Horsemanship Jr. - Communication - Chapter One continued

Even with growing communication between rider and horse, a mutual understanding and trust will take a long time to develop. There can easily be setbacks such as your horse being skittish because he smells another animal in the vicinity. He might balk and act like he is not listening to your signals.

Or you might fail to come in the morning to muck his stall and he is left to stay in his stall when he should be out running in the pasture and having a great time. Both of you have emotions and both of you can be upset.

But you have an ace up your sleeve (A) (see footnote A below)

Because your horse is consistent in his/her behavior, as you ride your horse in all kinds of situations, you will notice that you will learn to be able to predict his/her behavior. This is a real advantage (ace up your sleeve) as you will know what your horse will do before he does it. You cannot be ready in every situation, but you can be ready in more and more of them as you and your horse grow in your mutual understanding and trust.

And guess what! Your horse will have the same advantage. If you are consistent in your behavior and signals, your horse will remember your previous signal and be able to predict your signal before you give it. Try something as simple as you turning your horse to the right five times in a row as you ride out of the barn. Then, as you leave the barn the sixth time, let the horse decide and you will see your horse turn right without any signal from you. Watch and study his behavior and you will be able to see his understanding of you and his trust in you grow.

Can you now answer all of the following questions about communicating with your horse?

How can we communicate with a horse?
How does communicating with a horse compare to communicating with other people?
What is the definition of communication between people?
What is the definition of communication between a person and a horse?
Why is it important to communicate with your horse?
Why is it easier to communicate with a horse than with people?

Communication will be an important tool as you learn to ride and care for your horse.

Before we go on to the next chapter, I want you to remember two things about horses and why they can communicate with people. First, horses are smart and second, horses want to please. Give your horse a chance to develop both of these traits.

A. Ace up your sleeve – an idiom meaning advantage.
These 4 words together (ace up your sleeve) are defined as an idiom (which means several English words put together to express one thought).