Posts Tagged ‘body language’

I’m level two and I’m not very sure how to ask my horse to lie down. I don’t know how to make my body language clear to him, please tell me how. My horse is extremely sweet and we’ve worked and played on trust. Please tell me how to make my body language clear to him.
Thank You!!!

Horses are very useful and trainable animals. They can me used for a limitless variety of tasks such as farming, sports, recreation, and even warfare. Their tremendous strength and endurance are very valuable attributes. Not only are they gifted with tremendous physical qualities but they are also intelligent and very receptive to human commands. Beginner horse training can be fun for both you and your equine companion. There are many different types of horse training techniques, so make sure you are knowledgeable about whatever you choose to apply.

Horses can even be trained in specialized tasks and they thrive in any work they are assigned to do. They can do police work, and they can also be graceful animals for royalty and equestrian activities. They can also be used on farms and in the wilderness. Horses are incredibly versatile animals. They are functional as well as exquisite. Not to mention the fact that they love to please.

However, training a horse can be a real challenge especially for beginners and new horse owners. First and foremost, to be able to train a horse well, the individual must understand how the horse thinks and always — I mean always — consider the animal’s instincts! As animals, instincts always reign above any training or conditioning. Having said that, a horse can be trained quickly and easily when you understand their innate behavior and work with the animal to achieve the desired success. Here are a few tips to help your beginner horse training to move along more smoothly.

1. Horses are fearful creatures

By instinct of preservation, horses are naturally fearful creatures. Because they are a prey animal, they may exhibit reservation with other animals and people in new situations. If the horse doesn’t know you, it will judge you based on your actions, before finally deciding that you are not someone with bad intentions. It bases its decisions on your body language and believe it or not, your thoughts, and will respond accordingly based on what it perceives. The horse will either flee, embrace your friendship or study you further.

2. Gradual training is essential

One must understand that it takes a while for horses to warm up. Training often needs to be a gradual process. You must learn how to tame the horse correctly and effectively. Like dogs, horses must see its trainer as its leader — gender is rarely an issue. It should be noted that some horses are natural leaders, therefore, dominant. If you own one with such characteristic, training can be a bit tougher. Make sure you are asserting dominance at all times. Tough love can be the best thing for both of you till you structure the pecking order of the “herd”.

3. Horses are herd animals

Horses are herd animals and they naturally function in this manner. They will always want someone to lead them. Remember to speak their language in your training. This will speed up the process immensely. Do your own due diligence on the language of equus and natural horsemanship.

4. Riding the horse is not the first step

Before actually riding the horse, you must do some ground work and training. There is no shortcut especially for beginners. Longing and bending is a must at first. Teach commands while longing before putting your rear on the saddle. A horse must be body-aware and desensitized. If you want to get bucked off, skip your groundwork.

5. Proper manners on lead

Lead training is absolutely necessary. A horse MUST display manners with humans on the ground. Teach the horse to walk beside on a lead while giving it basic commands like to turn or stop. Some horses will test your dominance during lead training. It is vital to let the animal know who’s boss.

6. Warm-up the horse before riding

Even with a horse that is already trained, it is still advisable to warm-up your horse physically and mentally before riding it. Do a bit of longing or some exercises in groundword, so the animal will know what to expect.

7. Cooling the animal off

Training sessions must end with a cool down period. Just as with a primed athlete, the animal must be give a chance to settle his muscles. Let the animal relax and wind down. A tired and frustrated horse is very difficult to train. As a rule of the thumb, make every training session a pleasant experience for the horse, always ending on a good note and before the animal has a chance to loose interest. The animal will be happy to learn and do some training again when it knows that the experience is worthwhile. Remember…. Positive reinforcement is a crucial key to success.

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Author: Annabelle Cabella
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What causes horses rearing? Like everything else involving horses and their interactions with people, the answer usually boils down to one of two causes. Horses of course will engage in a threatening display like rearing if they are feeling well, threatened. So the first cause to look for is fear. A second cause of horses rearing is defiance. A horse may rear to intimidate you, or while balking about accomplishing some task you want him to do. In this case, the root cause of horses rearing is disrespect.

