Natural Horsemanship mix - Opinions

I think you can achieve great things with a NH approach.
But one thing I would say is find a 'style' you want to go with and stick with it.
Try not to mix and match different approaches as this can be very confusing for your horse!
 
jeeve said:
Me too - exactly this - your horse wants to be with you.
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My ponio waits at his paddock gate for me every afternoon, follows me back to the stable (no halter/lead), walks into his stable and waits for me to fetch his tack (stable door left open so that I can easily come in with the saddle), I saddle him up and he patiently stands waiting for me to put on my hat and gloves then we go outside, he walks to the mounting block next to me (though I don't lead him) and then stands waiting for me to get on

My horse is like a big, palomino puppy and I've never done any NH :D - so a good relationship can be achieved without it!
 
Bernster said:
Really helped with the loading thing but also was really interesting in helping me take a bit more notice of my boy. I realised he had far more personality than I had given him credit for and I think it's really improved how I handle him!
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This is the important aspect which is often missed in horsemanship teaching. Watch and "listen" to your horses responses and learn what he is saying. The more you watch the more you begin to see and smaller and smaller responses become clear to you over time. This is so important I believe for seeing when your horse is 'trying' to do what you want so you can tell him he is on the right track earlier and earlier. Conversely you begin to see when he is not so happy by ear placement, wrinkling nose, tail swish etc. for example.
The asking and responding is based on pressure and release and the release of the pressure when a horse 'tries' is very important to tell him he is on the right track and watching your horse is vital to getting this timing better and better. Once you learn to see the tiny responses you will find that pressure can be light as a feather...

I think the poster who said that the ground work is about learning to be crystal clear is right. It's the foundation of your communication system and imo needs to be solid but it does involve lots of learning by the human as well as the horse if this is new to you.

Yes great post Tazzle.
 
QueenOfCadence said:
My ponio waits at his paddock gate for me every afternoon, follows me back to the stable (no halter/lead), walks into his stable and waits for me to fetch his tack (stable door left open so that I can easily come in with the saddle), I saddle him up and he patiently stands waiting for me to put on my hat and gloves then we go outside, he walks to the mounting block next to me (though I don't lead him) and then stands waiting for me to get on

My horse is like a big, palomino puppy and I've never done any NH :D - so a good relationship can be achieved without it!
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Yes, that's a good point.
Some people do seem to have a natural rapport with animals. Although groundwork is essential for bringing on youngsters etc. I don't know if we ever achieve the same connection with a horse on the ground. You really only become 'one' when you're in the saddle IMO.
 
Richard Maxwells groundwork exercises are great - I've been using them with my youngster and he responds really well. Have to agree with the poster that said it is less "natural" and more "common sense" horsemanship. I just really like his attitude.
I have to say I completely lost any respect I had for the Parelli brand (and it was little to begin with) after seeing the video of Pat abusing Catwalk. Disgusted is not the word.
 
Have a look at the work klaus ferdinand hempfling does. He is a brillant horseman.

I use traditional and NH methods, i take abit of each that works with my horses. I use to do join up till I learnt gawani pony boy methods of horse whispering. Each has its place and I see it as having many tools in your tool box than just the one, and having a happy horse.

heres a clip of ponyboy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlwfoh4qPcc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Klaus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq06bmJLt-U&feature=pyv&ad=10609930901&kw=hempfling
 
hobit said:
Have a look at the work klaus ferdinand hempfling does. He is a brillant horseman.

I use traditional and NH methods, i take abit of each that works with my horses. I use to do join up till I learnt gawani pony boy methods of horse whispering. Each has its place and I see it as having many tools in your tool box than just the one, and having a happy horse.

heres a clip of ponyboy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mlwfoh4qPcc&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Klaus
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zq06bmJLt-U&feature=pyv&ad=10609930901&kw=hempfling
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I've seen GaWaNi pony boy at a clinic and the round pen parts of his methods are very similar to Monty Roberts. ;)

I've also seen KFH live on his Boarder line Tour. His teachings for humans (being grounded etc.) are his stronger point imo.
 
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Although it can be difficult using a mix of techniques I think this is the best way, as you can pull pieces that you like from all the different approaches using what works for you and your horse, and arm yourself with knowledge. The best thing you can do is listen to your horse and monitor his reactions, you will be able to tell if he is enjoying what you are doing. Listening to your horse is the best way to good relationship, always trying to look for the reason why something happens. I also agree with people who say you do not need a specific natural horsemanship approach to have an amazing relationship with a horse, it is all about making the time you spend with your horse as positive as it can be for the both of you. Bitless in my personal experience can be very rewarding, I found my horse to be even more responsive in it! I'm unsure on join up, it is a fairly domineering approach, I prefer to just let my horse loose and wait for him to join with me without sending him away in the first place. This way he doesn't get upset with the idea of being sent away, but this was just in my experience! Good luck with everything though :)
 
