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Training Tips

Training Tips
August 8, 2017

Training Tip: Troubleshoot a Buddy-Sour Horse

Do you have a horse that behaves as long as he’s with his buddies, but as soon as he has to leave, he becomes hard to handle? The secret to overcoming this problem is to make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult. If you’re riding with a group of horses, use them […]

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Training Tips
July 31, 2017

Training Tip: Help for a Barn-Sour Horse

Does your horse have a built-in magnet to the barn? When you take him away from the barn, all he can think about is getting back to it. And why wouldn’t he want to get back to it?

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Training Tips
July 25, 2017

Training Tip: Troubleshoot Unloading a Horse From a Trailer

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.

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Training Tips
July 18, 2017

Training Tip: A Respectful Horse

What does a respectful horse do when you walk up to catch him? He turns and gives you two eyes, and even walks up to you. What does a disrespectful horse do?

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Training Tips
July 11, 2017

Training Tip: When a Horse Rears Because he Doesn’t Want to Move Forward

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 […]

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Training Tips
July 3, 2017

Training Tip: Spice Up Your Daily Training

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.

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Training Tips
June 27, 2017

Training Tip: Troubleshooting a Horse That Plays With the Bit

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 […]

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Training Tips
June 13, 2017

Training Tip: Mistakes: Everyone Makes Them

If you talk to any good horse trainer about how they got to where they are, they’ll admit they’ve made some mistakes along the way. And if they’re worth their salt, they’ll probably tell you that the lessons they learned making those mistakes were invaluable. I often tell my students, “If you haven’t messed up, […]

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Training Tips
June 6, 2017

Training Tip: The Most Important Concept for Horsemen to Understand

If you want your horse to change, you have to be willing to change first. That is the most important concept you can understand when it comes to training horses. When I was an apprentice for Ian Francis, he often said to me, “To change your life, you must first change your attitude.” Ian believes, […]

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Training Tips
May 30, 2017

Training Tip: The Hot Potato Give

The first step to teaching a horse how to collect is to teach him to give to the bit, period. Always start at the standstill, and then progress through the gaits as the horse understands. The ultimate goal is collection, but in the beginning, it is just a soft feel. When you first pick up […]

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