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 […]
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?
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 […]
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?
Color has absolutely no effect on how suitable a horse is for you. Color won’t save you from getting bucked off. It doesn’t stop the horse from rearing and bolting.
Training Tip: Ask Clinton: Teaching a Horse to Crave the Trailer
Q: My daughter’s pony won’t go in the trailer unless one of her buddies is in it. When we try to load her by herself, she rears and refuses to go in. What can we do?
Training Tip: How Well a Horse Lopes Speaks Volumes About His Training
Nothing will rat a horse out about his level of training better than loping. Most horses will walk and trot reasonably well, without putting up much of a fuss, but when you ask them to step up to the lope, their true colors come out. If the horse is disrespectful and lazy, he’ll ignore your […]
Training Tip: Ask Clinton: Letting Others Ride Your Horse
Q: A client of mine is a novice rider and has an ex-barrel racer that is too much for them to handle at the canter. I started giving her lessons on my well-broke horse. Can novice riders create problems that are hard to fix?
If you are a relatively green or inexperienced rider, the last thing you want to do is go and buy a horse that has limited training, regardless of his age, and take him out on the trail. You don’t even want a 4- or 5-year-old, unless he’s an exceptional horse. A rider with no experience […]
Training Tip: Ask Clinton: Kicking Out At Other Horses
Q: I have just started fox hunting on my green mare, and when another horse and rider come up beside her, she kicks out at them. One trainer says ignore it as the mare is green and another says smack her hard. Your opinion, please!