b'DO YOU COMMUNICATEWITH TO YOUR HORSE OR YOUR HORSE?By Lee Anderson, Old West Living Historian,Award Winning Author, and Old School HorsemanLee Anderson and his horse, Concho, are well known around the state doing presentations in schools,corporate events, and civic events. Learn more about them and his book on his website. historicaloldwest.orgC ommunication is the oil thathorse, a loudly yelling human is an angry predator roaring. lubricates any relationship,How would you react to a lion or a bear that is angry human or animal. However,and roaring loudly? (Yeahso would I.) Have you ever unless both parties are listening it isnt communication. Hownoticed when someone tries to communicate with a person well both parties listen to each other determines the health ofwho speaks a different language they nearly always get a relationship and builds connections that, in turn, affect theprogressively slower and louderlike that helps??? success of establishing mutual understanding and respect.When a horse attempts to communicate with a person, Successful communication involves each party adaptingand you better believe they do try, and it gets no results their approach according to the other partys abilitiesor gets the wrong results, it will not only just quit trying,Ive found that teaching a horse a few simple tricks helps. or even their state of mind at the time. Are they fearful?it will ignore further attempts on the part of the person toThings like saying smile and tickling their upper lip till Shy? Whats their level of education? How long is theircommunicate with it. The more often a person listens andthey wiggle it or raise it then giving them a treat. Youd be attention span? Any attempt, by either party, to force aresponds in a manner (not language, manner) the horseamazed how quickly all you need to do is say smile and wrong approach only complicates things by promotingunderstands, the more often the horse will attempt topoint your finger at their nose. Try asking them if they are resistance and creating mistrust. If it doesnt go both wayscommunicate with the person.a dummy while pinching their withers till they shake their it isnt communication, it is dictation and, trust me when Ihead no then give them a treat. Again, in no time all you tell you it can get pretty scary when a horse learns it has theSo just how does a person go about establishing real,need to do is point at their withers. raw power to dictate. Sadly, however, dictation is the mosthonest, constructive communication with a horse? I would common manner in which people deal with their horses. suggest you first control your temper and study yourI know I know, these are only just tricks, not real training horse. For example; when you are grooming, saddling, orlike changing leads and a lot of all that other real important It is unconsciously assumed any real, constructiveunsaddling your horse, have you ever had it swing its headstuff. Well, answer me thishow does the horse know its communication is only possible if both parties speakaround and use its teeth to scratch an itch on its side? Whenonly a trick? All it knows is that its responding to something the same language. A horse is biologically incapable ofthis occurs, try reaching out and vigorously scratchingyou are asking. It has no idea whether it is important to you learning the delicacies of the word meanings of humanthat spot. Youd be surprised how soon the horse will startor not. The two of you are simply communicating. Work on languages and quite honestly, it doesnt even care to do so.indicating where it wants you to scratch. When it gets toa few unimportant things like these tricks and before long, In other words, where a horse is concerned, any lack ofthat point, my friend, you will have a really good startwhen you are trying something important they may not communication is not the horses fault. It cant be, becausein establishing communication. The horse is telling youknow what youre asking but those insignificant tricks will they have no problem communicating amongst themselvessomething and you are correctly responding. Okay, its onlyhave established a line of communication and they are a lot so, there must be some way. I can absolutely, unequivocallya start. You then have to be keenly aware of other timesmore likely to try to figure it out.guarantee one way that will not work. Think about this.your horse is trying to tell you something by its actions and Humans are predators and horses are prey animals. To ayou will have to respond accordingly.People, people, peopleit isnt rocket science. PRIME RIBFRIDAY & SATURDAY42 January 2024'