Training You and Your Horse with The ALPHA Mindset

One of the Joys of working with Horse and other animals it the learning
process of our Own Control Abilities. Developing the ALPHA Mindset is critical in Animal Training but we as Business aspirants also must learn to create and exercise the Proper Mindset,
The Alpha Mindset.

The following article by Bruce Johnson points to the Importance of
Alpha Mindset in Horse training and this Video will help us understand
the necessity in Business Growth also
Horse Training Using the Alpha Mindset

Horse Training Using the Alpha Mindset

By Bruce J A Anderson

Recently I took my three year old filly to a local show to hang out. While watching a class, a woman approached me to ask the question, What should I do about ...? In this case, her horse would fly backward every time she approached to put on the bridle. And so, the questions, What should I do? Why is he doing this? As always, difficult questions to answer. First, the horse tells me when to do, how to do, what to do in any given situation. There is no formula for "If he does this, then I do this." Next, what the horse is actually physically doing may not be the problem, it could be the by-product of the problem. What you do know is that what he is doing is not acceptable behavior. The real issue leads back to mindset: the horse's mindset and even more so, the person's mindset. In other words, it isn't necessarily what you're actually doing that the horse has a problem with, it is the pressure created by what you're doing, which in turn triggers a response; in this case, raising his head and flying backward. The horse is using something that Nature's View calls the tyrant mindset: in other words, freeze flee or fight is his natural instinct. When he is in this mode, the horse is actually saying "I want to do what I want to do." Sound familiar? There is nothing wrong with this mindset; in fact, in the wild, in Nature's World, the horse would depend on it for his own survival. The problem is that in our world, that mindset isn't beneficial to him and if he continues down that road, someone is likely to get hurt.

So, back to the first question, What should I do? The first thing to do is to introduce the horse to a new mindset: one called the alpha mindset. This isn't necessarily the same alpha that you may have heard of in other horsemanship methods. With Nature's View, the alpha is simply using the mindset of "How can I help you?" With the tyrant mindset that we mentioned before of "I want to do what I want to do." the horse decides what to do or the person decides how much pressure to apply (usually evoked from past situations, so you may over or under react). The alpha mindset, the other side of the pendulum, is defined as whatever the resistance from the horse is in any given situation determines the amount of pressure that is applied, plus a little bit more. This mindset calls for dealing with the moment, riding the horse beneath you, not the one four strides ahead or behind. Remember, we teach and learn by example, so which mindset would you rather your horse use: alpha or tyrant?

In any case, there are four basic things that we use to accomplish a task or goal: movement, direction, rhythm and track. These are actually the things that you can see: in Nature's View we use these things to work on the underlying things (things like problem-solving, timing, listening, etc.). This is actually true for us as well. Think about it: to get ready for work in the morning, first you have to move; then you need to move in the direction of the kitchen for breakfast; but back to the situation with the horse. As an example, within a segment of work, if we're asking a horse to go in a particular direction and the horse decides on his own to change direction, the amount of pressure that you apply is equal to his resistance, plus a little bit more. If you pay attention to the horse and let him tell you what to do in applying that pressure, more than likely, the horse will change back to the original direction. Each time you apply pressure you are raising what we call his negative pole. The poles within (both negative and positive) are those feelings that let you know when a situation is beneficial or not to your well-being. If the resistance continues and you keep increasing pressure (remember, using the alpha mindset), finally, what they are feeling from you will be greater than what they are imagining (the pressure to change direction). As soon as you feel that they have switched to the new mindset, you should release the pressure. Don't get caught up in watching for an action. Remember, as soon as you feel the horse switch to the new mindset, that is when you release the pressure.

So back to the questions; we use the bridle (the goal) as the reason for the journey (creating a relationship with your horse) to practice the unseen (timing, feel, anger management, listening skills) which allows you to develop a whole new alpha mindset, or way of thinking; lot to think about, isn't it?! Just like jumping the jump, crossing the creek or loading into the trailer, putting the bridle on or taking it off is one of the many seen things that we do with our horses; but the icing on the cake is having a willing partner in any task that we attempt. It's not about accomplishing the goal, not even about the journey; it's about the mindset needed for both. The goal is simply the reason for the journey. Within the journey, we are allowed to practice the mindset, and the more proficient we are at the mindset we will be able to follow our passion, whatever that may be (dressage, hunter/jumper, trail riders, western pleasure). So instead of putting the cart before the horse and focusing on the goal or even the journey, we first need the alpha mindset.

Copyright Nature's View, Inc. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Bruce Anderson is a full time equine consultant, trainer and clinician located in Camden, South Carolina. Originally from the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, he has worked throughout the US, Canada and Great Britain. He conducts clinics and training opportunities with partner and co-author, Julianne Neal, using the Nature's View system. To learn more about their work, please visit http://www.naturesview1.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bruce_J_A_Anderson http://EzineArticles.com/?Horse-Training-Using-the-Alpha-Mindset&id=1832904

Also Visit our Friend John Brand's Blog and be
Up to Date on the Proper quality Leather Tack
to ease your Training situations

Buckaroo Leather Blog

How to tie a Mecate on your Hackamore Bosal

Enjoy this well presented Video By Buckaroo John Brand from Buckaroo Leather.
The Mecate and Bosal Hackamore have been a Favorite for Western Horseman for hundred years, allowing a soft way to encourage a green horse into supple Maneuvers

How To Buy your First Your Horse or Even Why?

