WILLIAM MICKLEM - HELP NOT HINDER Part 9

Praise and punishment

So where do you all stand on the issue of corporal punishment for children? Most think it unacceptable and without doubt physical force is a poor substitute for understanding and communication..a poor substitute for education and motivation..and in particular a poor substitute for leading by example and with great love. Can this be the same for horses? There can be only one answer as far as I am concernedYESwith one reservation. The example has to be given by other horses, which is why I think young horses need to live in the company of other horses and learn to be part of a group.

AN EDUCATED RESPONSE

The truth is that understanding, communication, education and motivation are all within the grasp of an educated rider training a horsetherefore we can look at horse training and training children in a similar way. However human safety must always take first priority and it is not acceptable for horses to bully and intimidate usso there have to be ground rules and mutual respect otherwise we cannot work together.and it is a fact that horses are bred to work with us. So I also believe in being practical, so that horses do not get out of control and, as a result, left to vegetate in fields and die from boredom and inactivity.

Therefore, for example, I have no difficulty putting a stronger bit like a pelham in a ponys mouth at times, if they respect it and make children safer; and I have no hesitation in giving a horse a slap on the nose if they go to bite me or others.and with spoilt horses I have no doubt that an occasional slap on the bottom to go forwards is at times acceptable, as long as the horse or pony is healthy and what is required is obvious and easy to do, and as long as the emphasis in the training is reward. But this is the limit. Sadly in the past I have not always been so slow to punish. However I have learnt that the use of force invariably either did not tackle the root problem, which meant the situation did not improve, or actually made the problem worst. Let me give you a sad example of my foolishness:

A PAINFUL LESSON

As a young man when I first arrived at the Fulmer School of Equitation, in the UK, I was given a horse to ride that was nappy and unwilling. I knew about this horses faults but I was happy to show my prowess as an effective rider. I battered this poor horse round the local roads on day one and expected him to be much better on day two.but the same unwillingness was there on the second day as I repeated the treatment. That evening he stood in his box sweating and he was never ridden again, as on investigation a huge growth was found in his stomach and he was put down. I should have fully learnt my lesson at this time but to my shame it took me longer. I hope that by telling this story as often as I can that it makes other riders change their behaviour and turns a negative into a positive. I have now learnt to work from the positive in my daily work with horses and build from praise.

MAKE PRAISE AN AID

As I said last time the use of the voice is very much part of an aid system, particularly for praise. Teaching your horse a cue for praise is as important as any other aid. I progress from the voice to using a little soft rub on the neck. Lungeing and loose schooling can be used even with older horses in a long term programme that builds on the use of the voice, and if well done will also help a horse feel better physically, which is an intrinsic reward that can make a huge difference to the attitude of so many horses.

USE OF THE STICK IN DRESSAGE

Despite this I have no problem about riding with a dressage stick, although I like to use a dressage stick that is not too whippy even just a suitable home made stick from a something like a hickory tree, which I strip and varnish. (Also used at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.) The dressage stick is not used as punishment but as a back up aid as close as possible to where the leg is used. The dressage stick should never be used on the sensitive flank and never used with strength or out of temper, as, like the spurs, it is primarily an aid for communication not punishment.

It is important that you don't look at riding as something demanding great strength. It is wonderful to watch the best jumping and cross country riders with their horses running and jumping willingly, and all allowing their horses to work for them by using a soft rein contact. In other words they do as much as possible to do as little as possible instead of being a distraction to their horse. The task is to put your horse in gear in a very positive way but not lose the calmness. In training if a horse is not responding to the forward leg aids we can put this right on the flat and with easier exercises. Then the horse gets in the habit of going forward willingly without any temptation to over ride. Over riding at worst includes a horse becoming afraid of the rider because of over use of the stick.

WHEN A HORSE STOPS

The most frequent use of the stick is when a jumping horse stops at a fence. But we need to understand why this has happened:

- If it is because they don't understand the forward aids or have not had a progressive introduction to jumping, then they certainly don't need punishment.

- If it is because the exercise is beyond their ability or the rider is getting left behind when jumping and pulling on the mouth, then they certainly don't need punishment.

- If it is because of nerves or being unable to see the fence properly because their head is locked into an unnatural position for jumping, then they certainly don't need punishment.

- or If it is because they are in pain from their feet, badly fitting saddle, injury or ailment, then they certainly don't need punishment.

.and the truth is that very few horses will stop if you avoid the above and there is a gradual progression to the work, and of course the most important reaction throughout the training should be to REWARD the behaviour you want repeated. This very sensitive mare has been trained by this principle and I have no doubt that anything different would have produced an uncooperative and very unhappy horse. Instead we have a much loved family horse:

BEING PRACTICAL

In competition it may occasionally be necessary to use the short jumping stick to back up the forward aids, rather than have a hesitant and possibly unsafe approach, as long as the exercise is not a step too far for the horse, but it should never be used in anger and never at full strength. In particular as we use the stick we need to be as sure as possible that the horse builds in trust and confidence and not the reverse, as a frightened horse is a dangerous horse that will rarely produce quality work. The short jumping whip should also never be used on the flank but just on the horses bottom.

Fear often makes a horse 'runs blind' to fences and then safe jumping goes out of the window. Or a horse that has been over punished at the wrong time then expects the use of the stick on approach to a jump, and as a result often refuses to face the fence, or even enter a jumping arena. This is why I encourage any punishment after a refusal, which should initially be just a growl and a kick, to be given going AWAY from the fence.

In connection with this many people say keep facing the fence even in halt and make them go over itusing the stick if necessary. This is not only potentially unseating for the rider but dangerous. Jumping from a standstill is a prime cause of rotational falls so you never want to give your horse the idea that jumping from a standstill is an option.

OUR PUBLIC FACE

There is a final point about the use of the stick that is also very important...... generally speaking a non-horsey audience doesn't like it. If we are to enlarge our audience and increase our resources we have to win over those who equate any use of the stick with abuse. If in the process of doing this we train our horses better and have a zero tolerance to excessive or inappropriate use of the stick then it will be a win-win situation...and happy days for horse and rider.

HELP NOT HINDER

So we have reached the end of this series of blogs on aids or helps. It is such an important subject, but one that causes headaches and heartaches for so many riders, and is a hugely divisive subject among coaches. So lets keep our aids simple and equine friendly. The result will be less hindrance and much more help full happy days for your horseand for you.and better results on the scoreboard.

Before finishing I just wanted to say thank you to the huge number of Barnmice members that have been enthusiastically following this series. It is very heartening and shows that there is a very real interest in finding a better way to communicate with our horses. It reflects great credit both on you and on Barnmice. William

www.WilliamMicklem.com

NEXT WEEK ..Something more important than pure riding techniquethe first of three very special blogs to celebrate my first year on Barnmice. REFLECTIONS Part One SUCCESS & LIFE

walking the tightrope, the story of Edna and a special pair of donkeys.

WILLIAM MICKLEM - HELP NOT HINDER Part 9

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