How many times have you heard the expression, The straw that broke the camel’s back? Maybe you’ve had a problem at work, at home, in the barn, and all of a sudden it’s the last straw. Whether it’s a tantrum or a meltdown waiting to happen, the results will generally not be pleasant. But we all know, if we are honest, that the incident in question is not really the problem; is the complete set of events leading up to it. In other words, it is not really the last straw, it is the burden that it carries. Have you ever been in a situation with your horse where the pressure builds and builds until the explosion finally occurs? It’s certainly not much fun to drive in that situation. Perhaps you are heading to a horse show, tense and nervous, and cannot understand why your horse, which normally goes up the ramp, refuses to go up. Or you go on your first hunt, and the excitement builds with the dogs, the field, the surroundings, until your horse explodes. You have taken it out every week, all summer without problem. It is not the surroundings; It is not the crowd; It is not the situation, it is the pressure caused by the situation that causes the problem.
So how can you learn to deal with pressure so it doesn’t have such a negative impact? How can you teach your horse to do the same? Remember, your horse is a prey animal, therefore naturally inclined to freeze, flee or fight when a pressure situation arises. In our latest issue, we talked about a new mindset that will help you (and your horse) deal with these issues: the alpha mindset. This mentality of How can I help you? it will be much more beneficial to both of you once you learn to use it when a pressure situation arises; But first you will have to learn to exceed your pressure threshold (the amount of pressure you can handle before the explosion occurs). On any given day, your limit on what you can handle may change, depending on the circumstances. If you’ve had a rough day at work, for example, you may explode or melt much sooner than you would in the same situation on a good day. Your horse is the same; Depending on the situation, your pressure threshold may change. In order to raise your threshold to a higher level, allowing you to drive better in stressful circumstances, you may need to take your training back to basics.
We use the safe environment of the round pen as our classroom. The training that takes place here will be carried over to the outside world so that the tools you learn will help you with your reactions. First, remember that there are no mistakes in the round pen. If you are really using the alpha mindset, you will see mistakes as an opportunity. It’s hard not to try to get it right or get angry if your horse doesn’t work with you to get it right, whatever that is. We are all programmed, in a sense, to do our best; to try to achieve the goal. But in this case, the horse is better off making a mistake (in other words, he is using the tyrant mentality) so that you can teach him the consequences. The pressure to be perfect or get it right is your pressure problem to deal with in the round pen. If the horse does not do well, how is it handled? Can you build your threshold so that you really hope to make mistakes to have a teachable moment? This is the perfect place to practice that mindset, because in the round pen, it’s not about the goal, it’s not even about the journey; it’s about the mindset needed for the journey.
Now about that pressure that you apply to your horse: how should you apply it? There are numerous tools available for your use; lariats, lunge whips, etc. But perhaps the best tools are those that are always with you: your body and your voice. If you’ve ever worked with a horse with nothing attached, you may already realize that you don’t need the extras, although they are useful in certain situations; A lasso can be an extension of your arm so you don’t need to get too close or get into an unsafe situation. Actually, you would be surprised how fast most horses will move if you only start a series of jumps! An important part of Nature’s View’s riding system is using your body to apply pressure and communicate with the horse; your location and body language may prompt you to slow down, stop, or even turn around; If you are using the alpha mindset, you will work with the horse and let it tell you what to do and how to do it, depending on which of the three you would like to achieve. What a great way to practice the mental tools of problem solving, timing, etc.! Now the other important part of the equation is your voice. If you are really going to use the new mindset outside of the round pen after finishing your lesson in the classroom, your voice will be the best tool of all. Do you remember your mother when she caught you with her hand in the cookie jar? That “ah ah ah” you heard back then still works wonders. If you use it, along with the pressure you apply with your body or other tools, the horse will associate it with the consequences that follow. So when pressure situations come your way on the outside, your tone of voice can help remind you to keep your attitude of how I can help you intact. The pressure of noise can be difficult for some people to apply. In fact, a common misconception is that the tyrant mentality (as opposed to alpha) is one in which too much pressure is always applied. In fact, whoever does not exert enough pressure is also a tyrant: in both cases, too much or too little pressure, the person is not listening to the horse to let him tell him what to do.
Therefore, to get the most out of your classroom lesson in the round pen, the pressure you apply will help you increase your own pressure threshold and allow you to learn more about your horse’s reactions to pressure. This can help you gauge how much pressure you can handle and also increase your pressure threshold so that it moves from the negative to the positive side of the pendulum.
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