2024 Clinician Academy
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#1 – If you’re turning your horse out with other horses, get the other horses away from the gate before leading your horse through it. People often suffer serious injuries turning horses out because they’re unaware of herd dynamics of horses. When you throw your horse into a herd, the other horses will react, and […]
Read MoreHorses have two sides to their brains: the left brain and the right brain. Each side of your horse’s brain is like a completely separate horse. You’ve got Lefty and you’ve got Righty.
Read MoreIf your horse had a break in his training, his mental attention and physical fitness aren’t going to be up to par. The biggest mistake people make when bringing horses back to work is getting straight on them. They drag the horse out of the pasture, yank the girth up as hard as they can, […]
Read MoreYou’ve probably heard the saying, “Light hands, light mouth.” I disagree with that. I say, “Light hands that pick up softly and hands that release quickly make a horse’s mouth light.” For example, you could pick up gently on the reins and be very light, but if your horse roots against that pressure and flips […]
Read MoreTo balance your horse so that both sides of his body are equally relaxed and responsive, you’ll spend 2/3 of your time working on his bad side (the side that is stiffer, pushier or more reactive), and 1/3 of your time working on his good side. If your horse is spookier on his right side, […]
Read MoreHorses challenge their own pecking order daily, and they will do the same to you. It’s nothing personal – it’s just business. Horses are natural followers, but they want a leader they can respect and trust.
Read MoreSometimes horses get frightened of going through gates because they’re tight, narrow spaces and make them feel claustrophobic. As prey animals, horses hate being in narrow spaces that make them feel trapped. This can be especially true if your horse has gotten “bit” by a gate – a gate hit him while he was being […]
Read MoreAs a trainer, you need your horse’s respect and attention in order to teach him and gain his trust. Establishing your personal space will help you stay safe while doing just that. The first thing your horse has to understand is that you are fragile and he needs to be careful around you. I honestly […]
Read MoreThat is the most important concept you can understand when it comes to training horses. When I was an apprentice for Ian Francis, he often said to me, “To change your life, you must first change your attitude.” Ian believes, as do I, that if you’re unhappy with the current state of your life, you […]
Read MoreI back my horses up every chance I get. In fact, I very rarely just lead my horse somewhere. Like most of you, I have a limited amount of time to actually spend with my horses, so as long as I’m with them, I figure I might as well be teaching them something. So I […]
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