Why Is My Horse Not Listening?
Why Is My Horse Not Listening?
At some point, every rider experiences a situation wherein they request their horse a particular movement and nothing happens. You request a left lead canter and the horse just keeps on walking. Or worse, your horse neighs loudly, slaps his tail and takes off on a brisk trot instead. What's going on? Clearly, you have a case of communication failure between you and your horse. A frustrating, but changeable, situation. Communication between rider and horse can fail for many reasons. Unless the horse is physically unable to perform the requested task, then usually, rider error is to blame. When your horse fails to respond to a riding command, determine first if there is an injury or soreness that exist, of which you were unaware. Next, check your saddle position. Is the task request being transponder properly to the horse, or is there a buffer blocking the usual sensory touch. What is the mental condition of your horse? Has he been on recent drills and prefer to relax, rather than be directed? If he is a new horse, perhaps he simply needs more quiet repetitions of exactly the same aids applied in the same rhythm, same timing and same degree of pressure, until it finally clicks, and he makes the connection. Clear communication between horse and rider comes with time and positive reinforcement. Commit to both.