Training Your Horses

Many people longe their horses before riding them.  There are several reasons for this.  Is this something that you should do? 

First, let me explain what longeing  is.  Longeing is exercising/training a horse by having it circle around the trainer on a long lead (called a longe line).  The longe line is usually attached to the horse’s halter with the trainer holding the other end.

The trainer asks the horse to walk, trot, and canter in both directions while also dictating the horse’s speed.   The trainer insists that the horse remain at a certain distance from him, as this teaches the horse to respect his space.  The main purpose of this is to get the horse listening and responding to the trainer’s commands while he is on the ground.  Good ground work lays a foundation for positive training while in the saddle.

Longeing a horse before riding him also warms the horse up a little bit and gets him ready for training, and it can get a little of the excess energy out of him as well.  This is good, especially if he has been stalled awhile or hasn’t been able to kick up his heels for a day or two.

So, is this something you should do?  Personally, I think it’s a great idea.

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

When you ask your horse to trot, does he trot like there’s no tomorrow?  Do you have difficulty slowing him to an easy trot?  What about his lope?  Is it way too fast?

First, let me say that there are many different methods to slow your horse down.  I am only going to deal with one of them today.  I will share the method with which I have the most success.

When my horse is going too fast at the trot, and she won’t slow down when I tell her to, I do the following exercise:

I stop my horse, back her up a few steps, stop her, and ask her to trot to the left.  I only let her go a few steps.  Then, I stop her, back her up a few steps, stop her, and ask her to trot to the left.  I only let her go a few steps.  Then, I stop her, back her up a few steps, stop her, and ask her to trot to the left.  I only let her go a few steps…Do you see the pattern?

I keep doing this, and I change it up a little bit by making her go to the right instead of the left at times so that she doesn’t start anticipating and moving that direction before I ask her to.  I want her to listen to me and not guess as to which direction I’m going to ask her to go next. 

Notice that I only let her trot a few steps before stopping her.  This causes her to think a little bit about her speed.  It’s easier for her to stop from a slow pace than it is to stop from a fast pace, so she starts to slow down. 

I keep doing this until her speed is how I want it, and I gradually let her trot for longer periods.  As soon as she speeds up, I stop her and start the exercise again. 

By the way, I also do this exercise at the lope.  I even interchange the lope and the trot to keep her listening to me for direction.  When she tries to  turn to the right (thinking that that is the direction I’m going to ask her to go), I ask her to go to the left (even if I was planning on going to the right).  The idea is that I don’t want her to guess and attempt to turn a certain direction or go at a certain gait without me telling her to do so.

This exercise  always works for me…Let me know how it works for you!

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

Why can’t I let my horse raise his head while riding?  I see many people riding, and they don’t care if their horse’s head is high or not.  Well, many people do ride without worrying about how high their horse’s head is.  So, why should we care?

First of all, if you want to compete in horse shows, the placement of your horse’s head is very important.  The judge is looking for your horse to be collected, and if your horse’s head is high, he is not collected.

Secondly, you want your horse to be calm and relaxed.  Remember, your horse is a prey animal.  And, as a prey animal, his instincts are to be on the lookout for something that might eat him.  When a horse’s head is high, he is on alert.  The high position of his head causes adrenaline to flow, and this brings his excitement up.

On the other hand, when a horse’s head is down, it causes endorphins to flow.  This relaxes the horse and calms him.  This also makes him feel really good.  Also, when a horse’s head is down, he’s not thinking about protecting himself from predators, he’s comfortable with you being in charge and in the knowledge that he is safe.

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

Did you know that you should ride your horse differently when you are going uphill?  And when you are going downhill, did you know that you should  ride in another different way? 

If you are riding uphill or downhill, you want to give your horse as much help as possible, especially if the hills are steep.  It is best to stand in the stirrups somewhat while going either way, so that your full weight is off his back. 

So, if you’re going uphill,  put most of your weight in your stirrups and lean forward a little bit.    When you’re going downhill, put most of your weight in your stirrups and lean back a little bit.  This will help your horse by making it easier for him to keep his balance with you on his back.

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

Do you have this problem?  Does your horse throw her head, shake it, back up, and/or resist in some fashion when you approach her with the bridle?  I must say that I’ve had difficulty putting on my horse’s bridle in the past, and it is no fun! 

Every situation is different, but in every situation it is best to start with the tack.  What I mean by that is, check your tack to make sure there is nothing wrong with it.

