Decisions, Decisions...

One of the biggest issues Harley has had in the past is impulse control.  He would get upset and just explode, thinking something horrible and out of his control was going to happen.  I think what has made the most positive impact on this issue was in working him at liberty in the big ring.  He was able to make choices on his own, good or bad, without any negative consequences.  Given the choice, most horses will choose to do the right thing, although not without trying a few wrong things first ;) 

Harley began making good choices when he realized he could just walk away from me rather than circling around me.  Instead of chasing him down, or driving him into a gallop to punish him, I simply waited for him to come back.  Once he realized I was not going to run after him, or worse, punish him for walking away, he would come back to me, sometimes the entire length of the ring from about 100 feet away.  I would act like nothing had happened and just continue working him in a circle around me.  After a few quiet circles at the walk, I would call him in to me, tell him he was a superstar, and we were done.

Being allowed to make his own decisions gave Harley confidence, and removed his fears of failure and punishment.  It also made him feel safe, knowing that no matter what, nothing bad would happen.  It also taught him to respect me as the leader, because I did not react to his incorrect decisions, but highly praised the good ones.  I feel like I'm seeing the real, original, "the way he was meant to be" Harley for the first time, and it's wonderful!