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Sample Our Newsletter
"Backing Up," from my FREE monthly newsletter
From the Teach a Horse to Backup Series:
"The horse that balks rather than moving backward isn't giving to (rein) pressure; you're pulling and so is he. And, because he has no experience backing (smoothly, at least), when you pull he doesn't know to "assume the backing position." (It's like giving the gas to a car that's in park.) Here's the most important thing you can learn when it comes to going backward: Go forward. From now on, if you even for an instant feel your horse resist as you ask him to back, get him going forward – and do so right away. Don't let him learn that balking is an option – correct that thought immediately by goosing him forward. Two fundamental John Lyons Training concepts are at play here: 1) "The horse can't decide to 'not move.'" and 2) 'Get the feet to move, get them to move consistently, then get them to move consistently in the correct direction.'"
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From John Lyons Trainer Keith Hosman |
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Trailer Training Horses
A Downloadable Book
A sample from Day 3:
"Your horse won't forget the evil trailer as you move him about; he'll realize that doing two things, keeping an eye on it and doing your bidding, is too much work. He'll begin to pay you more attention, and you'll get closer to the trailer. Keep gaining ground and keep things moving. Every five, ten or fifteen minutes, allow the horse to rest – but only when he's nearer the trailer than he wanted to be before. He rests near the trailer, he works when away from the trailer. Motivate him to want to be nearer the trailer. Should he begin dancing about while standing ("resting"), put him back to work for 10 minutes and then see if he's ready to stand like a gentleman.
Your intermediate goal should be to get the horse to stand near the trailer, looking in. It's important no matter how you approach this training that anytime the horse is near the trailer, you keep his nose pointed into the trailer. Allowing him to look left or right, however briefly is asking him to pick an escape route. Use your Go Forward cue to ask the horse to step up. Should he balk, and he most likely will, bring him away from the trailer and put him back to work intensely. It must be hard work on his part – we've got to overcome his reticence to enter the trailer and that often times takes intensity. Work for a few more minutes and "point the horse" toward the trailer, give your Go Forward cue – and see if you can't get him "more in than last time." Anytime he gets "more in than last time" allow him to stand there and rest. (You'll probably need the rest yourself.) Once again, look for small improvements: Pawing the trailer is actually a good thing; it means he's thinking about it. Don't reprimand pawing. Lifting a leg, sniffing, leaning forward – those are all signs your horse is working with you. It's the horse saying "I'm thinking about it."" - Print out from home
- 5 Days, 5 chapters
- Learn at your own pace
Just $4.99
For more info:
this course | all courses
Available Downloads:
"Stop Bucking"
"Rein/Speed" (for Nervous Horse Owners)
"Round Pen First Steps"
"Trailer Training"
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GUEST AUTHOR ARTICLES
Be a Better Rider
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Find this article faster next time:
"Maintaining A Horse’s Sensitivity So You May Achieve Lightness In Riding"
By RON PETRACEK
Think of how sensitive your horse is—even if you don’t think he is particularly sensitive to your aids at all. Think of how reactive he is just to the persistent presence of an annoying fly at his belly.
Horses are by their very nature sensitive creatures. They need to be because, in the wild, if they were dull and not sensitive to all that goes on in their surroundings, they would be someone else’s prey.
Take the horse’s sensitive nature and put him with a human for some time and that nature can change. Picture a horse that has been repeatedly exposed to conflicting aids, for example, a rider who kicks him to go but then accidentally pulls on the reins when she loses her balance. Or a horse whose rider has little control over her leg and constantly clinks her legs in his side. Eventually both horses may very well shut down and tune out the aids, becoming perceived as dead to the leg, dull, hard to get moving or downright sour. He gradually becomes desensitized.
Likewise, horses that aren’t given a sufficient reward system can follow the same desensitization course. When riding your horse, you are always training him, and that training needs to balance a proper reward/discipline program so your horse not only learns what he should and should not do but that he also doesn’t desensitize to you.
For a horse that is working, the greatest reward is an end to the work. Discipline or punishment is a continuation of the work. Constant repeated continuation of work or schooling a particular element over and over even when the horse has done it well just leads to desensitization. (How many times have you heard someone refer to a horse that has gone sour? That’s likely a horse that has not had a proper reward system for doing the work correctly. The fact that such horses ever learn anything is a miracle in itself!)
As a horse grows further desensitized and duller, the rider’s aids increase to achieve a desired response and attaining lightness is nearly impossible.
As a rider, your goal needs to be riding in lightness, that is, achieving what you want from your horse with minute imperceptible aids. Picture a top show hunter, grand prix dressage horse or champion reining horse. You barely see the rider do anything, and it seems as though the horse is doing everything on his own. What you don’t see is that the horse has been maintained to still retain sensitivity by a rider who rides in lightness.
When you have a training goal for your horse, keep in mind the reward system and remember that he will learn best when there is an end to the work. And always end on a good note
Hope you will continue and visit our resource box links below. Make sure to bookmark them and ad them to your favorites for future reference.
Thanks
About the Author: Ron Petracek was raised in Southern Idaho with horses and the great outdoors. With this continued passion He now shares through a a vast equine network. Learn more by clicking the links below. Amazing Equine Network System - Buy Sell or trade anything equine related. Get More Horse Classified coverage and distribution with less cost and work. Award Winning Horse Forum.
Source: www.isnare.com
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Disclaimer: Equine training can be a hazardous activity which may subject the participants to possible serious injury. Keith Hosman, Josh Lyons, Patrick Benson, their associates and other trainers listed on this site will not assume any liability for your activities. Our newsletter, books and videos provide general information, instruction and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. No warranty is given regarding the suitability of this information, the instructions, and techniques to you or other individuals acting under your instructions.
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Horse Owning: Be a Better Rider, advice for the horse owner provided by John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman
Bookmark horsemanship101.com for Horse-Keeping Tips
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