At this time of year and with the weather we have been having many Horses receive less work and it is common to hear around yards conversations about Horses’ behaviour being affected by lack of work. Often Horses appear to be more challenging.
In my opinion this is a misconception. The quality of work is more important that the quantity. Just engaging and interacting with your Horse on a personal level can make all the difference. Think about it, a Horse in a natural environment lives a very peaceful and quiet existence but has all the interaction it needs from his peers to keep him grounded. You will never see a Horse exercise itself.
If you turn your thinking around and make “work” more about stimulating and exercising the brain rather than the body, the Horse will respond by releasing tension and energy in positive ways. In hand and liberty work are great for this. Time spent interacting, whether in the stable, on the ground or in the field, can be enough to help a Horse channel its energies.
So, rather than fixing the issue through work, typically increased lunge work, spend some time developing the Horse’s mind. The added benefit is this develops connection and mutual trust and confidence rather than just developing muscle and fitness.
Comments