Horse Training Problem

 
   
       
go to home pageKeith Hosman's biosend us an emailJohn Lyons links and morestep by step horse training email
go to: homepage go to: homepage go to: homepage
 

Sign up for the free newsletter featuring the easy, objective methods of John Lyons.

Horses Fixed For Good!

If your horse:

• is buddy sour • won't speed up or slow down
• doesn't tie • won't load • bites • kicks • etc

Then you missed the latest training methods from John Lyons! Sign up to get step-by-step lessons emailed every month - free.


Sign up today!

country

AOL subscribers note: AOL blocks our newsletters (and lots of your email) unless you tweak a few settings on your computer. Click here to get your emails.

Note: We will not sell you out to spammers.

Sample Our Newsletter
"An Exercise For When You Can't Ride," Issue 1, part 3 of our FREE monthly newsletter

From our Horse Ground Training Series:

"Take your left hand and hold the lead rope as if it's the left rein. Pull the halter slowly toward yourself.

"Concentrate. Feel how much pressure it takes to bring that rope toward you. You should feel on your pinky how many ounces it takes. Throw it back out and do it again. This time close your eyes and really concentrate. If you get this lesson, horse training gets a whole lot easier. Really focus on what it feels like. How many ounces is it taking to bring that halter back to you? Think of a specific number. How many pounds? How many ounces? One or two? 5 pounds or 5 ounces?

"How would you like your horse to be that soft? A pound or two doesn't seem so bad, does it? Actually, it's terrible. Having to put a pound or two of pressure on the rein to get it to "come back to you" is just terrible. Take the halter off the lead rope now and throw the rope back out, snap end first.

"Do the same thing, drag the snap back to you. How does that feel? It feels pretty light, right? You feel a big difference. But that's still terrible. Now take the lead rope and throw the opposite end out, the end without the snap. That feels really light. It feels like nothing. It's still terrible.

"The reason it's terrible is because…"

(sign up / read more)

 

clinic infowhat people say about our clinicsshop online
browse Article Archivefind training by relevant topicsee past issues of our newslettercheck out our free online horse-training study courseslisten to audio training online
  
   
 
 
   
Lyons Training 101

Issue Number:  Two
Making Improvements

written by Josh Lyons & Keith Hosman
 
Issue Two, Part 1 of 2
Keys to Making Improvements:
How Long You Should Ride

 


Print This Article (This is a large file that will take a moment to load. Note: the article might be paired with another.)
Tell A Friend (Click to send them an email)
Find this article faster next time:  

A person is able to keep his or her attention span for about twenty minutes before something else enters their head. The coffee pot he left on will come flying into his head. A saddle sore, the bills, the husband, this problem or that problem - all begin jockeying for attention. Which means that the best amount of time to ride a horse is for about twenty minutes. Ride focused for twenty minutes, then give yourself (and therefore the horse) a ten to twenty minute break and ride for twenty minutes again. If you know your training's going to last for twenty minutes, then you can focus and stay working intensely.

Best Start For An Unbroke Horse

• Round Pen Work
• Spooking, Catching
• Sack Out, 1st Ride
• Stopping & Backing
see more

       

Buy now: $148.99

During those twenty minutes, you want to make something better. Just look down and ask yourself "What is it? What can I make better?" Find something. You should never be satisfied with what you've got or what you've done. "Satisfied" is another word for "content" which is another word for "quitting.” There's always more to do; there's always more to accomplish. So never be satisfied.

Keep raising your expectations. The whole time you're riding, you need to be looking for the moment when you can begin asking for more. Look for something to make better. Not everything, just something. Say you're starting off and you're just kind of moving around. You and your horse are out there simply changing directions. You don't care how it looks; you're just changing directions. After awhile you should begin staying in one direction till you see the nose start to go down, or you feel it start to soften up. Then your training should build on that. Horse training is always asking for something to get better. Either the horse stays going the same speed, or his nose stays bent to the inside, or he softens up… something has got to get better.

