Ep 86: Managing Speed and Reactive Responses
Years ago, it was quite an achievement for a horse to run 30 miles per hour. Now, with the advancements we have seen in genetics and breeding, horses are regularly topping 35-40 miles per hour. While these athletic developments are incredible, we also have to consider how this speed affects our communication with our horses.
Speed is a reactive response. When horses are faced with a dangerous situation, their first line of defense is to run away. When you think about the fact that many performance horses are bred for the purpose of speed, in a sense, we have bred more reactivity into those horses.
Every time we ask for our horses to display more speed, we are engaging their instinctive “flight” mechanism. This means that we have even more reactive tendencies to control.
With this in mind, the importance of maintaining control of speed and direction is even more imperative. The more speed we ask of our horses, the more we must be mindful of our own speed--both the speed in which we aim to progress, as well as the speed of our hand and body movements. When you slow yourself down, you give your horse the opportunity to listen.
Every signal that we send has to go through the horse’s brain. The brain then sends a response to the body. This is why the development of the mind is even more important than the development of the horse’s physical abilities.
As trainers, it is our job to develop our horses both physically and mentally. For the first 25 years of my career, I will admit that I focused heavily on the aspects of physical development. Now, I believe it's a 90/10 ratio--if I can develop that horse’s mentality to 90% of its full potential, the other 10% of that animal’s physical ability will come naturally.
To see more detailed demonstrations of these fundamental exercises mentioned in this episode, enroll in our Foundation to Finish online training program.
“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.
