An enlightening journey into the world of natural horsemanship, brought to you by renowned international horse development specialist, event rider, and teacher Hanna Walton. With years of experience and expertise in developing young horses, rehabilitating those with trauma and behavioural issues, and excelling in the realm of eventing, Hanna has become a trusted name in the equestrian community. In this comprehensive guide, Hanna reveals the truth behind the allure of quick fixes in horse training and why they often fall short. Instead, she delves into the transformative power of natural horsemanship, offering invaluable insights and practical techniques to help you build a deep and lasting connection with your equine partner. Join us on this remarkable journey as Hanna's expertise empowers you to navigate beyond the quick fixes and embark on a path of true understanding, trust, and partnership with your horse.
Developing a Deep and Well-Rounded Foundation in Horsemanship
The Importance of a Strong Foundation
I came to the professional eventing world comparatively late in my life; it felt like a massive disadvantage and created a lot of anxiety about being unable to catch up. From a young age, I was given the challenging horses; everyone else's rejects, they were cheaper, and there were plenty of them. The result of these 'problem horses' is a twenty-year detour away from the eventing world and into 'natural horsemanship', enabling endless invaluable experiences with some of the world's most skilled horsemen. The Parelli's have been an enormous part of my foundation, and I owe a lot to what they have taught me. Alongside this, Monty Roberts, David Stuart, Parelli instructors Carmen Zulauf and David Zuend have helped me form an understanding of horse psychology that has meant, so far, no matter how extreme a situation I have found myself in with a horse, I have not been without strategy or felt like I have let the horse down.
Something that strikes me in both the 'natural' and 'traditional' worlds of horsemanship is that there are always extreme camps; where people have to be 'right', whilst the others are 'cruel' or 'wrong', when actually there is a place between all of them that can ensure that the goal can be met, without sacrificing the horses' dignity or putting the rider or horse in a dangerous or painful place. It's probably why I have spent so much time collaborating with Tik Maynard in the last few years, whose book is so accurately titled - 'In the Middle are the Horsemen'.
Horsemanship is not just for people who want to ride western, groundwork is not just a kooky activity you do to solve a problem, and the pony club guide is not a thing that goes against the philosophy of putting the horse first. Yet, I often hear this when teaching clinics and touring different parts of the world. There are stigmas attached that I would love us to let go of. Whether your horse is aiming to be an advanced event horse or has to be the safest hacking horse, the core of everything I do is to develop a deep and well-rounded foundation. Foundation is not just ropes and flags or a reaction to 'spooking' or 'being naughty'. It is preparation for any discipline encompassing everything from coping with external stimuli to understanding the aids and using their body to being easy to handle. At the same time, the human also needs a foundation which centers on learning to read their horse's signs, body language, and needs. Not in a human way, but to understand that horses have clear ways of communicating and patterns of behaviour that can help them deal with almost all of the situations they come in contact with. I see so many extreme cases that could have been solved at an incredibly early stage because moments, where a horse is scared, reactive or dominant, aren't noticed or addressed, such as the quiet horse who bolts 'out of nowhere, the 'sassy' mare who rears and strikes, the eventer who jogs his way to the start box because he's 'so excited' and one day starts napping and refuses to leave. When less extreme, this manifests as the teeth grinder or tail swisher, the horse eyeballing the jumping fillers, or the seconds lost cross country because someone opened an umbrella.
The Power of "The Attempt"
A key approach is to recognize 'the attempt'. This is about acting when your horse is making a positive effort. It's a habit you create at home and in training. One of my young horses has had challenges with knocking rails show jumping this season. The issue isn't with the jump; it is the canter. He is big, rangy and unbalanced and would prefer to hollow than engage. So, this season, we focused on rewarding any attempt he offers to change his canter to be more rhythmic, balanced, and uphill. This has culminated in him achieving his first full clear round. Most importantly, it came from him. I didn't force his body into a shape; he gradually built the strength and understanding to be able to offer it. Horses learn by trial and error and are usually trying to find the path of least resistance. If something feels good or they get a reward, rest, treat, or scratch, they'll do it more; consistency confirms the idea is good. You set it up, he figures it out, you recognize it, and he feels like a winner! Beware of not progressing when doing groundwork or riding. Good horsemanship is about upping the game all the time. Research has shown that horses learn four to seven times quicker than we do. Once you have something, test it, add purpose, and then move on, the horse doesn't need drilling on it. In order to remain progressive in training, I use the following sequence:
- Can the horse get the idea
- Maintain that idea
- Be responsible for the idea
Once the horse seems to 'get the idea', I might see if he can repeat that. Stopping quickly at first to indicate I like what they tried. Next, I'll ask him to maintain the idea for slightly longer before rewarding him. Finally, when this is going well, I start to ask them to be responsible for the idea. This is the point where the horse needs less guidance in offering and maintaining the idea. The timescale will depend on the individual horse, their stage of training, fitness, and the difficulty of the exercise. If it feels like your horse is trying, then recognize it! When we build a house, we don't just lay the foundation in the corners. It has to be deep and strong and needs reinforcing from time to time. Developing a horse's foundation is not linear or done in one chunk; you can work on elements, no matter what stage the horse is at. I have a client who is eventing at 5*, and their horse couldn't cope with crowds at big competitions. At this level, any distraction costs big, and the rider knew they were disadvantaged. The issue was around noise and movement, so the next bit is about imagination. Horse training sometimes doesn't have to look like horse training! In this case, it's all that makes up a crowd at a 5* event - umbrellas, giant flags, loudspeakers, groups cheering. When you stop and think about what the horse is scared of, it's no different to a spooky horse out on a hack. You've got two choices - avoid all of these things for your whole life (a surprising number of people manage to do this) or help the horse to overcome its fears. So, we take it back to basics.
Overcoming Fear and Building Confidence
Step 1: Create a situation where you can introduce the stimulus in a controlled way.
Step 2: Introduce the stimulus at a level and volume the horse feels safe with, reward ANY attempt at relaxation. This might be standing still at first, then relaxing, head lowering, blinking, and eventually grazing. The horse starts to figure out that when they stop worrying about something, they feel better, and then we leave. The horse learns that they don't have to bolt, spin, rear, or refuse. The event rider above had to do this in a big, open, spooky indoor arena, but with no other horses, which meant they could focus on what the rider wanted. One step at a time.
The Importance of Consistency and Persistence
The problem with problems is that they rarely sort themselves out and usually get worse if you ignore them! I often talk about 'squashing a balloon' when problems come up; they might go away, but they will pop up again. Take the time and effort to fix it properly. Sometimes this means you'll have to give up that lovely day out on the hills and stay in the school to fix something. So what if it's raining. Good horsemanship is not always about fun; it's often about persistence, repetition, and trying again. Trying is an important part of training. Trying doesn't mean 'you have to get it right,' but it does mean that you do have to make an effort. The reason that I think some of the ground stuff is so important is that you have time to make an effort. Often the horse's size and the discomforts in your own body make riding 'trying' without realizing it. It's not until you start making some of these moves on the ground that you really realize what the horse is having to deal with! I think groundwork is underrated, I think groundwork is fun, and I think groundwork is an opportunity to try. Go on; give it a go! What are you trying for your horse today?
Remember, horsemanship is a journey, and building a solid foundation is essential for success. By recognizing the attempts, overcoming fear, and being consistent in your training, you can develop a deep and well-rounded foundation in horsemanship that will benefit both you and your horse in any discipline.
.jpg)
