsemanship is to give the rider control of the animal with the lightest pressure possible and to give the
horse confidence in the rider as its leader who is responsible for it's safety. The leader then takes responsibility
for the education of the horse in whatever discipline of riding is chosen. Natural horsemanship can be applied to all
aspects of our work with horses. From the time you enter a horse's personal space to lead, groom, load, tack up,
ride - up until you release that horse back into his pasture or stall - your communication is clearer to the horse in the
language he understands. Using clearer communication, horses respond with less stress and frustration.
Factor Three: FARRIER INTERFERENCE First,
why do we shoe our horses? Domesticated horses do not live in the natural conditions which allow proper circulation
and muscle and hoof development. They are asked to do unnatural things, such as carry the weight of tack and rider.
These things can cause loss of sole depth, improper joint function, and improper bone column alignment. If your horse
does not have these health problems and can maintain good blood flow and correct muscle structure, then shoeing is unnecessary.
There is a vast difference between shoeing a horse to stand and in shoeing a horse to perform. A farrier must know how
your horse performs to make proper decisions about his shoeing. Does your farrier watch your horse move? A horse
without good movement will be uncomfortable to ride and over time, will most likely become lame. Your horse needs to
move in his natural pattern of movement to stay sound and whole for life. Your horse should use all the muscles of his
body, including his back, to develop evenly. The hind end should track in a line with the front end. The fetlocks
should not collapse and the hocks should not twist. One hip or shoulder should not be collapsed. The body should
be even from side to side and from front to back when viewed from the top. Horses should travel from behind, pushing off their
hindquarters, not pulling from the front. Correct movement lessens impact on joints, tendons and ligaments keeping your
horse sound for a longer, useful life. Correct shoeing provides support to the bony column and allows correct muscle
development throughout the horse's body, provided the tack and rider do not interfere. Incorrect shoeing causes
the collapse of the bony column, increases leverage against tendons and ligaments and changes movement patterns that cause
uneven muscle development and eventually lameness.
Factor Four: TACK INTERFERENCE How do I know if my saddle fits my horse?
A saddle should not make a horse's back sore. It should not restrict the shoulders or cause hollows at the withers.
Professional saddle fitters with education and experience should fit saddles to horses. An improperly fitting saddle
can cause bad posture, bad movement, and bad hoof growth patterns. If a saddle pinches at the shoulders, the horse cannot
extend his front legs to a full range of motion and becomes heavy on the forehand. If a saddle causes soreness in the
lower back, he will not step through with his hind legs, therefore he pulls more on the forehand. If you horse is leaning
on the forehand, then he will grow long toes and under-run heels. A badly fitting saddle will cause performance problems,
poor muscle development and over long term use, lameness.
Factor Five: RIDER INTERFERENCE Rider interference is when a rider interferes
with the natural balance of the horse. The rider can interfere by fitting the saddle to the horse, but not himself.
Saddles must also properly fit the rider for the job they have chosen. Riders can interfere by not allowing the horse
to do what he is asked. Horses are pressure driven animals. They feel pressure and they move away from it.
When a rider is tense or closed up in his body, the horse can not move naturally into the wall that tension creates.
What your horse can do without you, he can do with you on his back, but only if you go with his movement, not against it.
The rider can also interfere by being one-sided. If you ride with more weight on one side than the other, you force
the horse to develop unevenly and eventually over time, this uneveness can cause lameness.
|
