Have you ever been working your horse in the arena or on the trail and cued him to do something only to have him ignore you and continue on as if you weren’t even on his back? Horses that ignore their riders can lead to dangerous situations.
“Even when I put my horses on a loose rein, I want them to check in with me. Being put on a loose rein isn’t the signal for ‘check out and ignore Clinton;’ it’s a reward for a job well done and a time to relax.
Your horse tuning you out doesn’t happen all of a sudden, it’s a tactic that he builds up to. It starts with him being lazy about how he responds to you and not putting in much effort. He gets away with the behavior, and he figures, “Hey, why waste any effort at all?”
And some horses tune their riders out because they’re bored. “We’re the same way. When we have to do the same thing every day or we’re made to do something we’re not interested in, it’s easy for our minds to wander,” Clinton says.
In the winter 2019 No Worries Journal article, “What to do When Your Horse Tunes You Out,” Clinton shares tips to put into practice to stop your horse from zoning out.
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