Trailer Training
Sample "Trailer Training Horses," a downloadable book by Certified Trainer Keith Hosman
From Day One of Five:
Anytime you're working with your horse and he's either not getting it or reverts, fall back in your training and find something you both do well. If you "lost" your horse somewhere in his training, go back and pick him up, so' to speak. Then ask yourself if you can't break down the next step into even simpler, smaller pieces. How can you communicate to the horse using only questions that he can respond "yes" to? Hanging on to the rein till the horse "learns to sidestep" isn't as simple (to him) as hanging on to the rein till the left leg simply moves... anywhere, then quickly releasing. Because once we get that leg moving, we can work on getting it to move consistently. Then we can work on getting it moving consistently onto a certain spot. That's true for riding and it's true for ground work.
Stand on the horse's left side and take the lead in your hand. Apply a little pressure in any direction and wait till the horse gives to that pressure, however slight, then totally release the pressure. ("Released" means I want to see a bow in that lead rope.) Do that several more times. What we're doing here is simply breaking the ice. As the crack widens our training progresses at a more rapid pace.
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