Horse Training Info

8/16/2019 Horse Training Info

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Japanese meaning of the name KITANA for a girl:

o discipline, intelligence, love, perseverance

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Desensitizing andSensitizing WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor [Octoer !""#$

What is a "signal" or "cue"?

This is anything that %uts %ressure on the horse& ' signal is a

sti(ulus& Sur%risingly) a signal does not ha*e to e %hysical& You can

ha*e your horse res%ond to a sti(ulus +ithout e*er touching hi(& '

signal can e a%%lied to your horse y eye contact) the ,or( o, your

ody-stance) or %hysical %ressure .e/& +ith your hand or lead ro%e0&

o

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What is Desensitizing? This is +hen you continually a%%ly a sti(ulus until all res%onse is

eli(inated& You are desensitizing your horse e*ery ti(e you

re%eatedly a%%ly a sti(ulus& This sti(ulus can e your hand %atting

his nec1) a rush on his elly) a halter on his ,ace) a tail +ra% on his

tail) a saddle on his ac1) e*en your *oice and ody language& You

ha*e taught hi( that +hen you touch hi( +ith any o, these things)

he should gi*e you NO res%onse& You ha*e desensitized hi( to those

things&

How do you properly Desensitize a horse?

!& Create a sti(ulus&

2& Wait ,or NO res%onse&

3& Release the sti(ulus and %raise horse&

4& Wait 253 seconds and start at 6! again&

Important points when Desensitizing: When creating a sti(ulus such as stro1ing or ruing using your

hand) you 78ST continue +ith that sti(ulus consistently until the

horse gi*es you NO res%onse& I, you re(o*e the sti(ulus e,ore the

horse sto%s res%onding) you +ill e sensitizing hi( .this is ho+ ad

haits ,or(0& 9e +ill elie*e that +hate*er action he +as ta1ing

.+hether it +as a s+ish o, his tail or a sto(% o, his ,oot&&&or

anything0 is +as the correct action& But) +hat you +anted +as NO

action) NO res%onse&

9eres an e/a(%le: You +ant to teach a ,oal to acce%t *arious ty%es

o, rushes and to allo+ you to groo( hi(& So) you start +ith a so,t)

easily acce%ted rush such as a horse5hair rush& You egin stro1ing

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hi( +ith the so,t rush e*en i, he +al1s around or t+itches his s1in&

Once he stands still and gi*es NO res%onse) you re(o*e the sti(ulus

.the rushing0&

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What is Sensitizing? This is +hen you continually a%%ly a sti(ulus until you get a

res%onse& I, you sensitize a horse correctly) he +ill res%ond

i((ediately and !;;< o, the ti(e 5 he +ill ne*er not listen to the

cue& 7any %eo%le sensitize their horse =on accident=&&&this is ho+

horses learn ad haits& Read elo+ to learn ho+ to desensitize and

sensitize your horse %ro%erly so that you +ont e*er =accidently=

teach hi( a ad hait&

How do you properly Sensitize a horse to a specific cue? !& Create a sti(ulus&

2& Wait ,or the correct res%onse&

3& I((ediately release the sti(ulus&

4& Wait 253 seconds and start at 6! again&

Important points when Sensitizing:

When creating a sti(ulus such as %ressure ,ro( your hand) you

78ST continue +ith that sti(ulus consistently until the horse gi*es

you the correct res%onse& I, you re(o*e the sti(ulus e,ore the

horse res%onds correctly) you +ill e desensitizing hi( .this is ho+

ad haits ,or(0& 9e +ill elie*e that he doesnt ha*e to res%ond to

that sti(ulus since he got re+arded .release o, %ressure0 +hen he

did nothing&

9eres an e/a(%le: You %ut %ressure on his ris +ith your ,inger& 9e

,eels this and notices that a,ter a ,e+ seconds or ,e+ (inutes it

eco(es annoying or irritating& 9e then tries e*erything he can to

get you to ta1e your ,inger a+ay ,ro( his ris& 9e (ay sha1e his

head or s+ish his tail or (o*e to+ards you .as i, to %ush you out o,

the +ay0) and ,inally hell (o*e a+ay& Once he (o*es a+ay) you

release the sti(ulus i((ediately& 9e soon realizes that you +ill sto%%ushing on his ris +hen he ste%s a+ay ,ro( you&

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Why do these methods work well on every horse? This +or1s e/tre(ely +ell ecause horses use these (ethods on

eachother& ' (are +ill teach her ,oal to stay close y calling hi(

*ocally& Once he (o*es closer to her) shell i((ediately sto% calling

hi(&

How are most "ad haits" formed? Bad haits are ,or(ed y the rider-o+ner con,using desensitizing


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+ith sensitizing&

E/a(%le o, a rider con,using Sensitizing +ith Desensitizing:

The rider %uts %ressure on the horses (outh) as1ing hi( to slo+

do+n& When the horse slo+s do+n slightly) the rider does not

release the %ressure on the horses (outh and decides to turninstead& Whats the %role(> Well) the horse ne*er gets his release)

there,ore) he eco(es con,used as to +hether or not slo+ing do+n

is the correct action to ta1e +hen %ressure is %ut on his (outh& Not

to (ention) she +ent ,ro( one signal to the ne/t +ithout a

release&&&+hen the rider doesnt re+ard the horse in the ,or( o, a

release) the horse eco(es con,used and-or egins to ignore the

signal .resulting in a =hard (outh=0& No+) honestly) ho+ (any

ti(es ha*e you done this> I used to do this all the ti(e .and

+ondered +hy the horses +ould sto% listening to (e0 e,ore I

learned the si(%le (ethods I ha*e outlined here?

By using %ro%er desensitizing and sensitizing (ethods consistently

+hile +or1ing around or riding your horse) he +ill eco(e

unelie*aly res%onsi*e to e*ery cue you gi*e hi(& When you a%%ly

a sti(ulus) all the horse +ants out o, li,e at that *ery (o(ent is ,or

you to release the sti(ulus& This is +hy treats are not necessary

+hen training a horse&

You +ill see the %atterns that are listed ao*e in e*ery lesson that is

taught on this site) and also in all horse5to5horse interactions& It is

the +ay herds eha*e) +hether do(esticated or +ild& This

sensitizing (ethod +or1s !;;< o, the ti(e and on !;;< o, horses&

o The @atience Aa(e

WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor [Dece(er !"""$

This article uilds on our Sensitizing and Desensitizing conce%ts) so

it is a good idea to also read that training article&

Would you li1e your horse to eco(e (ore res%onsi*e to your cues>

9a*e you e*er a%%lied a cue to your horse) only to ,ind that he is

co(%letetly ignoring your reuest> You 1no+ ,or a ,act your horse

can ,eel the cue) ut he is si(%ly ignoring and-or re,using to oey tohis ,ull %otential& We call this the =The @atience Aa(e=) all horses

ha*e %layed this ga(e +ith their o+ner-trainer) so(e (ore than

others&

The horse 1no+s that he does not ha*e to oey the cue) he thin1s i,

he can ust ignore it or %retend its not there) you +ill gi*e u% and

release the %ressure& You (ust teach the horse that he +ill ne*er

again +in at this ga(e&

o

o 'llo+ing a horse to +in at this ga(e is one o, the iggest (ista1es

you can (a1e as a rider) o+ner or trainer&

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I, you release the %ressure ,ro( your cue e,ore the horse res%onds

as desired) you +ill ha*e taught hi( that your cue (eans do

nothing or do the +rong thing& I, you ust stic1 in there and sho+your horse that you ha*e (ore %atience than hi( y steadily

a%%lying the cue until the desired result is (et) he +ill soon learn

that he +ill not +in at this %atience ga(e? The result is a (uch (ore

res%onsi*e horse&o

o Dont gi*e u% or YO8 +ill lose the ga(e? Each ti(e you lose this

ga(e) training your horse +ill eco(e (ore ,rustrating and di,,icult&

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9ere are a cou%le e/a(%les o, ho+ the rider-o+ner-trainer loses at

this ga(e& Try your est to a*oid losing in any si(ilar situation&

!& ' rider is trotting along and a%%lies leg %ressure on the horses

sides to as1 hi( to e/tend his trot& The horse does not res%ond) so

the rider re(o*es the %ressure and decides to gi*e u% instead&

9ORSE WINS? Rider loses& Aa(e o*er& o Ideal senario: The rider instead 1ee%s the %ressure a%%lied until the

horse e/tends his trot a little) then once the horse res%onds) she

re+ards hi( y i((ediately re(o*ing the %ressure) RIDERWINS? 9orse loses& Yay?

