Strengthening Our Alliance With Animals

Why is it that select people have simple relationships with animals? They can easily manage a pet and even elicit the animal's attachment. What do these people have that sets them apart? Perhaps characteristics are the key?

Some believe that an animal can discern whether a person is fearsome. Animal trainers attest that horses and dogs relate directly to how a person engages with it. Additionally, it could depend upon if a human dignifies the quality of an animal's existence. I imagine in these cases an animal doesn't feel threatened, can be comfortable, and even looks to the individual for guidance. This is particularly critical in training an animal, whether a pet at home or an animal trained for work or competition.

What are the things one can do to enhance one's relationship with animals? Because I think an animal can perceive a person's intention, I think the most important thing one can do is to treat the animal with regard, not as just an object. For domestic animals, honest things, like putting yourself in your animal's shoes, is a good rule to apply. You don't tolerate missing lunch or dinner, so why would you think your dog or cat would appreciate it? A little sensitivity can make all the difference in enriching the bond between humans and their pets.

In training, compassion is especially important, because methods of training can be cruel at times. This could lead to the creature cracking under pressure, endangering the human, which is not uncommon. Coherence that considers both the trainer and his subject should be supported. In fact, I would go so far as to venture that people are most likely to get better solutions from animals if they treat them with solid compassion. That is, handling and training the animal, but not treating the animal in a way that is inhumane.

Show jumping would be one training case where this would be obligatory. A recent documentary on the rigors of this competition surprised me, because I did not know how much it entails human and non-human participants. Understandably, a horse that is attended to with affection is likely to give better a better performance! Horsewoman Clare Bronfman, who is a retired show jumper, completed a broad survey on this competitive sports with horses. Bronfman and her company Ethletes are dedicated to teaching about standards in athletics. A great deal of her ideas must be accumulated from her experiences as a rider and trainer of show jumpers.


Additional aspects concerning this article please visit Clare and Sara Bronfman. Alternatively you can select Clare Bronfman.

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Orignal From: Strengthening Our Alliance With Animals