Training Tip: Gain Experience By Riding a Variety of Horses
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. The more horses you ride, the more practice you get in the saddle. However, if you don’t ride a variety of horses, you run the risk of […]
Question: I have a 6-year-old draft mare that was broke by being used to pack and never learned the basics. I have been working with her, but she constantly fights me on flexing and getting soft. Do you have any small pointers that may help me loosen her up and get her to respond better […]
When I first came to the United States and was getting involved in the reining industry, Doug Carpenter’s name kept coming up in conversations. I wanted to know how people were finding their top-level reiners, and nearly everyone I talked to told me they worked with Doug Carpenter. It seemed that the Oklahoma horseman had […]
Question: What do I do with a green horse that is proud cut and gets agitated and feisty with people? My gelding was cut last year and sent to a trainer for three months. He never acted out at the trainer’s, but when I got him home he acted out towards my brothers—turning his hind […]
Training Tip: Is it Worth Investing in a Custom Saddletree?
In my opinion, a custom saddletree is not worth the expense. There’s no such thing as a saddletree that will fit your horse perfectly forever. It may fit him in the very moment you get it measured for him, but that’s about it. The whole business of custom saddletree work is nothing more than a […]
Training Tip: When to Add Speed to a Reining Horse
Question: How do you decide when it’s OK to add speed to a horse’s training? I’m training a reining horse and have what I think is a good foundation on him. I know in order to be competitive that I need to speed him up, but I’m not sure when I should do that. – […]
Training Tip: End Training Sessions on a Positive Note
When I give my horses treats, I typically give them at the end of a training session when I’m putting the horses away for the day. That way, the last thing they remember is me scratching on them and giving them a treat. Spending a couple of minutes rubbing and scratching your horse is especially […]
Training Tip: Improving a Horse’s Agility and Focus
Question: What are some good exercises to keep my horse moving with agility? I compete in ranch-type events, some of which are fast-paced, and I’m looking for exercises to get him to tune in to me and improve the way he moves in general. – wayneborrows Clinton’s Answer: My go-to exercise in a situation like […]
There are many myths in the horse world about feeding treats. Here are a few of the most common: “If you feed your horse treats, you’ll teach him to bite you.” “Treats make a horse pushy.” “Treats are for horsemen who don’t have any skill.” My stance on treats is that there is a time […]
Question: My Thoroughbred is fine when I ask him to move forward. However, when I apply leg pressure to any sort of maneuver, such as two-tracking, sidepassing, etc., he gets super cranky. He pins his ears, crow hops and has a horrible attitude.