We've all know of horses that the instant they step foot on grass they want to eat and it's almost impossible to stop them. This is annoying and very tiring. Of course the best way to get this to stop is to teach them that they can't eat when you are working with them. I understand that some people feel that they will let their horses eat sometimes, but not others. This works with some horses, but the ones who are constantly eating and going to eat no matter what you say can't always get this luxury. At least in the beginning stages for sure. You will have to restrict him from snacking on the grass while you work with him until he understands that he doesn't have the freedom to eat at his own choosing.
What you will need: Halter, lead, carrot stick or lounge whip, grooming supplies (optional)
To start off I will stand the horse on the grass while holding the carrot stick and groom the horse thoroughly. I get very nit-picky about it and take a lot of time. I do this so that he has more opportunity to eat, but I still have something to do. You could also stand there and just wait, but I believe it is more entertaining for both of you if you groom. It also will make your horse very dashing.
While I groom I wait for him to try to grab a bite to eat. When he is right about to eat I give him a little tap on his nose and say a firm "No." Pretty soon he will start to understand that he isn't supposed to eat. He also will learn the meaning of the word "no". He may begin playing games with you. This game is in the form of seeing how close he can get to eating before you tap him. Don't let him play this game. Be sure you know at what point (or height) you will tap him at and be consistent about it.
Next, you move this over to ground work. This includes lounging whether on-line or in a grassed round pen. He already has an understanding of the word "no," so it will make it easier on you. When he lowers his head to eat say "no" and push him forward. You may have to give him a little spank (maybe even a big one) in order to keep him going. Timing is important and try to push him before his lips even touch a blade of grass. Eventually, he will understand and you will also notice that your horse will pay more attention to you and be more hooked onto you.
Once in saddle, the same concept on the ground applies. When he goes to eat say "no" and send him forward with a swift spank on the rump. This is the same as the cue from the ground so it isn't confusing him and you won't have to worry about deadening his mouth by constantly pulling on it.
THE DOES: Be consistent (don't tap hard sometimes and soft others and always tap as softly as possible to achieve the correct response). Pet him on the face a lot so he won't become head shy. Rub him with your stick so he doesn't learn to resent it. Be patient this takes time.
THE DON'TS: Don't be afraid of your horse (some horses will come at you and challenge you, but if you can reach the with your stick be sure to get him out of your space. Don't let him touch you, and if you need to give him a swift smack be sure to do so or you will teach him to bully you and he will start doing it all the time.) Don't get upset with your horse, he isn't being personal it's just how he is programmed. Don't let him become head shy. Don't make him hate your tools. Don't pull on his head with either the halter or the bridle (this can be confusing, and your horse is much stronger than you, there is no reason for a tug-of-war match). Don't expect this to fix it the first day you try it; it will require repetition and consistency.
Good luck and hopefully your horse will be a better, more enjoyable partner.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
An Amazing Groundwork Exercise Every Horse Should Know
Many horses I have worked with have respect and boundary issues. They like to blow past you, push you, and walk right into you. Sometimes they can get as bad as charging you with their ears pinned back and striking at you.
The best way to get them to understand your leadership is to move their shoulder. They dominate with their shoulder and that is what they will push you around with. Once you can get them to yield to you by walking into them then they can no longer bully you.
What you will need is a halter and lead and a carrot stick. There are two different ways you can do this task. You can either stand facing him about six feet away and open the door with the hand holding the lead rope and close the other door with the hand holding the carrot stick. If you have a dominant horse he probably won't give and will need a lot of encouragement from the stick. Remember to build up gradually, but don't give in too soon. You should only stop when he moves his shoulder away. This does not mean backing up or going forward, he MUST move his shoulder.
Another way is to stand next to the horses head and hold the carrot stick in both hands parallel to the ground, but you still want to hold onto the lead rope so he doesn't walk away on you. You ask him to yield by tapping the air by his neck (not actually touching him) in a rhymical fashion and then building by tapping his neck and then tap with more energy. Make sure you are walking toward his nose or he will simply walk away from you. Release the pressure when he moves his shoulders AND crosses over with his front foot for ONLY one step at first. Then you stop the pressure and rub him with the stick so that he won't be afraid of it and see it as the thing that only hits him. Then you can begin asking for more once he understands what you want him to do.
This exercise is great for building respect, giving an attitude adjustment, or working with a pushy horse. Also, it will help with shoulder control during riding and will improve your turns and spins.
The best way to get them to understand your leadership is to move their shoulder. They dominate with their shoulder and that is what they will push you around with. Once you can get them to yield to you by walking into them then they can no longer bully you.
