One of my new boarders asked the other day – “How is my horse doing?” My reply “good, he’s training me very well.”
After I said that to her I got to thinking. They really do try to train us. So do our dogs. Cats don’t really care if we’re trained or not.
The first few weeks a new horse comes in I just try to observe them and gradually get them accustomed to the routine around here. What time they get to eat is always a biggie. If they are used to eating at 4:00 p.m. convincing them that dinner isn’t served here until 8:00 p.m. is not an easy thing. Since I feed on an every 12 hour schedule, they just don’t get it. Most barns do it to make it easier on the staff who want to go home themselves for dinner. Being that they either have pasture or hay in front of them at all times, they have to learn that they are not starving to death if dinner isn’t there at 4:00.
So this horse tried the retraining theory on me. Didn’t work. Then while I was in the barn making grain up for the meal’ he tried galloping the pasture to hurry me along. He figured I’d run out and give him his food first. Not! He was brought in and put on the cross ties to watch me make up the grain and then we both walked quietly out to be fed.
You always have those that push you or the bucket to get you to dump it faster. Not! They get backed up and taught that they wait patiently and when they are quiet, I will dump it. If they paw at the stall door, the bucket sits out side the door and everyone else gets fed until they are finally quiet, and then I come back and feed them. They learn that any noise, like pawing or kicking, brings me out of the feed room without a bucket, and when they are quiet life is good. Oh those tiny love nips to get my attention back on them. Not at my farm. I bite back (with a pinch of my fingers).
Being quiet on the cross ties gets you a carrot. Impatient on the cross ties brings out the lunge whip. You never have to use it. Just the sight of it makes them stand at attention. They get the message really quick.
Dogs can try to train you too. None that I’ve ever had like the JR I have now. I now no longer have to sit on the floor with her. It worked when I wanted to sit on the floor and watch TV, but it gave her the control she wanted. Slowly I am still trying to convince her that I am the pack leader. She has been quite a challenge. Every 15 seconds I get, woof I want to get up on the bed, woof I want to get down. Okay she’s short and she wants to lay with Bob while he watches TV. The getting up I get because she is short, but if you want to get down, Jump!, you’re a Jack Russell terrorist. Now if I’m in the shower she sits there and does her woof thing. News flash! it’s not working, I’m not coming out.
Most of the time we don’t think about being the pack leader or the lead mare. We’re not even aware of the fact that they are training us so well. Watch their actions and how you respond. You might need to make some adjustments.
Wasn’t there a program on TV called “Charles In Charge” and “Who’s The Boss?”
So who really runs your barn or house?