o 2& ' trainer is teaching a ,oal to e halterro1e& The trainer a%%lies

%ressure ,or+ard on the halter to as1 hi( to ste% ,or+ard& The ,oal

does not ste% ,or+ard) instead he ste%s ac1+ards& The trainer then

releases the %ressure and decides it +ill e easier to as1 hi( to turn

,irst) to get hi( going& 9ORSE WINS? Trainer loses? 9a 9a? o Ideal senario: The trainer instead 1ee%s the %ressure a%%lied until

the ,oal ta1es a ste% ,or+ard) then i((ediately re(o*ing the

%ressure as a re+ard& TR'INER WINS? 9orse loses& Yay? o 3& 'n o+ner is atte(%ting to %ic1 out her horses ,eet& She runs her

hand do+n his leg and gently sueezes on the ac1 o, his cannon

one& The horse does not res%ond) so she then releases the %ressure

and leans against his shoulder to get hi( to shi,t his +eight to the

other side& 9ORSE WINS? O+ner loses& Bu((er? o Ideal senario: The o+ner instead 1ee%s steady %ressure on the

horses cannon one +ithout leaning on hi() until the horse

res%onds y %ic1ing u% his ,oot& The o+ner i((ediately releases

%ressure to re+ard hi(& OWNER WINS? 9orse loses& Yay? o 'lright) alright&&&you get the %oint .I 9O@E?0 You should condition

yoursel, to recognize The @atience Aa(e in e*ery encounter) e*ery

situation and in e*ery single cue you a%%ly to your horse& When you


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can recognize and %lay the ga(e +ell) you +ill +in e*ery ti(e and

your horse +ill eco(e (uch (ore res%onsi*e to e*ery cue you use&

o

Training 7oti*ators WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor [une !) 2;;;$

In order to teach any horse +hat youd li1e it to do) you need toha*e a (oti*ator& 9orses +ont learn or %er,or( +ithout good(oti*ation& 'nd) the (oti*ation that you %ro*ide (ust e a greater(oti*ator that others that your horse is also e/%osed to& Fore/a(%le) i, your horse is =uddy sour=) your (oti*ator (ust e a

etter one than his uddies +ho are calling hi( ,ro( the arn or,ro( a neary %asture& Other+ise) all o, his %er,or(ance and

attention are ta1en o,, o, you and %laced on his uddies) and youlose control&

Whate*er ty%e o, (oti*ation you decide to use +hen handling andriding your horse) you should at least learn +hat that ty%e o,(oti*ation can do) and also its ad %oints& The (ost co((on(oti*ators that are used today are: ,ood) %ain) %raise) and %ressure&Belo+) I +ill outline +hat each (oti*ator is good ,or) and also

+hats ad aout it&o

o

Food:

Food is a great (oti*ator-re+ard +hen used ,ollo+ing a good

eha*ior or good res%onse& 7ost horses are (ore than eager to do+hat you as1 ,or a ,ood re+ard& The do+nside to this ty%e o,

(oti*ator is that you cannot al+ays e consistent +hen using it& Thehorse soon egins to e/%ect that +hen they %er,or( certain(o*e(ents or tas1s) they +ill recie*e a ,ood treat& The horse +illeco(e con,used and so(eti(es hesitant to %er,or( i, you ha*e notgi*en hi( a ,ood re+ard ,or a tas1 that you used to& It is hard toe/%ect the horse to continue doing a good o) +hile reducing the

re+ards that he gets& I, you got %aid a lo+er salary each year thatyou +or1ed) you +ould e*entually learn to not care aout the

re+ard .your salary0& You +ill not al+ays ha*e ,ood readily a*ailaleto gi*e to your horse as a re+ard& 'nother do+nside to using this

ty%e o, (oti*ator is that sho+ udges de,initely dont +ant to seeyou reaching in your reeches to %ull out a treat ,or your horse+hen he %ic1s u% the %ro%er lead) or +hen he stands still nicely&

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@ain:

@ain is the +orst (oti*ator there is to use& It is used in (any ,or(s,ro( harsh its and s%urs to +hi%s and %hysical contact& I cannotlist any good reasons ,or using the %ain (oti*ator e/ce%t that it (ay

+or1 that one ti(e that you use it& The only thing that %ain trainsthe horse to do is ha*e a sour attitude to+ards hu(ans& You +ill not

get consistent results ,ro( a horse +ho is trained using %ain as a

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(oti*ator& 8sing %ain as a (oti*ator (ay also create ,ear in thehorse&

The (ore that %ain is used on a horse) the (ore he eco(es nu(to that %ain& 9e learns to deal +ith it and carry5on +ith +hate*er he

is doing& 9orses +ho =reuire= harsher its) s%urs or +hi%s to e

ridden are only *icti(s o, trainers +ho use %ain (oti*ators& Thehorse that is handled y so(eone using %ain as a (oti*ator +illal+ays ,ind a (oti*ator that is greater than that %ain .such as ,earor ,ood0 that render the horse in control at that (o(ent& In thesesituations) the horse ignores any reuests (ade y the rider anddangerous ,or e*eryone around&

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@raise:

@raise is a *ery good (oti*ator& It is usually a great re+ard to gi*eyour horse +hen he gi*es you a good res%onse& @raise is gi*en in the,or( o, so,t) 1ind +ords) %etting and ruing& @raise alone is

so(eti(es not a good enough (oti*ator ,or the horse to re%eat anaction& 9o+e*er) +hen used in conuction +ith one o, the other

(ethods o, (oti*ation) you can achie*e +onder,ul results& 7osthorses lo*e the attention?

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@ressure:

This ty%e o, (oti*ation can also e re,erred to as Sensitizing and

Desensitizing& You can ,ind out (ore aout it y clic1ing that lin1&

This (ethod o, (oti*ation is used y a%%lying %ressure .such as a

do+n+ard %ull on the horses halter0) and the %ressure is held

consistently on that s%ot until the horse res%onds as desired& Once

the horse res%onds correctly) he is re+arded y you instantly

releasing the %ressure&

@ressure is said to e the est ty%e o, (oti*ator to use +hen

training a horse& The re+ard is al+ays a*ailale .unli1e ,ood

re+ards0) it does not create ,ear or %ain in the horse .unli1e %ain

(oti*ators0) and it sends a clear) %ositi*e signal to the horse +hen

he has done so(ething correctly& It encourages the horse to re%eat

the action (ore eagerly the ne/t ti(e you as1&

The reason the %ressure (oti*ator +or1s so +ell is ecause you can

hold the sa(e %ressure as long as you need to +ithout hurting the

horse& Gets say) ,or e/a(%le) you %ic1ed u% the rein and %ut

%ressure on the it0& 's you hold that %ressure) the horse (ay

eco(e a little aggri*ated y it) and all he +ants at that gi*en(o(ent is ,or you to release the %ressure&

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The horse then egins to go on a search and starts e/%loring his

o%tions& 9e raises his head) he %ulls against your %ressure) he

lo+ers his head) he sha1es his head) he ta1es a ste% ac1+ards or

,or+ards&&&and you are still holding the %ressure on the it during all

these atte(%ts& The horse learns that the o%tions he is using ustarent +or1ing& So) he ,inally gi*es to the it and you release the

rein& 9e is then re+arded .all he +anted +as ,or you to release the

rein0) and there,ore) learns ,aster&

When you re%eat that sa(e %rocess (any ti(es .usually !;;53;;

ti(es0) the horse +ill egin to learn that cue to a degree +here it is

al(ost instinct to gi*e to the it e*ery ti(e you %ut %ressure on it&

The only do+nsides to using this ty%e o, (oti*ator is that it

de(ands (ore ,ro( the handler .concentration) consistency and

%atience0& 7any horse5%eo%le ha*e ne*er learned to ha*e these

ualities) or so(eti(es they ust re,use to %ossess such ualities&

It is our res%onsiility to our (uch lo*ed horses that +e +or1 hard

at i(%ro*ing these ualities in oursel*es& We can egin to

co((unicate (ore clearly and %recisely our reuests and re+ards&

When this ha%%ens) our horses egin learning (uch ,aster) and +hat

they learn is retained (ore %er(anently&

Where Do You Start The Training? WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor [May 6, 2!"

