Training Tip: Get Experience With as Many Horses as You Can
If you have a desire to be a great horseman, I encourage you to ride not only as many horses as you can, but a variety of horses. Otherwise, you run the risk of fooling yourself into thinking your horsemanship skills are well-rounded. No two horses have the same personality, move the same or react […]
Training Tip: Add Variety to Your Training Sessions by Incorporating Objects Around the Barn
When it comes to training your horse, your imagination is your greatest tool. The more creative you can be in your lessons, the more interested your horse will be in his job. You’ve heard me say, “Consistency is your greatest ally and inconsistency is your greatest enemy.” And that’s absolutely true.
It’s very normal in the beginning for a young horse to mouth and play with the bit when he’s first introduced to it. He’s just trying to figure out what the new piece of equipment is. When I put a bit in a horse’s mouth for the first time, I like to practice groundwork with […]
Training Tip: Stop Your Horse From Rearing on the Trail
The key to understanding how to fix a horse that is lazy and rears on the trail is to first understand that the problem is just a symptom of a cause. The horse is rearing (or threatening to) because he has sticky feet. When he doesn’t want to do something, his way of getting out […]
Training Tip: Correct A Horse That Rushes Out Of The Trailer Quickly
A horse that rushes out of the trailer is telling you he doesn’t really want to be in there. So change his perspective on things. Make sure you park the trailer on good footing so that the horse won’t slip and you can safely work with him. If he wants to rush out of the […]
Training Tip: Conquer Fear By Focusing On Gaining Control
When a horse respects you as a leader and uses the thinking side of his brain rather than the reactive side, you can stop worrying about getting hurt or not being able to handle a dangerous situation. Horses are big animals, and it’s only natural to be scared of them. A lot of people come […]
Training Tip: Practice Patience in Training Sessions
If you want your horse to wait for your cues and be patient, you have to practice teaching him to do so. Whatever you practice with your horse is what he gets good at. I literally include periods of waiting into my training sessions.
Training Tip: Become a Better Rider by Riding as Many Horses as You Can
If you have a desire to be a great horseman, I encourage you to ride not only as many horses as you can, but a variety of horses. Otherwise, you run the risk of fooling yourself into thinking your horsemanship skills are well-rounded. No two horses have the same personality, move the same or react […]
Training Tip: How to Safely Handle Your Horse Spooking
When your horse spooks at something, put his energy to good use. If it’s an object you can ride around, circle your horse as close as you can to it, and every one and half circles, turn him into the object and head off in the new direction. Horses can only think about one thing […]