Horse Training Success

This tip came in as part of the competition a little while back. Such a wise view, my bolding for emphasis...

Here in Europe, the "horsemanship" that is almost like breathing to most of Americans has only just started. After many years with horses I spent 2 years "studying" what our Czech horsemanship teachers could offer, trying it on a very kind old gelding. And then it started. My chosen breed for my own horse is a Welsh Cob, but to get a trained one is impossible in our country, so I had to get a real mustang, 1.5 years old. Me, such an amateur. Now, after three months, it is quite all right, the horse is quite happy, only I have "my head like a bucket", as we say here, but never mind that. We go on, very slowly, but we are on the way.

I want to share the very first experience: it was impossible to touch him. After 5 days, I could stand 10cm next to him all right. Touching him - no way. He would jump over anything. After 10 days, it was the same situation. No change. I was getting really frustrated. Finally, he asked himself to be touched, would you believe it? But NOT on his shoulder as is common and suggested as the best, but from the front, his forehead and his cheek and neck. I came one day to his stall and he stood there, waiting for that. Incredible.

Since then, I am getting less worried - if something doesn't go, I wait for him to tell me: ok, I am ready, do it!. Listen to your horse, everybody :) and give them time - esp. if you are a total amateur like myself. I believe that what more professional people can handle in half an hour, even an amateur can - in a couple of days or weeks, by just giving the horse more time and trying to communicate in more stupid ways than the professionals.