Training #ue$tion:

I a% a ne& hor$e o&ner an' I ha(e )een gi(en an * %onth ol' %u$tang +illy &ho i$

to $ay the lea$t &il' an' ungentle'- I a% &on'ering &here I $houl' $tart training

thi$ ne& hor$e- Do I $tart &ith $a./ing out, halter )rea/ing, $tan'ing tie', roun'

0enning, or %ay)e $o%ething el$e? I a% .on+u$e' a$ to &hat or'er I $houl' train

the$e to %y ne& +illy- Coul' you hel0 e10lain it?

Trainer$ Re$0on$e:

3or al%o$t e(ery hor$e that I train, I +ir$t turn hi% loo$e in a roun' 0en, 0a''o./ or

0a$ture- 3ro% there, I %a/e $ure that the hor$e ha$ )een taught to )e .aught an'

haltere' 0ro0erly- I+ the hor$e turn$ a&ay +ro% %e at any ti%e, I &or/ on training

hi% 4u$ing the roun' 0en training te.hni5ue$ to en7oy )eing .aught an' haltere'

)e+ore any other training ta/e$ 0la.e-

8+ter that, I tea.h the hor$e to )e halter)ro/e- It i$ a%a9ing ho& %any hor$e$ are

not 0ro0erly halter)ro/e- 8)out ; o+ the hor$e$ I re.ei(e +or training ha(e )een

ri''en +or year$, an' are not e(en 0ro0erly halter)ro/e an' thi$ i$ &here all the

0ro)le%$ un'er $a''le ri$e +ro% 4the hor$e 'oe$ not un'er$tan', or ha$ ne(er )een

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taught ho& to gi(e to 0re$$ure .on$i$tently-

8 hor$e &ho i$ 0ro0erly halter)ro/e &ill )e a)le to $tan' tie' ni.ely e(en on the

+ir$t ti%e you e(er tie hi%- So, tea.hing a hor$e to $tan' tie' i$ a.tually a

halter)rea/ing le$$on- 3or a hor$e to $tan' tie', he nee'$ to learn to al%o$t

in$tin.ti(ely gi(e to 0re$$ure &hen any a%ount o+ 0re$$ure i$ 0la.e' on hi$ halter,&hether gentle or rough-


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or$e$ .an only alter the +light o+ a leg &hile that leg i$ in the air- There+ore, a .ue

$houl' )e gi(en 7u$t a $0lit $e.on' )e+ore the leg lea(e$ the groun' an' i$ li+te'

into the air-


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!o, whats a person to do#You need to know how to respond to your horse's game with your own game. #or the

purpose of these sessions in training your horse to be caught, use a smaller paddock or

pen, or even a round pen if you have one, so that you won't have to run so far. Start to

approach your horse. on't sneak up on him as if you are going to pounce on him like ahungry mountain lion, but walk assertively and with confidence. on't !stare! at him

intently as you approach, but be very aware of his movements and intentions. If your

horse looks like he is getting ready to wheel around and take off, then /uickly turn on

your heel before he gets a chance to take a step as if you forgot something at the

house-, and walk away from him back the way you came assertively and with

confidence. $ct as if you were never intending to catch him at all ( ( your plan all along

was +ust to get to within 01 yards of him and then go back to the house.

$s you walk away, keep an eye on him unobtrusively, and when you see that he no

longer looks like he is thinking of running away, then turn back and start walking

confidently towards him again. *hen when he looks like he wants to run off, turn andwalk off again before he gets a chance to take a step to run away. $nticipate him leaving

and make sure you leave first. You may have to do this many times depending on how

long your horse has been playing this game with you.

If you are doing it right and releasing the pressure at the correct time, you should be

able to get closer and closer to your horse each time. Your horse may even start to

follow you when you are walking away, curious as to what you are doing, and reali2ing

that you are not a threat. 3esist the impulse to turn around and try to grab him, however.

4eep on playing this !approach5retreat! game until you get close enough to touch the

horse. 4eep on resisting your natural impulse to lunge at the horse and grab him.

Instead, +ust walk up towards his shoulder and confidently stroke his neck briefly, and

then walk away.

4eep on walking up to him, stroking him

and then turning and walking away until

he drops his head and you can tell by the

look on his face that he is conceding the

game to you, and will allow you to catch

him and put the halter on

providing he has had a halter on before,

of course-. You can usually tell what the

horse is thinking by his posture and head position. 6ventually you should even be

able to run up to the horse and he should

stand stock still and wait for you to catch

him.

)ow, what do you do if your timing is a little off or if the horse is very frightened and

he does actually take off while you are playing the !approach5retreat! game7 Switch

gears /uickly and immediately and start chasing the horse, !kissing! to him to move and

even twirling the lead rope towards his hip if he tries to stop. "ake him think it was

your idea after all for him to run away. o what you have to do to keep him going, but

don't keep after him when he is moving around the pen and doing what you want him todo. 8ut the rope down, stop !kissing! and release all pressure on him as long as he keeps


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moving. on't let him slow down or stop on his own, even if he looks at you with those

big brown eyes and says, !9kay, okay, I'm ready to stop!.

epending on how fast and how wildly your horse is running around the pen, position

your body further ahead in relation to the horse. If he is running at a medium speed,

move ahead until your body is about even with his shoulder. If he is really careeningaround wildly, you may have to move ahead farther towards his nose. on't say

!hoa&! or anything. ;ust stop your own body, and turn away from the horse into the

center of the circle, rotating in the same direction in which you and the horse have been

moving. oncentrate your focus intently on the horse's shoulder or slightly ahead of the

shoulder if he isn't slowing down. 4eep this position until the horse slows down and

stops.

*hen, as soon as his feet stop, turn and walk away. Ideally, the horse should come to a

stop parallel with the fence, not with his nose facing out of the pen and his hind end

facing in towards you. *he longer it takes for the horse to stop, the longer should be his

release from pressure this is also unnatural for us, since we think that we should notreward him for taking so long to respond-. *hen start the process over again and

continue on as you were before the horse moved off, walking towards his shoulder until

you perceive that he is thinking about moving, and then, before he moves off, walk

away.

If the horse is really running wildly and uncontrollably around the pen and you cannot

get him to stop using the method described above, then you may have to focus on the

nose and drive him into an outside turn with your finger or cue stick. *he horse must

stop briefly before he makes an outside turn into the fence-, and this will give him the

idea to slow down and stop. 4eep on getting him to do outside turns at shorter and

shorter intervals, until he stops his feet. He may be facing outside the pen, with his butt

towards you, particularly if he is very frightened or very disrespectful.

If this happens, work on getting him to stop parallel to the fence. *ry moving him ahead

+ust a little, by focusing on his hip and then moving up to focus on his shoulder. In

round pen work, focusing on the nose turns the head and tells the horse to do an outside

turn. #ocusing back further towards the shoulder tells the horse to slow down or stop,

and focusing on the hip tells the horse to move ahead. #ocusing means to direct your

focus in graduated steps, with your eyes, your body energy and also your body position

itself.

6ventually, you will want your horse to turn his eyes, and his head in towards you

before you release the pressure and walk away. *hen you can ask a little more, step

backwards a little, !kiss! to the horse until he takes a step into the center of the circle

towards you before you release your cues.

Then you can uild on that response until he will walk, trot or evencanter right up to you and stand for you to put the halter on$$ You won't have to miss any more trail rides if you work on these steps.


12/35

This is the closest you’re ever going to get to instant gratification from teachingan eercise in horse training!

You should ask yourself this /uestion = hat do I do when my horse gets e%cited and I

want him to calm down now7 If your answer to this /uestion is anything other than this

cue then you should learn this and teach it to your horse. *he value of teaching thise%ercise is for the safety of you and your horse. *his cue can also be used by you to set

the horses> head elevation where you desire it to be. hen you want the horse to lower

his head and calm down immediately you can use this cue. If your horse decides to get

e%cited and you want to demand that he lowers his head and calms down, then use this

cue. $n une%plainable fact is that the horse will calm down when his head is at a level

below the withers. *he calming effect on the horse could be associated with the

lowered head position when he is gra2ing or starting to lie down. $lthough the horse

can actually be calm with his head in any position, the environment and circumstances

are going to determine when you need to use this cue.

