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Sample Our Newsletter
"How to Halter a Horse," from my FREE monthly newsletter
From the Basic Horse Training Series:
"Is he head shy? Does he have a cow when you touch his ears or chin or block his vision? Then put the halter down and use your hands to desensitize him to your touch. (Use a dressage whip at first if you feel he might throw his head about and strike you. This would be a silly way to lose your front teeth. Stand at the point of his shoulder if you feel there's any chance he might try to kick or walk into you.) Begin by finding the spots where he doesn't like to be touched and do what any bratty older sister would do: Keep touching him there. If you can't touch his ears, rub the area you can rub, edging ever closer to the ears as the horse grows bored, being careful to only remove our rubs when the horse pauses. There's only one way to screw this up and that is for you to pause when he moves away. If he moves, you move with him. Remember, you "sensitize" the horse (that is, make him more likely to move) when you remove your pressure as he moves; you "desensitize" the horse (dull him to something) when you remove your pressure when he stops doing something.
If you're saying, "Yeah, but he moves his ears the second I touch them," that's fine. If you can bring your hand up and over his ears even for a tenth of a second, you would have accomplished your immediate objective of touching his ears. (Our long term goal is haltering the horse and we never start with our goal, right?) All you need to do is repeat this over and over and over, slowing your hand above his ears as he begins to grow bored. The horse has either grown sensitive to having his ears touched because people backed off as he pitched his head ("sensitizing him") – or no one's ever worked with him period (as in the case of a youngster). Either way, our response is the same."
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From John Lyons Trainer Keith Hosman |
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Trailer Training Horses
A Downloadable Book
A sample from Day 4:
"Along this vein, a neat trick I learned from John and Josh Lyons is something you can do when you reach the point of being able to load "almost" the whole horse. More often than not, your horse will load "most of himself" the first times he plants all four feet within the trailer. He's in, but his butt is sticking out just enough that you can't close the door. To overcome this stalemate, begin placing the horse in the trailer for one second, then unload the horse and allow it to stand outside (nose pointed in) for another 59 seconds before reloading. The next time the horse goes in for two seconds, out for 58. Continue like this until you've build to a full minute. This helps because it really stokes in the horse the idea of "Let me just get on, already!" It also helps quell fear: Just as when you put on the saddle or mount up the first time, the horse has no idea if this is a "forever thing" so it's a good idea to slowly build toward your goal. When you've reached a minute and the horse is simply standing inside the trailer, calmly, go ahead and close the butt bar and trailer door, then open it again right away, pause and unload the horse. Put your horse back in for two minutes, off for one, on for three, off for one, etc. Get your horse on there for ten or twenty calm minutes and you'll be on the road, so' to speak." - 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
Equine Therapies
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"Alternative Therapies For The Horse"
by Ron Petracek
It is not uncommon that trends in veterinary medicine to mirror trends in human medicine. To that end, it's not surprising that alternative medicine is being used more frequently on sick and injured horses. Instead of prescribing the latest wonder drug, some veterinarians are instead prescribing a little hands-on healing in the hopes that less invasive techniques will bring about a return to health. In this article, we'll examine two alternative healing practices that are becoming very popular in the horse world: chiropractic and massage.
CHIROPRACTIC
Equine chiropractors traditionally deal with "subluxations" of the vertebrae. Defined, subluxations are incomplete or partial dislocations of the vertebrae; in other words, vertebrae that are out of alignment. These misalignments can not only cause the horse pain in his back, but can also cause soft tissue damage around the area of the spine. And since the spine is said to be the conduit to the central nervous system, subluxations may possibly change neurological function of the spinal cord, the spinal nerve roots, and portions of the nervous system. The equine chiropractor adjusts these subluxations—in plain speaking he put the spine back into alignment—and returns the horse to optimal health.
What conditions does chiropractic treat?
Chiropractic is used to treat back and neck pain in the horse, as well as nerve damage. It can also be used to diagnose and come up with a treatment plan for certain lamenesses. Some people even use chiropractic during prepurchase exams to determine whether the horse has any neck or back injuries.
How is chiropractic administered, and how much does it cost?
Like a vet exam, the chiropractic exam begins with a case history. Posture analysis, gait analysis, static palpation, motion palpation, orthopedic exam, and a neurological exam follow. Based upon his or her findings, the vertebra is then manipulated during the adjustment by the practitioner.
How much does a chiropractic treatment cost?
A chiropractic exam and adjustment cost approximately $50-75, depending upon the extent of the problem and the length of the session.
Are there any risks?
Some believe that in the wrong hands, chiropractic can cause back and neck pain, lameness problems, and spinal cord injury. The equine chiropractor must have strong knowledge of equine vertebral anatomy, including vertebral joint relationships, the relationship of neural components, muscle attachments and nerve supply, and normal and abnormal range of motion.
MASSAGE
During a massage, the soft tissues of the body are worked by experienced hands and fingers. As any human who has been the recipient of one knows, massage stimulates acupuncture points and relieves tension. Myofascial release therapy, in which the fascia that connect and surround the muscles are manipulated, and myotherapy, a method of relaxing muscle spasm, improving circulation, and alleviating pain, are two of the most common types of equine massage therapy.
What conditions does massage treat?
Massage can really help sore muscles and tendons. It is frequently used to repair damaged muscle fiber, such as contracted tendons, ligament and muscle strains, chronic inflammatory conditions, peripheral nerve injuries, scar tissue, and chronic edema.
How is massage administered?
The soft tissues of the body are worked by the hands and fingers. The strokes are generally performed in the direction in which blood flows, which is toward the heart.
How much does equine massage cost?
A massage costs between $25 and $75, depending upon its duration.
What are the risks?
If your horse has acute inflammatory processes of the skin, soft tissue, bone and joints, fractures, sprains, circulatory disorders, presence or danger of hemorrhage, lyphangitis, and tumors, then massage should be avoided.
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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: Equine Therapies, advice for the horse owner provided by John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman
Bookmark horsemanship101.com for Horse-Keeping Tips
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