Games are a natural for woman and her horse

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

A horse that loves to play games is a horse that can handle surprises and difficult situations.

Teach a horse to jump a low barrel and that horse can jump fallen trees on a trail. Teach a horse to play with a ball and it won't get spooked by other strange objects. Play a squeeze game and a horse can learn to walk under an obstacle.

That's the message Cindy Loader of Spirit Dancer Ranch in LaPorte wants to spread when she shares natural horsemanship games with fellow riders. "Horses have to have trust and comfort," she explained. "They learn to trust you by playing with different obstacles."

It takes time and concentration for both the rider and the horse. "Hanging out with a horse and playing with him are what make a real relationship," Loader said.

It appears that Loader's 10-year-old horse, Cricket, will let her do just about anything. But that was not always the case. He used to be so ornery everyone said she should get rid of him. Instead, when Cricket was 3 years old, Loader decided to train herself on how to gain her horse's friendship and respect.

It appears that Loader's 10-year-old horse, Cricket, will let her do just about anything. But that was not always the case. He used to be so ornery everyone said she should get rid of him. Instead, when Cricket was 3 years old, Loader decided to train herself on how to gain her horse's friendship and respect.

"A horse will do anything for you if he respects you and you're a leader," she said.

Loader turned to those who specialize in natural horsemanship, studying with several Parelli instructors and then riding with renowned trainers.

According to the Natural Horse Network, natural horsemanship is the art of working, training and riding with horses in a manner that works with the horse's behavior, instincts and personality in an easy and kind manner. Natural horsemanship is a holistic approach to working with horses. Instead of looking for a quick fix to mask a symptom, the rider tries to address the cause of the problem.

There are countless variations of natural horsemanship but overall it adopts the following ideas:

• The horse has a functional, successful intelligence system and social system.
• The horse has a highly developed communication system practiced primarily through body language and is constantly receptive to human body language.
• The human must be knowledgeable of the horse's natural instincts and communication system and use these concepts to teach the horse.
• Reinforcement is used rather than punishment because it teaches the correct behavior while punishment only punishes the incorrect behavior. Reinforcement does not call for violence or force, which may create a tense situation between horse and human.

When teaching others, Loader first tells them to walk with the horse, keeping time with its gait. "Show them you respect them and then they will respect you," she said.

Youngsters are especially surprised that a big horse will walk with them. "Kids are a lot like horses, and they can really communicate with them," she noted. "Kids seem to be able to do things adults can't do."

She then demonstrates how to use a stick and string to get a horse used to being touched, or to help it overcome a fear of ropes. A flick of the string works like an extension of her arm. "You want to be able to touch your horse everywhere," she said.

Loader's training worked for her and Cricket. She can now lie or kneel on Cricket's back and use arm movements to tell him which way to walk. Standing in an arena, she can point her finger and Cricket will trot around her.

"Learn to dance with your horse," she said. "Everything is rhythmic - get in rhythm with your horse and there is no limit to what you can do."