Full Circle Enterprise: You Can't Lie to a Horse

Written by Bright Sky

Sunday, January 16th 2011

"If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong." ~Pat Parelli Gorgeous

Do you talk to animals? If you have pets, you do it every day. You touch them and say their names and tell them things. Your cat sleeps on your chest at night. Your dog greets you when you get home from work. Your parakeet twittered before it was cool.

But what happens when you need your animal to understand you absolutely? When that animal is a literal ton of muscle and flesh, and its first and only instinct is to RUN, communication is a matter of safety. This makes horse training fascinating. It is a mix of exhilaration and steadiness.

I recently took up an apprenticeship with Renee Ilsee, a western horse trainer in Luling, TX. She runs Full Circle Enterprise, a boarding, training, and rehabilitation facility for equines. She has over 50 horses on her property. Some are just renting space, but others came in deteriorated conditions, abused and underfed. She helps them regain health and find happy homes.

Renee has an immediate and deep understanding of the equine mind - which, by the way, is separated left from right, with very few synapses connecting. Something that one eye and ear sees is completely separate from whatever the other eye and ear sees. Usually a horse favors one side (left is learning) or the other (right is reactionary). Time must be spent specifically on both sides - and a good trainer will spend more time on the side that is less receptive.

I have very little experience with or around horses. However, that didn't stop Renee from throwing me in there, right from the get-go.

"It is not enough for a man to learn how to ride; he must learn how to fall." -Mexican Proverb

"This one," she pointed to a beautiful buckskin gelding. "His name is Buckey. He is an abused barrel-horse. His rider used to beat him in the face if he lost."

My job was to convince him that I was not, in fact, there to "kill him," as Renee puts it. The horse considers almost everything a life-and-death situation. I made sure to stay well away from those big back hooves. He wasn't bucking or offering to kick. Renee assured me horses don't want to kick you, they only will if you give them a reason. I was still wary, but by the end of our session, I was convinced he didn't want to kick me, and he was convinced I didn't want to kill him. We had an understanding.

Over several weeks, I convinced him to don a halter and last week in windy weather, which notoriously makes horses tense, I started some basic groundwork.

Working with Buckey has taught me to be honest. You can't lie to a horse. If you're upset, or scared, or timid, they'll know. And they'll copy you - they'll get upset and scared and timid. At that point, it becomes dangerous. A trainer has no other choice but to carefully examine herself, her actions, her emotions, and her attitude. If all those are in order, and you make the right request, you can ask a horse anything. And given enough time, your horse will say yes.