Ep 155: Being Consistent with Your Signals
Horses can’t read your mind, but they can read your body. That's why having consistency in body position and the way you ask for certain responses is key to developing your horse's confidence and understanding.
When I’m working horses, I strive to be almost robotic with my movements. However, I know that by human nature, there will always be some errors in my movement. Errors in my movement, in turn, mean that I am asking for the same responses in a slightly different way.
I see this happen a lot in the performance events, especially in the barrel racing. As trainers, it is easy for us to be consistent with our commands at a walk or trot. However, when we are traveling down the arena at 35+ miles per hour, our body position often changes – our balance shifts, our hand position becomes elevated, our legs become tense, and our movements become quicker.
That’s why it’s so important to be hyper-aware of the way our body is communicating to our horses. If I’m not focused and aware of how I’m sending signals to my horse, I’m setting my horse up for confusion and frustration.
Developing the same feel at faster speeds takes a significant amount of time and effort. It requires a lot of hours in the saddle, and those hours require you to be very mindful and intentional about your movements. Oftentimes, the key to developing consistency is slowing our cues down. When we slow our hands and legs down, we give our horses that extra split second to engage the thinking side of their brain to find the response we are asking for.
To develop confidence and consistency at faster speeds, you have to be willing to learn and willing to work. And, unfortunately, the learning part often comes after a series of trial and error. However, if you stick with it, that feel will eventually come easily to you. You just have to be patient and trust the process.
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