What you will need is a halter and lead and a carrot stick. There are two different ways you can do this task. You can either stand facing him about six feet away and open the door with the hand holding the lead rope and close the other door with the hand holding the carrot stick. If you have a dominant horse he probably won't give and will need a lot of encouragement from the stick. Remember to build up gradually, but don't give in too soon. You should only stop when he moves his shoulder away. This does not mean backing up or going forward, he MUST move his shoulder.
Another way is to stand next to the horses head and hold the carrot stick in both hands parallel to the ground, but you still want to hold onto the lead rope so he doesn't walk away on you. You ask him to yield by tapping the air by his neck (not actually touching him) in a rhymical fashion and then building by tapping his neck and then tap with more energy. Make sure you are walking toward his nose or he will simply walk away from you. Release the pressure when he moves his shoulders AND crosses over with his front foot for ONLY one step at first. Then you stop the pressure and rub him with the stick so that he won't be afraid of it and see it as the thing that only hits him. Then you can begin asking for more once he understands what you want him to do.
This exercise is great for building respect, giving an attitude adjustment, or working with a pushy horse. Also, it will help with shoulder control during riding and will improve your turns and spins.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Playground Item #2
Many people have seen Pat Parelli and other natural horsemanship trainers working with their horses and large rubber balls. However those balls are very costly even on Ebay. Dennis Reis' large round ball costs over $200. Luckily, Parelli's is usually $75 but is currently on clearance for $65 plus $13 shipping expense. I'm getting one for myself and I reccommend you do too!
There are many things you can do with this ball. First of all it is great for desensitizing, both on the ground and in the saddle. It also opens up the door for new games and challenges. You could have a soccer match with other riders, or you could push the ball through an obstacle course. If you use your imagination there are infinite possibilities.
The photo is from www.parellicollection.com and is also where you can purchase the green ball.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Build Your Own Playground Item #1
I bet many of you have seen other people doing cool things with their horses on the ground or in the saddle and using different items to create a "playground" for their horses. However, these things, such as giant balls and barrels can be sometimes hard to come by.
However, you can create your very own playground for a fraction of the cost. All you need is an imagination. I will post some low-cost high return items that are easy to come-by and explain some of the games you can play with them. Enjoy!
My first item is a short wooden post. They can be found at a local farm supply store for less than $6 each. The next big question is how many to get. I decided on 6. Why? It is a good number to make the "L" back-up that you see in trail courses and it is also the fewest you can get to make a decent pyramid.
Now that you know the item, let's look deeper into what we can do with it. As mentioned before you can make an "L" pattern and have your horse go through it backward, forward, sideways, or any other combination you choose. You can spread them out and use them as trot poles or just as obstacles. But, we aren't done yet. You can even stack them up into a pyramid to make an even more creative obstacle.
Hope you enjoyed your first step to building your own playground, and for under $40 too!
However, you can create your very own playground for a fraction of the cost. All you need is an imagination. I will post some low-cost high return items that are easy to come-by and explain some of the games you can play with them. Enjoy!
My first item is a short wooden post. They can be found at a local farm supply store for less than $6 each. The next big question is how many to get. I decided on 6. Why? It is a good number to make the "L" back-up that you see in trail courses and it is also the fewest you can get to make a decent pyramid.
Now that you know the item, let's look deeper into what we can do with it. As mentioned before you can make an "L" pattern and have your horse go through it backward, forward, sideways, or any other combination you choose. You can spread them out and use them as trot poles or just as obstacles. But, we aren't done yet. You can even stack them up into a pyramid to make an even more creative obstacle.
Hope you enjoyed your first step to building your own playground, and for under $40 too!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Originality
Most great horse people didn't discover everything out on their own. Horsemanship has been around for a very long time and there has always been someone older and wiser to instruct the younger horse generation on how to get along with horses. Sure everyone adds new ideas to to the mix, but many of the ideas we all share with each other and borrow from each other. For this reason horsemanship is similar all over the world. By no means is it exactly the same, but the basic principles remain constant.
This sharing of ideas has helped advanced horsemanship and I feel that it is crucial. What if everyone had to learn horsemanship all by themselves? Only a few people would be able to get far and many people would give up. Sharing is essential for us to understand horses more. If you keep a great new concept to yourself then no one else can benefit from it.
Remember sharing is good, just like your mother said when you were young.
This sharing of ideas has helped advanced horsemanship and I feel that it is crucial. What if everyone had to learn horsemanship all by themselves? Only a few people would be able to get far and many people would give up. Sharing is essential for us to understand horses more. If you keep a great new concept to yourself then no one else can benefit from it.
Remember sharing is good, just like your mother said when you were young.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Henry David Thoreau and Horsemanship
Few people know of Henry David Thoreau, that is unless they were forced to read about him in a literature class or stumbled upon learning about him by chance. For those of you that don't know, Thoreau was a transcendentalist. Yes, big word, but don't bother defining it because the definition will only confuse you more, trust me. It was a philosophical movement in the 1800s, which took place during the time of slavery, the Mexican War, and right before Lincoln would become President.
