Thank you, I think people should understand this. It would save a lot of abuse.
In order to be "stubborn," an animal would have to 1. Understand what it is you want it to do, 2. Be physically and mentally capable of doing it, and then 3. Somehow be motivated NOT to do it.
So how does that work? Say a dog knows what the command "Sit" means. He understands the command, he's done it before. He's physically capable of doing it, not in pain or anything. And then for some reason he decides not to. Nope, you aint a-gonna make him. It's Tuesday or it's cloudy or he's just determined to pizz you off. Today's a good day to get his butt beat.
This makes NO SENSE, and animal's brains don't work this way!
If your horse won't do what you want, look for another reason, it is NOT being "stubborn!" Either it does not understand what you want - it is CONFUSED - or it can't do it without PAIN - or it is DISTRACTED - or it thinks it has a CHOICE. If the problem is confusion or choice, it needs more training, go back to the basics. Pretend the animal never heard this command before. Start at Square One, be very patient and build the behavior step by step. Find where the weak link in the chain is.
Check with a vet or chiropractor to be sure the behavior can be performed without pain. Horses and dogs and elephants and parrots can get out of alignment just like people can, and may need adjustment. They can get sore and stiff and may need a massage or a muscle relaxer. Or just a change in routine.
If the animal is distracted, do some other activities to help focus it. Get its attention, do patterns, jumps, have some fun, then try again. Animals can lose focus just like people can. Too much repetition of the same activity can make them bored and stale. Just like people. Quit while you're ahead.
In order to be "stubborn," an animal would have to 1. Understand what it is you want it to do, 2. Be physically and mentally capable of doing it, and then 3. Somehow be motivated NOT to do it.
So how does that work? Say a dog knows what the command "Sit" means. He understands the command, he's done it before. He's physically capable of doing it, not in pain or anything. And then for some reason he decides not to. Nope, you aint a-gonna make him. It's Tuesday or it's cloudy or he's just determined to pizz you off. Today's a good day to get his butt beat.
This makes NO SENSE, and animal's brains don't work this way!
If your horse won't do what you want, look for another reason, it is NOT being "stubborn!" Either it does not understand what you want - it is CONFUSED - or it can't do it without PAIN - or it is DISTRACTED - or it thinks it has a CHOICE. If the problem is confusion or choice, it needs more training, go back to the basics. Pretend the animal never heard this command before. Start at Square One, be very patient and build the behavior step by step. Find where the weak link in the chain is.
Check with a vet or chiropractor to be sure the behavior can be performed without pain. Horses and dogs and elephants and parrots can get out of alignment just like people can, and may need adjustment. They can get sore and stiff and may need a massage or a muscle relaxer. Or just a change in routine.
If the animal is distracted, do some other activities to help focus it. Get its attention, do patterns, jumps, have some fun, then try again. Animals can lose focus just like people can. Too much repetition of the same activity can make them bored and stale. Just like people. Quit while you're ahead.
