read  Newsletter 1   June 2008

                           read  Newsletter 2  August 2008

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      THE BIG 12 FROM YOUR HORSE'S VIEWPOINT
                                     by Worth Miller

        If your horse could talk and you asked him how he'd like
        to be treated, he might answer something like this:

1. NO BREAKING. Bend me, but don't break me. Present me with simple lessons that I can master, and build on those. Don't force me to change; invite me to change. Be calm and patient, and you will be amazed at what I will do for you. Ask with less and I will give you more.

2. BE CLEAR. If you can tell me what you want me to do and I can do it, I WILL do it if it is within my will. If I don't understand you, please don't punish me; ask me another way.  I want to cooperate.

3. TREAT ME LIKE A HORSE. I'm a horse and proud of it. Although we can be the best of friends, I am not a person and I am not your puppy, either. I want a leader so if you can't lead then I will. You nor I want that. That's where most of the problems between us originate. If I don't respect you then I'm usually not going to follow you.

4. BE FLEXIBLE. I know you want me to master a certain action today, but please cut me some slack if you see that I am distracted or tired or confused. Sometimes I need the reassurance of reviewing something simple that I already know.

5. FOCUS, PLEASE. You always ask me for my attention when we work together, so I'd like you to pay attention to what we are doing, too. Turn off your cell phone, forget about that contract on your desk or that fender bender your kid had, or your recent medical results. Be there with and for me now, okay? Let me say it again. I want you to be the leader.

6. SET THE SCENE FOR SUCCESS. Since you know I am afraid of loose dogs or lawn mowers next to the arena, help me get over these fears first before you ask me to do something while those things are going on. Eventually, I'd like to be able to do anything, anytime, anywhere for you, but I have a lot of insecurities to overcome. With your help, we can do it. Let me say it again. I want a leader so if something scares me and you say it's OK by not punishing, but reassuring me, then I'm more apt to know it won't hurt me.

7. BE CONSISTENT. When you first ask me to do something, such as put my head down so you can examine my ears, if you ask me the same way a few times in a row, I'll get the idea and hey, no problem! But, if you work with me once or twice and then let your friend handle my ears in a different manner, I may get startled and he may get angry. It's going to be harder for me to figure out what I should do. If you are consistent until you see that I understand and have it, then you can start varying and adding. If you take your time, you will be surprised at all the variations I can learn. If I have trouble catching on, you can always review the first way I learned, which is locked in. Just give me a starting point and be consistent - I like that.

8. BOND WITH ME MY WAY. I like to be rubbed on my jaw muscles, forehead and neck; that makes me relaxed and content. Don't tickle the end of my nose, my flank or my belly, and please don't slap me hard thinking I like it! Just use soft stroking motions like my mother did to comfort me and we'll be buddies forever.

9. TAKE YOUR TIME. When you are in a rush and move around me in a hurry, I can sense your hurried and sometimes negative energy, and that gets me nervous and hyper too. When you skip a step and ask me to do something new, sometimes I get lost and then can't remember the easiest task. I like it best when you move smoothly around me, letting me know what you are doing and taking as much time as it takes for us to figure it out together.

10. BE OPTIMISTIC. When you approach me, I can sense your energy field so that really determines how our time together will go. If you're smiling then I feel positive and excited about working with you. On those days when you are in a bad mood or in a rush, I pick up on that and tend to shift into defense mode because given the choice, I'd rather flee than fight. If you're happy, I'm happy.

11. BE FAIR AND REALISTIC. I really appreciate that you understand me because then, you won't ask me to do something that I am not physically capable of doing. You'd never ask me to carry or pull too much weight. Or, you'd never ask me to go down a dangerously steep cliff ... things of that nature. As long as you treat me fairly and only ask me to do reasonable things, I will never refuse you if I understand you.

12. BE OBJECTIVE. When you and I are working together, report what you see ..not what you interpret. When the back cinch strap hits my hind legs and I raise my leg, realize it surprised me. Since I can't see that area, my reflex is to kick at something that may be attacking my legs. Of course, when I have a minute to think about it, I realize that nothing is going to harm me, so I no longer lift my leg, but at first I do react. If you think, "Boy, you son-of-a-gun, you are not going to kick me!" and get mad at me, then we have a problem. Once you get to know me, you'll understand why I do certain things and give me the benefit of the doubt. In this way, you will help me overcome my fears.
    
    Footnote: Horses basically have three learning attitudes and sometimes combinations of those three. They are the "YES" horse, the "MAYBE" horse, and the "NO" horse.
    The information that I've laid out in this newsletter is for the yes or maybe horse. It takes much longer to train the no horse. Most everything that you ask of them that is even slightly difficult is met with resistance at first. Using the "Make the wrong hard and the right thing easy" technique works best with this type of horse. They will sometimes become a maybe, but rarely a yes horse.