The Principles of Training S1 Ep. 12: "Anticipation is Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy"

[@GrainneDhu]

I rode hunter/jumpers earlier in my life but now I train dogs. I tell my students that anticipation is your friend (I don't feel the need to add "or your worst enemy" because the overwhelming majority of dog trainers have that part down reflexively). There is an exercise in competitive obedience called the drop on recall that makes many trainers lose their minds due to fear of anticipation. The core of the exercise is to leave the dog on a sit stay, walk 30 to 40 feet away (judge's discretion--it can be longer, depending on ring setup), turn to face the dog, call the dog to come, then the judge signals and the handler cues the dog to lie down. Once the dog is lying down, the judge signals again and the handler calls the dog to come again. As I'm sure you can see, there are obvious traps where a trainer can get tangled. For instance, most dog trainers train alone or in small groups but independently of each other. Trainer gets the dog ready for competition and during the drop on recall, the dog doesn't drop! Why? Because when training alone, the trainer never signalled for a drop without eyes on the dog. Dogs do not see motionless fine details as we do (for instance, reading this post will be forever impossible for a dog because their eyes do not provide the same visual resolution that permits us to do it) but they see tiny movements far better than humans do. Just for fun and to demo to my students how acutely dogs can see eye movements from 75 feet away, I taught one of my dogs to jump either a jump to her left or a jump to her right as indicated by my eye glance. The thing that seems to make the majority of trainers lose their minds is the dog that creeps forward on the first recall cue. They are moving forward but in ultra-slo-mo. Trainers assume this is due to anticipation (only partially true) and so they start to mix it up. Sometimes they drop the dog, sometimes they don't. These trainers usually end up with dogs that are highly inconsistent and especially likely to fail in the ring (competition nerves from the handler transmits to the dog). My solution? Drop the dog, drop the dog, drop the dog! So long as the dog is moving forward, no matter how slowly, I always drop the dog. The dog is creeping forward because they aren't sure of the signal to drop. The dog needs more information, the dog needs to feel confident that they do know the signal and that they will be able to perform correctly. Depriving the dog of needed information deprives them of self confidence (and some start to distrust the handler, altho' dogs are really very trusting and it is difficult to lose a dog's trust). Many of my students protest that if they drop the dog when the dog is creeping forward, that they will teach their dog that it is okay to creep forward (in the ring, the dog must move forward at a minimum speed of a brisk trot). They find it hard to believe when I tell them I love to see a dog creeping forward like that because it means that the dog is thinking the problem over and working hard on finding the solution. What trainer doesn't totally go mushy inside when they see a dog so eager to please??!!! If the dog's original recall was good, the dog will naturally speed up on their own without the trainer needing to do anything once the dog has figured out the relevant signal. If the recall is not good, fix that before training the drop. Tangential note: there is another way to teach the horse not to anticipate the turn after jumps on the diagonal (this is from my riding experience from the late 1960s through the early 1980s). Set up the jumps so there are at least 8 or more strides after the last jump. Then only turn the horse when the horse is travelling straight. If you run out of strides, halt the horse in the corner. The turn only happens when the horse is travelling straight. Once the horse understands that turns only happen when straightness happens, they straighten themselves beautifully.

[@227oldtrees]

Great distraction while I’m walking on the treadmill. I go through 20 minutes without getting bored and quitting.

[@louisecassidy5991]

A trick I learned. How many horses anticipate the gate latch? They hear the chain rattle, assume you've latched it, and they're off! They've done a great job riding through the gate correctly, but maybe it was not latched and you have to begin again if it has swung away. When the gate is latched, a pat and a praise, then move off. They anticipate the pat, it becomes the final thing that happens at a gate. Thanks for this one Warwick. They learn so quickly, so instantly, that we have to be very careful what it is they learn.

[@horseygirl70]

Interesting@😀 sometimes they are learning something you are not necessarily trying to teach. And also learning something everytime you do anything with them. ( or unlearning) whatever the case may be. We are all teachers of horses when we are with them. Regardless of what we know or don't know. It is best you learn something in order to be safe. Because they know when you don't know.

