Whether you realise it or not, your horse learns from every interaction he has with you. Every time you go near your horse, you teach him something. Even when you clean his stable, you teach him something. Every time you ride your horse, you teach him something. Horses don’t think, ‘We’re out on the trail … Read more
A friend of mine recently bought a stock horse mare at the local horse sale. ‘I got a bargain,’ he said. ‘She’s only seven years old and she goes great. Let me show you.’ He rode the mare around and she danced and pranced and jigged and jogged and was very nervous and worried. She … Read more
People always ask me for advice on how to ‘fix’ their horse. ‘My horse rears/shies/kicks up/won’t leave the barn/won’t leave his friend/won’t go into the trailer…’ On and on it goes and everyone wants their horse ‘fixed’. Others say: ‘There’s something wrong with my horse because he lays his ears back/chases me/bites me when I … Read more
Your attitude and how you think about horses, is the most important part of horse training. Your ability to handle horses isn’t worth a dime if your underlying thinking is flawed. Here are a few examples: 1. If you think your horse is being bad or naughty on purpose, you’ll punish him for reasons that … Read more
The near-side of a horse is his left hand side when you’re sitting on his back. His off-side is his right hand side. It’s ingrained into most horse people that horses should always be handled from the near-side. We’re told to always approach and catch a horse from the near-side and to saddle, bridle and … Read more
You must always be definite and consistent whenever you’re with your horse and you must have definite rules. When your horse does as you ask, you must always make things relatively easy and pleasant for him. When he isn’t doing as you ask, you must make things a little unpleasant for him. These rules must … Read more
Asking how long it takes to saddle and ride a young horse for the first time, is like asking how long is a piece of string. I started training horses for a living more than forty years ago. Horses of all shapes, sizes and varieties were sent to me to be started under saddle. Many … Read more
Following are some of the remarks people invariably make when they watch me work start a horse under saddle. “That horse is quiet. What happens when you get a wild one?” “I’ve got a colt at home you couldn’t handle like that.” “The youngsters by this stallion all buck and there’s nothing you can do … Read more
Loading a horse into a trailer should never be a confrontation where the horse is chased and frightened and pressure is applied until the horse eventually rushes in. Before you even think about trailer loading, every horse must be taught that it’s always easy and pleasant to step forward to you and to keep his … Read more
Lots of trainers tie a plastic bag or a flag on the end of a stick and call it a ‘training tool’. When the stick is used, the plastic bag/flag makes a whooshing noise that frightens horses every time it’s waved near them. If a horse is already worried or frightened when you approach, you … Read more