*here are a couple of prere/uisites to teach this valuable re/uest and demand cue toyour horse. *he re/uirements of

?- accepting the bridle and bit,

0- understanding and doing giving to the bit, and

@- standing still are all that are re/uired.

$dditionally, you will begin teaching this e%ercise from the ground in an area where

you have few distractions and complete control of the horse.

*he bit of choice is the smooth #ull heek, (3ing, or 6gg butt Snaffle bit with the

correct headstall.

*he phrase Agiving to the bitB means that the horse must move a body part, ie:

+awbone-, with energy, in the direction that you are re/uesting.

*he horse must learn and understand that there is a release of pressure at some time

after you take the slack out of the rein. *he release comes only when he moves his head

in the direction that you re/uest. )ever pull or +erk on the rein& *he release is given to

the horse only when he appro%imates or actually starts to move his head in the direction

in which you desire. *he horse must voluntarily produce this movement. *he release is

the complete dropping of the rein, which sends a clear message to the horse that he did

what you were asking him to do. Initially, it helps to give a single neck ArubB after the

correct response to let him know that he is on the right path with his response. *he horse

will confirm that the lesson is learned when you teach him this cue and he responds

correctly ?11C of the time within two seconds after your re/uest. *he time re/uired toteach this cue varies = maybe a couple of hours = the teaching time is meaningless

compared to the lifetime of benefits.

*his AgivingB procedure is done as lightly and as often as you handle your horse. *his

e%ercise is easy for you to learn and teach to your horse. *his concept is another

complete article in and of itself. all if you need more understanding of this topic

because it is vitally important to you and your horse, now and in the future. $gain, You

must ask yourself what you presently do when you want your horse to calm down. If

your answer is anything other than the alm own ue, then you owe it to yourself and

your horse to teach this cue. *his cue is important to the safety of both you and your

horse&

)ow, the Head own cue is accomplished as follows.


13/35

orking on one side at a time, starting on the left. You stand facing the side of the

horses> neck on the left side. Drasp the rein twelve inches beyond the bit and take the

slack out of the rein. $ line of the rein in the direction of the saddle pommel is okay.

Hold the rein in that stationary position until the horse even thinks about dropping his

head. He will try different moves, stay with him, +ust be patient and focus on his head.

*he instant his head choose a coin si2e part of the head to focus on = ie: tip of the ear- begins to move in a downward direction, even a fraction of an inch = 36E6$S6& *hat>s

I*&

)ow, wait a few seconds and try it again.

4eep working this until the head is about knee level. 8ractice this until your horse will

respond by lowering his head every time that you ask and within a couple of seconds.

If the head continues to pop back up = simply ask the horse to lower it before the head

goes all the way up. You do this by anticipating that this will happen and re/uest the

head down sooner. *he rein pressure should remain light when making your re/uest.

*his key step of re/uesting /uicker tells the horse that he should keep his head at the

lower level. 9nce the horse begins to keep his head at the lower level, allow him tomaintain that position as an added reward.

hen the horses> poll is at about the three to five foot height above the ground you may

need to actually put a great amount of pressure on the rein, as in neck reining. *his will

move the horses> head back in line with his body. )ow you can continue to work on

lowering the ear height.

You>ll e%perience the gratification of the horse lowering his head in varying increments

until his head is at a level below the horses> knees. $fter the release allow the horse to

remain with his head down until he raises it again. *hen, /uickly ask for him to lower it

again.

Yes, you are asking the horse to do what is not natural by having him give to the bit and

asking him to calm down and rela% when he is scared.

)ow in the case of the calm down cue we>re also asking our horse to move his head in

the opposite direction of the pressure. Isn>t it great that our horses are so versatile&

3emember, all of this is being taught in a safe, calm, controlled environment.

You can carry this same techni/ue somewhat further and make it a demand cue. *his

re/uires that an additional amount of pressure be applied to the rein when the nose is at

the si% inch level above the ground. $pply steady even increasing pressure until the

horse = starts ( to put his nose on the ground ( then release. )ever +erk on the rein&

hen you get the horse to lower his head think about guiding his nose toward the outerwall of his front hoof on that side. *his side orientation is preferable instead of having

the nose pulling or rooting directly forward. *he horse will in fact pull against the

pressure and then put his nose on the ground. *his is an advanced cue so take e%tra time

to work through it.

Eater the horse will distinguish what you are re/uesting by the amount of pressure that

you apply to the rein. t startle the horse while he is lying down. If he wants to

get up allow him to do so. If he stays down and you decide to get him up on his feet,you may have to gently lift his head to encourage him to stand up. *his means always


14/35

approaching the horse from the direction of the head. t want the horse to lie down then /uickly ask for him to do somethingdifferent.

$fter you>ve practiced and taught these cues to the horse from the ground, advance to

doing them from the saddle. Remember get the cue very solid from the ground first

before trying it in the saddle. Start at the walk, then on to the trot. You can get the horse

to lower his head at the canter but be careful not to lower it too far( he could stumble&

)ote that you will want to work half way down on the left side and then switch sides

and work on the right side half way down. ontinue to switch back and forth until you

complete the e%ercise. $fter teaching the cues on both sides the horse will respond when

you use one hand on the center of the reins above the neck. "eaning that he is

responding to both reins at the same time instead of +ust one rein, which is appropriatefor the snaffle bit.

$dditionally, 9nce the horse has learned these cues don>t aggravate him with them by

continuing to practice them unnecessarily. Save them for when you need them& You can

occasionally test for results under varying conditions. *hen you>ll know if he learned

them because he>ll do them.

3emember, the horse should be taught all new lessons in a safe, calm, controlled

environment such as a round pen or other safe place. *hen later as the e%citement level

goes up such as on a trail ride, at least the horse will understand what you are asking

him to do.

$fter you teach the lessons in the safe environment then go trail riding, and work with

the horse to get him to respond to the calm down cue. If the horse does get e%cited and

you re/uest the calm down cue, he should respond correctly by dropping his head.

However, his head may pop back up /uickly because of the increased level of

e%citement. *he solution is to continue to re/uest the calm cue until he keeps his head

down. *hen move on to your ne%t re/uest from the horse. *his is an e%citing e%ercise to

teach your horse, so that when things do get e%citing you can have another way to be in

control.

Head down when using the halter and lead rope is also used to control the head

elevation.You will be working from the ground.


15/35

movement after your re/uest, continue to work at getting his nose to the ground. $fter

you teach this e%ercise with the halter and lead rope switch to the bridle and teach the

same procedure of downward pressure with the rein. ork each side and then both reins

together from below.

I hope these e%ercises serve as a means for you and your horse to be safer and havemore fun together. I am interested in knowing about the results that you achieve with

this e%ercise or any /uestions you may have.

Contact: 3ugh "ason

Phone: F0G(@(00.

email: rughmasonJyahoo.com

Clic1er Training&

Cli./er training &a$ originally 'e(elo0e' )y %arine 'ol0hin trainer$- The early

'ol0hin trainer$ &ere +a.e' &ith the 'ile%%a o+ trying to &or/ &ith an ani%al that

.oul'nt )e re$traine' or +or.e' into &or/ing- 8ll the tra'itional ani%al training

%etho'$ that ha' )een 'e(elo0e' o(er thou$an'$ o+ year$ o+ &or/ing &ith hor$e$,

ele0hant$, an' 'og$ 'i'nt a00ly to an ani%al that .oul' 7u$t $&i% a&ay- They

.oul'nt +oo' 'e0ri(e the%, an' they .oul'nt 0uni$h the%, $o the 'ol0hin trainer$

trie' a 'i++erent a00roa.h- They u$e' a 0o$iti(e +oo' re&ar'-

eo0le ha(e u$e' +oo' re&ar'$ in training )e+ore, )ut &hat the 'ol0hin trainer$

a''e' &a$ a )ri'ging $ignal- 8 high +re5uen.y &hi$tle &a$ u$e' to %ar/ .orre.t

re$0on$e$- The 'ol0hin$ learne' that the $oun' o+ the &hi$tle %eant +oo' or a

+a(orite toy &a$ .o%ing- They al$o learne' that they .oul' =%a/e= their trainer$)lo& the &hi$tle )y 0er+or%ing .ertain )eha(ior$-

