It’s All About Communication
By Horse Guy | March 11, 2010
Horses are thinking feeling, reactional equine animals. When we work with horses we need to take the time to understand them and how to communicate with them – we can’t expect to control them as we do a car!!
When you get your drivers license you learn the rules, practise with the controls and how to apply them, then drive about in traffic gaining valuable experience in changing conditions, whilst being responsible for what the car does.
With a horse you also need to understand how they move with different rhythm in their paces, their equine instinct and psychology, how to care for them, the riding aids and how to apply them – and most “importantly” how to communicate to them – understanding their language of “equus” – how they communicate with you and the equine rules and values.
For instance if you are horse back riding and your horse refuses to go forward on the leg, you have just unknowingly encouraged it to be disrespectful to you and whatever you ask – whenever they want. If you are squeezing so tight with your legs to hold on, the horse can’t move freely under you. Your horse wants you to communicate in a way that you are both comfortable with – and to be prepared for the increased / decreased energy and speed involved when the request being asked is executed.
If your horse perceives something as uncomfortable – such as trailer / float loading, something on the trail, clippers, you gripping with your legs or holding on tightly to the reins, and you don’t do anything to alleviate the horse and build his comfort zone – the equine reactional instinct will overtake your horses thinking and the horse won’t concentrate on focusing and communicating with you -BUT but how it will handle the situation – and guess what! – You’ve just LOST LEADERSHIP! – The HORSE is LEADER and your at the mercy of the horses equine reactions, as the horse doesn’t trust or respect you!
That is why you need to build the comfort zones of you and your horse, so that you can take and keep leadership, building your comfort zone – balancing your horse back riding seat, engaging communication of energy to increase your horse forward or slow and stop the horse, visualising your riding moves so your horse can instinctively pick up on what the cue of what will happen next while you unite the correct aid at the correct time of the horses rhythm of movement, so the horse respects you and gives you leadership.
You FIRSTLY, need to have your leadership – And have built the comfort zone on the ground, with the horse respectfully demonstrating all gaits before you can think of asking for it in the saddle (let alone demanding it with whips and spurs!). If a horse has no respect for you on the ground why would he have it for you when you are in the saddle?!!
Your horse needs to build his comfort zone when moving at various speeds of various requested gaits, slowing, stopping, turning and circling, backing up, trailer / float loading, leading being groomed, separated from his equine buddies etc.
If the horse isn’t comfortable, he won’t focus on you and and give you leadership – And you’re going to have to work to get leadership back.
Horses aren’t push button animals – it’s not a matter of learning a few horse back riding aids then treating your horse like a push button machine.
A horses equine instinct senses, reacts and communicates by sense, if you’re scared and stiff the horse will sense this and either become scared too – or take the leadership back.
It’s your responsibility to to build horse and human equine comfort and demonstrate leadership to your horse as you learn to communicate in the equine language.
When you advance in your equine performance and training – you are actually advancing your communication skills with your horse and building on you and your horses comfort zones at a higher performance level or move!! IT’S THAT SIMPLE!!
To advance your equine performance and horse back riding skills you need to increase your understanding and communication of the equine language, whilst building you and your horses comfort zones so you are both confident and happy with the horse back training you are performing – That is why this e-book offered by http://www.SmartHorseAndRiderCoaching.com is crucial to your training as it increases your knowledge, experience and success rate, and most importantly – compliments all other disciplines of equine training.
Suzanne Garrard has a post graduate degree in education and has been working with and training horses for 15 years – including horses that when purchased lacked impulsion or were a problem horse. She is passionate about continual and further education for horse and rider advancement.
If you are looking to advance your equine performance and horse back riding skills, and increase your understanding of the equine language, whilst building you and your horses comfort zones and your leadership with the horse, so you are both confident and happy then click on http://www.smarthorseandridercoaching.com
Article Source: Ezine Articles
Originally posted 2008-09-18 14:48:47. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Horse Breaking Explained
By Horse Guy | March 9, 2010
Anyone wanting to know the basic method of horse breaking applied in the past can rent a western movie. Watching is about all the method is useful for as today there are far kinder ways in which to break in a horse.
I really do not like to use the term breaking simply as the word breaking, denotes force. Ultimately horse breaking is training of the horse. Training for a work or pleasure horse, has the same basic method of getting a horse to submit to man.
training horses has two main methods, the old and the new. The old technique is still very much in use today, but has been refined and altered along the way. That is to say that in most countries where horse folk are being educated, they no longer hurt the horse.
In the old days one would tie a horse up to a fence for hours until he had no fight left in him and one could then sit in the saddle and not be bucked off. Today thankfully man has learned to work with horses instead of simply dominating them.
The new method of training known as natural horsemanship may not be entirely new, but the trend and following is. Natural horsemanship as against simple horse breaking does not involve the horse submitting to man.
