Posts Tagged ‘Lead’

My 24yr old "colt" always wants to be infront when we go on group trail rides and so I have to ride at least 30 feet in front of my friends when we go trail riding, and if we are trying to walk side by side or him behind the lead horse then he goes beserk and won’t go forward, his only gear turns into reverse and pivots-right in the middle of a narrow trail that has surrounded with stickerbushes and dry sharp branches that can get me and him seriously injuried. And when he does decide to go forward its at a full blast canter. How should I handle him and do excercises to make him be more relaxed with another horse on the trail?
PS. He is great alone on the trail, and is fine with other horses in the arena @ shows but its just the group trai rides that trouble him, we have cut down half his diet so he is not so hyper so that will help him be calmer.

I am looking at buying a green broke gelding. I have been riding many years and have done some training, but I want to know what to expect with a "green horse". I have been told that he does his walk, trot, and canter on the correct lead both directions but needs miles. He handles nicely on the ground. Are green horses usually less responsive? What will be my main challenges? Also, I’ll be working with a trainer once a week, so I’ll have extra help.

My horse is not blind and he already trusts me a lot. I want to learn how to lead him around blinded, what should I use to blind him, and how can I do?

Your horse runs over you or crowds you. He bites. Or maybe balks, bucks, or tosses his head. He won’t take the bridle, and he rears, runs away and bolts.

If any of these describe your horse, then you’re dealing with bad horse behavior. While each of these problems can have their own specific solutions, it turns out that by applying some very general but effective horse training principles, we can go a long way toward eliminating all of these problems.

When it comes to horse behavior, many problems can be reduced to one of two issues with the horse. If a horse is acting badly he is either:

1. Afraid (acting out of fear)
2. Dominant (acting in a way that disrespects you)

We can get around both problems by being an effective leader for our horse. If we are a strong and effective yet compassionate leader, our horse will not be afraid because he knows he can trust us. And if we are a strong and effective leader, a dominance-minded horse won’t be naughty with us. This can be done with proper ground training.

These days there are a myriad of ground training techniques. But its possible to identify a few key items you should be using on every horse that will help establish leadership. Here are five key methods that produce all around general results regardless of the type or horse you have or his disposition, or what type of “bad horse behavior” he is showing:

1. Lead your horse properly. When leading a horse on the ground, you’re not just walking from place to place-you’re using body language to communicate with your horse on multiple levels. By leading him properly, we can show the horse that we are a confident leader to be trusted-and someone that he must follow. A confident leader is one worthy of being followed-this helps build confidence in the horse that is afraid and shows a dominant horse that he is not the leader-you are.
2. At-Liberty Round-Pen Training. A great way to become a leader for your horse is to utilize at-liberty training in the round pen. By mimicking the behavior of the dominant horse in the herd, we can establish leadership in a way that not only speaks to the horse in a way he naturally understands, but in a way that gets rid of many problems like crowding, balking, being hard to catch, kicking, and biting.
3. Back Your Horse Up. Yes, backing up is a simple exercise, but it can be made challenging as well as basic. Not only that, its a sure fire way to build up trust with your horse, and to also show leadership by asking him to walk backwards where he can’t see.
4. Flexing. By practicing flexing on the ground, you train your horse to respond lightly to the reins and teach him how to respond to an emergency stop.
5. Get and Keep the Attention of Your Horse. If you’re the trusted leader of your horse-he is going to pay attention to you at all times. Simple exercises can be performed with your horse during groundwork training that make this automatic.

Building a solid horse training foundation with groundwork will allow you to eliminate fear, and prevent a horse from dominating you. by putting in some extra effort now, you can have a sfae and fun riding experience later.

David McMahon is a free lance author who owns 3 horses and writes about horse training issues. For more information please visit Mastering Basic Groundwork (Horse Training) [http://nmhorse.com/Basic_Groundwork.html].

Author: David McMahon
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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Yesterday, I led a horse named Elliot. When it was time for people to get off the horses in front of us, we had to start and stop over and over. I don’t like hitting horses and pulling on the lead rope hurts them, so help please?

I have started jumping low jumps with the horse I’m riding, and there is a big problem. Most of the time he lands and starts cantering on the wrong lead. I have to stop him and get him to start cantering again. This is a problem because I am going to start showing, and I might lease him.
Thanks!
He is not a young horse, he is 15. My riding instructor told me that he does not do flying lead changes.

A well-broke horse is a joy to work around. A horse that always tries to get his own way can be a nuisance. They can also be dangerous. Proper training can put the respect back in a horse and make him more enjoyable to work around. Training shows a horse that it is easier and more comfortable to do as we ask than to do otherwise. A horse should respect you and your cues, not fear them.

