As I wrote the Training Exercises to start DE-sensitizing your horse, I realized that I have not really defined the term or the theory behind the exercises. Wild horses live life super-sensitive to threats of any kind. They are super-sensitive out of necessity. No one wants to be eaten. However, once our horses are in… Read More Training Theory: De-Sensitization
The “RELAX” portion of an exercise serves a very important purpose. A huge amount of training involves overcoming anxiety. Entering and exiting natural states of arousal is critical to building a horse’s ability to understand and tolerate unexpected events. Horses have a threshold (tolerance to stress) for anxiety-inducing events. They can sometimes build up anxiety… Read More Training Theory: Relax
Changing Sides The Goal: The horse moves his body so that you can reach one side of him and then adjusts so that you can reach the other side while you stand in one position. A great exercise to soften your horse to moving away from a muzzle pressure. It makes grooming a breeze. It… Read More Training Exercises: Changing Sides
What is the difference between a Cold Blood Horse and a Hot Blood horse? In my experience, horses can be loosely divided into three categories according to their temperaments. Generally speaking, the Coldblood Horses are the draft breeds. This includes such well-known breeds as the Percheron, Belgian, Clydesdale (right), Icelandic and Shires. They were developed… Read More Training Theory: Cold Blood vs Hot Blood Horses
When to wean a foal? We believe that the dam has a huge influence on her baby’s actions and reactions, so we leave our foals with their dams until 6-7 months old. This decision is predicated on the fact that the mare is healthy, has superb temperament, is easily handled, and is relaxed in all… Read More Weaning a Foal
Equine PTSD. Horse abuse pulls on anyone’s heart strings. It usually comes in the form of neglect and malnutrition or is practiced as unpredictable or traumatic physical punishment. Horses with true PTSD need special care. Their reaction to stress is usually exaggerated, frantic, not proportional to the stress a normal horse exhibits. Some researchers posit… Read More Horse Problems: Training The Abused Horse
The purpose of this exercise is to catch, restrain, gently control, and release the baby every day so that he gets used to giving to pressure from the very beginning. This lesson will also reinforce his earlier contact-imprinting as you enlarge your rubbing, stroking, and manipulating of his body, legs and feet. All of this… Read More Training Exercises – Foal 3 Days Old
The side-pull or “breaking hackamore” is used completely without a bit. Generally, it is used when a colt is first broke to take a rider. It offers good lateral control without confusing him with a bit or damaging his mouth if hard pulls are necessary. The pressure is on the rope nose piece that can… Read More Side Pull Bridle
Spurs are a tool that is used primarily for lateral movement left and right and suppling your horse’s body. The precise placement of a spur on a horse’s body can induce him to move different parts of his body: his shoulder, his rear, his rib cage or lift his ribs. Spurs are an extension of… Read More Training Exercises: Spur Use
In order for your horse to understand his bit cues or his leg and seat cues he has to be able to feel them. Contact is the amount of surface area where your body or your signal can be felt and the quantitative value of the pressure there. Horses ridden in most English riding activities… Read More Training Theory: Contact