A well-trained horse stands quietly while you get in the saddle and waits for your cue to move off once you’re ready to head down the trail. A horse that fidgets, dances around and refuses to stand still when you mount up is not only frustrating but dangerous. In the training guide, “Stand Still for […]
There are two categories of respect: a safety category and a learning category. The safety category teaches you how to establish your personal space, which will keep you safe. The learning category is about how to earn the horse’s respect in order for him to learn what you’re teaching him. Before you can start to […]
Training Tip: How to Stop a Horse From Putting His Tongue Over the Bit
Question: I have a 3-year-old Quarter Horse gelding that I bought just over six months ago. He was already “broke” when I got him, but I immediately started him on the Fundamentals. He had (and still has) a very bad habit of getting his tongue over the bit, and I don’t know how to break […]
If your horse cops an attitude when you come near his stall, it’s time for an attitude adjustment. While pinny ears and cranky expressions are harmless in themselves, they lead to bigger, dangerous issues such as biting and kicking. Cranky, disrespectful behavior can lead to terrifying situations when trapped in a small space with a […]
Training Tip: Remove Your Horse’s Halter Correctly
It’s often the day-to-day tasks that speak volumes about how well trained a horse is and how great of a horseman you are. One daily task that I’m extremely nitpicky about is how I put on and take off my horses’ halters. A well-broke, respectful horse will stand quietly and drop his head for you […]
Teach Your Horse to Load in the Trailer Like a Veteran
If just the thought of trailering your horse causes a hard lump to form in the pit of your stomach, you’re not alone. Getting a horse to confidently get on a trailer is a problem that haunts all equestrians on their horsemanship journey at some point, including Clinton. “When I was a kid, I’d ask […]
Training Tip: How to Achieve a Slow Lope Without Four-Beating
Question: How do you get a horse to do a pleasure lope and not have the horse break down to a trot on the back feet and lope on the front feet? – Cowgirlb Clinton’s Answer: The secret to getting a horse to lope slowly is to practice and practice and practice and then practice […]
Training Tip: Build a Horse’s Confidence About Passing Thru Tight, Narrow Spaces
Your horse may perform like a trail-riding veteran across vast stretches of open land, but ask him to step down a narrow trail and he turns into a nutcase. With rock walls pressing in on him or tree branches and bushes brushing against his sides, he may act as if you’re forcing him to walk […]
Training Tip: What If You Don’t Have an Arena to Train Your Horse?
In a perfect world, we all have a facility that meets our requirements to train our horses year-round. Reality is far from perfect, though. I’ve been there myself, some of the situations and conditions I’ve had to train horses out of throughout my career were far from desirable, but I found a way to get […]
In a perfect world, we all have a facility that meets our requirements to train our horses year-round. Reality is far from perfect, though. I’ve been there myself, some of the situations and conditions I’ve had to train horses out of throughout my career were far from desirable, but I found a way to get […]
