The Fundamentals, the first level of the Method, is the level where, through a series of groundwork and riding exercises, you earn your horse’s respect and trust and prove yourself to be the leader in your relationship. Horses are great followers if you are a great leader. Think of it as the foundation of a […]
The safety category of respect refers to your personal hula hoop space. This space is a 4-foot circle that surrounds you and serves as your safety zone. Whenever you are working with a horse, always imagine that there’s a four foot circle drawn around you—almost like an invisible electric fence. Unless you invite the horse […]
When they’re on the trail, a lot of people put their horse on a big, loose rein and let their mind wander or gab with friends. They put their horse on what I call “autopilot” – he’s left on his own, which for a lot of horses means they go down the trail constantly looking […]
I have a saying: Two eyes are always better than two heels. If I want to teach you something, I need you to give me your eyes and your attention. If you’re looking out the window and staring at the people walking on the sidewalk or the cars going by on the street, all the […]
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 […]
The majority of horse “problems” aren’t really problems at all; they are really just symptoms of a cause. Ninety-five percent of all the problems you will ever have to deal with as a horse owner will fix themselves if you do the groundwork and earn your horse’s respect. Most people think that their horse’s problem […]
It wasn’t until I started attending clinics and apprenticing under Australian horseman, Gordon McKinlay, that I realized that horses are just like humans – they don’t learn perfectly. When you first introduce a new lesson to a horse, he’s going to get confused, frustrated and maybe even agitated or nervous. And you know what? That’s […]
Respect is like having money in the bank – it gives you more options. The more money you have in the bank, the more options you have. You can spend more time with your family, perfecting your hobbies or just enjoying life in general. If you don’t have much money, you are very limited on […]
Horses are phenomenal people trainers. They train us to do the goofiest things in the world. People make up the most ridiculous excuses for all the things their horses have trained them to do.
