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Training Tips

Training Tips
February 18, 2025

Training Tip: Horse Rolls When Being Ridden

Question: My mare has started lying down and rolling while I’m riding her. She does it so quickly that I don’t even realize it’s happening until she’s on the ground. What do I do?

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Training Tips
February 11, 2025

Training Tip: Respect Leads to Trust

A horse will not trust you until he respects you. No amount of gentle murmurings and treat feeding will get him to trust you. It all starts with respect, which is earned by moving his feet forwards, backwards, left and right and rewarding the slightest try.

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Training Tips
February 4, 2025

Training Tip: Overcoming New Horse Challenges

Question: I was given a 24-year-old Paint mare that has “been there and done that.” I had my vet check her over and she passed his exam with flying colors. I was hoping she’d be a good horse for my granddaughter to learn to ride on. The only problem is she’s awful to be around!

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Training Tips
January 28, 2025

Training Tip: What to Do When Horses Whinny Out on the Trail

We routinely ride all our horses away from home. Oftentimes, during the first few training sessions in new environments, young, green horses will whinny out, searching for their buddies. A horse whinnying out like that doesn’t bother me because I know once we get going, they’ll stop worrying about where their buddies are and focus […]

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Training Tips
January 21, 2025

Training Tip: Horse Sticks His Tongue Over the Bit

Question: I recently bought an 8-year-old Fjord that was supposedly a well-trained trail horse. I’ve found out that isn’t the case and have started to take him through the Fundamentals exercises. We’re making progress, but one thing I’ve noticed is that when I put the bridle on him and ride him, he sticks his tongue […]

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Training Tips
January 14, 2025

Training Tip: Why You Should Use a Hackamore

If you’re starting a colt, you’ll want to have a hackamore in your tack room. I prefer to start colts in a hackamore and continue to use it through the colt’s first 10 to 14 rides. Throughout my years of experience starting colts, I’ve found that the hackamore gives colts a chance to learn how […]

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Training Tips
January 7, 2025

Training Tip: Thoughts on Hand Grazing Horses

Question: When I finish a trail ride and get off my horse, while I’m loosening the girth, he’ll drop his head down and eat grass. Or, if I’m walking him to his turnout, he’ll stop every once and awhile and grab a mouthful of grass. I didn’t think much of it, but a fellow boarder […]

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Training Tips
December 24, 2024

Training Tip: Proper Bit Placement for Your Horse

Question: I’m getting ready to move my colt from a hackamore to a bridle with a smooth snaffle bit. Can you give me some guidance on how high or low to adjust the bit in his mouth? I’m confused about what the proper fit is. – SANDYJ Answer: I want the bit to sit right […]

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Training Tips
December 10, 2024

Training Tip: Horse Misbehaves on the Trail

Question: I have a Paint mare that is about 7 years old. She’s a little bit slower than our Rocky Mountain Horse, and when we go trail riding, if she gets too far behind him, she starts throwing her head and rearing up. Nothing I do will make her stop until she gets close to […]

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Training Tips
November 26, 2024

Training Tip: Training Session Plans for Lazy Horses

Question: When you’re teaching a dull or lazier type of horse to move away from pressure on the ground, do you spend more time sensitizing them and less time rubbing them to a stop than you would with a more reactive horse? In your videos, it seems that you spend more time rubbing it away […]

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