Horse Talk With Ray Ainsworth
Ray Ainsworth has graciously agreed to do an interview with us, and share his knowledge of horses and how he communicates with them. Ray is an accomplished horse teacher and clinician. He travels around the U.S. teaching people and horses how to communicate with each other. Rays philosophy is that horses have a language all their own. Learning that language can help you have a much better relationship with your horse.
Q. Tell us a little about yourself, and how you started teaching horses. A. Hi! My name is Ray Ainsworth. I am called “The Man Horses Talk To”, because horses really do have a language they use to communicate. I have loved working with horses for as long as I can remember. I started riding race horses and have worked with all kinds since then. I knew from that time, I would always have horses in my life. I did not know then, what an impact they would have on my life, and the impact I would have on theirs. I love working with horses and I also make it a point to work with the owners. What I teach the horses, I also teach the owners. Q. What is the main goal of Ray Ainsworth Horsemanship? A. My goal is to teach people the horses language. If people learn to speak their language, then people and horses can communicate much better. If people do not know their language, it is like talking to a person who is deaf. If you do not know sign language, you can’t “talk” to deaf people. Once you learn sign language, the you can communicate with the deaf. The same goes for the horse language. When I teach people the horse language, then I help both the horse and the owner. Q. The concept of your teaching method is “firm, fair and consistent”. Can you explain to us what this means? A. I want everyone to know, that I do not use any pain or force to teach horses. When you are working with your horse, you need to know what you want to teach him that day. IF YOU FAIL TO PLAN…….YOU PLAN TO FAIL! When you start working with your horse you need to make sure that you are asking correctly. Know that your are communicating well enough for your horse to understand what you are asking of him. Know when you get the right answer. When you do get the right answer, give your horse a short recess. The best way I can describe what I mean by FIRM is to compare it to a child in the first grade. When the children come in from recess, the teacher has to get their attention before he or she can begin to teach them. The teacher is firm without being ugly, same with you horse. FAIR is after you have gotten the horses attention and have asked him to do what you have taught him, if you get the right answer, you have to give him a recess. You have to give them time to digest the information. CONSISTENT: You ask the same thing, the same way, enough times and get the right answer, that way your horse understands what you want. Q. We have heard you talk a lot about learning to speak a horse’s language. How do you learn to speak a horse’s language? A. People can learn the horse’s language. I have taught people of all ages. Learning the horse’s language is like learning any other language. It does take time, but the more time and effort you invest, the quicker you will learn. You need to find someone that knows the language and learn from them. You can learn it on your own, but it will take longer and you will make a lot of mistakes that you and your horse will have to pay for. Q. You mostly train your horses, with only a halter and lead rope. What are the advantages of riding with a halter and lead rope? A. First, let me say this, I do not train horses. I teach horses. The reason I teach with a halter and lead rope, is that I want my horse to be as comfortable as he can be. The more comfortable he is, the faster he can and will learn. If I make him nervous or anxious, he will quit thinking and start trying to get to a place where he feels more comfortable. If I teach him well enough, then I can ride with a halter and lead rope. We have all seen horses run away with a bit in their mouth. That tells you that the bit is not control. You only have control when you get the horse to want to do what you ask of him. The advantage is that your horse is very comfortable. Horses are not born with a bit in their mouth. Now, before I get letters telling me this is dangerous, let me assure you that is does take time to teach your horse. Q. Are there occasions when a bit should be used, instead of a halter and lead rope? A. The short answer is Yes. In some shows you have to ride with a bit. If someone feels more secure riding with a bit, and that will allow them to spend more time with their horse, then by all means do so. I would not tell anyone not to ride with a bit. I want people to understand that horses are very smart and if we take the time to teach, both the horse and people will have a much better time together. Q. You have several dvds out now on groundwork. What is the importance of ground work for our horse and you? A. I do have two dvds out. The first on is called “BASIC GROUND WORK”. The second one is, “ADVANCED GROUND WORK”. If you would like to purchase one, you can go to my website and e-mail me. I will see that you get one. Ground work is as important to working horses as learning to drive is before you get out on the highway. You have to become comfortable driving at 5 miles per hour before you can be comfortable at 20 miles per hour. The same is true for working with horses. If you can’t control speed and direction with your horse on the ground, then you have no reason to think you can control speed and direction in the saddle. No one I know would get into a car, going 35 miles per hour, take the steering wheel off and throw it out the window, or drive without brakes. We have all seen people get on a horse and never check to see if the horse has brakes or a steering wheel. That is why ground work is VITAL. Q. With the state our economy is in today, there are people who simply can’t afford horse trainers. What is your advice for people who have to train their own horses? A. I do understand that money is tight. The way I see it, it does cost to have a horse sent to a horseman. If you do not have the talent or skill, to teach your own horse, then it would be money well spent. One doctor bill or vet bill, could cost more than one month with a horseman. If you do not have the ability to work with your horse at this point, let me assure you, it is OK. I have been working with horses all my life and I AM STILL LEARNING. Horses are still teaching me as much, or more, than I am teaching them. It is just like going to school to become a doctor or attorney. You have to learn the horse’s language to be able to talk to and listen to your horse. Be patient, it takes time to learn a new language. It will take time to learn how to work with your horse the correct way. Q. If you could accomplish only one thing, in your horse training career, what would you like for it to be? A. I am working to create a new mind set, so that never again would a horse be hit or abused. Horses are very intelligent animals. I want everyone to know how smart they really are. Q. Is there any advice or comments you would like to add that will help our readers have a better relationship with their horse? A. I would like for all horse owners to remember this: Horses are a lot like children. You can’t love them too much, but you have to love them enough to make them mind. You can’t love your horse any more than I love mine. I love them enough to teach them manners and respect. You should love your horse enough to take the time to teach him. Be patient while teaching, it will take them time to learn.
Ray Ainsworth is “The Man Horses Talk To®”. His sincere goal is to make the world a better place for horses and their humans through communication. From a young age, Ray Ainsworth has studied the language of horses. As a winning jockey, trainer and competitor, Ray has developed and fine-tuned a resistance-free technique that he uses in teaching horses and working with behavioral issues of every kind. I would like to thank Ray Ainsworth for taking the time out of his busy schedule to chat with us. If you would like to learn more about Ray Ainsworth Horsemanship or order one of his dvds, you can visit his website. rayainsworth.com
You can listen to an interview with Ray Ainsworth on the "Horse Show with Rick Lamb". Listen Here Leave Ray Ainsworth Interview: Return To Homepage |