But, what does transcendentalism and Thoreau have to do with horsemanship? It is was Thoreau and his philosophy stood for. These things we can apply to our daily lives with our horses.
One of Thoreau's first believes was that you shouldn't follow the dictates of society. In horse terms: you don't have to do what everyone else is doing just because everyone else is doing it. Dare to be different and stray from the pack. They aren't always right. In some countries trainers tie barb wires from one stirrup, across the chest and to the other stirrup so that they can train the horse to stop by putting the stirrups back and apply pressure to the chest. It isn't just a few though. An entire culture trains that way just because everyone does it. Do not be afraid to be different. If you see everyone using cruel devices on their horses and you would be the only one who didn't use it, then GOOD for you! It is better to be different and right then accepted and wrong!
Another principle is to do what YOU think is right. Not what your best friend, or an older horseman. You yourself. Of course, take advice into consideration, but ultimately it is YOU who is in charge of you. So if a more experienced horseman tells you the best way to cure a lazy horse is to hit him over and over with a whip, but you don't think it is right, then don't do it. Many people you respect may not always do what you think is right. By all means still respect them, but do not mock them in all their ways.
Thoreau also believed it was essential to simplify your life. I believe it is essential to simplify your horsemanship and training. When you get stuck on all the complicated things, the simple things (which are also the most important) tend to slip away. Some people when they ride spend ridiculous amounts of time tacking up because they have to put on a saddle pad, throw the saddle on, tighten the cinch, tighten the flank cinch, fasten the breast collar, attach the running martingale, put on the bridle, put the reins through the running martingale, make sure everything is fitting correctly, re-tighten the cinch. Most of this is unneeded. It's possible to train a horse with just a halter and lead rope. However, many people enjoy their equipment. I am not saying not to use equipment, but that simplifying your horsemanship has it's benefits.
Another example of simplifying horsemanship is in the training process. Training advanced things seem complicated, but can easily be simplified. A side-pass quickly becomes preventing movement forward and giving to pressure applied to the side with the leg and the neck with the rein. The trick behind simplifying advanced moves is to break them up into smaller and easier parts. Teaching a roll back would be a stop, giving to pressure applied by leg, and then a lead departure. It's easier to break it down and get it under control before the elements are blended together to create a complete roll back.
Time is another important matter. Thoreau believed that time didn't matter. Better things are created when time is forgotten. This is very applicable to horsemanship. Do not be in a rush to get what you want out of your horse. If you go too fast you will skip something or not cover something enough and things will fall apart later. Instead don't worry about time and do things how they come along and don't move on until you are sure you are ready. This way you and your horse will be better off in the long run. Your horse will have a better foundation and will understand everything else better because of it. Every person/horse has their own rate to progress at and he/she should progress at that rate and not any faster.
Finally, Thoreau believed that you should advance toward your dream. If you do this then you can do good things and everything will be less complex. So find your dream and take steps toward it.
But, what does transcendentalism and Thoreau have to do with horsemanship? It is was Thoreau and his philosophy stood for. These things we can apply to our daily lives with our horses.
One of Thoreau's first believes was that you shouldn't follow the dictates of society. In horse terms: you don't have to do what everyone else is doing just because everyone else is doing it. Dare to be different and stray from the pack. They aren't always right. In some countries trainers tie barb wires from one stirrup, across the chest and to the other stirrup so that they can train the horse to stop by putting the stirrups back and apply pressure to the chest. It isn't just a few though. An entire culture trains that way just because everyone does it. Do not be afraid to be different. If you see everyone using cruel devices on their horses and you would be the only one who didn't use it, then GOOD for you! It is better to be different and right then accepted and wrong!
Another principle is to do what YOU think is right. Not what your best friend, or an older horseman. You yourself. Of course, take advice into consideration, but ultimately it is YOU who is in charge of you. So if a more experienced horseman tells you the best way to cure a lazy horse is to hit him over and over with a whip, but you don't think it is right, then don't do it. Many people you respect may not always do what you think is right. By all means still respect them, but do not mock them in all their ways.
Thoreau also believed it was essential to simplify your life. I believe it is essential to simplify your horsemanship and training. When you get stuck on all the complicated things, the simple things (which are also the most important) tend to slip away. Some people when they ride spend ridiculous amounts of time tacking up because they have to put on a saddle pad, throw the saddle on, tighten the cinch, tighten the flank cinch, fasten the breast collar, attach the running martingale, put on the bridle, put the reins through the running martingale, make sure everything is fitting correctly, re-tighten the cinch. Most of this is unneeded. It's possible to train a horse with just a halter and lead rope. However, many people enjoy their equipment. I am not saying not to use equipment, but that simplifying your horsemanship has it's benefits.
