Q and A from Claire of key equine

My Questions and Answers from Claire of Key Equine

Claire is a horse trainer that boards her horse on our property she believes in natural horsemanship so asked her some questions for her to answer here are the questions and her replys:

1. What do you think about lunging systems, strong bits, martingales, side reins, and draw reins being called methods of training?

I believe that draw reins, martingales, strong bits and things of that nature are quick fixes to problems that could be solved without these tools if people had the knowledge and patience to address the root of issues with horses as opposed to trying to just make the symptom go away without looking at the cause. For example people will put tight nosebands on horses to make them keep their mouths closed... but if they would learn how to teach their horse to soften and accept the bit and rein contact, then there is no need for any nosebands at all. I believe the same goes for all the tools that you listed, they are quick fixes. The only exception to that rule might be side reins, I haven't come to a conclusion on them yet, however I will say that I think 95% of the time they are misused, but perhaps the potential is there for them to be a useful tool in the right hands and with the right homework done beforehand. 

2. How did you learn about natural horsemanship and why did you want to start training horses? 

 I have wanted to train horses since I was a kid, I always thought it sounded like the best job ever, and I am now lucky enough to be able to make a living from it! I used to train jumpers, but the more I worked with traditional jumper trainers, the less I liked their methods. I started to question why I was training horses at all and thought about getting out of the business all together. Around that time a friend of mine had her horse in a clinic with Josh Nichol who does a slightly different style of horsemanship that he calls "relational horsemanship". I went to see one day of the clinic and I was so in awe of how he trained horses and the understanding he had of horse psychology, it totally rekindled my passion to start working with horses in a totally different way, to work with their minds instead of just using their bodies... I never looked back and have been training following Josh's methods ever since then.

 3. Did you ever use artificial training tools before you were exposed to natural horsemanship?

I used to use all sorts of artificial training tools before I met Josh and learned that there was a better way of doing things. I remember thinking there must be a better way and that it didn't feel right to me even at that time, but I had no role models that could lead me down a different path. I try to remember this when I'm dealing with people who still use these types of gadgets and methods that I no longer agree with. I remember that I was there once and that most people do want to do what is best for their horses but they just don't know how to get what they want from their horse without these tools.

4. How long have you been a trainer for?

 I have been training horses since I was a teenager, I worked for years as a groom, then as a working student, both at jumper stables. I branched off on my own and started my own business about 9 years ago.

5. have you worked with other natural horsemanship trainers?

 I have worked with Josh Nichol for the past six years, learning from him and attending lots of clinics, etc. I have also worked alongside a few other horsemanship trainers over the years, where we are both learning and can share ideas and help each other out as we are developing horses and run into problems along the way, it is important to have a support system, especially when your training style is not the norm.

6.How do you keep yourself form getting frustrated with owners/horses?

 Keeping from getting frustrated is something that I think is a struggle for a lot of people, myself included. I don't have a hard time staying patient with owners, because most of the people I work with are really keen to learn and love what they are doing with their horses, so they make it easy for me! When it comes to training the horses is it sometimes harder to stay patient and relaxed, but it is so important. I try to remind myself that horses don't do things to make our lives hard or cause is frustration, they do things because they don't understand our requests, or because they are acting on their instincts (which usually results in the opposite of what we want!). I try to remain as calm as possible and think of how I can help the horse. I think of how I can approach something differently or go back and break the exercise down to make it simpler for the horse to understand. There are many ups and downs when training horses so I try to focus on the positives as much as possible and the great days make the hard days worthwhile.

7. Have you helps horses with owners that think natural horsemanship is all fake/make believe and think it doesn't fix any problems?

I haven't helped many people that don't already have some interest in horsemanship, partly because our paths just don't cross very often, and partly because I'm not really interested in trying to convince people that what I do is worthwhile. I feel like my energy is better spent on people who realize their horses need help and are keen to learn how to develop a relationship with them where everyone can succeed and be happy!