It turns out that fear and disrespect are two sides of the same coin when it comes to the horse-human relationship. The reason is simple. A horse isn’t going to have fear about a situation or task provided that he’s got a strong leader he can look to. Are you that strong leader, inspiring unwavering confidence in your horse? Or do you lack confidence, as exhibited in your actions or body language?

At the same time, a horse isn’t going to respect a handler that hasn’t shown leadership. Once again it boils down to confidence. Are you confident handling horses? Can the defiant horse sense weakness or wavering in your body language?

So we see that when it comes right down to it, the fearful horse or the disrespectful horse that rears is really doing so for the same fundamental reason: they don’t really have an alpha member of the herd. As the handler of the horse, it’s up to you to become the alpha and demonstrate calm and confident leadership at all times. Once it’s established, leadership will cause a horse to respect and trust you. So all at the same time, by being a leader for your horse, you can win over horses with all kinds of different dispositions. There is no need to study whether a horse is “left brained” or “right brained”, “introverted” or “extroverted”, “fearful” or “dominant”. Horses are naturally wired to follow a leader plain and simple, and by giving the right cues you can easily establish leadership and inspire confidence and get any horse to follow you. Horses that see you as their leader are going to be less fearful, so less likely to turn to rearing when something startling happens. A horse that respects you isn’t going to use rearing, or anything else, in an effort to intimidate you.

That sounds simple enough, but how do you establish leadership?

The first step in a leadership program is a good round pen training program. This means taking your horse in the round pen at liberty (no lead rope) and going through the exercise to have him hook on to you. This exercise really taps into the mind and emotions of the horse and like nothing else, helps a horse see you as the herd leader. You should always go back to round pen training first when encountering some major behavior problem.

The second task at hand is to simply get your horse listening and paying attention to you. This can be done on several levels-basic groundwork for example. Spend more time simply moving your horse around-moving the hindquarter, the forehand, backing up. Do some leading exercises.

One of the most important exercises for a horse with behavior problems in my view is lunging. Done correctly, which means continually asking the horse to pay attention by randomly asking for walk, trot, canter, slow down, speed up, stop, turn-is a great exercise for getting your horse listening for your commands. That helps cement the position of leadership you lay down as a foundation with round pen training.

When faced with horses rearing, like anything else, all it takes to solve the problem is getting back to basics. Punishment in the moment might give a short term fix, but it’s not a long term solution. Go back to a solid training program of round pen training, leading, groundwork yields, and lunging to fix that attitude.

David McMahon is a freelance author and horse owner. He invites you to visit http://horse-training-tips.com where you can learn more about horses rearing.

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Training horses is one exciting and enjoyable way to teach your ponies and make them good buddies in your horse riding spree. Of course, you would not want an untamed horse jumping on you during one of your rides.

If you are a horse lover or a horse riding enthusiast and you want to do the horse training yourself, here is a simple guide to training horses and ponies. Of course, a well-trained horse is a great companion and they can become your best buddies at play or at work.

In training your horse, it helps a lot to understand their body language or the sounds they make. Of course, they can only produce these sounds whenever they are happy or in pain or they feel uncomfortable, so you have to familiarize yourself and listen to them. Horses neigh if they feel confident but it can also mean anxiety. By reading his body language, you can however distinguish what your horse is feeling. Horses may sigh as a sign of being deeply relaxed and they may usually begin to snort if he is afraid of something. Indeed, learning their language can facilitate your horse training and will help you understand your horse’s feeling as well.

In any guide to training horses, it is important to gain the trust and respect of your horse. If you remain a stranger to him, he will never be confident around you. Do not create an atmosphere that will make your horse fear you, instead make him feel happy when he sees you.

In training your horse, it is wise to start with light touching of the horse to make him comfortable and at ease with you. You can then start training him by leading him to walk when you try to hold the rope and adding some commands that you will use to talk to him and convey what you want him to do. Horses can easily follow when they have a leader that can show them what to do as they usually follow a leader in a herd, and in horse training, you will act as your horse’s leader to make him do things. If he does it right, then you have to remember to reward him.

