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Training Tips

Training Tips
November 24, 2020

Training Tip: Building Your Horse’s Confidence About Trailering

When you begin to teach the horse to load onto the trailer, the first rule is to completely forget about the trailer. Act like loading the horse onto the trailer is the furthest thing from your mind because the more you think about getting the horse on the trailer, the more you’ll start to act […]

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Training Tips
November 17, 2020

Training Tip: Partner With the Right Horse

When you begin your horsemanship journey, try to pick a horse that will help you learn and will build your confidence as opposed to one that wants to wreck your confidence and intimidate you. I’m a firm believer in the theory that horses teach people, and then people teach horses – in that exact order […]

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Training Tips
November 10, 2020

Training Tip: Increase Pressure as Needed When Training Your Horse

Most people want to start with a low amount of pressure, which is great, but when their horse ignores them, or doesn’t move his feet, they don’t increase the pressure. It’s important that you first ask the horse to respond with the lightest amount of pressure possible because a horse will never get any lighter […]

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Training Tips
November 3, 2020

Training Tip: Don’t Nag Your Horse

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
October 27, 2020

Training Tip: It’s Never Too Early to Work With a Horse

Raising foals and bringing along a young horse can be very rewarding experiences. The thing to remember when you’re raising a foal is that the little things make a big difference – both good and bad. Using the Method to work with a foal just 10 to15 minutes a day for the first six weeks […]

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Training Tips
October 20, 2020

Training Tip: Understanding the Drive Line

When you’re studying the Method and working with your horse on the ground, you’ll often hear me refer to the “drive line.” If you imagine that your horse is wearing a saddle, the drive line would roughly be where the girth would lie, right behind the horse’s withers. Whenever you apply pressure or even stand […]

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Training Tips
October 13, 2020

Training Tip: Creating Softness in Your Horse

Horses have a natural instinct to pull and push against pressure – not give and soften to it. So every opportunity you get, teach your horse to soften to pressure. You always want your horse thinking of how he can give and soften to pressure rather than thinking of how he can resist, stiffen and […]

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Training Tips
October 6, 2020

Training Tip: The Importance of Protecting Your Personal Space

As 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 […]

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Training Tips
September 29, 2020

Training Tip: Take the Worry Out of Blanketing

The biggest mistake people make when trying to blanket a spooky horse is sneaking the blanket up on the horse. If you reach the blanket up towards the horse and he gets nervous and tries to move away, repeat the same motion another hundred times. When he relaxes, retreat and rub him. Then do it […]

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Training Tips
September 22, 2020

Training Tip: What Bit Should You Use?

Bring up the topic of bits around horse people and you’re sure to enter into a conversation that’ll turn into a heated debate ranging from one end of the spectrum (you need a different bit for every horse in your barn and every situation you ride them in) to the other (only a cruel barbarian […]

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