Training Tip: A Two-for-One Special

Every horse has a thinking side to his brain, but until you show him how to use it, he doesn’t even know it exists. The thinking side is shoved way back in the corner of the horse’s brain. It’s like a tiny crystal ball sitting on a table covered up with an old tablecloth. Your job is to wheel the table out to the middle of his brain, sweep the tablecloth off and say, “Ta-dah! Here it is!” It’s very small and doesn’t get used much, but you’re going to make it grow. It’s going to get bigger and bigger until it takes up most of the space in his brain, causing the reactive side to get pushed back into the dark corner. Even though every horse has a thinking side to his brain, he doesn’t naturally know how to use it. It’s your job to show him how. The good news is that you get a horse to use the thinking side of his brain the exact same way you gain his respect – by moving his feet forwards, backwards, left and right and always rewarding the slightest try. The more you move the horse’s feet, the more respect you get. The more respect you get, the more the horse begins to use the thinking side of his brain. It’s a double good deal.