A common complaint among horse owners
and their professional caregivers is a lack of ground manners. The animal
may refuse to stand still, resist having his feet handled, pull away
from or crowd his handler when led, or any number of other misbehaviors.
His lack of ground manners may be a mild nuisance or verging on the
dangerous; regardless, it detracts from the pleasure of working with
him, perhaps even his companionship. However, by establishing limits
that the horse knows and follows, he can once again or finally become
a well-mannered horse that everyone enjoys.
Most problems that arise on the ground are usually based on a lack of
training; the handler failed to teach acceptable behavior. It is easier,
though, to get angry and believe the horse is being deliberately disobedient
instead of taking responsibility for the holes left in the animal's
training. To correct this trend, step out of the saddle and spend some
time working on the lessons of the ground.
Patience is a key ingredient to good ground manners. The horse must
be taught that quietly waiting is required and will be rewarded. A horse's
lack of patience usually shows up when he is tied or held for any length
of time. He may pull back, paw or constantly dance around. Teaching
the horse to wait is very difficult, since most humans also lack this
essential virtue. To overcome ingrained habits such as these require
that the handler devote the time necessary to uncover the root of the
problem and then finding the solution that will work with that particular
animal. Once a course of action is selected to establish a pattern for
patient behavior, horse and handler must stick to the program. Begin
with short periods, just a few seconds even, and generously reward the
animal when he meets the goal of standing quietly. Slowly work up to
expecting longer and longer periods of the good behavior. The handler
must exhibit patient behavior as well to prevent rushing these steps.
Relaxation is another key ingredient to teaching good ground manners.
If the horse is fresh from the stall or small paddock, allow some time
in a large turnout, arena or on the longe line before beginning the
lessons in manners. (This is true when just starting the program, however;
once the horse understands the behavior expected of him the handler
should require it at all times, in all situations. That is why we teach
ground manners.) Remove irritating stimulus from the area so that the
horse can concentrate. Eventually introduce distractions to test progress.
Over time the hors learns to ignore or becomes habituated to that outside
stimuli and maintains his good manners. Again, the handler contributes
a great deal toward the success or failure of the session; she must
be in the proper frame of mind to work with the horse.
Consistent handling is important whenever schooling. Ground manners
develop after repetitive practice in which the same rules apply. It
is unacceptable as a trainer to confuse the horse by changing the rules
or allowing misbehavior one day and punishing it the next. Be aware
when starting of the goals, short and long-term, and the limits. If
the handler does not know them, it will be impossible for the horse
to learn them. Maintaining a schedule also affects the success of the
program. If the horse is learning ground manners for the first time,
whether young or aged, training should follow a regular routine. If
the horse needs a brush-up a more relaxed program may work. Once the
animal is well-mannered, standing quietly, picking his feet up on cue,
leading calmly, respecting his handler's space, etc., more time can
pass between sessions. Even the best trained horse, though, will regress
if completely ignored.
One of the main reasons horses develop poor ground manners is the handlers
reinforce bad behavior. It is usually inadvertent, but the lesson is
powerful, nevertheless. Frequently, patience is expended and the handler
wants to accomplish a task as quickly as possible. This is when the
bad behavior becomes tolerated, even rewarded. For example, the feet
need to be cleaned, and the horse pulls his leg away or struggles while
the foot is held. A common response to this situation is to offer a
distraction - a bucket of grain or flake of hay. Very quickly the horse
makes the connection; "I misbehave, I get a treat." The hard to catch
horse learns exactly how long he must play keep away before the snack
arrives. To reverse this training is usually a long slow process and
requires a total turnaround in the way the horse is handled. The owner
must regain authority with the horse and establish a position of respect,
understanding how the horse's mind works. Setting the guidelines for
proper behavior is the next step, maintaining a clear idea of what is
acceptable and what is not.
Most horses are generally good-natured, but without proper training
they can be difficult to handle. It is the owner's responsibility for
the horse to be safe and well--mannered. It also makes it easier for
the proper health and hoof care to be administered by the veterinarian
and farrier when the animal is properly behaved. Lastly, there may come
a point in time when selling the horse becomes necessary; the chance
of his finding a good home is vastly improved when the buyer sees his
gentle ground manners.
