Horsemanship and Respect:
The Role of the Trainer
by Karen Van Hoff (klassicalkaren)

What is horsemanship? Is it the ability to ride well? Is it sleeping next to your horse’s stall when he is sick? Is it being mindful of other horses and riders? Is it the development of a special bond between yourself and your horse? Is it being humble around these amazing creatures? True horsemanship is all of these things and more.

There seems to be an increasing lack of horsemanship in our industry, across all disciplines. More and more riders are focusing solely on just riding or showing and are not learning enough about the other aspects and responsibilities of horse ownership. The result is a population of riders who do not have a true connection with their horses. Nor do they give their horses the respect that they deserve.

Our busy schedules and expanding suburbia prevent many of us from being involved with the daily care of our horses. Over the course of the last few decades, the trends in horse care have changed. In the past, the majority of horse owners kept their horses at home and provided care themselves. Now, the majority of horse owners board their horses at other facilities.

There are definitely benefits to boarding. It allows people who cannot afford to build their own high quality facilities to have regular access to indoor rings, nice stabling, cross country courses, etc. It is also a godsend for the working rider who would have a hard time providing sufficient care on a regular schedule to horses at home. A downside to boarding is that owners on average now have less experience feeding horses, mucking stalls, fixing fences, and managing horse farms, whether they are small or large.

So what are the differences between true horsemen and just riders? A horseman knows immediately when something is wrong with their horses because of the amount of time they have spent observing them. A horseman trains and rides his horses by thinking like a horse instead of anthropomorphosizing. A horseman understands feeding and nutrition protocols. A horseman can provide proper medical care to their horses when necessary, but also knows when it is time to call the vet. A horseman knows his own strengths and weaknesses in the sport and is not afraid to speak up about his limitations. A horseman teaches the horse using positive reinforcement and reward more than punishment. And most importantly, the true horseman does not blame the horse for his own mistakes.

What I have observed in my few years of teaching and interacting with horse owners and riders is that many are only learning the bare minimum of what they need to know. Instead of continuing to further their education through lessons, clinics, seminars, and plain old time working in the stable, many people just show up at their barn, ride their horse, and leave. Some don’t even do that – the absentee owner syndrome. I am often surprised at the very basic questions I am asked by people who fall into the experienced rider category. If you can ride a Third Level dressage test, or a 3’6” hunter course, or compete at Preliminary Level in eventing, you should also know saddle fitting basics, how to properly wrap your horse for different situations, how to deal with behavioral problems that arise, how to design your own horse’s feeding program, how to take vital signs, be able recognize and handle common minor medical emergencies, and so on.

So why is it important to learn all of these things when we live in a world where we can pay someone else to take care of all of our horses’ needs? Because doing so improves your understanding of the horse, how he functions, how he thinks, and it improves your ability to communicate with your horse. This in turn does make you a better rider. It also makes the time spent around horses more enjoyable, almost like you have joined a club in which you are a welcome member instead of an occasional visitor. The true horseman has a different level of mutual understanding with their horse, a relationship that is to be treasured.

The changes in our society are certainly not the only reason for the increasing lack of horsemanship. One of the main goals for riding instructors should be to teach horsemanship, not just riding. The job of the instructor does not start and end at the gate. It goes beyond just teaching riding to teaching horse behavior and care. We are now starting to run into the problem that the instructors themselves are not true horseman, so it is impossible for them to teach horsemanship to their students. How can we expect our students to learn about horsemanship if there is no one to teach them?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with making competition part of the rider’s goals. However, competition should not be the end goal. When that happens, priorities can easily get messed up and empathy for the horse forgotten. The end goal of our work with horses should be the development of the highest levels of communication and understanding possible. If that is achieved, then competition becomes easy.

Here are some examples of true horsemanship in action. Several years ago, at the Badminton Horse Trials, Blythe Tait, one of the best event riders in the world, and his horse had a refusal at a cross country fence. The commentator stated that in an interview following the round, Mr. Tait put no blame on the horse at all and said that it was completely his fault for messing up the line in.

During a lecture given by Charles de Kunffy at a dressage symposium, he spoke on the subject of developing a relationship with the horse and respecting the animal. He said that from the moment we sit on the horse’s back we should be humble for having got there in the first place.

George Williams has been gearing up Rocher, 2003’s USDF Horse of the Year at Grand Prix, for an attempt at his first Olympic Games, a lifelong dream. The mare was recently diagnosed with tendonitis, an injury requiring a long period of rest in order for there to be a chance at recovery. Instead of giving her a shorter time off and then using medication to put her back into training for the Olympics, Mr. Williams and the horse’s owners have said that they will give Rocher all the rest she needs for a chance of full recovery, even though it means they will most likely miss the Olympic Games. They have said that her long term health and soundness are much more important than a competition.

These professionals are excellent role models for how we should treat our own horses. There are also may be good horsemen in your own barn that unknowingly or not teach by good example. You may be one of these people. Some examples include: a horse owner that catches a colic case before anyone else because they are so tuned into what is normal and abnormal behavior for their horse; the rider who never blames the horse for a bad ride; the person who makes an effort to continue their education even if it means they can’t afford to show, the owner whose horse would follow him/her to the ends of the earth if that was where he was asked to go.

As a student, when you are looking for an instructor, some careful observation on your part can tell you whether or not the instructor is a horseman. Carefully observe the horses. Do they appear healthy or are they over/under fed? Do they enjoy being worked or do they just put up with it? Is the barn orderly and safe or are there fire and safety hazards? Does the school program work like an assembly line, with students coming in, tacking up quickly, getting through a lesson, then untacking quickly or handing their horse off to the next rider? Are students encouraged to watch other lessons in order to learn more? Does the instructor explain care of the horse before and after the lesson as well as make sure that the horse is taken care of properly, not just assuming that it has been? During a lesson, does the instructor answer questions thoroughly? Does the instructor simply tell the students what to do or does he/she explain why they are doing something?

Yes, we should all try to continually improve our own horsemanship skills and encourage others to do so as well. But in the end, it is up to the instructors to teach horsemanship and to lead by example. Otherwise, we could end up with a population of uneducated horse owners riding for ribbons and not for the welfare of their animals. Developing our horsemanship skills is truly what makes this sport so incredibly rewarding.

Copyright 2004 Karen Van Hoff



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