Does the headstall fit right?  Is it the right size?  Is the bit the right size?  Is the bit too low in your horse’s mouth? Or is it too high?  Is there something sharp poking out at her?  Does the bit pinch her?  Is the bit on backwards (believe me, this happens…)???

If you find that one of these problems exist (or you find another one), fix it.  Then try putting on the bridle.  Remember, if you had one of these problems, your horse won’t know that you have fixed it when you try putting the bridle back on.  She remembers the discomfort and will probably continue to give you trouble.

One method that I have found that works (after taking care of the tack issue) is to put a carrot (or other treat) in my hand under the bit.  As I’m trying to place the bit in my horse’s mouth, she can smell the treat and willingly accepts the bit and the treat.  After that, it’s easy to slip the headstall over her ears and buckle the throat latch.  This may take a few times for her to realize that the bridle won’t cause her anymore discomfort and that there is a tasty treat waiting for her after she takes the bit…But once she figures it out, you should notice a big difference in how your horse reacts to the bridle.

Let me tell you, my horse looks for the bit now and doesn’t mind taking it at all.   I can tell that she looks forward to it.   You probably don’t have to continue to give the carrot (or other treat)  forever, but I still do it.  I think it’s a small price to pay for having my horse look forward to the bridle!  

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

It doesn’t matter if it’s a full blown bite, a nip, or a missed attempt at biting – When a horse does one of these things, it’s a matter of disrespect.  This form of disrespect is the sort that you want to nip in the bud as quickly as possible.  If you let your horse get away with the first bite, the biting and aggressiveness will only get worse. 

I hope you never have to face this problem, but it does happen…What do you do when it  happens to you?    Well, when I was beginning to learn about horses, I was taught something called the “3 second rule”. 

What is the “3 Second Rule”?  As my instructor told me:  “Basically, when a horse attempts to bite (or actually bites) you, you need to raise you voice as loud as you can and say, ‘NO!’  and smack him on the nose, and make your horse think that YOU ARE GOING TO KILL HIM.  All this needs to be done within 3 seconds – any longer than that and your horse forgets why you were disciplining him.  After 3 seconds of this, stop the discipline.  That is very important.”

This may sound harsh and abusive, but you must remember how horses deal with each other.  If one horse bites another horse, the horse that was bitten either retreats (to show that he is in submission to the first horse) or bites and/or kicks back to show that he is the dominant one and the one in charge. 

When you and your horse are together, only one of you can be in charge – and it has to be you. 

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

Happing Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get your horse to turn, bend, give, stop and cooperate?  Oh, and what about getting the correct lead everytime you asked for it?  Not only does the horse need to understand what it is you want, but you also need to learn how to tell him what you want so that he can understand it.

I bought a horse training dvd not long ago, and boy do I like it!  Sam Burrell is the horse trainer on this dvd, and he explains the 5 rein effects and how essential they are in getting your horse to understand what you want him to do.

When you watch this video you will learn:

• The 5 Rein Effects and how to use them to get the results you want!
• Where and how to position your legs and get your horse to respond like he’s done it all his life!
• The 4 Critical Zone Exercises that teach your horse (and you) how to put everything together!(Watch your horse do amazing movements quicker than you thought possible!)
• The Problems You’ll Encounter Teaching Your Horse And How To Breeze Right Through Them!
• The real test if your horse is truly halter-broke!
• How to work with the 4 parts of your horse to teach him exactly what you want!
• How to teach which exercise at each gait!
• How to tell if your horse is leaning to either side! (And the instant fix to correct it!)
• How to tell if your horse is dropping either his inside or outside shoulder!
• The exact shoulder posture your horse must have to keep his hips balanced! (No matter if you’re into dressage, reining, trail riding, hunter jumping, etc., you must know this!)
• Horse keep going forward “after” you pull his head around?  Here’s why! (Plus, use this to fix it!)
• How and why to teach your horse to walk a reverse arc! (It’s not near as hard as it sounds!)
• What little-known tip Sam says you should learn! (Be able to talk with any pro after you know this!)
• How long it takes your horse to learn the Operating System! (And how long it takes for him to get REAL GOOD at it!)
• The right way to apply leg and rein pressure using Sam’s “Kick the Ball” metaphor! (You’d be surprised how many horse owners mess this up – if you’ve had trouble before, betcha this’ll fix it!)
• Horse doesn’t have much “giddy-up”?  The answer to this problem will surprise you!
• Horse won’t stop as fast as you think he should?  Amazing trick will teach him to thrust his hind legs under himself and stop like a champion!
• The Pre-Cue secret! (Creates a more responsive horse!)
• How to keep your horse from being heavy on the reins!
• Does your horse do what you say or does he do what you mean?  Why this is often the rider sending the wrong message and how to fix it now!
• Horse riding faster than you want but you can’t control him?  Here’s one of the best tricks you could ever learn!
• How to train like a pro by understanding what the horse is feeling! (Discover what two critical things to watch for!)
• Why your horse doesn’t do what you want! (This is the reason 99 times out of a 100!)
• How to get your horse to enjoy working with you! (Makes him so much more willing and easier to teach!)
• How to know the exact moment to stop your training for the day!
• How to know if your horse is “burned out” from training! (Discover how to get him re-excited about training!)
• Horse’s performance dropped off?  Don’t assume it’s a bad attitude.  It’s likely one of these 5 things!
• What you must establish in your horse’s mind or you will always have trouble teaching him!
• Sam’s observation of the four most common mistakes horse owners make and how to avoid them!
• How to build a “Smart Spot” on your horse so he knows what the pressure means!