Dol0hin trainer$ .o%)ine' thi$ &ith the 0rin.i0le o+ $ha0ing through $u..e$$i(e

a00ro1i%ation$ to 'e(elo0 .o%0le1 )eha(ior$- We(e all $een the re$ult$ o+ their

&or/- When you &at.h the /iller &hale$ at Sea Worl', youre $eeing .li./er training

in a.tion-

Cli./er training i$nt 7u$t +or 'ol0hin$- In$tea' o+ the high +re5uen.y &hi$tle u$e' )y

'ol0hin trainer$, %o$t trainer$ o+ lan' %a%%al$ u$e a toy .li./er, hen.e the na%e-

The $oun' o+ the .li./er tell$ the ani%al that &hate(er it &a$ 'oing at the e1a.t

%o%ent it hear' the .li./er ha$ earne' it a re&ar'- Many o+ the ani%al$ you $ee ontele(i$ion an' in the %o(ie$ are .li./er traine', in.lu'ing $o%e $ur0ri$ing one$, li/e

Data$ .at on Star Tre/ The Ne1t >eneration-

The Euine Connection&

So ho& 'oe$ all thi$ a00ly to hor$e$? The .li./er a.t$ a$ a =right= an$&er .ue- It

let$ you tell your hor$e (ery 0re.i$ely &hen he ha$ 'one $o%ething you &ant, an'

it gi(e$ hi% a rea$on to &ant to go on 0ro'u.ing %ore o+ that )eha(ior-

With %o$t hor$e$ I )egin )y tea.hing the hor$e to tou.h hi$ no$e to a target- I u$e

mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


16/35

a $%all 0la$ti. .one, )ut the li' o++ a $u00le%ent .ontainer &ill &or/ 7u$t a$ &ell-

The o)7e.t here i$ 7u$t to .on'ition the hor$e to the .li./er an' tea.h hi% the

.onne.tion )et&een )eha(ior an' treat$- e$ going to learn that %ugging the

(en'ing %a.hine 4you to get treat$ 'oe$nt &or/, )ut he .an get the (en'ing

%a.hine to &or/ )y $i%0ly 0er+or%ing .ertain )eha(ior$-

The .li./er i$ the /ey to all thi$- When you a'' the )ri'ging $ignal, you gain .ontrol

o+ goo'ie$- Without it, the hor$e ha$ no rule$- e ne(er /no&$ &hen you %ight

ha(e a .arrot, $o i$ it any $ur0ri$e that he$ .on$tantly .he./ing out your 0o./et$ or

ni))ling at your han'$? Without the )ri'ging $ignal +oo' i$ a 'i$tra.tion to goo'

training- With it, it )e.o%e$ a 0o&er+ul %oti(ator that .an 0ro'u.e out$tan'ing

0er+or%an.e, an' enthu$ia$ti., .an'o hor$e$-

I ha(e )een u$ing .li./er training &ith %y hor$e$ +or a)out +our year$ no&, an' I

ha(e 7u$t )een a$toun'e' )y the re$ult$- E(erything +ro% )a$i. %anner$ to u00er

le(el 0er+or%an.e .an )e taught &ith the .li./er- Cli./er training 0iggy )a./$

)eauti+ully onto the other training $y$te%$- It$ not a $u)$titute +or, )ut an

enhan.e%ent o+ thi$ other &or/- The .lear =ye$= an$&er o+ the .li./er a..elerate$

the learning .ur(e an' .reate$ eager, ha00y hor$e$-

9orses li1e %aychec1s) too&

Cli./er training i$ ne& to the hor$e &orl', an' that %ean$ that there &ill )e 0eo0le

&ho &ill 0u$h again$t it- 3ee'ing hor$e$ treat 'uring training i$ $o%ething %o$t o+

u$ ha(e )een taught not to 'o- eo0le &ill tell you that +ee'ing hor$e$ treat$ 'uring

training 7u$t get$ hor$e$ 'i$tra.te'- or$e$ get 0u$hy- Youll )e tea.hing the% to)ite-

We(e all hear' the$e argu%ent$- 8n' theyre right- Without the rule$ i%0o$e' )y

the .li./er, hor$e$ .an get out o+ .ontrol- It$ 7u$t that &e(e learne' the &rong

le$$on +ro% our hor$e$ ru'e )eha(ior- The hor$e$ are trying to tell u$ &hat a goo'

%oti(ator +oo' i$- In$tea' o+ a(oi'ing treat$, &e $houl' )e trying to +in' a &ay to

u$e the%- I+ I .an harne$$ the% into %y training 0rogra%, I% going to gain a (ery

0o&er+ul tool, one I' )e +ooli$h not to u$e-

It$ li/e u$ing an ol'+a$hione' ty0e&riter in the age o+ .o%0uter$- Ye$, I .an get

the 7o) 'one u$ing out'ate' te.hnology, )ut not nearly a$ &ell- That in a nut$hell i$

&hat .li./er training re0re$ent$- It gi(e$ u$ the te.hnology to ta/e one o+ the %o$t

0o&er+ul %oti(ator$ in a hor$e$ li+e an' 0ut it to &or/ +or u$-

The arti.le$ that +ollo& &ill gi(e you a $te0 )y $te0 training gui'e +or .on'itioning

your hor$e to the .li./er, )eginning e1er.i$e$ you .an try, 0lu$ a &i'e range o+

a00li.ation$ +or the .li./er-

CICER INS

Cli./er training )egan &ith 'ol0hin training- Thirty 0lu$ year$ ago &hen 'ol0hin$&ere +ir$t 0ut on 'i$0lay in %arine a5uariu%$, 0eo0le ha' no i'ea ho& to train


17/35

the%- u$t i%agine &hat you &oul' 'o i+ you ha' to tea.h a 'ol0hin to 7u%0

through a hoo0 on .o%%an'-

None o+ the tra'itional training %etho'$ 0eo0le /ne& thirty year$ ago $ee%e' to

a00ly to an ani%al that .oul' 7u$t $&i% a&ay- That training 'e0en'e' too %u.h on

re$traint$ an' 0uni$h%ent, thing$ you 7u$t .ant u$e &ith 'ol0hin$-

The $olution &a$ to $ha0e )eha(ior u$ing 0o$iti(e rein+or.e%ent, )ut e(en that

0re$ente' a 0ro)le%- o& 'o you tell a 'ol0hin that you li/e' &hat it 7u$t 'i'? You

.an thro& a +i$h in the &ater, )ut )y the ti%e it +in'$ it, the re&ar' &ont ha(e any

.onne.tion to the )eha(ior you &ere trying to rein+or.e- Thi$ 0ro)le% &a$ $ol(e' )y

intro'u.ing a high +re5uen.y &hi$tle- The trainer$ )le& a &hi$tle 7u$t )e+ore they

thre& the +i$h into the &ater-

The 'ol0hin$ (ery 5ui./ly learne' to e10e.t a +i$h e(ery ti%e they hear' the

&hi$tle- The ne1t $te0 &a$ to lin/ the &hi$tle to )eha(ior- 3or e1a%0le, i+ you lo&er

a hoo0 into the &ater an' )lo& the &hi$tle only &hen the 'ol0hin i$ $&i%%ing near

that hoo0, 0retty $oon the 'ol0hin &ill )e $0en'ing the %a7ority o+ it$ ti%e orienting

aroun' the hoo0- Thi$ i$ a )eginning $te0 to&ar'$ learning that )eha(ior lea'$ to

&hi$tle lea'$ to +i$h-


18/35

You 0ut the hor$e in a $tall &ith a $tall guar' a.ro$$ the 'oor- Then you hol' a .one,

or $o%e other o)7e.t u0 in +ront o+ the hor$e- or$e$ ten' to )e .uriou$ a)out $u.h

thing$- Theyll $ni++ the .one- The in$tant the hor$e tou.he$ the .one, .li./, you gi(e

it a treat-

The hor$e %ay $tart %ugging your han'$ a$ $oon a$ it reali9e$ that +oo' i$in(ol(e'- I+ they get too 0u$hy, 7u$t $te0 )a./ out o+ range- The %ugging i$ 0art o+

the learning 0ro.e$$, an' the /ey i$ not to get 'i$tra.te' )y it- ee0 your$el+ $a+e,

)ut let the hor$e e10lore- e$ going to 'i$.o(er that going 'ire.tly to the (en'ing