[@Nimeariel]

Well said! I always tell my students- especially the younger ones- that they can be a horse trainer like the "grown ups" RIGHT NOW! They don't have to wait until they are grown ups to train a horse! It gets them SO on board with listening to everything I'm telling them to do, even if it's something as simple as how to sit or hold the reins, because they think that they are actually horse trainers and want to do the right thing! And in fact, as you said, and as I know too, they ARE horse trainers. Every little thing you do- doesn't matter how small or insignificant it seems- is training the horse in some way. They are learning constantly. Every time you TOUCH a horse or are in the same area as a horse, they are learning from you.

[@stephaniewinter5123]

Nimeariel I do agree, every moment spent with our horses, we ate both learning, even if it’s just walking thru a gate or standing ...

[@valeriehudson7276]

Once again you help us see what we do that is counter productive and set us in the right direction . . thank you!!

[@carlyoleary1837]

Awesome! I have a smart horse that anticipates so I always have to change it up especially when working on rollbacks. I never considered the cues that can be inadvertently taught to the horse when mounting though. I always have my horses stand for a bit after I get on and they don't walk off but have seen a lot that do. This video has taught me to be aware of subtle cues I could be giving my horses creating unwanted anticipation. Thank you, Warwick!

[@evaaddkison400]

I have combatted the walk-off at mountup by standing still to turn on my tracking app on my phone. Oddly enough they begin to wait for the countdown, and the milage notifications as well!

[@TheTobysbestfriend]

I am really enjoying your videos during COVID... but have been a follower for years too. Your patience and attention to the horse"s reaction (i.e. listening) is so impressive and important. I hope you continue on this conversational path of listening and responding with these kind beings. Only then do they seem to open to learning, trust and the teaching us as well. When I get my new young horse... I surely hope there is room in your yard for a young one. I am in No Cal so not far. You are so wonderful in teaching and reflecting and refining.! My current horse has benefited from natural horsemanship in a big way.. but it is not a prescription..it is always a relationship and an attitude... negotiated every day. But not static... this I Iearned from my very smart Trakehner X who loves to learn and anticipate ... but gets bored easily... So everyday we do the dance.... where he is right and then I switch it up and he loves a change! Being right all the time is boring.

[@minnesotawinters1]

When I lived out there in Hollister, are used to call that mountain the silly sand mountain. So pretty.

[@TheProjectEquestrian]

3:01 I can’t believe how many horses do this. I just got a horse who did this, and recently corrected the problem. Great video! This is soooo informative!!

[@MattyDemello]

I personally like when horses anticipate on most situation. Obviously I don't want anticipation where I get on the saddle and he starts to go before I sit but understanding horses anticipation can help you. A horse does best what he does most.

[@lostandfound5145]

Hi Matt! 😊 just thought it was funny that I saw you comment over here. Small world! Would love to see some of your horse videos, if you have them on another platform let me know how to find them!

[@MattyDemello]

@@lostandfound5145 lol see!! we were meant to be ;) lol im j/k. I use to have horse videos up but the place where i was filming didn't want their land recorded :( so i had to remove them. Sorry. I'll try to film in another location one day and upload it. What state are you from? if you dont mind me asking.

[@lostandfound5145]

Matt's Horsemanship KZbin serendipity 😂 I just moved to the great state of Texas, bought a little property and a cow and a little 14hh green mare. What about you?

[@MattyDemello]

@@lostandfound5145 That's awesome! I own a home & some property in awful Massachusetts with 2 horses. I've been thinking about moving to Texas too though!

[@lostandfound5145]

Matt's Horsemanship I came from NJ so I understand your pain!! Between the crazies and the taxes and the property prices... I just finally knew I had enough. It’s like a different world down here. I’m down south just east of Corpus Christie and it’s gorgeous, affordable, great neighbors, good pasture land. It’s hot down here, but the state has just about every microclimate you can want, depending on where you go. The rolling hills up in the pan handle near Oklahoma are also absolutely gorgeous and again, property is very affordable. You should make the move on down to sanity! You won’t miss the liberal hellscape or all the Karens MA has to offer!!

[@Originaljelly77]

Another good video full of good advice 👍🏼 and fab view !

[@josianefazlija8016]

Prepare your soul for the unexpected! Sénèque