Go for it!
Yes you can have a great relationship with your horse using non-NH techniques, but whether they are NH or not is completely irrelevant. This isn't a debate of which method (traditional or NH) you should use to improve you and your horse's relationship - just about how to improve it. To bes honest, personally I have struggled to find any 'traditional methods' of gaining a better relationship with a horse. NH methods and exercises, from my research, are more accessible and you don't need carrot sticks, pressure halters or DVDs, or indeed bits, whips and tack, to make a big difference. It just so happens that the traditional texts and sources that I have found have seemed impresonal to me: very much detached from the emotional level of the horse-rider relationship. Many traditional riders and trainers seem to have a more business-like attitude. There is nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to use more holistic, sympathetic methods because they suit my personality better. Maybe this kind of thing largely comes down to the attitudes and personality of the rider? While I do use traditional methods a lot in my riding and training, I do find them sometimes less friendly, less fun.
I did exactly the same - when I got my 1st share horse, we were good together but I didn't feel a real conenction with him, and whenever I rode or led him he always had his head in the air, looking out for danger and not paying attention to me, plus he could be quite spooky. So I spent hours (over a period of months) doing groundwork with him, from when I led him in from the field to doing exercises in the menage. We went for in-hand hacks, sometimes just to go for a nice graze somewhere different before coming home again. We practised things like teaching him to respect my space (not that he was particularly bargey) letting me pick up and move his hooves around, yielding his hindquarters when I touched them, moving backwards away from me, and halting, walking, trotting and turning when I did when being lead, without me having to use the leadrope. I wanted him to realise that I was in control and that he could look to me for direction when he was frightened. We also practised teaching him to follow me through narrow spaces (using gateways and jumping blocks) as he was claustrophibic, and I would set up obstacle courses in the menage (or any small, enclosed area) including walking over tarpaulin, under low(ish) branches, through puddles, loose-schooling and lungeing on the flat and over jumps, and T-Team polework (teaching him to follow me over and through flat or slightyl raised pole patterns). He was pretty receptive to this kind of work and I think we both started to really enjoy it. I made sure it was fun and that he was praised lots. I also used pressure-release to teach him to lower his head when asked, for when he wasn't paying attention or was behaving spookily, to encourage him to relax and refocus on what I was asking of him. Not only did he learn to trust me more (after all, it's a continual process) but I felt that I gradually had more faith in him, too, and that made a massive difference to our relationship as well as my own confidence.
Good luck and have fun! What harm can it do? The above involved NH methods and exercises, and no matter what anyone says, you can make tiny steps or massive steps forward with them. :)
 
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hi, my advice to you is to give it ago! i am just learning the basics at the moment with professional help and the results are amazing! its so simple to learn and gives you a great understanding of your horse and how they think and react.

im a novice in the horse world and this method helps you just as much as your horse!! give it ago!

Rich
 
A lot of approaches work with easy horses, it is training them to respond to your cues, my boy once trotted round me [loose] in an indoor school, where he was unhappy because it makes a bit of an echo. I walk with him along side me every day, and ask him to stop and start according to my cues, this is learned behaviour.
When I first got him he had been in harness, so when bridled up, he will generally stand still, if I drop the long reins on the ground he will stand still, this could be learned behaviour, its not NH, its education.
He tends to resist NH pressure /release halter training if he is in a mood, but will comply if it suits him.
If you watch Monty Roberts, he has a "Noel Edmonds" look about him, this relaxed stance seems to be recognised by horses, they need to know you are in charge, and they recognise your cues.
 
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I know its probably a bit late to reply as this was ABSOLUTE AGES AGO but i just couldn't resist ;) I use Richard Maxwell, Kelly Marks, Monty Roberts all mixed together. Just grab some stuff from one person that you find helpful, then some from another, and add your own bits in, etc. And, just doing simple groundwork helps so much! I always got the feeling that my horse didn't trust me that much; he trusted his horsey friends soooooooo much more, and one day I thought 'oh what the heck' and spent 15 minuts asking him to walk on, back up, move his hind away from me a step or two, then trot on and halt, and afterwards he followed me around without a lead, and was much more trusting. I now, whenever I have time, just do a bit f ground work or take him on walks just to re-establish that trust and respect. Oh dear, I babbled on a bit.......
 
Absolutely go for it. There is a lot of misunderstanding about what NH/IH involves. It is just basic horsemanship. Not sure why it generates so much controversy.

I have used it with in particular my ISH, but also other horses including a rescue horse and yes you can create an amazing bond. Liberty work is so much fun, and the horses enjoy it as much as you do.

I will say though you are best to go to clinics, or have an instructor help you, it just makes learning what you need to do a whole lot easier than trying to learn off books and DVDs by themselves. If you have someone that can kick start the whole thing you will learn the baiscs very quickly.

I used to attend a NH monthly day for a lot of older ladies that got back into horses once their kids left home etc, and they have gone from being nervous nellies, with ordinary plods, to some very competent, confident horsewomen, now competing and jumping/dressage at local (and not so local events) - in other words they have progressed far beyond where they imagined they would.
 
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