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Training Tips

Training Tips
May 1, 2018

Training Tip: Mount With Safety in Mind

When you’re ready to mount your horse for the first few times outside the arena, play it safe by flexing his head halfway around to his side. This is a safety precaution so that if the horse takes off or bucks, you’ve already got his head bent around so the worst thing he can do […]

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Training Tips
April 24, 2018

Training Tip: Weather Affects Your Horse

Weather plays a huge role in a horse’s behavior. When the weatherman says that it’s going to be a cold, rainy and windy day, he might as well be saying, “Hey, if you own a horse, get ready to die.” Changes in weather can make your horse hypersensitive, and therefore more reactive. On cold days, […]

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Training Tips
April 17, 2018

Training Tip: Ask Clinton: Sticky Feet on the Trail

Q: If I go out alone on the trail, my horse will just stop. If I press him forward, he backs up and acts like he is about to rear. I pull his head around to stop him from rearing, but he gets really excited, and I am afraid to spank him as he might […]

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Training Tips
April 10, 2018

Training Tip: Practice Groundwork in the Environment You’ll be Riding Your Horse In

Whenever you plan to ride your horse outside, practice groundwork in that environment before getting in the saddle. While doing groundwork in the arena is certainly beneficial, taking your horse from an environment that he’s used to (like the arena) to riding him outside is putting him at an unfair advantage. He may have been […]

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Training Tips
April 3, 2018

Training Tip: Choose Where You Ride

The smartest decision you’ll make in your horse’s trail career is choosing where to begin his training outside of the arena and how you build his confidence from there. The ideal location for first taking a horse outside is a long dirt road because it gives you plenty of room to move the horse forward […]

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Training Tips
March 27, 2018

Training Tip: Ask Clinton: Horse Playing With the Bit

Q: I am starting a horse, and after first using a hackamore, I’ve now switched to riding in a bridle with a smooth-mouth snaffle bit. He is mouthy with the bit, but his teeth have been done. Should I just let him get used to it more, possibly wear his bridle in the stall some? […]

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Training Tips
March 20, 2018

Training Tip: A Great Trail Horse is no Accident

A great trail horse is no accident; he’s been trained to do his job well. Just because a horse rides well in the arena doesn’t mean he’ll be the same calm, respectful and responsive partner on the trail. The reason for that is because the elements drastically change when you take your horse out of […]

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Training Tips
March 13, 2018

Training Tip: Ask Clinton: Dropping Shoulder at the Lope

Q: My horse has had five months of training under saddle. He has a tendency to drop his left shoulder at the lope and fall in a little on his left lead. What riding exercises would you recommend to remedy this?

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Training Tips
March 6, 2018

Training Tip: Establish a Nutrition Plan That Fits Your Horse’s Level of Activity and Lifestyle

Most people’s problem with their horses is that the horses are overfed and underworked. They feed the horse way too much and don’t work him nearly enough. Here’s a rule of thumb to keep in mind: Ride the horse, not the feed. If you overfeed your horse, he’s going to come out of his stall […]

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Training Tips
February 20, 2018

Training Tip: Ask Clinton: Getting a Correct Rollback

Q: I am having a hard time getting my horse to turn on his hind end when doing rollbacks. It is like his front end sticks and he turns his hind end out of the turn. How do I fix this?

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