%a.hine ne(er earn$ hi% treat$el0 your hor$e to )e $u..e$$+ul-

I+ your hor$e $&ing$ hi$ hea' a&ay to loo/ at $o%ething, ta/e a'(antage o+ that to

0o$ition the .one )et&een the hor$e$ hea' an' your )o'y- ell ha(e to )u%0 into

it on hi$ &ay )a./ to %ugging you- When he 'oe$, .li./F he get$ a treat- 8$ thi$

ha00en$ again an' again, he$ $u''enly going to reali9e that )u%0ing the .one

get$ you, the (en'ing %a.hine, to &or/F

You .an al%o$t $ee the light )ul) go on- 8$ %any ti%e$ a$ I(e &at.he' thi$

0ro.e$$, it$ $till a %agi.al %o%ent &hen the hor$e reali9e$ that ES in .ontrol,

that he .an %a/e ME .li./- 8ll he ha$ to 'o i$ )u%0 the .one- e$ al$o learning

$o%ething el$e that$ i%0ortant- e$ learning that he NEER get$ .li./e' +or

$ni++ing %y +inger$, 0ulling on %y .oat, or )u%0ing %e- I+ you ha(e a %outhy

hor$e, .li./er training i$ a great &ay to tea.h goo' %anner$-

G Ba./ To Content$

3INDIN> TE RI>T REW8RD

The .li./er i$ a )ri'ging $ignal- It lin/$ a 'e$ire' )eha(ior to a re&ar'- The re&ar'

i$ not &hat WE $ay the ani%al $houl' &ant- 8 re&ar' i$ anything the 8NIM8 +in'$

rein+or.ing- So +ir$t &e ha(e to +in' thing$ the


19/35

$ignal &hi.h )e.o%e$ lin/e' to re&ar'$- It tell$ the hor$e, =You are a)out to get a

treat-= Without a )ri'ging $ignal +oo' i$ har' to u$e &ith hor$e$- They get too

eager, an' it )e.o%e$ %ore o+ a 'i$tra.tion than a hel0- But WIT a )ri'ging $ignal

you .an .hannel that eagerne$$ into 0er+or%an.e- 3oo' a$ a re&ar' &or/$

&on'er+ully- It$ .on(enient +or the ri'er, an' highly %oti(ating to the hor$e-

I ha(e )een u$ing .li./er training &ith %y hor$e$ $in.e !@@J, an' I ha(e 7u$t )een

a$toun'e' )y the re$ult$- E(erything +ro% )a$i. %anner$ to u00er le(el

0er+or%an.e .an )e taught &ith the .li./er- Cli./er training 0iggy )a./$ )eauti+ully

onto other training $y$te%$- It$ not a $u)$titute +or, )ut an enhan.e%ent o+

te.hni5ue$ you alrea'y /no&- The .lear =ye$= an$&er o+ the .li./er a..elerate$ the

learning .ur(e an' .reate$ eager, ha00y hor$e$-

G Ba./ To Content$

8RYIN> TE REIN3rain 'ole' out a tea$0oon at a ti%e, .arrot$,

)rea/+a$t .ereal, .ho00e' u0 a00le$, $ugar .u)e$, 0e00er%int$, ani%al .ra./er$,

)rea' - - - really anything that the hor$e en7oy$ an' that$ $a+e +or it to eat &ill

&or/- The i%0ortant 0oint here i$ that you &ant to (ary your rein+or.er- You .an

gi(e your hor$e i%0ortant in+or%ation 7u$t )y .hanging your treat- My hor$e$ lo(e

0e00er%int$- I re$er(e tho$e +or $0e.ial %o%ent$- When the 0e00er%int$ .o%e

out, they /no& they(e 'one $o%ething 0arti.ularly &on'er+ul, an' they %a/e an

e1tra e++ort the ne1t ti%e-

G Ba./ To Content$

S8IN> BE8I


20/35

re$0on$e you &ant- 3or e1a%0le, in 'og training, you 'ont 7u$t &ait +or a 0u00y to

$it 'o&n an' then .li./ it- You lure the )eha(ior )y hol'ing a )it o+ +oo' a)o(e the

0u00y$ hea'- When the 0u00y loo/$ u0, hi$ haun.he$ $it 'o&n- Cli./F e get$ a

treat- The +oo' lure i$ (ery 5ui./ly +a'e' out, an' &hat you are le+t &ith i$ a han'

$ignal that trigger$ the $it- 4I+ you &ant to &at.h an e1.ellent (i'eo on .li./er

training 'og$, .he./ out .he./ out aren ryor$ =Cli./er Magi.=, or >ary Wil/e$(i'eo$ =Cli./ an' Treat= an' =


21/35

2&0 9OW DOES CGICER TR'ININA FIT INTO OT9ER STYGES OF 9ORSE

TR'ININA> DO YO8 ONGY 8SE @OSITIJE REINFORCE7ENT WIT9 YO8R

9ORSE>

No- In the hor$e &orl' you &ill ne(er get a&ay +ro% u$ing negati(e rein+or.e%ent,an' +urther%ore, you 'o not &ant to- Negati(e rein+or.e%ent, i-e- 0re$$ure, i$ our

.o%%uni.ation $y$te%- Tightening a thigh %u$.le, 0re$$ing your .al+ again$t the

hor$e$ $i'e, .lo$ing your han' on the rein$, the$e are all $ignal$ that tell the hor$e

&hat &e &ant, an' they are all negati(e rein+or.er$- The 5ue$tion i$nt $o %u.h

&hether &e u$e negati(e rein+or.er$ in our training, )ut

No- 8ny uni5ue $ignal that the ani%al .an re.ogni9e &ill &or/- I u$e the %e.hani.al

.li./er &hen I a% +ir$t intro'u.ing a hor$e to the .li./er- I u$e thi$ in 0re+eren.e to

a (er)al .ue )e.au$e o+ the uni5uene$$ o+ the $oun'- The hor$e$ are 5ui./ to noti.e

the .li./er- er)al $ignal$ o+ten get lo$t in the )a./groun' noi$e o+ our o&n.hatter-

DO T9EY AET CONF8SED>

We routinely &ill ha(e +our or +i(e .li./er traine' hor$e$ &or/ing together, an' they

all $ee% to $ort out &hi.h .li./ they are $u00o$e' to )e re$0on'ing to- What i$

0arti.ularly intere$ting i$ I .an )e &or/ing &ith a .lient an' )e .li./ing her hor$e

+ro% a 'i$tan.e, an' none o+ the other hor$e$ &ill rea.t- The$e are all hor$e$ I &or/

&ith- They all /no& I% a 0otential (en'ing %a.hine, )ut they al$o /no& that at

that %o%ent %y .li./ i$ not inten'e' +or the%-

K&0 W9Y C'NT I 8ST S'Y =AOOD=> DO I 9'JE TO 8SE ' CGICER>

I 0er$onally 0re+er a tongue .li./ o(er (er)al$- The .li./ i$ a high $0ee', uni5ue

$ignal that let$ %e %ar/ (ery 0re.i$e .riteria- er)al$ .an 'o the $a%e thing, )ut I

0re+er to u$e =goo'= an' =ye$= a$ en.ourager$- Thin/ o+ the .hil'ren$ ga%e hot

an' .ol'- =>oo'= $ay$ youre getting &ar%er, )ut the .li./ $ay$ =YESF you 7u$t

+oun' the 0oto+ gol'=- You .an .ertainly u$e =goo'= in 0la.e o+ the .li./er, )ut I

thin/ youll +in' that youre going to 0re+er $o%e other $ignal- The i%0ortant thing

i$ not to get hung u0 in &hat $ignal you u$e, )ut to un'er$tan' that .li./er training

i$ really a)out $ha0ing )eha(ior in $%all $te0$ &ith a .lear =ye$= an$&er $ignal that

gui'e$ an' %oti(ate$ the hor$e through the learning 0ro.e$$- Cli./$ are N


22/35

%o(e%ent- 8 .li./ i$ %y =ye$ an$&er= $ignal- Clu./$ are %a'e +ro% the .orner o+

your %outh- Cli./$ are %a'e on the roo+ o+ your %outh &ith your tongue- 4It$

$ur0ri$ing ho& %any 0eo0le $truggle to 0ro'u.e a .on$i$tent tongue .li./-

My )oo/, CICER TR8ININ> 3 IN ' NOR7'G

D'Y) IF YO8 'RE CGICINA FOR AOOD BE9'JIOR) WO8GDNT YO8 NEED '

