I’m often approached by people that want to know how to make training easier for their horses. This brings to mind a memory of my mother working a sorting gate as we rushed our cattle at her too fast. She let go of the gate and all the cattle went out the wrong way. A guy helping us that day said: “You’re just like water and electricity. Those cattle know to take the path of least resistance.”
Horses always want to take the path of least resistance and it’s up to us to give them scenarios where this can happen. If you’re on the ground and apply pressure to the horse’s left side, they’re going to want to move away to the right - to where there is no resistance. While this is a simple concept, you need to keep in mind a horse might be a little stubborn. You may have to add more resistance in order to get them to go down the path you have tried to set up. This could be as simple as waving your arms or hooting and hollering, performing actions to add a bit more discomfort for the horse. Again, it is up to you to set up situations that make learning easy for your horse. Try and visualize the behaviors you want to teach before you even get to your horse, and keep doing so while training them. Think about how you are going to view a correct response from your horse, but also an wrong one. Make sure to stay positive and evaluate the path your horse chooses so you can better understand what the path of least resistance is going forward.
Key Takeaways
Most animals want to get from point A to B as easily as possible. Keep in mind your envisioned path may not be visible to your horse. You may need to step further back to their hindquarters or get out of the center of a round pen to open up their view and give them an easy path.
More isn’t always better. Imagine that you are hovering your left foot over a horse’s ribcage while riding in order to get them to drift to the left. You might be tempted to put more pressure on your right hip and take your leg off even more. The issue here is that your leg might end up in the air, with you off balance, making any sudden turn an opportunity for you to fall out of the saddle.
It’s surprising how subtle some cues are that help a horse understand what the path of least resistance is. There is a lot to learn. I often have people ask me how to get their horse to stay put when they step away to talk to someone else. Making sure your body is squarely facing them gives you a larger profile than if you are turned to the side. This simple gesture can sometimes be enough to keep your horse still, as you appear to be less of a path of least resistance.
There is a calculated risk you take when adding more resistance to a horse when they aren’t following the path you want. Make sure you prioritize your safety over getting a correct response and get out of the way. This goes for making yourself seem larger by waving your arms and making loud noises as well - doing any of this in excess might spook the horse, and the path of least resistance even more unclear.
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