| Equine clinicians have been doing round pen | | | | Some magicians are excellent teachers and teach |
| demonstrations for about twenty-five years. | | | | others with a passion for magic to do similar tricks. |
| Thankfully, the skills of most trainers have improved | | | | The path to success is always the same: practice, |
| greatly since the 1980's. The term "horse whisperer" | | | | practice, practice. Not every aspiring magician will be |
| today describes any effective trainer who uses a | | | | able to recreate every trick with the same level of |
| relational approach to training rather than one based | | | | success as their instructor. |
| upon dominance and submission. I know how it works | | | | Round pen clinicians may also be excellent teachers |
| because I've done it myself. | | | | and train others with a passion for horses to develop |
| The usual drill is to take a horse broke only to halter | | | | the skills necessary to replicate the results achieved |
| and lead and transform him into a saddle horse in the | | | | by the clinician. And, like the students of magic, not all |
| space of half a day. To newer horse owners and | | | | who try to master the tricks of instant horse training |
| lovers the process seems almost miraculous and the | | | | will be successful. |
| trainer accomplishes his or her usual goal of selling | | | | What About the Horses? |
| tickets, books, videos, and horse tack. | | | | Horses are born looking for leadership, security, and |
| In earlier years, round pen results were accomplished | | | | relationship with their herd. Successful clinicians who |
| by dominance and submission. Several famous | | | | use a relational basis for training build a strong |
| clinicians used to say, "Let the horse's lungs teach him | | | | leader-follower bond with the horse who shares the |
| to pay attention. When the horse is out of air he'll | | | | round pen with them. The clinician creates pressure in |
| realize he has to make some other decision." A few | | | | order to remove it. The clinician proves to the horse |
| reports surfaced years ago of horses that were ran | | | | that he or she has control over the horse's feet. |
| to death from exhaustion, heat stroke, or injury | | | | Horses need their feet to run for safety when |
| during these miracle clinics. | | | | threatened. If they lose control of their feet they |
| Few trainers today use such beastly methods to | | | | may as well cede leadership and responsibility to the |
| 'train' horses. | | | | trainer. Hopefully the trainer is worthy of such trust. |
| Round Pen Results Are A Trick | | | | Part of that responsibility is to ensure the horse and |
| Just in case you haven't figured it out yet, each of | | | | owner aren't abandoned when the show is over. The |
| the round pen transformations witnessed by | | | | horse has more information than they did the day |
| audiences each year is a trick. In no way am I | | | | before, but the owner would be mistaken to assume |
| suggesting that the clinicians are anything less than | | | | he or she now has a trained horse. Worthy clinicians |
| skilled, worthy guys or gals with valuable lessons to | | | | will prepare the horse and owner to work together |
| teach to those who sit on the bleachers in awe and | | | | before leaving for their next gig. |
| amazement. However, these round pen | | | | Magicians use inanimate objects to perform their |
| transformations are very similar to watching a | | | | feats of skill. Equine clinicians use flesh and blood |
| magician at work. | | | | animals with personality and spirit to perform their |
| A great deal of skill, dedication, and practice is | | | | tricks of skill. The owner who continues the work |
| necessary for magicians to master the illusions that | | | | started in the round pen is also subject to moods, |
| delight fans of magic shows. Likewise, the round pen | | | | mistakes, and injury. |
| clinician has spent years acquiring the necessary skill | | | | Preparation is key in training horses. The responsibility |
| and timing to pull off the trick of instant gratification | | | | of the clinician does not magically end when the |
| training with the horses they meet in the round pen. | | | | newly ridden horse leaves the round pen. |
| The horse learns how to properly respond to the | | | | Success is a Journey of Relationship |
| specific body language and verbal cues of the clinician. | | | | Wonderful relationships don't happen instantly. Horses |
| After this first ride the clinician would seldom end the | | | | and their owners learn to communicate and trust |
| lesson, stall the horse overnight, and then pull the | | | | each other as skills are learned and failures turn into |
| horse out the next morning, slap on a saddle and | | | | victories. The process will not yield instantaneous |
| mount up. If they did they would be sure no one | | | | results, but the journey of relationship never ends |
| was watching... | | | | unless someone quits. |
| Where's the Magic in Instant Horse Training? | | | | Fast results fade just as quickly. Magic tricks are fun |
| The deck of cards a master magician uses to delight | | | | and amazing but cannot replace the dedication of |
| and amaze audiences is not special. It is the skilled | | | | relationship. Strong foundations built over time are |
| hands manipulating the cards that are special. The | | | | difficult to tear down. Enjoy the show, recognize it |
| equipment the equine clinician uses isn't special either; | | | | for what it is, learn correct concepts from the |
| it is the skill and timing of the person using them that | | | | clinician, then go home to your own horse and slowly |
| holds the magic. | | | | build an amazing relationship of your own. |