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Training Tips

Training Tips
June 9, 2015

Training Tip: Correcting a Horse That Bolts at Turnout

With a horse that likes to turn and bolt away from you as soon as you take the halter off, one of the best things you can do with him in the pasture is practice Yield the Hindquarters Stage Two to get him hooked on giving you two eyes. Anytime you’re around your horse, two […]

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Training Tips
June 2, 2015

Training Tip: Heart Attacks are Free

One of the biggest mistakes people make when working with horses is sneaking around them and making excuses for their behavior. In reality, trying to protect a horse from objects he’s scared of only makes the situation worse. As a trainer, your goal is to desensitize your horse to as many objects that move and […]

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Training Tips
May 26, 2015

Training Tip: Be Effective With Pressure

Nagging a horse, constantly pecking at him without getting a result or failing to reward him for correct behavior, only teaches him to be resentful and dull. Imagine you’re sitting at your desk at work and a co-worker comes up behind you and starts tapping your shoulder. No matter how you respond, they keep tapping […]

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Training Tips
May 19, 2015

Training Tip: Equal Responsibilities

In your partnership with your horse, you have certain responsibilities and your horse has certain responsibilities. Your responsibility is to be black and white – to make training easy for the horse to understand. Whenever you are a shade of gray, it makes you unclear or inconsistent, which is unfair to the horse and makes […]

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Training Tips
May 12, 2015

Training Tip: The Lightest Amount of Pressure

If a horse can feel a fly land on his hindquarters, he can certainly feel you picking up on the rein or lead rope, squeezing with your legs or sitting deeper in the saddle. No matter what you’re asking the horse to do, always ask with the lightest amount of pressure possible. Even if you […]

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Training Tips
May 5, 2015

Training Tip: Great Desensitizing Tool

Horses are naturally afraid of objects that move and make a noise, something that the plastic bag does both of. Desensitizing your horse to plastic bags will increase his tolerance of strange objects and acceptance of your tools. Remember, your goal as a horse trainer is to desensitize your horse to as many objects that […]

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Training Tips
April 21, 2015

Training Tip: The Sending Exercise

The Sending Exercise is a handy tool that can be used in a number of situations you encounter with your horse on a daily basis. As prey animals, horses are claustrophobic by nature, and when made to go through tight, narrow spaces, they naturally want to use the reactive side of their brains. This exercise […]

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Training Tips
April 14, 2015

Training Tip: Build Confidence With the One Rein Stop

The One Rein Stop is the first thing I teach every single rider in my clinics as soon as they get on the horse’s back. Why? Because once they realize that they can stop their horses anytime, anywhere, whenever they want, you wouldn’t believe the amount of confidence it gives them. I often refer to […]

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Training Tips
April 7, 2015

Training Tip: The Five Body Parts

It doesn’t matter what sport you do with your horse – western pleasure, dressage, trail, jumping, cutting, reining, etc., every single sport revolves around the horse being soft, supple and relaxed in order to perform his best. In order to get a horse soft and supple throughout his entire body, you need to concentrate on […]

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Training Tips
March 31, 2015

Training Tip: How Well Does Your Horse Lead?

Most horse owners don’t put a whole lot of thought into how their horse leads. In fact, most people think that leading is dragging the horse from point A to point B. The truth is, horses don’t magically know how to lead; it’s important to spend time to teach them how to. Teaching your horse […]

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