But our human feelings often create conflicts for us and our horses. If we don't plan our actions ahead when training, our actions will be guided by feelings and instincts. Since man is a natural predator with an instinct for combat, the very first thing young males often do when frustrated is to fight. And the more scared they are, the more willing they are to fight. When people make a big fuss in front of others, posturing about how they are handling this big, dangerous horse, very often it is because they are afraid you are going to realize they are not really in control.
Training is just like swallowing a big ball of string.
It would be impossible to swallow it all at once. But if you eat it an inch at a time, break the task down into really small bits, it is easy. Getting the horse's attention is the first bite of the string we call training. Most of the mythunderstandings about training come about because people try to swallow too big a chunk of string. You must go bit by bit, using a methodical series of actions to get the horse's attention and direct the horse's attention without threatening or attacking him.