Horse ownership is the ultimate dream for many riders and horse enthusiasts. Some wait years for that dream to come true and when it finally does, it really is fantastic and rewarding but at the same time, a demanding experience.

If you are lucky enough to find yourself in the position of looking to buy your very own first horse then you need to make sure that you are fully prepared for the responsibility that goes with it. It is no use trying to kid yourself that the first horse you see is going to perfect for you.

As I found out the hard way two years ago rushing into horse ownership will more than likely end with a hefty price tag in both your time and your money! The wrong decision I made when buying my first horse, Auricula cost me a great deal of stress, heartache, time and thousands of "extra" ££'s, all because I took bad advice and did not take my time or do my homework properly.

The fact is, you're more likely to get the wrong horse than the right one, so what can you do to make sure the horse you buy is really the perfect companion for you? There are a few things you can do, but first it is more important to understand the things you should not do.

Tip #1: Make sure that you are 110% certain that horse ownership is for you. You need to ask yourself whether or not you are ready to buy your first horse and you need to be honest. This means that you have exhausted the other options available to you such as horse sharing and loaning a horse. These two options are more like a stepping stone of experience and getting a taste of what it really is like to own a horse of your own. The advantage of horse sharing and horse loaning is that you can share the costs and take on the responsibility of horse care but if you find that you don't have the time or you would prefer to just continue riding lessons, it is relatively easy to terminate the commitment. The disadvantage is that the horse will always belong to someone else, but this is why you should look at it as a stepping-stone of experience.

Tip #2: Understand that owning a horse is costly. The initial purchase price of a horse is the easy part. You need to take into careful consideration, the ongoing costs such as livery fees, veterinary fees, feed costs, stable supplies, worming, insurance, farrier fees etc. These costs pop-up throughout the year and most are continuous, for example weekly/monthly livery fees, and you need to budget for everything.

Tip # 3: Understanding that horse ownership requires a lot of your time. You need to remember that your new friend is going to be depending on you! That means you are going to have to make "enough" time available every day to visit, muck out, groom, check for any injuries, feed, ride and exercise him mornings and evenings. This is going to be slightly easier if you are keeping him at home. You can have a yard take on partial or full responsibility for caring for him but be aware that this can become quite costly.

Tip #4: Never buy the first horse you see. It is understandably difficult to walk away from the first horse that you go view because he seems to be so perfect, but it is imperative that you view many horses as you can in order to get an idea of market prices, gain more confidence in dealing with sellers and have a range of potential horses from which to choose a better-suited companion for you. This way you will be able to walk away from or question sellers overpricing their horse.

Tip #5: Always, always shop with an experienced equine buddy. More preferably a buddy who not only has equine experience but someone who has also helped others find their ideal first horse. A second opinion is always helpful.

You need to become like a sponge and gain as much valuable horse buying advice as possible to help you but make sure that the advice is right! Remember, your aim is to not find "The Perfect Horse" but to find the horse that is "Right for you!" It is both exciting and challenging, but armed with the right information you will have a better chance at succeeding.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sonia Panesar's step-by-step guide helps new horse buyers save money and time. For Instant Access To Your FREE "Top 13 Horse Buying Mistakes" Report Visit http://www.buyingyourfirsthorse.com/Freereport.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sonia_Panesar

Hobby or Business? Defining your Equine Venture

Ever wonder....?

According to the Internal Revenue Service, if your main objective is to make a profit, then you are considered a legitimate business.

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Many people involved within the horse industry often do not view their small horse operation as a business. They are surprised to learn that you do not have to own a large facility or have several years of experience to be considered an equine business. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), if your main objective is to make a profit, then you are considered a legitimate business.

To read more
follow through here:
Article from The Horse.Com
The Horse.Com, Hobby or Business

And Don't forget to listen to the Tax-Teleseminar

Mushrooms, Horses and the Woobles, Equine Leukoencephalomalacia

Interesting incident down the road regarding Mushrooms and Horses....

A neighbor called a bit panicked a few days ago.

One of her Young Kiger Geldings was having difficulty walking and
was acting very poorly. In a few hours two other Kiger gelding were experiencing the same Symptoms.

Shauna called the Vet and it was determined after a few Blood Sample and analysis that the behavior could have been caused by the Horses eating Mushroom from a part of the pasture where Manure had piled and mushrooms were growing. It was not absolutely conclusive but the symptoms did mimic early Equine Leukoencephalomalacia

Manure and Pasture Management are often forgotten about by even the most conscientious Horse Care Giver. It is suggested to keep Horse Pasture clipped short, either through intense feeding (creation of Smaller paddocks) and aeration and harrowing and spreading of manure clumps.

Excellent points are made in this monograph by Tri-County City Soil and Water
Management
We constantly Mow our pastures, if there are not enough horses to keep grass clipped and monthly, use a Spike harrow to break up clumps and aerate the sod. These practices keep the incidence of Mushroom Growth.

It takes about 2 acres of well managed Pasture to support one horse. We have found that by creating smaller Paddocks (1/2 to one acre with Electric Fence) and moving the herd through the paddocks, we keep the pasture short and Manure is easier to manage.

Good management may reduce the incidence as experienced by our neighbors.