Instead man learns to communicate in the horses own language and becomes the horses leader, like the stallion of a herd. You do not have to be an experienced horse professional of old nor an aspiring natural horsemanship individual to realize that violence is not needed to train a horse. No matter what method of training you follow it always pays to respect the horse.
If you are not a competent horse handler you have no place training a green horse. A green horse is the term used to describe a horse that is unbroken and thus had very little if any training. I say this because a green horse will be bold and challenge you and you could very well be tempted to react with force or violence through fear.
When you are considering training a young horse and you have never done so before, have a knowledgeable trainer with you. Untrained or green horses often cost less than a trained horse and it is for this reason many people are tempted to buy them. Once again if you do not have the skill to train the horse without using violence and force, either have someone help you or send it to a trainer first.
When you take the extra care and attention to train a horse humanely and effectively, you have a horse that is happy to be handled; a horse that can be handled by most people too. That way you ensure a beginning relationship of trust between man and the horse which is essential to get the best performance from your horse.
horse breaking is the start of training a horse to work with man. Today there is certainly no excuse when horse breaking is a cruel act. It makes common sense then to create a long lasting relationship of trust through kindness. It will continually be proven that horses do not need to be driven into submission. How wonderful the feeling is when this big powerful animal actually wants to please us. Horse Guide.
Get information on buying, owning and caring for your horse, learn about horse breaking. Learn about Horse riding safety.
Article Source: Ezine Articles
Originally posted 2008-09-11 21:36:56. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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The Easy Way to Train Wild Horses
By Horse Guy | March 8, 2010
In-hand horse training is the capacity to teach the horse the basics. This is also the ability to teach horse movement, from one point to another in the best possible manner. By practicing in-hand training, you are preparing the horse for more to come. In a way, preparing him for the next step in horse training, and eventually, riding. In-hand training is teaching your horse everything that has to do with the basics.
There are things that you will need like a halter, a lead, bridle, obstacles such as tarp, plastic, concrete, plywood, a platform, or poles in the ground. You might also need a tractor and a flat. In short, you will need objects that the horse might normally see everyday. The point here is to get the horse acquainted with everyday objects that he may encounter. Anything they are not used to in the wild may easily startle them.
You need to set goals when training a wild horse. Your first goal is to teach your horse the first set of basics such as catching the horse easily without him getting startled, or without you running all the time. Your second goal is to be able to smoothly halter the horse without any resistance like bolting, bucking, biting, or any other bad behavior.
The third goal is to be able to turn the horse without you having to deal with rearing or wheeling.
When you and your horse have achieved these three initial goals, then you can move on to bigger and better horse training. It is essential that you and your horse feel confident with each other before you move on to other steps in horse training. If you still see any signs of behavior problems, you will need to start back from the beginning, or start from where you noticed the behavior started.
Training a wild horse will take some time. Wild horses are used to being free to graze the land in which they grew up. They are not used to humans and fences. You have to give them the time to adjust and get to know their environment better. Working with horses takes a lot of patience, understanding and commitment. You cannot just expect them to follow your every whim when freedom is still fresh in their minds. Remember how the turtle won the race? Slow and steady. You will be investing a lot of time when working with a wild horse.
Originally posted 2009-07-29 17:52:23. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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How to Train Wild Horses
By Horse Guy | March 7, 2010
Training wild horses is significantly different from training horses that are bred and raised around humans. It takes longer to train wild horses than domesticated ones, although it is absolutely possible for wild horses to be as well-trained as any horse out there.
Wild horses are sophisticated and intelligent social beings. A horse that grew up in a wild herd, learn manners, cooperation, respect, and a profound understanding of movement and body language. Fear is the only thing that stands between them and a lifelong bond with the owner.
Earning a wild horse’s trust will take time and patience. But once you have earned the horse’s trust, they are now ready to be trained just like any other domesticated horse. Similar to any horse; the better the training, the better the horse.
The following are some of the steps on how to train a wild horse:
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- The first thing you should do is gain the horse’s trust. You can’t work with a horse that doesn’t trust you. Place the horse in a small pen and visit him everyday. Feed him, water him, and talk to the horse in a calm and trusting voice as often as possible. Ultimately, the horse will learn that you are not there to hurt him. Get inside the pen and give the horse a calming and reassuring rub all over the body.
- Place a halter on the horse after he gets used to ropes. Horses can easily get startled with objects that are new to them. So, get him used to the ropes by letting him smell it and by rubbing it onto his skin. You need to assure him that the rope won’t hurt him. Let the horse wear the halter around the pen for a few hours, but take it off when you leave.
