This is basic ground manners explained. It simply means that your horse does as you ask. Even the simplest of tasks or movements needs to be performed safely by the horse. Your horse needs to know that to push, step on or endanger you in any way - either intentionally or not - is unacceptable. While these may only appear to be slightly annoying habits at times, it is important to break them before somebody gets hurt. Since horses outweigh you by a ton, literally, a misplaced hoof can break your foot. You could be covered for this type of injury under the terms of your equine insurance - but it's far less painful to avoid the necessity of that in the first place! The best way to avoid this is to establish, and then maintain, a personal space bubble.
A nuzzle into your pocket to search for a tasty treat could leave you with a nasty - if well-meaning - nibble. A horse's love nibbles are painful when applied to mere human skin. Horses in a herd treat each other differently than they must treat us. Often they will bite, nip and crowd each other, but they are somewhat more robust than we are.
The space bubble lesson is one that many horse owners and trainers have learned the hard way. My first, and subsequently the last, experience with the concept of crowding occurred when I bought my first horse years ago. My wonderful new four-legged friend liked to “help” me with the paddock cleaning. He liked to place his nose into the manure cart as I was filling it. Then one day he actually lifted his front hoof and put it into the cart when I put a rake full of manure in. He knocked the cart over, which spooked him, which in turn spooked the other three horses in the paddock. There were hooves and tails flying about every which way with me right in the middle of it all. Thankfully I was not hurt, but this could have been a mild or even a serious disaster – and may have even necessitated a claim on my horse insurance.
This occurred during the learning curve time period of our relationship. I was so amused at his trying to help me with my chores that I didn’t think about the potential consequences. On that day I learned the importance of manners. It was then that I realised the importance of teaching him how to respect my space when I was in the paddock attending to chores. He still had opportunities to be cute and offer interaction during the times we spent training together.
Basic safety manners can be taught by utilising the three Ps of horse training. Whether training or riding your own horse or someone else's it is crucial to the future relationship between you and the horse that you remember the rules of patience, persistence and positive reinforcement.
Patience. It's important to remember that your horse does not automatically know what you want. Your patience in showing him and letting him try until he gets it will go a long way in building trust between you and your equine. Your mind needs to be free of stresses and anxiety before you begin any training session. Take a deep breath and relax. It is part of the natural learning process for your horse to test the waters. He needs to check and see if what he thinks you want is correct. This can occur several times before the horse has confirmed his correct assessment of the task.
Persistence. Don’t give up after just a few tries. You will find it hard in the beginning to communicate. After all, you don’t speak the same language yet! Stay with it and be consistent in your cues. Horses are very perceptive to even the slightest cue. It will not usually take long for a horse to learn what a cue means - then you will have cooperation.
Positive reinforcement. Give your horse the signal when he’s done something correctly. The best reward for a horse may not be those tasty treats. They love to be released when they’ve done their job. Imagine the “whoa!” or “stop” cue. It’s a pull on the bit within the horse’s mouth. When the horse exhibits the signs that he understands that you want him to stop, release the bit immediately. That tells him he’s doing the right thing.
Horses need to know their limits. How close can he stand to you before you feel crowded? Can he pull on the lead rope if he doesn’t want to go the way you are leading him? Can he refuse to pick up his foot if he doesn’t feel like it? These issues may seem like common sense to us, but for a horse they go against what comes naturally to them. A correctly and carefully trained horse will forever be both a most pleasing companion and could also represent a lower liability when it comes to renewing your horse insurance policy.