a fenced
circle with a diameter of about 18 metres which is
used for horse training.
Origin:
A device
used by many riders, especially the Native
Americans, and, later on, by the cowboys,
to train horses.
Aim:
The aim
is to build up a respectful, well founded
and harmonious relationship between horse
and human. We reach this aim by developing
a dialogue between two individuals, horse
and rider, moving freely within the round
pen. We humans lead this dialogue and want
to make the horse react quickly and willingly
to even our finest signals. To reach this
goal we need to do two things:
clarify the question of respect
establish a clear communication
A clear and well established
communication and a clear hierarchy are the basis
of any dialogue and, therefore, for any relationship.
Communication and respect are directly interlinked;
one is caused by the other.
Basic Principle: “A
horse is a horse”
We
should understand terms like “respect”, “dominance”, “leadership”,
and “communication” from
the horse’s viewpoint. Our wish
is to deal with our horse success- and
respectfully. The key to reaching this
goal is knowing and perceiving natural
behaviour, instincts and signals of our
horse and use this knowledge actively
in our way of treating the horse and
communicating with it. We have to know
what is “normal” for a horse.
The round pen is the ideal place to learn and train exactly this.
There we learn to use the tools which help us in the daily work with our horse,
whether we clean it, guide it to the stable or the pasture, ride it, jump or
go on an excursion with it.
Copyright by Andrea Eschbach 10/04 Finca Verde, Teneriffa
