Hi Janice >Cool Robyn I will check out the article. How far back are you >supposed to be then? because I found I had more success, control, the >closer I got, which puts you in danger if you have a kicking horse. I >dont have a kicking horse but when Nasi got tangled he would kick out >to untangle himself so I just quickly dropped reins. So far he is not >traumatized by anything and I am trying very hard to keep it that >way...
If you go through the steps that are outlined in the article you shouldn't have any problems with the horse being afraid of the lines because we break it down into small 'chunks' so the horse has a chance to understand. It makes it safer for both horse and human. We start with one person leading the horse as that is much easier for a horse to understand. We have a kind of backward philosophy to lots of people in that if something isn't working or is difficult for the horse (dog, person or whatever) we back off and make the steps easier instead of escalating pressure. This is probably why the whole idea of flooding doesn't make much sense to me if you look at the physiology of what happens under stress, raised pulse, respiration and cortisol levels and release of ACTH - stress hormone. So even if a horse (dog, person..) manages to do something we don't know what really happened in the body as far as how the processed it. Actually if you go one step backward and do the neckline driving which Judy also has on her website or for those of you with Linda's new book, it is in there, it is where I start with every horse as it is much easier for them to understand that when the lines are attached to the halter. We have been ground driving horses, as preparation for riding, for well over 40 years. While it can be done with one person, it takes more skill on the part of the driver and you should do it in a small area to be safe. In the 70's Linda was giving seminars to amateur horse people who wanted to start their own horse and so she started having a leader and found it actually went much faster for the horse in terms of understanding, and the drivers skill level improved as well. I generally stand much closer to the horse than you in the photos because it is easier to give clear information to the horse and you don't have as much weight on the lines to the horse. We generally stand just off to one side or the other of the horse, so he can see you. As I mentioned a horse should not be afraid of the lines if you have gone through the short bit of preparation - much faster and safer in the long run. This is a very good exercise for horses who are nervous about things behind them. Hope this helps, I'm happy to answer if you have any other questions. Robyn Icelandic Horse Farm Robyn Hood & Phil Pretty Vernon BC Canada www.icefarm.com