One basic thing that your horse should learn is how to walk beside you. This is usually attained by means of lead training, where you can also teach your horse to stop or turn at your command. As he will eventually learn these simple commands, you can then move on to training him so that he can accept being ridden and that he can follow the commands of the rider. Training him to listen to your signals and commands is a favorable means to train your horse but avoid whipping him just to make him follow you.

It is important too that when your horse has learned one skill, repeat it to him and make sure he gets it before moving to another command or skill. It is also important to let your horse be accustomed to the bit, the saddle and other accessories, as he would be wearing them when someone eventually rides him.

These are just a few of the tips and things that you have to keep in mind in training horses. To be able to get full details of horse training, find a good guide to training horses and make sure also that you have a professional trainer with you if it is your first time doing it.

Carolyn Anderson loves outdoor adventures. If you want to learn how to train horses, check out Natural Horsemanship Software Pack. Also check out Horse Training Secrets, to find out the secrets and techniques in horse training.

Author: Carolyn Anderson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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It can be both difficult and scary to work with horses at certain times since they can occasionally have bad behaviors that make them either annoying or unsafe to be around. Some bad behaviors can include biting, kicking, pushing, bucking or rearing. In order to reduce the likelihood of these bad behaviors you need to develop a solid foundation to establish your leadership over the horse. Consider some helpful horse training tips that can help you overcome bad horse behaviors.

Have a Good Lead

A horse can only lead well if they respect you. A well-led horse will follow you from just a short distance at the shoulder. It is best to lead a horse from the left so the horse is just to your right with the tip of their nose at your shoulder. The horse shouldn’t be allowed to pull the rope or have it drag on the ground. The horse definitely shouldn’t rush in front of you. When the rope starts to drag simply stop and ask for the horse to backup. This way the horse begins to understand there is a cost for his behavior. If the horse is moving past you then you simply need to change directions so you remain in front of the horse and maintain your leadership position over the horse.

Keep Your Horse Relaxed

You should never forget that horses are prey animals. This means they are constantly on the lookout for threats. If a horse is tense and holding up their head then they are likely trying to detect a threat. A horse is relaxed when their head is low, this means they are likely looking for food. It is best to be train your horse to become relaxed on cue by lowering their head.

Use a Round Pen

This is a valuable horse training tip and it can truly help you establish your leadership position. It is best to do this without the use of tools such as a lead line or halter. Rather you should simply get your horse to do what you want based on your body language and presence. There are plenty of techniques you can choose from that help you to get a horse to trust and respect you.

Make Sure They Pay Attention

It is important that you make sure you horse pays attention to you. When your horse starts to look off in the distance during training sessions then you should bump them with the rope in order to have their nose come towards you and have their eyes focused on you. Pay attention to your horses ears to see if they are acting like radar dishes and searching for nearby threats. If both ears are straightforward then the horse is completely focused on you. Make sure you correct your horse whenever their full attention isn’t focused on you.

Don’t Jump In

Before riding your horse take the time to go through exercises in order to make sure your horse is listening to you. This can include exercises such as flexing and having them move their hindquarters and front feet. As long as your horse is focused on you, they won’t be as likely to look off into the distance for a nearby threat. When you apply the training tips mentioned in this article then you will be able to develop a solid foundation for your horse that focuses on gentle leadership focused on respect. When your horse respects you and views you as a leader then they will be less likely to express bad behaviors.

Sheryll Walker is a horse training enthusiast, helping numbers of people to learn secrets of training horses. To discover more helpful horse training tips and learn about natural horse training, visit HorseTrainingHelp.com. Out Now! Get your hand on the “Natural Horsemanship” DVDs!

Author: Sheryll Walker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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It’s true what they say; it’s the little things. Your relationship with your horse is built upon the simple day-to-day activities you do together. How you and your horse interact while performing the mundane tasks of leading, grooming, mounting, etc. set the tone for the day. They build the foundation upon which you learn to rely on and respect each other.

You are always training your horse when you are interacting with her. As soon as you walk into her pasture or stall your horse is aware of your body language, voice, your energy, and mood. By making every experience a positive one for your horse, one that promotes relaxation and respect, the bond between you will grow stronger. By being aware of how your horse is responding to you and proactively helping her make constructive decisions, the two of you will reach a higher level of partnership.

