Horse Training Videos:

How To Stop A Horse From Shying

 

From: Charlie Hicks

http://www.HorseTrainingResources.com

 

Shying is a habit that in fact is imposed on a horse by improper handling. If the horse has been properly trained when a colt, he will never develop the habit of shying. This habit, like most others, is acquired by improper handling at some time.

 

“In nine cases out of ten your horse has been taught to shy on the road by the improper use of the whip”, says Professor Jesse Beery in his excellent series on horsemanship.  “I have always claimed that the driver shies or gets away from the true principles of horsemanship first. In all probability, he is driving a high-spirited colt and he comes to a stone, stump or some other object that is inclined to frighten it. The colt, obeying a natural instinct pauses in his gait in an effort to understand the meaning of this unusual object, or he may notice the object just as he gets even with it. In either case, the driver, instead of giving the colt an opportunity to examine the object, pulls out the whip and forces the colt past the object, and in many cases, whips him for five minutes afterwards, in an effort to convince him of the foolishness of frightening at a stone or stump. He has now laid the foundation for a shyer, and one or two repetitions of this kind will put him in possession of a confirmed shyer, one that will rush to the side of the road, or whirl and upset the rig, or possibly, in its fright run off and break things to pieces.”

 

The problem is caused by the fact that a horse can think of only one thing at a time, and while his mind is on the object, and the driver applies the whip, it is the object that inflicts the pain, and not the whip. If the horse could reason from cause to effect he would understand that the whip, and not the object, was responsible for the pain, and when passing the same spot at another time, would know that if he paid no attention to the object he would not be hurt. This reasoning process is impossible for the horse to perform, and for that reason, any time he sees the object, or one similar to it, he is reminded of the former experience, and the result is that he shies worse than ever.

 

The solution is a complete course in retraining the horse so that its senses are not only attuned but also so that it understands that you are in charge at all times. This will include learning and applying techniques that are explained fully by Professor Beery. These are available by visiting http://www.HorseTrainingResources.com.

 

When the training is complete you’ll be able to get your horse to walk right up to and feel the object with his nose, so that he will be convinced that it is harmless. Continue this manner of approach for a while, and whenever your horse sees something along the road that he does not understand, instead of trying to get away from it, he will want to walk right up to it, and will not be really satisfied until he has examined it thoroughly.

 

We have an excellent video by Vickie Weigel titled

“How to Get Rid Of The Horse Eating Monsters”.

 

It is part of our professional collection of horse training videos that you can see at http://horsetrainingresources.com/DVD.html

 

Charlie Hicks