Training Tip: Avoid these common pitfalls of a Barbarian: Part 1

Avoid these mistakes to keep from acting like a Barbarian when training your horse. Barbarians lack a sense of feel and timing and try to force their horses to respond, which often results in the horses being fearful and reactive.

Lack of Knowledge
Frustration begins where knowledge ends. The more knowledgeable you are, the more tools you have to work with your horse and fix any problems that might arise. When you run out of knowledge, that’s when you start getting frustrated and angry.

Letting Emotions Take Control
Emotions have no place in training horses. You should be black and white with no shades of gray, while always rewarding the slightest try. Letting your emotions get the best of you will only result in a fight with your horse and can lead to dangerous situations. You have to be able to increase the pressure to a high level if necessary, but then immediately release the pressure as soon as the horse tries to find the answer, even if it’s not exactly what you’re looking for. When people get mad, they increase the pressure and continue increasing it regardless of what the horse is doing. Then the horse feels discouraged because he can’t win and will become defensive rather than trying to figure out the answer.