Put your nose in the halter. We are often in a hurry and push on the halter onto our horse’s head without thinking. Our horse may pull away or elevate her head, a sign of anxiety or distrust that shouldn’t be ignored. Instead, put your right arm over the top of your horse’s neck and hold the open nosepiece of the halter a couple of inches below his nose and an inch or two toward you. Use the weight of your arm to encourage your horse to lower her head. Slight pressure from the halter strap that’s touching your horse’s neck will encourage her to bend her neck slightly toward you. Don’t “make” your horse respond. Wait for her figure out what to do on her own. That way you’re allowing her the time to make the decision to relax and place her nose into the halter on her own.

I lead, you follow. Your horse always leads a little bit ahead of you. She starts walking faster, and now you’re pulling back on the lead…against a 1,000 pound animal that knows she’s bigger than you. You lost her attention, and respect, the moment her shoulder passed yours. Never EVER let your horse lead you. That puts her in a dominant position, and when she’s thinks she’s in charge, anything goes. If your horse starts to get ahead of you, choke up on your lead. Put rearward pressure on the lead rope that’s angled toward the lowest part of the center of your horse’s chest. Keep the pressure steady, but don’t try to muscle your horse back. She needs to respond to light pressure, no more than a pound or two, and back off on her own. If she doesn’t swing the tail end of the leadrope (with your left hand) across her chest until she slows down and releases the pressure you’re applying with your leading hand. Your goal is not to cause your horse any discomfort at all, but to mimic the “back off” cue another dominant horse would give if your horse was caught taking the lead inappropriately.

Stand still for grooming and bathing. When your horse stands calmly and quietly, she feels confident in and comfortable with what’s happening. Certainly if you’re power spraying your horse with cold water on a chilly day, she won’t be very patient. Whatever you’re doing should be respectful to your horse as well. Teach your horse to stand still while holding the leadrope first. That way you can correct her safely without her feeling trapped or confused. Face your horse when you’re working around her. If she moves away, back her up a few steps to reinforce your authority. Then ask her to lower her head and relax with downward pressure on the leadrope. Then, bring her forward again (make sure you turn away to invite her to follow you and then face her again when you want her to stay put) and resume what you were doing. Be repetitive and calm.

Don’t move when I step in the saddle. It’s very disrespectful for your horse to walk off when you climb aboard. It can also be a sign of anxiety. Either way, it’s a problem that needs to be fixed. If she takes a step, when you put your foot in the stirrup, step down and back her up. Lower her head and bring her forward to try again. Repeat this until she’s standing solid. If you tend pull on your horse to get on, she’ll lose her balance and have to take a step. Use a mounting step or hone your mounting skills to make it easier for your horse to do her job right.

Every moment you spend with your horse is an opportunity to build a foundation of partnership. You and your horse are a team that will always work best when you’re working together.

Dale Rudin has 26 years horse experience as a trainer, instructor, and clinician. She has authored articles for Horse Illustrated, Young Rider, and other publications.

Information about her approach to training, products, and services can be found at http://www.dalerudin.com

Author: Dale Rudin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Spending time with your horse not only enables a close bond to develop between you both, but it also enables you to learn how your horse responds to situations and how they are in themselves. In time you will learn your horse’s body language. A happy horse will generally appear calm and be responsive to you. He will keep a low head, relaxed jaw and have soft eyes. A happy horse will seek affection from you and show respect by not invading your personal space. When a horse yawns this is not a sign of being bored, but a sign that he is calm and relaxed. You can tell by the way a horse holds himself if there is something wrong; a troubled horse will be reluctant to stand still and will hold his head high with a tense jaw and darting eyes. When a horse is anxious, you must let him settle in his own time without trying to force the issue – otherwise he could end up feeling trapped and even more stressed.

