it is like the balance that is achieved between a horse and its rider when they are in harmony - and as a former horse trainer and school teacher i used the same ideas in both places - it is not the easy way of bullying and intimidation that is the easy way but leaves you with a student that resents the master but learns by force what to do - it is cooperation and suggestion - there are no raised voices or anger and you have to pay attention as the smallest sign of doing what you wish should be rewarded -
if you make it easy for the horse/pupil to do what you want it to do and more difficult for it to do what you don't want it to do you are part way there - this is done in the gentlest way possible but still there is a firmness to the method - if you wish your horse to take your cue to go to the right and it doesn't but goes left or straight instead you make it work, not with vengeance or anger but with the same quiet attitude until it is tired and then try from the beginning again - and when you see it pause and look to the right stop and give it a cue that that is the solution and the easy way - and repeat as many times as necessary always with the same quiet attitude until it learns what is expected and that to do it the suggested way is the easier path and does it - and you make it think that it was it's idea - you have a horse/pupil that learns the correct response yet also thinks that it is their idea you are have a pupil/horse that thinks and is cooperative -
perhaps a slower method with more work on your part however in the long run a far more satisfactory result with horses/pupils that are doing because they want to with a sense of partnership -
On Aug 21, 2012 bob gottlieb wrote :
if you make it easy for the horse/pupil to do what you want it to do and more difficult for it to do what you don't want it to do you are part way there - this is done in the gentlest way possible but still there is a firmness to the method - if you wish your horse to take your cue to go to the right and it doesn't but goes left or straight instead you make it work, not with vengeance or anger but with the same quiet attitude until it is tired and then try from the beginning again - and when you see it pause and look to the right stop and give it a cue that that is the solution and the easy way - and repeat as many times as necessary always with the same quiet attitude until it learns what is expected and that to do it the suggested way is the easier path and does it - and you make it think that it was it's idea - you have a horse/pupil that learns the correct response yet also thinks that it is their idea you are have a pupil/horse that thinks and is cooperative -
perhaps a slower method with more work on your part however in the long run a far more satisfactory result with horses/pupils that are doing because they want to with a sense of partnership -