- Take the horse around the grounds to gain more trust. While leading him, you have to assure him that you are his leader and you won’t hurt him. Expose him to objects on the grounds that might be scary to him such as tractors, fences, utility trucks, etc.
- Introduce the saddle and saddle pad to the horse. Let him smell it before putting it on his back. Tighten the saddle just enough so that it won’t fall off. Lead him around a round pen with the saddle on his back for a few days. Don’t forget to take it off when you leave. Put a bridle on him and let him get used to having a bit in the mouth while working him.
- You can now mount the horse after he is used to the saddle on his back. Make sure to have someone close by, just in case you need help. Ride the horse around the pen for the first week to let him get used to your weight and the idea of someone on his back. When you feel that the horse completely trusts you, that’s the time when you take him out the pen for a ride.
- Riding the horse by himself is a good way to gain his confidence. You can then calmly teach him to obey your commands such as when to stop, turn, or move. Avoid riding the horse with others as it may confuse him. Ride the horse as often as possible to give him more confidence. Consistency in riding is the best way to train a horse.
Originally posted 2009-07-22 10:10:02. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Horse Psychology in Relation to Horse Taming & Training of Wild Horses
By Horse Guy | March 6, 2010
Before we can start training a wild horse, we need to understand how the mind of a horse works. Horses, especially wild ones, are very sensitive animals. It is a common notion that horses can sense when a rider is nervous, confident or scared. Horses have been a part of various civilizations for a long time. Ever since we have learned to tame these animals, horses have been the primary form of transportation in the centuries past.
We need to understand that horses are creatures of movement. They live through movement. In the wild, the survival of the horse depends entirely on movement. They also learn things in the wild through movement. That is why horses, wild horses, can be so graceful. Every time you see them run free in the fields, you stare at the perfect motion of its body. It is like watching a ballerina or a figure skater doing a routine, or watching Michael Jordan doing one of his moves above the rim, with grace. Unfortunately, that is the reason why horses have unusually large brains for animals their size. They use most of it just to keep their feet in the right place. Their brains are specially structured to control their movement, because as previously mentioned, they are creatures of movement.
Another thing we have to understand about horses is that, they are herd animals. In the world of horses, they follow a certain hierarchy like wolf packs. Every herd has to have a leader. Like wolves, horses are required to follow the leader, but they are also obligated to constantly challenge that leader. A strong leader makes a strong herd. Horses feel more secure when they have a leader, but they also expect the most from their leader. Occasionally, the horse will test its leader, to see if it is still worthy of entrusting with its life and safety. The leader has to pass those tests; otherwise, the horse will take over. Horses do not like to be leaders; but make no mistake, they will if they have to. Understand that you are the leader in this scenario. You have to be firm, consistent, and precise when dealing with horses.
As a leader, you have to be able to make the horse move its feet. Because in the wild, the herd leader leads through movement. If the horse complies with you, that means he has accepted your leadership. You have to show your dominance over him. That is what leaders in the animal kingdom do.
Originally posted 2009-07-29 17:47:19. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Kinds Of Bits
By Horse Guy | March 5, 2010
There are three different kinds of bitting devices for your horse; namely, gag bits, snaffles and leverage bits. Right now, let us discuss and differentiate the three kinds of bitting devices.
Snaffle Bits
The snaffle bits are the kind of reining device that is direct. It lies across the tongue of the horse through which your horse is guided directly or reined directly. This kind of bit is primarily used for lateral control of your horse.
Gag Bits
The gag bits are a bit similar with the snaffles except that your horse would lean into the gag bit. This kind of bit is used for racing. Since it is somewhat similar to the snaffles, it is highly possible that through your improper use of the snaffle, you could turn it into a gag and would encourage your horse to run away.
Leverage Bits
The leverage bits are reining devices that are not directly attached to the horses’ mouthpiece. It is connected to the shanks that hang down from your horse’s mouth. By pulling the reins, it causes the bit to be a compound leverage device which applies some pressure to the horse’s jaw at a ratio that is higher than that of the actual pulling force which is applied to the reins by the rider.
Now, horses have different mouth shapes that are why you need to select the right bitting device to use. Just remember that the mouthpiece should be long enough to be able to fit in your horse’s mouth without pinching the lips yet not overly long that it can shift back and forth excessively.
Originally posted 2009-04-09 16:20:53. Republished by Old Post Promoter
Topics: traing-bits | No Comments »
Horse Training: Bucking And How To Deal With It
By Horse Guy | March 4, 2010
It’s the fear of every new horse rider, and to be honest an apprehension that even seasoned equestrians must work through at some point. Bucking injures a shocking number of people in the U.S. alone each year, and has even resulted in numerous deaths.
When a large animal bucks and heaves with you on its back, things can really get ugly!
So what causes this serious horse training problem and how can you correct it? The root cause is often either nervousness or fear on the part of horse, rider, or both.
