Post by Elaine on Apr 26, 2012 9:53:23 GMT
In this diagram, draw a line from the centre of the circles out to the outer edge of the Not too sure zone. Then zigzag the line between the edges of the Not too sure zone (NTSZ) and draw a line back into the centre of the circles. All three lines are joined to each other. That line is the path you want the horse to follow mentally and emotionally each time you ask it to do something new. You do NOT want to take the horse outside the NTSZ if you can avoid it.
To complete the model diagram draw an arc along the zig zag section and write "2 minutes maximum" next to it. That 2 minutes maximum applies to someone with Phils level of skill and knowledge. For the rest of us my recommendation is to try for 5 seconds or less.
I have seen this model work very effectively on ALL horseanaliites in the last 8 years. It does not work for all people, especially those with little patience. In the beginning I think it needs to be applied everytime you deal with a horse, about everything you want to do, for as long as it takes for that horse to develop a comfort zone while around you.
That 2 minutes is the maximum amount of time Philip recommended we spend asking our horse to do something before quitting and allowing the horse to return - completely - to its comfort zone. Not just stop, wait a little while and then ask again - rather allow the horse to return to being 100 % comfortable and relaxed before asking anything else of it.
The less time you spend with the horse in the zigzag place while asking your horse to do something the better. That is Phils plan too but he has the skills to ask for much longer if he needs to, most other people dont. I have probably seen around 2000 NH people in the last 16+ years of NH clinics in various forms. I think I have met about 3 people who have the skills to ask a horse to try to do something for the full 2 minutes without allowing it to return entirely to the comfort zone and have a horse able to cope well with that mentally and emotionally.
The more introverted the horse the quicker your response needs to be and the more aware of your horses mental and emotional state you have to be to avoid any adverse effects on their feet. IME extroverted horses give you around 10 - 20 seconds of warning to sort this out for yourself and back off, very introverted horses give you much less time. My RB catatonic horse gave me - at most - 2 to 3 seconds before she would shutdown on me completely.
If your horse is giving you any opposition reflex it is OUT of its comfort zone.
If your horse lifts its head slightly and braces when you pick up a feel on the leadrope or the rein it is OUT of its comfort zone.
If it turns its head away or backs up when you approach, if it braces when you approach, if it shifts tis weight onto the closest forefoot as you approach it is OUT of its comfort zone, if it moves off when you approach it is OUT of its comfort zone. If it tries to turn its head away from you, even slightly, as you halter it it is OUT of its comfort zone.
If its breathing speeds up without physical effort causing this, if its nose screws up, etc it is OUT of its comfort zone.
Those are the obvious things, I had one horse who did none of those things sometimes and was still OUT of her comfort zone. With her I had to learn to feel it because there were usually no physical signs whatsoever that she was about to shutdown on me.
Most people seem to start from the premise that the horse already has a comfort zone around people. Most horses dont have such a thing.
If what you are asking your horse to do adversely affects what happens with their feet you have gone TOO FAR. What do you have to do or not do to teach your horse something new (for the two of you) without adversely affecting their feet ?
If things got worse the second time he did something, Philip did not repeat it again with that horse.
To complete the model diagram draw an arc along the zig zag section and write "2 minutes maximum" next to it. That 2 minutes maximum applies to someone with Phils level of skill and knowledge. For the rest of us my recommendation is to try for 5 seconds or less.
I have seen this model work very effectively on ALL horseanaliites in the last 8 years. It does not work for all people, especially those with little patience. In the beginning I think it needs to be applied everytime you deal with a horse, about everything you want to do, for as long as it takes for that horse to develop a comfort zone while around you.
That 2 minutes is the maximum amount of time Philip recommended we spend asking our horse to do something before quitting and allowing the horse to return - completely - to its comfort zone. Not just stop, wait a little while and then ask again - rather allow the horse to return to being 100 % comfortable and relaxed before asking anything else of it.
The less time you spend with the horse in the zigzag place while asking your horse to do something the better. That is Phils plan too but he has the skills to ask for much longer if he needs to, most other people dont. I have probably seen around 2000 NH people in the last 16+ years of NH clinics in various forms. I think I have met about 3 people who have the skills to ask a horse to try to do something for the full 2 minutes without allowing it to return entirely to the comfort zone and have a horse able to cope well with that mentally and emotionally.
The more introverted the horse the quicker your response needs to be and the more aware of your horses mental and emotional state you have to be to avoid any adverse effects on their feet. IME extroverted horses give you around 10 - 20 seconds of warning to sort this out for yourself and back off, very introverted horses give you much less time. My RB catatonic horse gave me - at most - 2 to 3 seconds before she would shutdown on me completely.
If your horse is giving you any opposition reflex it is OUT of its comfort zone.
If your horse lifts its head slightly and braces when you pick up a feel on the leadrope or the rein it is OUT of its comfort zone.
If it turns its head away or backs up when you approach, if it braces when you approach, if it shifts tis weight onto the closest forefoot as you approach it is OUT of its comfort zone, if it moves off when you approach it is OUT of its comfort zone. If it tries to turn its head away from you, even slightly, as you halter it it is OUT of its comfort zone.
If its breathing speeds up without physical effort causing this, if its nose screws up, etc it is OUT of its comfort zone.
Those are the obvious things, I had one horse who did none of those things sometimes and was still OUT of her comfort zone. With her I had to learn to feel it because there were usually no physical signs whatsoever that she was about to shutdown on me.
Most people seem to start from the premise that the horse already has a comfort zone around people. Most horses dont have such a thing.
If what you are asking your horse to do adversely affects what happens with their feet you have gone TOO FAR. What do you have to do or not do to teach your horse something new (for the two of you) without adversely affecting their feet ?
If things got worse the second time he did something, Philip did not repeat it again with that horse.