Have I applied too much energy down the rope when I first started trying to shut down silly behaviour or is it normal in the beginning?

Original Question

Question: With Shutting down Silly Behaviour’s while I’m doing anything with my horse he has started Shutting down on his own.  For example he will carry on for a second but then act like I have corrected him but I haven’t had a chance to as it all happens so quick. Have I applied too much energy down the rope when I first started trying to shut down silly carrying on or is it normal in the beginning?

Angie’s Answer

That’s a great question Kristi.  Though I am not 100% sure I have understood what behaviour he is doing now. I think I know what you mean, or I can have a guess, it is really hard to know without seeing it but my guess that perhaps you have shut it down either a little too big OR perhaps for a little too long and he’s lost his confidence because he is super sensitive. So if you do need to shut down his behaviour, just try and add the right amount of energy for whatever he is doing. I know this is hard to judge when things happen so quickly.

I don’t quite get what he is doing when you say ‘act like I have corrected him’? Do you mean he gets unconfident?

If he is unconfident then try and do small things with the rope, like softly take up a feel in the rope to ask him to look at your with two ears and two eyes and offer a feeling of relaxation in your body. Even moving your position, in an arc out in front of him to draw his attention and ear/eye back to you. Then as soon as he looks at you, stop walking and soften your body. These things will help him re-focus on you and relax.

Just not 100% of what he is doing so a little hard to answer. If the kids can even get a 1 min video I could perhaps see it and then explain my answer better.