The Horse Training Penguin Dance
Andy Curry discusses the Penguin Dance:
I have a trainer friend from Texas named Sue.
Sue’s a very competent horse trainer.
Last time we talked, she jokingly said, ‘When people come
to the barn to watch us train, they may see a bunch of penguins.’
My first reaction was…’Huh?’
Then she went on to explain how she
does the penguin dance to desensitize her horses.
That’s when I understood what she meant.
In essence, when she’s working on de-
sensitizing her horse she’ll flap her arms like
a penguin as she walks around them.
At first, the horse will generally
raise his head and get a little ‘big eye’d’.
That’s out of fear and not understanding.
But just because the horse raised his
head and is backing off a little doesn’t mean she’ll quit.
Just the opposite, in fact.
It’s when the horse relaxes and drops
his head is when she quits.
Why?
Because the horse starts to learn, ‘Oh..when I drop my
head and relax that annoying flapping stops.’
You ALWAYS stop what you’re doing when you get the
right ‘answer’ from your horse.
Whenever there’s unusual movement the horse isn’t used to,
he’s gonna get scared because he doesn’t understand it –
nor does he understand that it ‘won’t’ hurt him.
So, you gotta get him past it.
This is nothing new as far as horse training goes.
I just liked the way she described it – The Pen- guin Dance.
It’s a good desensitizing exercise for your horse
and will at the same time be a good exercise for you.
Sue has a new DVD out called “How To Float In The Saddle”
and is a terrific “how to ride a horse” DVD.
You can see more about by clicking the following:
Sue Robertson Riding DVD
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“Horseback Riding: The Complete Beginner’s Guide”
Read more here if you’re even thinking about taking lessons or
have an interest in horseback riding:
Horseback Riding: The Complete Beginner’s Guide
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