Parkranger
Well-Known Member
Ha!
Natural horsemanship, good or bad?
- Thread starter bellaboo
- Start date
bellaboo
Well-Known Member
You are so right that owning a horse is mainly common sense, but unfortunately alot of people don't go by this and problem horses are created. When this happens and a horse has learnt to rear, barge, kick etc. What do most people do, they beat the s**t out of them, and does that really work? I think at the end of the day you have to go by what works for you and your horse.
Parkranger
Well-Known Member
That's a good point. Something else to remember is what people say they do around their horse and what they do are different things.
Take for instance a girl at our yard - she says shes confident around horses and yet some of them pick up on a fear thing and misbehave alot more with her.
You're right, alot of people don't have common sense but unfortunately they're the ones who are unlikely to read these books!
Take for instance a girl at our yard - she says shes confident around horses and yet some of them pick up on a fear thing and misbehave alot more with her.
You're right, alot of people don't have common sense but unfortunately they're the ones who are unlikely to read these books!
valentine
Well-Known Member
it all comes down to being confident and also thinking why or horses do things like rearing, biting and other things? its about thinking about things first rather than going in and smaking the hell out of them then wondering why they have done it again..... i have been on the 5 day course and have gained so much more knowlege and have shared it with others. it was totally amazing when i did join up with my gelding the relationship has changed so much lots more respect for each other..... i also had a RA out and i can tell you it was money well spent havent had a problem since. The dually is not cruel its only used at the start of the training the horse must learn not to invade you space as i have seen many horses just walking all over there owners. i very rarley use the dually but i have it as a back up surely it is better than a chiffney?
Doublethyme
Well-Known Member
Agree totally with the posts that say it is all really just plain common sense and pretty much old fashioned horsemanship. Unfortunately nowadays much of that is lost to new owners, so may be it has its place in helping people, although I do think it is way over marketed and there are some who do it who take a far higher moral stance on it than is actually right and look down on some traditional stuff which is no worse than the methods they are using.
My horse reared in hand as a youngster or when excited still trys on occasion, I automatically keep her on a long lead and made her keep away from me and back up out of my space, using the end of the lead rope to do so if necessary. She soon comes back down and walks fine. NH? I don't know, just my natural reaction to the situation = I am not prepared to accept being walked over and don't believe in holding horses tight by their headcollars, so she has to accept that she walks nicely on a long lead rein. Trouble is I see too many people who have fresh, lary horses holding them really tight on the lead ropes, so the horses are just bubbling over which causes the problems - the one thing that NH stuff teaches people is to let them go a bit and make the horse responsible for where its feet go as long as it isn't too near you!
As for "Be Nice" halters, these are actually not Parelli, but Monty Roberts designs - pre Dually. Personally think they should be called "Far from Nice" as they have huge metal clenches over the poll area which dig in if the horse misbehaves. Having said that I have used one on my mare to teach her loading when she was younger. Again she used to use her weight against me and rear - one session in the Be Nice and she learned she couldn't do it, she had a few sessions after that with the Be Nice under a normal head collar to use it if needed and since then (7 years) loads first time every time on a loose rein in a normal head collar and travels and stands on the lorry beautifully.
It wasn't nice, but it was effective. I think that is my main complaint about NH stuff, many go all moral about how much kinder it is, when a lot of the time it isn't really, its just different - more effective sometimes so maybe that is kinder, but often not kinder in the actual tools or act.
My horse reared in hand as a youngster or when excited still trys on occasion, I automatically keep her on a long lead and made her keep away from me and back up out of my space, using the end of the lead rope to do so if necessary. She soon comes back down and walks fine. NH? I don't know, just my natural reaction to the situation = I am not prepared to accept being walked over and don't believe in holding horses tight by their headcollars, so she has to accept that she walks nicely on a long lead rein. Trouble is I see too many people who have fresh, lary horses holding them really tight on the lead ropes, so the horses are just bubbling over which causes the problems - the one thing that NH stuff teaches people is to let them go a bit and make the horse responsible for where its feet go as long as it isn't too near you!
As for "Be Nice" halters, these are actually not Parelli, but Monty Roberts designs - pre Dually. Personally think they should be called "Far from Nice" as they have huge metal clenches over the poll area which dig in if the horse misbehaves. Having said that I have used one on my mare to teach her loading when she was younger. Again she used to use her weight against me and rear - one session in the Be Nice and she learned she couldn't do it, she had a few sessions after that with the Be Nice under a normal head collar to use it if needed and since then (7 years) loads first time every time on a loose rein in a normal head collar and travels and stands on the lorry beautifully.
It wasn't nice, but it was effective. I think that is my main complaint about NH stuff, many go all moral about how much kinder it is, when a lot of the time it isn't really, its just different - more effective sometimes so maybe that is kinder, but often not kinder in the actual tools or act.