Another example of simplifying horsemanship is in the training process. Training advanced things seem complicated, but can easily be simplified. A side-pass quickly becomes preventing movement forward and giving to pressure applied to the side with the leg and the neck with the rein. The trick behind simplifying advanced moves is to break them up into smaller and easier parts. Teaching a roll back would be a stop, giving to pressure applied by leg, and then a lead departure. It's easier to break it down and get it under control before the elements are blended together to create a complete roll back.
Time is another important matter. Thoreau believed that time didn't matter. Better things are created when time is forgotten. This is very applicable to horsemanship. Do not be in a rush to get what you want out of your horse. If you go too fast you will skip something or not cover something enough and things will fall apart later. Instead don't worry about time and do things how they come along and don't move on until you are sure you are ready. This way you and your horse will be better off in the long run. Your horse will have a better foundation and will understand everything else better because of it. Every person/horse has their own rate to progress at and he/she should progress at that rate and not any faster.
Finally, Thoreau believed that you should advance toward your dream. If you do this then you can do good things and everything will be less complex. So find your dream and take steps toward it.
Training Methods
The biggest obstacle of training a horse is deciding how to train the horse. When just casually thinking about it, the complexity of training isn't so overwhelming. However, when put into practice training becomes almost completely overwhelming at times.
There are infinite ways for you to train your horse. You will be bombarded with many trainers throwing their method at you and trying to get you to go to their seminars and buy their products. With all that is offered it seems very difficult to decide what method is best for you. Not to mention it is frustrating because many methods blatantly contradict one another.
First of all, learn about the different training methods. Rent books from the library, read magazines, research on the internet, ask fellow horsemen, watch television shows (ie RFD-TV), and if you are really interested call or email the trainer/company about their training method. Don't take any to heart right away because you saw their horses do something truly remarkable and amazing. You want a method that can make you horse fun and safe to ride. If it works for that trainer, good for him, but you need it to work for YOU and YOUR horse.
After you have an idea of what methods are out there, you must decide what your beliefs are about horsemanship and horse training. What do you belief is more painful than necessary to your horse? What are you capable of doing with your horse? Do you have the time and patience to do it that way? If something goes wrong or you are stuck will you know how to adapt using this method? There are many other things you will need to think about to determine what you want out of your training method, and then finally your trained horse.
Now, it is time to choose a training method. However, you don't have to stick to one clear-cut method. Remember what "maieutic" means? Getting new ideas from each other. This is essential to horsemanship in my opinion. Stay open to other methods and if there is something you like take that and mix it into your primary method. Keep taking the best from each method you know and create a unique horsemanship that is your own and fits you best. Do not take anything for the gospel truth.
On my blog I will share what I have learned and what I believe. I do not expect everyone to agree with me and that is perfectly fine. However, if you do not agree or think you have a reason why I am wrong I strongly encourage you to share and speak up about it. I am more than willing to learn something new. Also, I may be able to explain better my standing and the reasons for it. So please do comment.
There are infinite ways for you to train your horse. You will be bombarded with many trainers throwing their method at you and trying to get you to go to their seminars and buy their products. With all that is offered it seems very difficult to decide what method is best for you. Not to mention it is frustrating because many methods blatantly contradict one another.
First of all, learn about the different training methods. Rent books from the library, read magazines, research on the internet, ask fellow horsemen, watch television shows (ie RFD-TV), and if you are really interested call or email the trainer/company about their training method. Don't take any to heart right away because you saw their horses do something truly remarkable and amazing. You want a method that can make you horse fun and safe to ride. If it works for that trainer, good for him, but you need it to work for YOU and YOUR horse.
After you have an idea of what methods are out there, you must decide what your beliefs are about horsemanship and horse training. What do you belief is more painful than necessary to your horse? What are you capable of doing with your horse? Do you have the time and patience to do it that way? If something goes wrong or you are stuck will you know how to adapt using this method? There are many other things you will need to think about to determine what you want out of your training method, and then finally your trained horse.
Now, it is time to choose a training method. However, you don't have to stick to one clear-cut method. Remember what "maieutic" means? Getting new ideas from each other. This is essential to horsemanship in my opinion. Stay open to other methods and if there is something you like take that and mix it into your primary method. Keep taking the best from each method you know and create a unique horsemanship that is your own and fits you best. Do not take anything for the gospel truth.
On my blog I will share what I have learned and what I believe. I do not expect everyone to agree with me and that is perfectly fine. However, if you do not agree or think you have a reason why I am wrong I strongly encourage you to share and speak up about it. I am more than willing to learn something new. Also, I may be able to explain better my standing and the reasons for it. So please do comment.
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