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

I know…It’s kind of a pain to have to wear a helmet, right?  I know it is for me.  I like to feel the wind in my hair when I’m loping across the field – I really do! 

However, I also know that an accident can happen in an instant – no warnings.  I definitely know this from experience.  I’ve had my share of falls and injuries that’s for sure:  a broken wrist, a concussion, bumps and bruises, to name a few.  I was wearing a helmet at these times, and I was very thankful that I did – especially when I had the concussion!    

What about horse shows?  I would definitely recommend a helmet while at horse shows.  Why?  There are so many new sights and sounds that your horse will be exposed to.  He may react calmly, or he may not.  You just never know what will happen.  Adrenaline can be high while at a show, and you never know what the horse near you may do that could trigger your horse to react negatively. 

Do I always wear a helmet at horse shows?  Well, honestly, I used to have a horse that spooked at various things and could be high strung at shows.  With him, I always wore a helmet. 

Now I have a horse that is very calm and rarely spooks.  I have more confidence with her.  I don’t always wear a helmet with her.  I’m not saying that I shouldn’t wear a helmet, but I really feel safe with her.  Now, anything can happen, and someday I may wish that I had worn a helmet…

So, what should you do?  I have to recommend that you always wear a helmet.  It really is safer.  Someday, you may be glad you did! 

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

A rope halter is a training tool that many horse owners use because they feel that they can communicate with their horse more clearly than with another type of halter.  In a rope halter, there are knots at key points that put pressure on the horse’s face when the horse is resisting.  I believe that this is a great training tool.

When not training my horse I use a nylon or leather halter as it is a lot more comfortable for her.  Also, I never turn my horse out to pasture with a halter on, unless it is a breakaway halter.  This is a halter that will “break away” if she gets it caught on something.  If your horse is wearing a nylon or leather halter and he gets it caught on a branch (or something else), he could panic and hurt himself severely.  With a breakaway halter, the piece that breaks is easily replaced and will cost much less than replacing the whole halter.

So, I would use a rope halter while training my horse, but not at other times (such as while she is standing tied or being trailered).  I would use a nylon or a leather halter at other times.  Also, I believe that only a breakaway halter should be used if the horse is turned out to pasture.

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com

Have you heard of a mud knot?  A mud knot is a “knot” that you put in your horse’s tail to keep it from dragging in the mud and/or manure and getting mucky and tangled.  Some people use this when their horse is out in the pasture, but others say that this is not a good idea. 

Horses have been known to get their “knots” caught in a branch (or other object) and inadvertently pulling most of the hair out of their tails – Ouch!  Not good. 

Something else that people use to keep a horse’s tail up and out of the mud is a tail bag.  Some people like these better and think that these are safer than mud knots, while others don’t like tail bags either. 

There is also a  tail wrap that helps to protects hairs at the top of your horse’s tailbone from rubbing and breaking off.  This is especially helpful while your horse is riding in a trailer.

As you can see, there are many different ways to protect your horse’s tail, some more recommended than others.  I suggest that you educate yourself and talk to your vet and/or trainer to decide what is best for your horse.

Looking for Horse Training DVD’s?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/HTR.php

Selling a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/Recommend/MHS.php

Buying a horse?  Go to:
www.TrainingYourHorses.com/ten-common-mistakes-made-when-purchasing-a-horse-2.htm

Happy Riding!  

Debi
www.TrainingYourHorses.com