Don’t Discourage The Try
Don’t discourage the try
Try is such a precious resource when it comes to working with horses. It’s so important to recognize and encourage a horse’s try, even if it isn’t something that we ‘wanted’ or asked for. When we have try, it’s simply about shaping behaviours to the outcome that we want and releasing on greater degrees of better. Most horses have a strong desire to figure out what we would like from them. When their needs are met, there desire to work with us allows for them to offer themselves more freely.
In some cases, when a horse has had experiences that have caused them to look at us skeptically or if we haven’t quite met their needs yet, it can seem like it’s much harder to work with them. It can feel like we’re doing our best to communicate, but it’s like our horses aren’t speaking the same language. This can feel frustrating and discouraging. In these instances, it’s important that we pause and really listen to what our horses are trying to say. Do they feel unsafe? Do they feel under-stimulated in the work? Can they hear us? Are they confused? We need to understand what they need from us so that we can feel like we’re on the same page!
There are going to be times in our learning that we discourage our horses… None of us are perfect! Understanding how to have boundaries, follow through, while helping our horses feel empowered in the work, is no small order! Saying, “Good job, that’s not quite what I was wanting, but keep trying!” can feel more empowering than “No that’s not what I wanted, don’t do that.” Sometimes it’s just about changing our internal dialogue.
The more we see that every horse is trying to communicate in their own way, the more it allows us to maintain our focus on what they need from us so that they can keep feeling engaged with us. Greater degrees of better tend to sustain themselves more. Stay patient with yourself and your horse. Start focusing on rewarding the little things. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how quickly a horse will begin to change once they understand that you see them trying!
