Heal-O #5: No horsing around in training horses

I woke up to a beautiful Saturday, earlier than usual, to meet with some of my cohort friends and venture out to Chilliwack together to attend The Mane Event.

When people ask me what the purpose is for attending this event and how it is linked to my course, I could not really explain it because I did not even know what to expect. After returning home and thinking about the event we attended, I appreciated the opportunity to learn about animal-human interaction and by extension, applying it to the non-verbal communication we experience within the context in which we learn. What happens when two people interact non-verbally? What happens in an educational or learning setting? Is it something physiological, psychological, or both?

..:: At the Mane Event ::..  

When we arrived at the event, the first thing several of us noticed was the fresh air coupled with the warm sun. It was noticeably fresh! Then we noticed the vast landscape against a mountain backdrop; this makes me think how fortunate we are to live so close to this type of environment that is different from the bustling city. 

[Source: Lehoa M., Oct 26, 2013]

[Source: Lehoa M., Oct 26, 2013]

After entering the barn, there were a lot of stimuli from the intriguing things around us – the products being sold, the people at the event, the people with the cowboy hat, and the very faint smell of ‘barn’. At one point, Mary Ann and I kept almost accidentally bumping into each other because our feet were moving forward but our heads and eyes were aimlessly looking in as many directions as possible. It was like we were kids at a candy store!

..:: The Challenges ::..  

It was amazing to observe that the trainers made a connection with the horse in such a short duration. Without verbal communication, the visual, sensory, and auditory cues become exponentially magnified. The trainer looks at the horses’ response to his touch and gestures as cues to continue, stop, or adjust the training. The trainer listens for the sounds from the horse to guide him in this training. In one of the challenges, I recall the trainer saying that when he mounted the horse, he needed to feel that the horse was ready for him to be there and to continue with training. What is this feeling? Is it some kind of energy that is passed back and forth between the animal and human? Have you ever looked at your best friend or partner and they seem to know what you are thinking? I imagine the horse is transferring this energy, much deeper than in humans, to inform the trainer, “he is ready”.

[Source: Lehoa M., Oct 26, 2013]

One of the trainers patted the horse to reward him for completing a task, but also noted that he tried not to do that too much. Rewarding a change in behaviour is challenging because you need to ensure you are not over-rewarding them to prevent expectations each time. In order to be successful in training, the trainer needs to know a great deal about horses in general, and likewise about the specific horse they are training. Each horse is individually viewed and likes to do and learn things differently. Not all techniques will apply and work with all horses.  They need to know what the horse prefers or does not find pleasurable. Extrapolating this to human-human interaction, educators also need to know a great deal about the students and the people they are working with.

In each of the challenges we watched, the trainer took out a tarp and continually increased its size, prompting the horse to step on it. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the trainer emphasized that he wants the horse to think that going over the tarp was the horse’s idea and that the trainer won’t force the horse to complete a task if they were not ready. There is a great element of trust that develops between the horse and the trainer. It is this trust that is innate but only surfaces when both feel safe, comfortable, and connected. Allowing the horse to “decide” whether they will go over the tarp shifts the onus of doing so to the horse, thereby empowering them. Forcing the horse to do something that they do not want or feel comfortable with is not effective.

[Source: Lehoa M., Oct 26, 2013]

..:: Within an educational context... ::..  

Within an educational context, non-verbal communication is just as valuable as verbal communication. It may sound like I am making a distinction that there are two different types of communication, but I think that communication has both verbal and non-verbal aspects. The information we have gained from sensing how the student is responding to a certain question and seeing the body language of the student often overpowers what the student says. For example, if the student says they understand how to dribble a basketball, their gestures and comfort can be observed and may paint an entirely different picture. However, it is also important to further prompt and inquire what the student really means and how comfortable they are in exploring something different or new. It is also important to address each student as an individual and cater the lesson based on their needs, preferences, and abilities.

Thank you, Stephen, for introducing me to this event – it was very insightful and quite remarkable.

Another thank you goes to Paula for safely getting us there and back!