Training Tip: Take Your Horse’s Backing to the Next Level
In the Fundamentals Series, we teach our horses four methods of backing up on the ground. Each method of backing is designed to teach the horse a different concept and is important to building a solid foundation. You’ll often hear me say that the better you can get a horse to back up, the more […]
Training Tip: Doing Rollbacks on the Fence With a Blind Horse
Question: I had just completed the Intermediate groundwork with my mare and things were going great. Unfortunately, she got an illness that caused her to go blind rather quickly. Her confidence was shot.
Training Tip: Your Horse Needs a Solid Foundation at Home First
The biggest problem people have when taking their horses away from home is not having control of their horse at home. They spend no time teaching the horse how to use the thinking side of his brain and earning his respect and trust. Then, when they take him away from home, they wonder why he […]
Question: We rescued a 15-year-old horse that was severely beaten and went blind in one eye because of it. I have been working with him for months and he’s still untrusting of others and is very scared of water and whips. I’m just now able to touch his hindquarters without him jumping and breathing hard. […]
Training Tip: Three Ways to Improve the Horse Owner and Farrier Relationship
A skilled farrier is worth his weight in gold, but in a lot of cases, farriers are some of the most underappreciated and underpaid professionals in the horse industry. They are often put in dangerous situations by owners who do not care enough to take the time to properly prepare their horses to have their […]
Question: I purchased a yearling a week ago. Every time I go to halter her, she turns her butt towards me and refuses to look at me. I have just begun teaching her the Fundamentals.
A few years ago, when I was preparing my cow horse Austin for the Snaffle Bit Futurity, I didn’t like the way he started to drop his shoulder and lean into a cow when we were circling it, especially when we were going to the right. I chipped away at the problem, but wasn’t quite […]
Training Tip: Horse is a Basket Case Around Other Horses
Question: My horse rides great on the trail when it’s just me and him, but when I try to ride with other people, it’s a wreck. He gets super nervous, and at times, I feel like I can barely control him. What can I do? Answer: It’s common for horses to ride well on the […]
Training Tip: Teach Your Horse to Be Confident About Having His Feet Handled
It’s not your farrier’s responsibility to train your horse to stand quietly while his feet are worked on. Long before you make an appointment with your farrier, you should begin working on getting your horse confident about having his feet handled and then preparing him for standing for the farrier. We begin teaching our horses […]
Training Tip: An Important Lesson All Horse Trainers Should Experience
Your farrier is vital to your horse’s overall health and wellbeing and plays a key role in your horse’s ability to perform. A skilled farrier is worth his weight in gold, but in a lot of cases, farriers are some of the most underappreciated and underpaid professionals in the horse industry. They are often put […]