I’ve compiled a list of handy tips that if used consistently, should put the respect and trust back in your training program with a minimum of effort. As your horse gains in respect and understanding, you’ll find that he tests you less and less, making him easier and more enjoyable to work with.

If you are leading a horse and he tries to drag you, walk past you, or pull the rope from your hand, stop him and make him back five to six steps. Ask him to walk forward. Repeat the correction as needed. Once he understands that he will get corrected each and every time he tries to drag you, he will stop trying.

Teach a horse to respect you and your cues on the ground and that will carry over to work under saddle. If you teach a horse to respect a verbal “Whoa!” command from the ground, he should also respect that command when given from his back.

If you teach a horse to lead respectfully along side you, loading into a trailer should no longer be an issue. He will learn that he must go where you direct. “No” is not an option.

Use the law of opposites. If you’ve asked your horse to stop, and he tries to walk forward, make him back four or five steps. If you ask him to stop, and he turns to the left, turn him twice as far to the right. If he moves to the right, turn him twice as far to the left. If he wants to go forward, make him back a few steps. Enforce that you , not he, choose the direction of travel. You are the driver, not a passenger. Do not “give in” because it is easier. That teaches a horse that he can ignore your cues. It will become harder and harder to make your horse obey if you don’t enforce obedience each and every time you ride.

Remember that long standing habits will take more than just one correction to cure the horse. Do not get mad or punish him, just repeat the correction for as long as it takes. (It may take weeks, even months, but continue correcting each and every time.) Given enough time, most bad habits can be broken and replaced with good behavior.

If a horse refuses to cross an obstacle, dismount and hand walk him over it. Lots of patience may be in order, but spend the time until he will cross. It may mean that you have to hand place a foot, rub his neck to praise him to tell him he responded correctly, hand place the next foot, praise him, etc. Do not give up and let him win, but be sure not to get angry and react in anger. Patience is a virtue. Spend the time today to show him what you want. It takes as long as it takes. It will be shorter tomorrow, and even shorter the following day. If a horse trusts that you will never put him in a situation that will hurt him, and that he must always obey the go forward cue, you’ll find the horse will not only learn to cross that same obstacle, but many of the others that you place in front of him. Go forward means go forward. You are building trust and respect.

Ask a horse to do something three times, then go on to something else. Asking more than three times can cause a horse to think that he is being corrected. Asking a horse to perform the same maneuver over and over will make him sour on that maneuver. If that was his best maneuver, soon it will become his worst. He will learn to hate it if you ask him to repeat it over and over.

The easiest way to train a horse to do anything is to reward good behavior. You must let a horse know that he has done what you are asking of him. If you teach a horse to back up, and he takes a half step back, immediately release pressure and praise him. A small step today becomes a big step tomorrow and two steps on the following day. Ask three times and go on to something else. Ask again the next day. Training takes time!

If you ride in arena, and your horse tries to cut towards the center to make the circle smaller, make him circle to the outside, in the opposite direction from that in which he chose. Small circles are uncomfortable for a horse and he will try to avoid that which causes him to be uncomfortable. Make three tight circles to the outside, then continue around the arena. If he cuts in again, repeat the correction. If you correct him, each and every time he cuts in, he will learn that it is easier to stay on the rail.

Any time you correct your horse, remember that you have three seconds or less to correct him so he will associate the punishment with the “crime”. If you miss that three-second time frame, wait for the next time he misbehaves. Waiting longer than three seconds to punish a horse will confuse him. He will not understand what the correction was for.

Begin each ride with a short session of walking. This is not only good for a horse’s physical well-being, but it keeps him thinking mentally slow while you mount and begin each ride. A horse that is taught to walk off will seldom try to run off while you’re mounting.

End each ride by walking. Walking for four to five minutes after each ride allows the lactic acid (which builds up in the horse’s muscles) to dissipate so he is not muscle-sore the next day. It also lets him unwind mentally. This will teach him to begin and end each ride slowly and calmly.

Never dismount by the gate. A gate becomes a magnet to a horse. Many horses stop at one in anticipation of you getting off. Dismount in a different area every time that you ride. Keep him guessing as to when the ride ends!

Enforcing obedience develops a successful partnership between horse and rider. He learns what you expect of him and you learn what he will give. Always use a fair and consistent approach that enforces obedience and thoughtfulness. Both you and your horse will benefit. May all your rides be safe and enjoyable.

Author: Laurie Truskauskas-Knott
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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