Training Tip: Ride Solo When Introducing a Horse to Trail Riding
When I’m taking a horse out on the trail for the first time, I prefer to ride out by myself so that it’s just the two of us. When you get two or more horses on the trail, they have a tendency to want to race one another and get reactive. And, when you do […]
When Clinton brings the Walkabout Tour to the Majestic Valley Arena in Kalispell, Montana, in August, he’ll share a variety of in-depth training demonstrations. One of the session will focus on how to teach a horse to lope on a loose rein with confidence. Clinton invites two horses with loping issues into the arena. While […]
By Ritchie Industries You’re hearing it everywhere—we’re living in unprecedented times. The virus we’re all facing as a country and as a world has people everywhere adjusting to new social distancing practices. Our way of life has changed, and we have to adapt to care for the things that matter most, like our horses. When […]
One of the best things you can do for your horse is to let him walk the last hundred feet or so of a trail ride. That gives him the opportunity to relax and cool down so that he returns to the barn or trailer in a good frame of mind. You don’t want him […]
This month’s lesson is all about grooming and building your horse’s confidence about standing quietly while you work around him. Regularly grooming your horse isn’t just about making him look good – it’s an important factor in ensuring he is healthy and happy. Throughout the training session, Clinton works with Zorro, a yearling at the […]
If you don’t make it a habit to clean and oil your horse’s bit on a regular basis, more than likely, it’s caked with crud — pieces of dried hay and grass and whatever else might be in your horse’s mouth. Depending on the type of bit you have, or how long you’ve neglected it, […]
Fundamentals With Phoenix: How to Train Your Human
Lesson 5: Intimidation is Your Friend Whenever you find yourself around humans, imagine that there’s a four-foot circle drawn around you. For a lack of a better term, we’ll refer to it as our personal hula hoop space (I may have heard that somewhere before?). It’s like an invisible electric fence designed to keep your […]
Training Tip: Get Experience With as Many Horses as You Can
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. Otherwise, you run the risk of fooling yourself into thinking your horsemanship skills are well-rounded. No two horses have the same personality, move the same or react […]
“Ian Francis used to tell me, ‘Training a horse is all about putting him in a mental or physical bind and allowing him to figure out the puzzle.’ The only way the horse can work on figuring out the puzzle is if he’s using the thinking side of his brain and is relaxed. If a […]