|
Can
I Have Your Attention Please?
By Kelly Lagos
Read more horse and rider articles on Kellys blog
EveryRider.com
 Scientists
in Switzerland recently conducted a study hoping to quantify the
equine attention span. They taught the horses in the study to touch an
object after specific cues were sounded, and the animals were given a
reward for a positive response. If the horse touched the object before
the cue was given, they did not receive a reward, meaning they had to
wait. The time between the cues was extended during the experiment
phase to measure how long the horses retained their focus.
Researchers found that the average maximum attention span of horses is
11.8 seconds. The study also found a significant difference in the
ability of young horses (3 to 7) and older horses (8 to 14) to hold
their attention and retain information. An 11.8 second attention span
is extremely short. To put this into perspective, the average amount
of time that a two year old human child is able to concentrate on a
particular task is about 6 minutes.
To the untrained eye watching a finished horse it may appear that the
handler has continuous attention. In a sense this is true but not in
the way you might think. He appears focused on the person directing,
never drifting or wandering. This level of concentration comes from
the trainer or rider directing every stride. Constantly giving the
horse something to do. Lack of attention is especially common in
younger horses. It is virtually impossible to expect to complete an
entire training session with a two year old without having his mind
wander at least once.
So what can we do? How do we fix the problem of a horse that seems to
take interest in everything but us. Well, there is some good news.
Horses are not just easily distracted they are also easily fascinated.
When teaching a new horse to heed, I pay very close attention to the
body language of the horse. When turning him out in a round pen I
follow behind from a distance. At this point the horse is free to do
as he chooses to an extent. He can run and play he can roll on the
ground kick invisible monsters... whatever he wants. At some point he
will either stop and look at me or walk over to say hello if for no
other reason than to see why I keep following him around. Now I have
his attention, but this is just the beginning. Getting a horse to
acknowledge you is easy, keeping a horse waiting for your request is a
bit more difficult.
Horses only pay attention to one thing at a time so if his ears perk
forward to see a dog rustling the bushes you've already lost him. If
he bends down to smell a pile of manure... guess what? That pile is
more interesting than you are. The trick is to keep your horse
attentive with constant redirection. I don't mean frantic chasing him
with a whip or changing direction every lap around the pen. Depending
on the level of sensitivity it can be as subtle as tapping the palm of
your hand on your thigh or making a little shh shh sound. The sound or
movement is not as important as learning how much pressure is enough
to get them back without loosing the relaxation. His inside ear should
be either flicking toward you and then forward or staying on you, if
it isn't then hes already somewhere else. Whether your training your
horse or riding him you have to have a plan. I don't mean you have to
plan each ride or session in advance (although many trainers do) I
simply mean as your riding or working a horse on the ground be
planning the next step as your going along.
When things start to go wrong in a training session, it's usually
because the trainer had a lapse of attention. They took their
attention off the horse so the horse's attention wandered, too. Or the
handler was not clear enough about the shape he wanted the horse to
take. If you leave a horse to decide where he wants to go and what he
wants to do, chances are its not going to be what you would have
chosen for him.
If you expect attention from your horse you need to learn to be in the
Now. Horses are here right now, they are not worried about how they
did yesterday or if they will be ready for the show tomorrow. The
"now" is only today, only this second, this movement, this breath,
now,now,and now. Are you with your horse? Does your mind drift while
you work him? Are you thinking about an argument that you had earlier
or whats for dinner later. It makes more difference than you might
think.
I have seen the following scenario many times. Jane takes Trigger out
of his stall and begins to tack him up. Susie stops with her horse and
begins talking to Jill. Entrenched in conversation they fail to notice
the body language of the horse growing increasingly impatient awaiting
his next command. He begins to shuffle his feet, bob his head. Then he
begins moving off to the side and still no direction. Then all the
sudden they are taken by surprise when Trigger reaches over and takes
a big bite out of Jill's shoulder. Then comes the shank "What's wrong
with you?!" You know better than that! Is that a laps of obedience?
Yes, but it's a lapse of obedience because the trainer let the horse's
attention wander. Now you storm of the round pen to get this horse to
work, you've lost the relaxation and your temper and have probably
convinced yourself that your horse is in a foul mood.
Fixing problems before they start only happens when the handler is
aware of the horses attempt to communicate. Nothing happens out of the
blue. Horses don't just decide to misbehave without warning. If your
paying attention you will feel the tension before the spook, you will
see the change before the action. The second your focus fades so will
theirs. It is hard work to stretch that 11.8 seconds into a productive
30 minute work session. There is no such thing as a disobedience if
you're not telling the horse what he should do.
With horses you get what you give. Quiet concentration and relaxed
focus are the first steps to producing great work. When you watch
great horse and rider partnerships everything appears seamless. There
is no visible cue, no tension and no resistance. There is only silent
anticipation. If you ask your horse to focus on you every time you
handle him, and you always give him the reward he is due, he will find
pleasure in being with you and will want to be attentive to you.
The next time you go out to work your horse give this a try. Leave
your troubles at the barn door and talk to Susie before you greet your
horse. Dedicate one session to your horse alone. No distractions, no
cell phones, no ipod, no thinking about work. Just you and your horse.
Pay attention to his reactions, to his sounds, to his body language.
Pay attention to him in the way you desire his attention. I guarantee
you will notice a difference. I promise you will learn something new.
With horses you get what you give. Are you giving enough?
|