W9EEGB'RROW F8GG OF FOOD>

I +ollo& e(ery .li./ &ith a re&ar'- That$ the )argain I(e e$ta)li$he' &ith %y

hor$e- ere$ an e1a%0le that %ay hel0 you to un'er$tan' thi$- I li(e in $no&

.ountry- Su00o$e I a$/ one o+ the neigh)orhoo' /i'$ to $ho(el out %y 'ri(e&ay

a+ter a $no&$tor%- In e1.hange I tell hi%, Ill gi(e hi% t&enty 'ollar$- I 'ont ha(e

a (ery long 'ri(e&ay, $o hell 0ro)a)ly thin/ thi$ i$ a really goo' 'eal- No& $u00o$e

&hen he get$ all 'one, I loo/ at the 'ri(e&ay, an' I $ay, =That$ a really great 7o),

you 'i'- The 'ri(e&ay loo/$ $u0er-= ell +eel goo', )ut hell $till &ant hi$ %oney-

rai$e i$ ni.e, )ut it$ not &hat %oti(ate' hi% to 'o %y 'ri(e- No& I $ay, =


23/35

tea.h ne& thing$- It$ li/e $aying to that /i', ye$ Ill gi(e you t&enty 'ollar$- You

.an .ount on that, )ut I al$o &ant the +ront &al/ $ho(ele', 8ND the $no& 0ulle' o++

the roo+- I+ he 5uit$ 0art &ay, he &ont get anything, )ut the %ore he get$ 'one,

the .lo$er he get$ to hi$ re&ar'- That /ee0$ hi% going e(en though I% a$/ing +or

%ore &or/- I+ I &ere to a'' )oth ne& ta$/$ all at on.e, he %ight gru%)le an' go

a&ay- But, i+ I gra'ually a$/ +or a little )it %ore ea.h ti%e, a+ter a &hile it &ill all$ee% li/e 7u$t 0art o+ the 7o)- I+ e(ery no& an' then I $ur0ri$e hi% $o%e +re$h

)a/e' )ro&nie$, he %ight e(en o++er to /no./ the i.i.le$ o++ the rain gutter$-

4Doe$nt thi$ $oun' +a%iliar? Not only i$ it a lot li/e hor$e training, )ut i$nt thi$

&hat ha00en$ to %o$t o+ u$ at &or/- oo/ )a./ at your original 7o) 'e$.ri0tion-

8+ter a &hile it $tart$ to $oun' a$ though it$ re+erring to $o%e)o'y el$e- You 'o S<

%u.h %ore than that, )ut it$ $till the $a%e 0ay.he./- With the hor$e$ a 0o./et

+ull o+ grain or e(en a $ingle .arrot .an )uy you a lot o+ training-

Treat$ are gi(en in $%all a%ount$- 8 tea$0oon o+ grain, one )ite o+ .arrot, i$

enough to /ee0 your hor$e &or/ing +or %ore- I (ary %y rein+or.er$- Not only 'oe$

that %a/e the training %ore +un an' intere$ting +or %y hor$e, it 0ro(i'e$ hi% &ith

an a''itional $our.e o+ in+or%ation- I .an $a(e hi$ +a(orite treat$ +or e1tra e++ort$-

They hel0 %e to %ar/ tho$e $0e.ial =o'a/ %o%ent$-= When %y o&n hor$e 'oe$

$o%ething I 0arti.ularly li/e, .li./F the 0e00er%int$ .o%e out- e /no&$ he$ 7u$t

'one $o%ething $u0er that &a$ &ell &orth the e1tra e++ort-

L&0 W9ERE C'N I FIND O8T 7ORE 'BO8T CGICER TR'ININA>

My ho%e 0age, Ri'ing in a State o+ E1.ellen.e, &ill lin/ you to all the online .li./er

re$our.e$- In a''ition, it &ill gi(e you %ore arti.le$ on .li./er training hor$e$, a

0hoto al)u% o+ .li./er traine' hor$e$, an' re+eren.e$ to the )e$t o+ the .li./er

)oo/$ an' (i'eo$ that are .urrently a(aila)le-

Teaching asic !aneuvers

?. Circles

$. 8ull the horse's head slightly to the inside and walk or trot in circles. *he

horse should give his head freely. If the horse begins to pull on the rein,

pull his head around to his side and hold it until he responds by giving

his head freely. 6ach time a horse begins to pull on the rein instead ofresponding, softly and lightly pull his head around to his side in the same

manner as when his head was tied to his side previously.


24/35

. $s the horse becomes more responsive, change the direction of the

circles occasionally. $s the horse progresses, trot him straight and then

bend him into another circle. *his will teach your horse to bend either

way easily and maintain a constant speed while moving straight without

loss of concentration.

0. ac"ing

$. a- #round $or" ( *o teach the horse to back, pull down on the reins,

and cluck to the horse to teach him to back. 3emember to be responsive

with your hand when the horse tucks his nose to the pressure. $ popper

may be re/uired to teach the horse to move initially.


25/35

the horse to stop when the front lead leg strikes the ground. $t that

particular time, the rear legs are coming up off the ground.


26/35

b.


27/35

iii. %imultaneous changes ( Simultaneous changes can be

accomplished by applying leg pressure and turning the

horse simultaneously, in the flying stage of his movement.

*his is immediately after the leading leg comes off of the

ground.

. Aides to Teaching 'lying Changes

a. %ide pass ( $ horse can be taught a flying change by loping on

one lead, stopping, and side passing him the other direction and

taking the other lead. *his teaches the concept of leg cues for

changing leads. $lso, by stopping the horse before each change

of leads, the horse is calmer and /uieter because each change of

lead is associated with a stop. *his is the most common method

of teaching lead changes for estern 3iding.

b. Jumps (


28/35

,) Allo- .very ody Part to e Touched

Your horse should let you touch every part of his body. 9ften ears, mu22le, sheath or

udder, between legs, and chest are sensitive spots that many horses ob+ect to having

handled.


29/35

handler and horse and it makes feeding a time a hassle if the horse is pushing in to get

food.

• How to Safely Eead a Horse *hrough a Date or Stall oor

4) e Caught

6ven if your horse is +ust pasture decoration it still needs ground manners and will at

some point need to be caught. *here is nothing more frustrating than having planned an

hour of riding, or training or other activity and have that time taken up pursuing your

horse around the pasture. It can get costly too, if the farrier or veterinarian is waiting.

*hings can get dangerous if your horse feels cornered and the only escape is over top of

you. *each your horse to be caught each and every time you want it.

3ead "ore $bout Hard to atch Horses

5) %tand Tied

Standing /uietly to be tied, whether to a post, beside a trailer, a tree or in cross ties is an

absolutely essential ground manner. You>ll want to tie your horse to groom, clean hoofs,

tack up or harness up, or +ust to keep him safely out of the way while you attend to other

matters. *each your horse to stand /uietly while tied without fussing or pulling. 9ften

horses that don>t stand /uietly while tied don>t lead /uietly either.

Tying Your Horse or Pony Safely

Tips for Safely Tying Your Horse or Pony


30/35

Horse Safe #encingStrong #le%ible Safe. ;ust buckle it up&www.horserail.net

Horse altitude trainingsimulated altitude training performance drug(free

solutionwww.go0altitude.com

Hotel Euna $2ul*urtle t be tied Rsolid>. *ying solid

means to tie so that it>s almost impossible for the horse to break free. #or the horse>s or

pony>s sake it is probably best if handlers don>t tie solid. If a horse is badly startled

while tied it could panic, struggle and in+ure its neck and back. t dangle low enough to be stepped over but not be so high or tight that the horse>s

head is restricted.

)ever tie to a bridle, with the reins, or to the bit in anyway. If the horse struggles it

could severely in+ure its mouth.

$lways tie to a post, wall, or partition that is firmly anchored and will not come loose if

the horse pulls on it. *he ob+ect is to have the tie rope break rather than the structure

you are tying to, or the horse>s neck. on>t tie your horse or pony to anything that

moves. If you are at a horse show or trail ride be cautious when tying to fences. 9ld

posts can be weak at the bottom, and may be ripped up by your horse.

6on7t tie to:

• logs on the ground• loose or thin boards

• fence rails

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31/35

• lawn chairs

• truck tail gates

• anything else that isnt securely anchored.

