The Gentlehorse© Method
The Gentlehorse method, pioneered by John von Haas, is a system of communication,
cooperation and non-violent techniques to create a cohesive horse and rider
team. This complete equine education works with all horses of any training
level, and is highly effective in reclaiming traumatized and abused animals.
Gentlehorse education is taught through personal and group seminars, working
with owners and their horses, although individualized training per horse,
by the month, is available. Hourly sessions are also provided.
The Gentlehorse method works by building a trust based relationship. We
ask the horse to work through cooperation, not by fear. Positive reinforcement
is the order of the day. The rider/owner works on trust building and sustaining
his equine partner's attention, while the horse works on correct movement
and accepting the partnership. You should never do anything that breaks
your horse's trust; otherwise you let your horse down and will need to
start over.
For horses with psychological difficulties, Gentlehorse method starts
with the horse, not our preconceived idea about the horse. For
reclaiming traumatized and abused horses, we evaluate the horse's needs
and distress, and gain an understanding that allows us to channel and modify
the behavior, eventually eliminating it. The owner/rider is then given
personal seminars in the Gentlehorse method, so the healing can continue
at home.
We begin with warm-up on the ground: groundwork is an essential part of
training and trust establishment, and is never overlooked. Groundwork begins
with lungeing, limbering, stretching, travel over Cavelletis and ground
driving. Through stretching and bodywork the participants gain knowledge
of common equine physical and skeletal structures. Stretching is important
to break-up the tension held in the muscles, to encourage free movement
and reduce the risk of injury. At this stage the rider/owners learn the
nuances of verbal and non-verbal communication with horses: listening to
what the horse knows, how he uses this knowledge and what his overall attitude
is.
Under saddle, the use of the Gentlehorse method is compatible with any
discipline: Saddle Seat, Hunt Seat, Dressage, Western, Hunt/Jump, or simply
Trail Riding for pleasure. First the rider learns the importance of being
dynamic in the saddle, to clearly communicate his desires to the horse.
Dynamic riding is using our legs, seat, torso, hands and head to continue
the communication established on the ground. All Gentlehorse riders learn
to remain light on the bit while using his body as natural cues. The significance
of remaining relaxed and confident on your horse are continually emphasized.
The Gentlehorse method teaches the rider to breathe and how to remain
relaxed during stressful and dangerous situations. Using non-violent techniques,
the rider learns basic methods to close down problems on their horse before
it turns life threatening. A scared rider stiffens, stops breathing and
looses control of the situation, but if the rider is relaxed, the horse
is relaxed. Remember, a horse can feel a fly land on his shoulder and he
can feel when we look to the side. Knowing this, we can understand the
possibility of projecting our intentions to the horse. 
The Gentlehorse method of training horse and rider is grounded in the
belief that everything we do should have a positive impact. Gentlehorse
is just that: a gentle method of communicating, cooperating and understanding,
strengthening our bonds with our equine friends. It truly is a New World
style of training.
On the Issue of Respect
by Gabriel Denison and John von Haas
"Respect" is a rolling issue in the equine community. It rolls off everyone's
tongues in reference to their horses, and the definitions roll around loosely
from trainer to trainer.
Webster defines “respect” as esteem, to give consideration to, to be reputable
or polite. In short, among humans, respect refers to honor and/or recognition
for one's place value or skills within society. However, when this word is transferred
to signify our relationship with a horse, it somehow gains a dark overtone.
“The horse should have a natural respect of man…” reads one trainer’s column, and “How do I get my horse to respect me?” is a common question from owners.
When used in context with the horse, “respect” seems to translate easily into “fear.”
My first question on this issue is:
Do you respect your horse?
Do you respect that he is an intelligent, voiceless animal put
in the position of figuring you, his human, out on a daily basis, and expected to compensate for what you can’t communicate to him?
Do you respect his terribly dependant situation, confined and waiting for exercise, food and water?
Do you respect his recognition of you, and his waiting for you to come and share some of your busy day?
This brings us to the next step:
Does your horse respect you, and if not, why not?
Are you clear in your intent and communication?
Do you set your boundaries well and keep them?
Do you mean what you say, and say what you mean?
Can your horse count on you?
Are you consistent?
Are you fair?
You can trust your horse to tell you what his problem is - fear, anger,
dominance issues, your attitude. But can your horse trust you to be an
active listener, not just another guy with a short stick and a personal
agenda? Many times, the answer is no. From this lack of listening, and
subsequent skills to solve the problem, many bad horses are created.
The most successful person is one who will not substitute fear for a genuine
teamwork and communication. You must be worthy of your horses' respect.
You'll find after that, things begin to fall into place.
