Training a horse, whether it’s working with an un-started 2 year old or teaching an advanced movement, always involves a system of pressure and release. From the day we first start working with our horse, we want to teach him to “move away from pressure”. When he moves “away” from pressure, his reward is release of pressure. This involves the critical element of timing. It is in our timing that… Continue reading this POST
Archive for the ‘Horse Training’ Category
Raising Your Own Horse
Raising your own horse is like baking a cake from scratch. If you start with quality ingredients, follow the recipe, take your time, don’t open the oven door before the timer goes off, test for doneness, and don’t over-bake or set the heat too high, you end up with something delicious! In horse speak – if you start with a healthy horse, use tried and true training/handling methods… Continue reading this POST
A Fearful Horse
When I sense that a horse is fearful I’m going to approach how I work with him differently than if I sense challenge or indifference. There are different types of fear and I need to have a feel as to which type the horse has. There’s the fear a young, green horse will have with a new person in the round pen. This horse isn’t necessarily mistrustful of people because… Continue reading this POST
Round Pen Purpose Part II
In a previous post I went through techniques of working a horse in the round pen and the philosophy behind such work. There was nothing new and original in this ‘how to’, just my adaptations and interpretations of the many great horse trainers out there and a reference to my own horse training experience. However, I want to philosophize a bit on what round pen work means for… Continue reading this POST
My John Lyons Experience
Recently I had the most wonderful opportunity to spend the day watching and learning from one of the great horsemen of this era – John Lyons. It really was a stroke of luck. I was surfing around the web, looking for some horse-related piece of information this past Friday, when I stumbled on the John Lyons site. I love the man, having once had the privilege of watching him work… Continue reading this POST