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Sample Our Newsletter
"The First Thing I Do," from my FREE monthly newsletter
From the Starting a Young Horse Series:
"If your horse went ballistic out on the trail last week... it didn't "just happen out of the blue." He's been telling you for weeks or months that he was going to lose it when enough pressure was applied every time he resisted (however slightly) the pull from your lead rope or reins.
If he walks ahead of you while you lead him, he's telling you that sooner or later he'll blow past you as you go through a gate or knock you on your kiester with his shoulder when something scares him bad enough.
If the muscles in his neck bulge toward you instead of relaxing when you put the bit in his mouth, he's telling you that he'll do mach sixty when he gets spooked on the trail.
Deal with these situations by doing two things: First establish a zero-tolerance policy; nip bad behavior in the bud the instant it happens. Example: If your horse inches past you as you lead, do an about-face and back that horse up. Keep him moving till he quits pushing back. (If he freezes pull on his head to pull his butt away from you. Getting those feet "unstuck" will allow you to keep backing till he lightens up.) Be adamant.
Second, get proactive. The first thing I do with any horse – and what I do each and everyday with all five of my own horses – is to see exactly where they stand when it comes to "resistance." Luckily the test and remedy are fun.
And having fun with this is a key point. Realize that every horse has resistance tucked away somewhere. Like an Easter egg, your job is to discover it. Instead of chocolate, your reward is a safer, more pleasant ride. The calmest, coolest, bestest trained horse you have ever seen has a little pocket of resistance hidden somewhere."
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From John Lyons Trainer Keith Hosman |
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Rein In Your Horse's Speed Online Course
A Downloadable Book
A sample from Day 1:
"We learn in a lot of ways: Reading, listening, writing, doing. Each has it's time, place and merit. You should read these articles – but you'll also need to read books, watch DVDs, attend symposiums and ride in clinics. Now, some of those things are not going to be free – but each is a terrific investment. Each gives you more tools you'll need to "fix" your horse yourself, (in the same way that learning simple plumbing saves on plumber bills). The more knowledge you gain, the easier it is to just fix a problem yourself. Throughout this short series, I will give you recommendations for appropriate books, videos and other tools I've found to be useful. I was able to make huge changes with articles, tapes and books written by John Lyons – and I'd like to guide you toward the same, rewarding experience.
After all, horses are expensive, right? You want to get your money's worth. We've got to shoe them and feed them and worm them and… the list goes on. And, while you want to get the most of your horse, the temptation is often to scrimp on a few things – like training. You can't skip feeding your horse – but it's kinda easy to delay that call to the trainer. But what's that lead to? Lousy rides. Dangerous mounts. Horses that are more often than not referred to as "lawn ornaments." And, it could lead to more serious issues like bolting or bucking. With that in mind, how much does a broken leg cost these days? Luckily, you can learn to do quite a bit of the training yourself." - Print out from home
- 5 Days, 5 chapters
- Learn at your own pace
Just $3.99
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
Horse Fears: How to Calm a Horse
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"5 Minute Training – Running At Your Horse?"
By Todd Mera
I want to make my horses as safe as possible in a variety of situations. Therefore I try to expose them to as many situations as possible. Although I would never advocate approaching your horse at a full sprint I think there are good reasons to let your horse get some experience around fast moving objects. For example, I was leading a couple of yearlings to my arena. I just walked through the gate and was heading for a holding stall next to the arena. For some reason after my daughter walked through the gate she decided to run towards my horses approaching them from behind. She was well out of the way from their hind legs but one of the horses spooked, which spooked the other and they both started to run. I was just about stepped on by one of the horses. This situation could have caused someone, me, to get hurt.
My first option was to blame my daughter and tell her never to do that. While I did discuss with her why she shouldn’t run up to a horse from any angle, I also realized that this was a situation that could have happened anywhere and will most likely happen again. In fact, it could have been many things that would have caused the horse to spook. It could have been a dog, a paper sack in the wind, a motorcycle or a person running down the sidewalk at a parade, really anything moving toward the horse at a pace faster than a walk. So, I guess I better get the horse conditioned to people running up to it. I don’t want to dull the horse so that they do not react to anything. I just don’t want the horse’s first reaction to be “RUN.” The goal is to get the horse to think about the situations before they react.
Start with a walk
Eventually I will train the horse to stay calm and relaxed as I run at him from any angle, ride a motorized vehicle around him, run by him with flags, etc. But to start, I will use a simple 5 minute exercise during feeding. When I go out to feed my young horses I will pet them on their head, back side, etc. Once they are calm I will then walk about 5 steps away from them, stop, turn and walk back towards them. I do this at a speed which might make them a bit uncomfortable but not enough to make them run. You have to use your judgment and read the horse. If you are unsure, start on the slow side and work your way up. Once I reach the horse I pet their head, back, etc. I repeat this about 8-10 times trying to increase my speed gradually. Remember, I do this when I feed my horses. I will be able to repeat this procedure many times each week, so I am not in a hurry to be able to run at the horse the first or second day. I will also change the angle which I approach my horse. I will walk at him from the side, at a 45 degree angle, etc. I also want to mention that I do not stare at my horse’s eyes when I approach. I look toward the ground, near his feet and do not assume an aggressive posture. I want to approach the horse but I do not want them to feel like I am going to eat them.
Conclusion
Eventually, you will be able to stare your horse in the face and run directly at him and the horse will stay calm and relaxed because they have thought about the situation and concluded that they are not going to die. Working with young horses in this way will help to prepare them for the regular ground work sessions and help them progress more rapidly.
About the Author: Todd Mera is a Biochemist that has always had a love for horses. Todd started training horses in his 30s. He has worked with and trained many horse starting from birth and older problem horses. http://www.EverythingEquus.com
Source: www.isnare.com
Permanent Link:
http://www.isnare.com/?aid=22114&ca=Pets
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Next, I'd Read:
Recommended articles featuring the methods of John Lyons:
• The First Thing I Do
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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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No part of this website, including newsletter material and photos, may be reproduced without our express written permission.
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Horse Owning: Horse Fears: How to Calm a Horse, advice for the horse owner provided by John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman
Bookmark horsemanship101.com for Horse-Keeping Tips
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