Ep 109: Resistance and Release
When you ask your horse to do something, are you met with resistance or release?
One of the most common issues I see in today's performance horses has to do with misunderstanding the release point. When you ask your horse to perform a maneuver and their first instinct is to resist or push against you, this is a sign that you need to go back to fundamentals.
We often say, ‘the release is what we teach.’ However, if a horse finds a release point without you providing one, this is when miscommunication happens and resistance becomes amplified.
A common example of resistance is rooting against the bridle. When a horse roots against the bridle, they are often able to find a release by pushing and pulling the reins away from you. When they find the release point through resistance, they think that is what they are supposed to do.
If everything you do with your horse seems like a negotiation, any form of sustained success is going to be very difficult to achieve. If you find yourself in this position, you need to take a step back and reestablish some fundamentals that help your horse get back in the correct mindset.
Horses are more than willing to live within the expectations and parameters you set for them. That is, if they understand them. As a trainer, you are responsible for implementing these rules and helping your horses understand the level of effort and responses you are asking of them.
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