I'd like to hear of people's experiences with natural horsemanship?
I would like to hear of readers experiences using natural horsemanship with their animals. Good or bad and any trainer's system. I am impartial at the moment but since a new horse is imminent I'm collecting info for reference.
A bit about me - I've owned horses for thirty+ years and have broken them to ride and drive. I'm just interested in this 'new' idea. My personal theory is that any good horseman uses what is now called 'natural ' techniques automatically since they know horses and know how they react - not so much the specifics but the idea behind the techniques - however I'm willing to use any tool available to me since the new horse is reportedly 'difficult' so I guess I would like to hear how it worked for you, what were the pros, the cons. Thanks in advance for any replies :)
foxhunter19492011-03-06T09:52:50Z
Favorite Answer
Like you I believe that the way I break young horses is fine! I teach to longe, long rein, back and ride away.
I can see how join up helps with a nervous/suspicious horse but still prefer to go through my traditional ways rather than using it as a short cut.
As with anything there are good and bad points. As the previous poster remarked on the horse always coming into the centre - that is not so with join up when it is done correctly.
Personally I like to get on with it and refuse to play games with my horses, I just do not have the time and nor am I going to waste my money on hype.
I saw several demonstrations with Monty Roberts when he first came to the UK. I liked the way he worked especially with problem animals but as he became more famous so it got more and more ridiculous with the things he was saying and for someone who professes to speak the language Equss, I saw several incidents when the horse was shouting and still not heard.
I say do not talk to your horse but listen to what he has to say.
Our experiences have been and continue to be phenomenal. We have participated in clinics and various training programs of multiple individuals as opposed to forming an alliance to a particular person or group. We observe and determine what principles are best for our goals and we utilize those we choose and discard the rest.
There are many "horsemen" that claim that their experience spans many years, but that does not mean they participate or understand the basic premises of natural horsemanship. It is not so much about training the horse as it is training the human. If the individual does not understand the NH methods, they can have a horse that has been "trained int he methods" and that relationship will be a total failure because the human is ignorant and lacks understanding of communication and has no idea how to honestly gain the respect of their horse. They have no idea how to help a horse with fear or other "problem" issues. It is great to have a horse that is already trained, but with an "untrained" owner, the whole situation is a nightmare, especially for the poor horse as he has to put up with a ridiculous moron at the other end of the lead rope and their is no relief for the horse. (I saw that comment about it taking a year to try to lunge a horse. If it takes a year to change a simple behavior, it is a serious failure of the human, not the horse. Pathetic, isn't it.)
I had one horse no one would touch. Said he would kill me and lots of other unkind remarks. I was not allowed to bring him to clinics for a long time due to safety concerns. Now he follows me around like a puppy. I can ride him without a bridle and be perfectly safe. I can take my tools and trim his feet while he is standing in the pasture with his buddies. He is an amazing horse and I knew that the first time I saw him. Would I recommend this for others, no, not unless you choose to put in the kind of time, patience and training as I have put into this "dangerous" horse.
You can get out of NH, as much as you put into it. It is not magic. It is not easy. You have to learn the language, the horse already knows the language. It is not for everyone as some just do not have what it takes to master the methods. There are no cons when done properly. What I have been able to accomplish with my horses is amazing and we continue to improve everyday. Good luck with your decision. It has to be right for you.
I have been training for over 50 years, I have always used methods that were used by the Indian when their teenage boys would break and train their war ponies. I have always felt that if you tough a horse to move away from pressure it would naturally help you as a rider control the horse a lot better. I tough a horse to move with leg pressure 50 years ago and also taught them to respond to the bridle. In those days I made my own rope halters and bit less bridles which I used on all the horses I broke and trained. There is actually no such thing as a natural way to break and train a horse because they were not naturally put on the earth to carry a human.
I agree with your assessment 100% and, frankly, am kind of increasingly irritated with this idea that "Natural Horsemanship" is some newly discovered means of breaking and training horses. Anytime a person works WITH the horses' natural, God-given instincts, understanding how the horse thinks and not anthropomorphizing or otherwise trying to impose the human way of thinking on the horse and using force, then that person is using natural horsemanship - [no capitals required]. Classical dressage principles are "natural horsemanship" as are many of the training techniques used in the UK for hundreds of years. What the so-called NH movement is, is a rebelling against some of the draconian methods of horse training that developed here in the US as the guys needed to get the horses broke fast, no matter how many of the horses died in the process. Other cultures also have developed some very inhumane and un-horse-friendly means of breaking and training, too, but I won't list the particular cultures. Suffice it to say, that when the human (usually male) ego gets involved, the horse usually suffers.
Didn't mean to write an essay here, but you touched a note that's bugging me more and more. Here in the USA Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt essentially re-discovered (had been in practice in Europe for hundreds of years with a variation in tools and terms) some essential keys in training horses in a way that gets them to work with us willingly, rather than by forcing them. They are the doyens of NH here in the USA, and it's a good idea to go back to what they had to say about it. The more recent so-called NH guys here (John Lyons, Monty Roberts, Chris Cox, Clinton Anderson, etc) are building upon what these guys learned. Except that Clinton Anderson learned from some native Australians, who, I have no doubt, were discovering on their own, what Hunt and Dorrance had discovered.
(BTW, neither Dorrance nor Hunt would have anything to do with parelli - didn't like him at all, apparently - according to information provided by one of their nieces, nor do I care for his methodology - - can supply a link to substantiate if necessary - - so I'd advise you to stay away from his training methods for the sake of your horse).
So, all that said, if you are serious about incorporating some of the so-called natural horsemanship methods into your training program for your new horses, I'd suggest you start with Xenophon, read some of the other classics on dressage principles (there are many), read up on what Dorrance and Hunt had to say about training horses, then move on to Chris Cox's material. If you have a quarter horse, Clinton Anderson's stuff may also be very helpful. If you em me, I can give you a list of popular trainers to avoid at all costs.
I love Clinton Anderson! I don't ride that well and I stupidly bought a green broke 5 year old. She was pushy, bossy, and disrespectful on the ground. In the saddle she would spook, crow hop, and balk if she didn't like what we were doing. It was a nightmare and I couldn't afford a trainer. I really thought I was going to have to sell her for both our sakes. Then I found this article at Horse&Rider.com called 'Clinton Anderson's Lunging for Respect'. It changed my life with my horse. After just a short while of faithful practice, instead of being so bossy, my mare started to treat me like a trusted friend. The spooking, crow hopping, and balking just went away on their own without me having to ride any differently. It is more about changing direction than just mindless circles. Also it is simple and easy to follow. The change in my mare is amazing. I'm grateful to Clinton Anderson.