The body, mind, and external factors
surrounding the horse you ride provide the initial framework
to determine where you can provide opportunities to build
your horse's Fitness in Motion.
The components of each category can overlap
as there is not a clean line separating mind from body and
everything about the environment is computed and affects how
each of the other two components respond.
Those responses will sometimes be calculated
and analytical while other times it will be a reactive
response preprogrammed for survival. Keep in mind here that
those reactive responses have now become less optimal than
the first time it was utilized as each scenario is
different.
The reactive or sympathetic 'fight or flight'
mechanism does not see that and therefore fails to
accurately compute a response. Those are the times where we
shake our head in puzzlement, accuse him of copping an
attitude, or for the out-of-control owner, breaks into
hollering or hitting or yanking on the horse.
The horse will not 'get it' because his
behavior was not preceded by a thought process, it was a
reaction. He has no idea what you are 'talking about' and
rough or abusive training (your reactive-type behavior) will
only imprint another suboptimal survival mechanism to be
used at a later incident. We receive what we create.
Next month I will expand on the Body, Mind,
and External Factors categories. Until then, Happy
Trails!
