ISRAEL: Israeli horse trainer develops new method to communicate with horses

Veteran Israeli horse instructor develops unique, animal friendly method to train horses. Veteran horse back rider and instructor Uri Peleg developed a revolutionary animal friendly method to train horses, which he believes will be the preferred method of the future. Using only voice and body language, Peleg has demonstrated his ability to teach his horse even the most complex exercises, such as circles, speed control, lead change and lateral movements. His drive to invent the new method he calls "natural connection" came from his urge to reduce the pressure the horse endures from the conventional metal bit and reins used to train horses. "I saw the need of the people and the horses to communicate better communication, not by mouth piece that weighs sometimes a quarter of a kilo," said Peleg, who owns a ranch in Ramot village in the occupied Golan Heights. Peleg, Director of the Equestrian Center at the College of Sport and Physical Education at the Wingate Institute, says his idea reflects the basic concept of the natural connection between a mother and her child. Just as a child can learn by repetition so can a horse trainer teach his horse by using only body language, vocal orders and the association of pressure. "You don't have to feel bad a tough jerk or something that you have done because of even a correct reason," said Peleg who plans to ride his horse, Seon, across northern America in the coming months "to show that the (this) system is reliable and safe". Although Peleg has so far applied his method solely on his own horse, he is confident any experienced horse back rider can be taught to use this unique method in due time. "Natural connection" method is certainly good news for animal lovers too, such as Justin Leon, one of Peleg's veteran students. "I believe that as an animal lover and a rider it gives us a fantastic opportunity to develop a way of communicating with the animal that we love without inflicting any kind of pressure or force," said Leon. Peleg is confident his method will create a dramatic change in trainers' approach to their horses or, at the least, create better horsemanship.

ITN Source | March 2, 2007

Tags:. .piece. .metal. .due. .quarter. .institute