Horse Training
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Is My Horse Spicy or Uncomfortable?
When your horse behaves badly under saddle, what do you assume is the reason? Is it better to push on and assume they are just being spicy or to take a step back and look for signs of pain? I know what I prefer.
- Confessions of a Timid Rider, Equestrian Life, Fitness and Conditioning, Holistic Wellness, Horse Training
I Get My Saddle Evaluated Regularly So I Don’t Break My Horse
I’ve been a bodyworker with multiple certifications for many years. Trust me, I’ve seen a lot. The thing I hate the most, however, is working on a horse to have them feeling there best only to have them ridden in improperly fitted tack and undo all my efforts. The ill effects are instantaneous and significant, especially if you know where to look. That’s why I reached out to my friend, Sabine, a few years ago and asked about her husband’s certification program, SaddleFit4Life. After a lot of research I signed up for the course so that I could offer evaluations to my clients. More, I wanted to learn how to…
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Groundwork Basics For Creating Confidence in the Horse and the Rider
Confession: I had never done any type of lunging or ground work until I owned my own horse. In the English disciplines, ground work is relatively uncommon. Occasionally you may see someone lunging their horse for exercise, rehabilitation, or before getting on to ride. Once my lesson horse seemed quite spooky so my trainer lunged him before I got on. I received some tips on lunging and a lesson in the saddle, which I found very interesting. Still, I had no practical knowledge myself. When Ferrous became mine, I was excited to do ground work. I began watching YouTube videos and reading how-to books for tips and tricks. Looking back…
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Do you Ride a Horse? Congratulations You are a Horse Trainer
I don’t consider myself a professional but after taking even one lesson from a professional horse trainer; I realized how much I didn’t know about my communication with my horse. More, I realized that everything I do from the moment I enter the paddock is teaching my horse something positive, or negative. Like with dogs, my interactions are creating reactions and I AM a horse trainer in many ways.
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Ride The Horse You Have, Not The Horse You Want
I see the sales listings all the time that mention an all round horse that can go any direction. Physically that may be true, but often in work I come across a horse that is shut down, going through the paces, or best-case scenario LOVES their job. It’s so important to look at the emotional and mental aspect of our horse when choosing a discipline. Some horses CAN go in any direction, but not always. Try New Things Conformation is a significant factor in discipline. I’ve been lucky to work with Mongol horses, barrel horses, ranch horses, and of course hunter/jumpers. It is incredibly obvious when a horse loves their job.…
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Improving Communication With Your Horse
We have to stop thinking of training horses in human terms. They have herd behavior. We don’t speak the same language. We can try but we will never be as good as they are, because we aren’t horses. However, the more we understand this dynamic the more we let horses be horses and focus on our relationship and how we can successfully communicate.