Grooming your horse gives you the opportunity to check him over regularly. You should perform regular inspections of your horse’s teeth, eyes, hooves and shoes as well as keeping an eye on his droppings. Any change in the normal should be reported to your vet at the earliest opportunity – any delay could cause you extra worry, expense and a potential claim on your horse insurance. It is also important that your vet has regular worming and vaccination appointments set with you. If you rotate medications you stand a better chance of killing off as many different types of worms and parasites as possible and also giving less time for them to build immunity. Colic, heart and immunity problems can all be caused by lack of suitable medication. It is important that your horse is vaccinated against rhinoneumonitis, influenza and encephalitis. Tetanus and rabies are also advisable, but not essential. If you are a regular with the horse trailers at horse shows etc, your horse may need to show a negative Coggins test, which is for a serious equine virus called equine infectious anaemia (EIA) for which there is no cure or treatment.

Having regular farrier visits is also essential for a happy and comfortable horse. It is important for your horse’s comfort, mood and performance that you do not allow his feet to get too long and unbalanced. Your horse will need his hooves trimmed by a farrier at least every eight weeks; sometimes more often is necessary.

Your horse will need a blanket or coat during the wet and cold winter months and during the summer, a fly protective horse sheet or mask is advisable. If your horse is prone to lathering during or after exercise then it may be best to use a horse cooler until he has calmed down. Drinking water directly after exercise could put a horse’s body into shock. When you have been exercising your horse, allow him to cool down sufficiently before a meal. After eating you should give your horse at least an hour before exercise.

Horses need to have a purpose, whether it is riding, showing, therapy, carriages or dray. Horses love to be needed. It is important for a horse’s sense of purpose and focus that he receives regular praise – especially when young – for performing simple tasks such as simply standing still or in the right place. As horses are naturally inquisitive animals, they will become more brave, positive and confident the more new experiences you introduce to them.

A horse is a beautiful and magnificent creature that deserves a good home for life with excellent care. As a horse owner you have a responsibility to provide the best healthcare possible for your equine companion.

Keeping a horse can be a very expensive business, and without good horse insurance provided by a specialist equine insurer, it is possible to quickly run into financial problems if your horse should become sick or sustain an injury. Providing the very best for your horse will reap you the rewards of love, loyalty and devotion from your equine companion.

Compare or buy AFI Horse Insurance online – Professional Horse and Rider equine insurance specialist. We take your horses insurance seriously

Author: Stephanie Andrew
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Each horse is different in how it learns and how it reacts to outside stimuli. Certain methods of horse training may apply to some horses, but it does not mean that it will be effective to all breeds of horse.

To start horse training you must develop a communication system with the horse. This might take time. In the same way as children may not fully grasp the idea of things at an instant, baby horses in training may not get every pressure, pat or way of holding the reins at once.

When you apply a certain pressure, you expect a certain response. During horse training, you must make the horse understand that a certain pressure should elicit a corresponding response. We don’t expect full compliance in the beginning, but as time goes by, these actions will be part of the horse’s vocabulary.

Throughout the course of the horse training, one by one these actions will be added to his vocabulary. But these actions should still be broken down into minute details that the horse can take in one at a time. Learn how to pace with each individual horse. Training is something that should be done slowly and surely.

You must also learn how to “speak” to your horse in a way that it will be able to comprehend. This manner of speaking would mean fewer words and more body language.

Horses are herd animals. They learn well by imitating the leaders of the herd. You should be that “leader” your horse will follow. Patience is a key in training your horses.

You must also take into consideration that no one, animal or human, learns well when under stress. You should not force lessons into your horse during horse training. They don’t appreciate the yelling and whipping, especially if they do not know what all the harshness is for. Unlike humans who can speak their minds, horses resort to more physical responses. And you certainly wouldn’t want your horse to whirl, kick, strike and do out of hand movements.

You must create an environment wherein the horse can learn on its own, aside from the horse training that you give it. It is also important to see the difference between having been able to teach the horse something and it just accepting it. If a horse is relaxed when you do something, this does not necessarily mean that it is trained. This might just mean to it as another thing a human being normally does. Resistance at first is needed in order to see that the horse recognizes that something new is being taught to him.

The horse’s daily training routine should not be based on a set of particular things you want to teach to the horse. It should be based on how your horse reacts to your actions. Don’t teach something new to it without reviewing what it already knows.

Most importantly – don’t force your horse to go on horse training if it doesn’t feel well. A good routine does not only maintain the horse’s attention level, but also its comfort level.

Horses and Ponies Learn more at http://www.horseandponys.com

Author: Ray La Foy
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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