Ep 116: How It All Began
This episode features a preview of an introductory lesson in the Foundation to Finish online training program.
I took my first horse in for pay when I was 16 years old. At the time, I just needed a summer job, and had no idea where this decision would take me.
Early in my training career, I spent nearly a decade trying to train the horse’s body. One day, it finally occurred to me that if I was going to grow my summer job into a career, I needed to have a better understanding of the horse’s mind.
And after all these years, this philosophy still holds true. In order to unlock a horse’s maximum potential, I have to find the connection between how I think and how that horse thinks. Then, I have to find a way to communicate using their language.
Training a horse’s body is really quite simple if you can train that animal to engage their thought process to think about the responses you are asking for.
Thoughtfulness creates confidence for that animal. When a horse doesn’t have confidence, that’s when you see those negative, reactive responses. The horse becomes frustrated because it doesn’t understand. That’s why a horse’s thought process is crucial to creating successful habits.
When you can control a horse’s thought process, you control their potential.
“Be Your Best Horsemanship” is brought to you by Classic Equine, Martin Saddlery, Better Horses Network, Purina, Healthycoat, CINCH, Starbar, and Clarifly. These brands have been part of the Phil Haugen Horsemanship team for many years, and their products continue to play an integral role in the success of our performance horse training program. To support these brands, visit our Sponsors tab.