Cross ties)

In a barn with roomy workspaces or aisles, cross ties secure your horse and make it easy

to work all the way around when grooming, or tacking up. ross ties should be long

enough for the horse to lower its head comfortably, but not so long that it would be

possible for the horse to become entangled or even step over the rope. ross ties can be

made to break free easily by attaching the ends through loops of bailer twine or strong

string. inch garment elastic can be used if you like the idea of a tie that fle%es when

the horse pulls on it a bit, but will still break if the horse struggles. hains are not a

great idea for cross ties. If a panicking horse breaks free with chains attached, the chains

can swing and cause in+ury to both horse and handler.

Trailer Ties

*railer ties work well if you are tying in or to a trailer, or to a post. "ake sure your

trailer ties are long enough so that your horse>s head is not too restricted. Some ties are

made ?TB long, and not long enough for use while you are working with your horseN

your horse won>t be able to move his head naturally. Eonger ad+ustable trailer ties

about @ feet long- with /uick release snaps are ideal. "ake sure the snaps aren>t stiff

with rust or winter ice so in an emergency they work the way they are supposed to.

&ead ropes

otton rope, ? inch to ? inches in diameter is ideal for lead ropes. #lat lead shanks of

leather or webbing aren>t ideal for tying with. $gain, loops of baler twine, string, or

garment elastic make safe breakaway ties around a fence post. *ie high enough that the

horse can not step over the rope, but not so high or tight as to restrict the movement of

the horse>s head. heck your ropes often for wear if you need to tie solid, such as out on

trail, or at a horse show. se a /uick release knot, so that if your horse is struggling you

can easily pull on the end of the rope and free the horse.

raining !ythunderstandings:

rea"ing vs) Trainingby Ron !eredith

President8 !eredith !anor International .9uestrian Centre

"any people who are training horses will ask them /uestions that the horse has no way of understandingor answering. *hen they will fight with the horse or hold him hostage until the horse either gives in orgives up. *he so(called trainer walks away feeling like he or she has won the game because the horsefinally did what they wanted him to do.


32/35

hen you break a horse rather than train it, you get a trained flea. hat do I mean by that7 ell, you starttraining fleas by putting them in a +ar. You know they are going to +ump and if they do that, they'll +umpout of the +ar. So you put a lid on the +ar.

)ow when the fleas +ump, they hit their heads on the lid.


33/35

Hard to Catch Horses

by Rick Gore

atching horses and trailer loading seem to be two of the biggest problems for lots of horse

owners. I get asked all the time, why won>t my horse let me catch him7 "y first advice is AStop trying tocatch himB. $ horse knows what is going to happen before it happens. *his is because their life depends

on it. If they get caught not paying attention, they are dead, eaten or seriously wounded which meanscertain death-. Horses have to know what is happening around them or they die. It is that simple for thehorse and is very instinctive.

t miss much, you really have to use your horse sense. You don>t want to lookat the head, don>t reach out with your hands, don>t sneak up and don>t talk. You really need to understand pressure, release and driveline. You have to think that you are approaching your horse only to say helloand to rub his withers. s movement, by anticipating what he is going to do, the more you tell the horse you control him andhe will have less incentive to move away from you.

3elease is the key to any horse handling. 4nowing when to release is timing. 4nowing how much torelease if feel. nderstanding this is critical if you want to be successful with horses. hether it is release

of bit pressure, release of leg pressure, release of drive pressure, knowing when and how much willenable you to get great results from any horse you work with.

So for the hard to catch horses, the smart ones, you need to be smarter. on>t think catch and don>t chasethem. Simply understand how horses talk, how they communicate, be like the horse and +oin up with your horse. If you can communicate that you are the herd leader and you are higher, then you horse will always

allow you to approach him, +ust don>t try and catch him.


34/35

s a coyote.B $s I watched him, he watched us.

$fter my initial, !this ain>t good! reaction, I started thinking. I though, my horses have not seen this guyyet and when they do, I am screwed since I am in the middle of them. Self survival kicked in. I knew myhorses could take this guy out with one kick, but I did not want to be collateral damage in the middle of

their reaction. So I slowly and calmly stepped back and moved away from their charge or escape path, asto not get trampled in the reaction I was sure was going to happen. $s I moved, I kept my eye on thecoyote and he kept his eyes on me. id I mention that this coyote was only about ?1 yards away duringthis natural encounter7

So after I got to a position where I felt safer not safe-, I started wondering why the horses have not

spotted this guy yet. So I checked the wind direction to see if his scent was being blown towards thehorses or away from them. 9ddly enough, it appeared as it if was being blown towards them. So now Inot thinking completely calm but I am wondering if my horses are idiots, are they too engrossed in the

good hay to be paying attention or if they were so domesticated that they didn>t reali2e the danger I wasseeing. So now about ?L seconds have passed and it seemed a lot longer, yet no reaction from my horses,not even a head raise. I am thoroughly confused now. How can these horses, perfectly designed for

survival, not see this clear threat, which I saw over a half of a minute ago7

*hen the coyote, decided to get a better look at us and he came a step or two closer, down the hill andtowards us. I am thinking, this coyote must be cra2y, he sure is bold, maybe he has friends and something bad is about to happen. *hen, to my ama2ement, my "ustang calmly lifted his head half way, pinned hisears and gave that Adon>t come any closer lookB. *o my surprise the coyote seemed to understand themessage. *he coyote stopped in his tracks, turned away and went back up the hill. I was in shock, here I

was, second guessing these marvelous creatures and the entire time, they knew e%actly where the coyotewas and what he was doing. $s my "ustang told the coyote to leave, my Puarter horse lifted his headslightly, looked at the coyote and calmly looked at the "ustang, as if to say AI saw him tooB and then they

both went back to eating. Simply ama2ing I thought. 9nce again, I was so caught up in me, thinking I wassmarter, I was being so aware, I am the superior being and all the while, they knew. *hey knew he was

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there before I saw him, they knew he was not a threat, they watched him as they ate and they knew whento warn him. hat a great e%perience.

I was so proud of them. Here they were, their own little herd, looking out for each other, being alert andaware, knowing how to handle the situation perfectly without panic, running, kicking and +ust the right

amount of action. $ll of this without my help or interference. ow, once again I have to remind myself,

horses know& *hey know what is going to happen before it happens. *hey are more aware than any of uscan imagine. *hey are the ultimate survival animal. *hey are not mean and do not attack. *hey only wantto be horses and avoid conflict. *hey know, because their life depends on it.

So after big hugs and favorite scratches for both of them, it was time for me to leave this perfect herd andgo back to my reality. *hen it hit me. I was never really threatened by the coyote. I knew that my horses

could take this guy on with no problem and I felt safe being with them, part of the herd. $fter the warninggiven by my "ustang, the coyote did not come any closer, however he did walk around us a few times before wondering off. $nd when he left he walked the same way I had to walk to get back to the barn.*his changed things for me. ith the herd I felt safe, now I had to walk back, alone, in a dark pasture, inthe same direction that the coyote did, after seeing this rather brave coyote circle us as if he was checkingus out and searching for weakness.

$s I walked back alone, since my herd was not going to leave their nice hay I had brought them, I feltuneasy and vulnerable. I was walking and looking around /uickly. I was not rela%ed. I was not payingattention to much of anything, but constantly searching for that rather large coyote. $s I got further awayfrom my horses my uneasiness became greater. I took my hat off and waved and swatted at mos/uitoes inan attempt to appear bigger and maybe scare the coyote, that I could not see but was sure was out there.

Somehow the walk back seemed much longer than the walk out. $s I got back to my truck without anencounter that I knew of, maybe I was being watched- I suddenly got a better understanding of howhorses live each moment of their life. $lways uneasy, always watching and looking, rarely rela%ing forfear they may miss something and always with that fear of being eaten if they drop their guard, fail to payattention or get into a position where they can>t run or defend themselves.

I am sure that everyone reading this at one time or another in their life, they were in a situation where

they were scared, fearful and felt uneasy. I hope they can remember this and gain a better understandingof how horses live each day. $nd maybe the ne%t time their horse pulls, runs away, accidentally steps onthem, reacts to a scary sound or the horse eating baby stroller or bicycle, they will have more patience andunderstanding that the fear to a horse is real, never ending, deeply instinctive and never done to be meanor bad.

Happy trails,

3ick thinklikeahorse.org
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