If you are a nervous rider, your mount will pick this up and react to it by bucking. Likewise, if your horse gets spooked or has a tenancy to become nervous in new riding situations, bucking is likely to occur.
So the first order of business is to control your nervousness and relax. And if your horse is known to be apprehensive, you’ll need to spend the extra time to calm him/her down before riding into new territory. Remember the relationship is the key issue and if your animal trusts you the odds of a bucking incident are decreased exponentially.
Many trainers recommend lots of time in a circular pen to reduce nervous energy for both you and the horse. Ultimately, overcoming the problem of bucking involves plenty of time spent with your horse and a strong relationship.
Originally posted 2008-05-27 01:23:56. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Horse Training Books To Help You Learn The Ropes (No Pun Intended)
By Horse Guy | March 3, 2010
Horse training books can be found by a variety of qualified authors as the number of horse owners continues to grow. This is great news for you, as it means there is currently a wealth of quality information on how to properly train and care for your new horse.
When selecting horse training books to base your education and training program on, you should feel free to scrutinize the author(s). After all, it can be dangerous for both you and your horse to take bad advice or to proceed without complete information.
If you aren’t sure which horse training books to start with, visit your local farm supply store or do some online research by visiting a few popular horse training forums and asking questions. There are as many authors as there are philosophies on how to best train a new horse. And of course there are many well-known authors like the Horse Whisperer, who have a long-standing reputation within the industry; it’s hard to go wrong with these recognized experts.
The bottom line is you should choose a selection of horse training books that fit your specific needs. Different breeds and circumstances might warrant special approaches, and there are likely a variety of authors who can offer this specialized advice.
Originally posted 2008-06-03 06:22:08. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Wild Horse Training Tutorial
By Horse Guy | March 2, 2010
Wild Horse Training is not as easy as we imagined it to be. But there are easy ways as to how wild horse training is to be done.
Firstly, there is the so-called “In-hand” Wild Horse Training. In- hand training of wild horses is the ability to teach the horse the basics. By using this training, the trainer should prepare the horse. In- hand training is also the ability to get the horse in the best possible and trained manner from one point to another. In-hand training is the basic training and the first step of training the horse to take the second step and that is the riding.
Secondly, to ride a horse one should need these things that are necessarily helpful to accustom the horse with the basics: halter, lead, bridle, obstacles like tarp, platform, and plywood, concrete, plastic and or poles in the ground. Some obstacles that can also be used are the flat and a tractor.
Thirdly, goals are important in wild horse training. First goal is the First Set of Basics. This type of training will enable the horse to be taught in many ways. The in-hand training is the first step training that a horse should be taught. The second goal is that the way on how you can smoothly halter the horse. This would most likely means without bucking, bolting, and biting. Third goal is the skill of safely turning the horse loose. In this, one will not have to deal with the wheeling or the rearing. These are the stepping stones to move on the bigger and better preparation- the moving forward.
This is the next step of goals- Moving Forward. This step is much difficult. This will require a great deal of time and patience. Moving forward is where the walking and some of the maneuvers, trotting, stopping and turning left or right back come into play.
Some horses get spooked sometimes when the ground levels are changed or other elements are presented. So starting with obstacles is very much helpful if you want to easily lead your horse with a bridle or halter and this would take away from the others without having troubles.
When this is mastered, another step would be helpful again by taking them the past obstacles such as the fences, tractors or the flags.
Wild horse training needs an individual skill and valuable knowledge of the trainer and it also needs extensive groundwork for an easy key to success under the saddle and one should always remember that every encounter of the horse includes training.
Originally posted 2009-06-08 14:40:11. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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Horse Training: Lunging
By Horse Guy | March 1, 2010
Lunging, also called longeing, is a very effective horse training exercise. The overall goal of this training is to strengthen the bond between you and your animal, and to get him/her to do exactly what you want exactly how and when you want it done.
This is essential for effective competition and for the safe handling of your horse.
Lunging is executed with your horse moving in a circle around your fixed position. You’ll use gestures, body language, and of course voice tone to find the perfect level of cooperation.
Tools for this training include a lunging rein – like an extended lead rope – and a whip. The whip works as a visual and audio aid, and of course is not for hurting the horse.
Proper lunging allows you to watch your horses’ frame and movements from the ground. This lets you get a feel for his/her natural abilities, training progress, and can help pick up on problems or injuries not noticeable from the saddle.
Before actually interacting with your horse, you need to practice alone. Any clumsiness with the tools or a lack of confidence in your command of the exercise will confuse or upset the horse.
Since this is one of the most critical areas of horse training, you are advised to seek professional and personal guidance in developing the right skills and postures for proper execution.
Originally posted 2008-05-28 01:29:36. Republished by Old Post Promoter
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