A key to making this improvement is for you to keep focused. When you “ride focused” you’re being a proactive, rather than reactive rider. You’re not reacting to the horse’s mistakes, saying in effect “no,” “no,” “no,” “no...” Instead, you’re asking for a particular movement (“hip to the left one step, release, repeat”) over and over and over. This puts you in charge. It keeps you from nagging. It gets the horse’s attention and improves performance.

Your focus also gives the horse less time to think about the buddy he left behind, the horse-eating plastic bag or the truck driving by. During your twenty minutes you’ll just keep coming at the horse like George Foreman on his best day. (Don’t forget to give little mini breaks in between each short drill.) The more you give the horse to think about, the less time the horse has to get distracted. If your horse still seems distracted, give him more to do. Say, “Fine, horse, you can turn to the left and still whinny at your buddy over there. But, can you turn to the left, keep your head tucked, your haunches in and move at exactly this speed and STILL whinny at your buddy?” Keep adding things for the horse to do: Pick up speed, slow down, change directions, soften the nose up, drop his ears, raise his ears, change direction, break at the poll, etc. You’re looking for that magic point where the horse focuses on you. He hasn’t forgotten his pasture buddy - just decided it’s too much work to worry about him.

Bottom line: Ride intensely for twenty minutes. Stay focused during that time and look for improvement, no matter how small.

 

End of Issue Two, Part 1

 

Read previous article: Riding Exercise: Steer the Tail: What If?

Read next article: Snaffle Bit vs the Shank Bit

See Complete List of Articles

***

 

Related Letters
 

See related Questions & Answers (letters from readers like you)

 

back to top

 

***

Disclaimer: Equine training can be a hazardous activity which may subject the participants to possible serious injury. Keith Hosman, Josh Lyons, Patrick Benson and their associates 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.

All Rights Reserved (TM) 2007, horsemanship101.com
No part of this website, including newsletter material and photos, may be reproduced without our express written permission.


Get the performance and relationship with your horse you desire. We'll automatically let you know when a clinic's coming to your area when you sign up for our free training newsletter, (upper-left sidebar, this page).

health horse supply | horse vet supply | health horse problem | eye health horse | health horse insurance | horse health issue | horse health record | health horse question | health horse product | health horse usa | average horse weight | horse breeding info | horse training supply | how do i get my horse to stand still when i mount | how to catch a horse

 

 

Lyons Training 101: Issue Two, Part 1
"Horse Training Problem: How Long Should I Ride?"
bookmark Horsemanship101.com for more info

 

AUDIO CLIP
Listen to Josh Lyons

Click Josh's picture to play
"Time To Learn"

Time To Learn

Note: Audio clips are large files and may take several moments to load.

Read Josh's bio

 

Josh Lyons

One of the most sought-after clinicians in his own right, John Lyons' son Josh has produced a winning DVD series for the performance horse owner.

 

Josh Lyons Foal Handling
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Teaching Tricks
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Spins and Shoulder Control
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Leads and Lead Changes
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Sliding Stops and Rollbacks
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Teaching Series
Buy today: $158.99



Essential John Lyons

There are certain products that every long-time Lyons fan carries in his equine tool kit. They're the "gotta haves." Here are a few essentials - as recommended by this John Lyons Certified Trainer, Keith Hosman.

 

Bringing Up Baby
Buy today: $23.99

Help Me Help My Horse
Buy today: $25.99

John Lyons Reins
Buy today: $41.99


John Lyons Audio

Don't waste another moment sitting in traffic! Listen to John Lyons discuss simple solutions to common horse problems.

 

Conversations with John Lyons
$98.00


 

Fear in the Rider, Fear in the Horse CD
$28.99


 

Getting Your Horse's Attention CD
$28.99


 

Horse That Bites, Abused Horse CD
$28.99


 

Sensitive Ears, Mouth, & Feet CD
$28.99


 

The Calm Down Cue CD
$28.99