Posts Tagged ‘Paying Attention’

Working with horses can often be difficult and even scary, as horses engage in bad horse behaviors that not only make them annoying but make them unsafe. These behaviors can include biting, kicking, being pushy on the ground, or worse bucking and rearing. The best way to minimize the chance your horse will be pushy like this is to lay a solid foundation that puts you in a leadership position with the horse. Here are five horse training tips to help you achieve this.

1. Have a good lead

A horse that respects you leads well. This means that the horse follows you at a short distance just off your shoulder. Most people lead from the left side of the horse, so he should be just to the right of you with the tip of his nose just at your shoulder. He shouldn’t pull on the rope or drag, and he shouldn’t blast out ahead of you. If a horse drags on the rope, stop every now and then and ask for a backup. This puts a cost into his bad horse behavior. On the other hand, if he tends to walk faster and pass you, change directions when he does this so that you can put yourself back in front of the horse.

2. Teach your horse to relax

Remember that horses are prey animals, so they’re always on the lookout for the next threat. A horse with his head up high is one that is tense and looking for something about to eat him. A horse that is relaxed has his head low and is probably more interested in finding some nice greens to graze on. Teach your horse to relax on cue by lowering his head.

3. Use round-pen training

Here is an important horse training tip-one of the best ways to establish leadership is to use the round pen. This is best done “at liberty” without the lead line or halter on the horse, so you control his movements without using tools-just body language and presence of leadership. Few techniques work as well to get a horse to trust and respect you. This is often called “hook-on” in the roundpen or as Monty Roberts calls it, “join up”.

4. Keep him paying attention

Another important tool to use when training is to keep your horse paying attention. If he is looking off in the distance when you’re working with him, bump the rope to bring his nose toward you so that both eyes are focused on you. Look at the ears. Is one ear acting like a radar dish probing the distance to check for threats? Or are both ears forward on you? If they aren’t on you your horse isn’t devoting his full attention and this needs to be corrected.

5. Don’t just ride off into the sunset

While riding, take the time to run through exercises that keep your horse listening to you, such as flexing and having him move the hindquarter and front. By keeping him listening to you, he is less likely to look off in the distance checking for the newest threat.

By applying these horse training tips, you can start to build a sold foundation with your horse that is gentle, yet teaches respect and leadership. A horse that respects you and sees you as a leader is far less likely to engage in bad behaviors.

For more information, please visit Gentle Horse Training. If you’re an iPhone user, please see iPhone Horse Apps

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Many of the following mistakes made with horses were ones I made over the last 40 years, but luckily for me, some of them were tales I’ve heard from other people. Hopefully, readers can learn and avoid some of these problems themselves if they haven’t already made the same mistakes!

Not paying attention to a horse’s body language can be painful. Standing behind an alpha mare brushing her tail was no problem until another horse walked into her space. She gave warning to the other horse by laying her ears back and shaking her head, but the warning was ignored by the groomer as well as the other horse, and the next action was a kick. Unfortunately, it didn’t land on the transgressor but on the groomer’s leg and taught her to pay attention to what was going on in the immediate area and to pay attention to her horse.

Not giving a new horse time to settle in and get used to new people and new facilities can start a new relationship off poorly. A young horse was hauled about 600 miles to a new owner who took it off the trailer, saddled it, and proceeded to try to go for a ride. The next several months were spent trying to sell the horse that bucked the rider off. It pays to be considerate of a new horse and let it get adjusted.

Horses need to learn to move away from pressure instead of leaning into it which they tend to do naturally. If you slip up and let the horse into your space uninvited, a foot underneath a hoof may occur and it sure helps to have a horse that will move away from a touch on its side instead of leaning even harder on your foot!

A scared horse is not going to go willingly up to or by something it’s afraid of. Forcing the issue can lead to a spin and bolt, squirting by the object as fast as possible, or even lead to rearing and other evasion tactics. Spending time letting the horse face the object and doing advance and retreat, moving its feet and letting it gradually drift near the object but not forcing it to get closer will get better results.

A horse that is touchy about its feet and legs can really get upset if it gets tangled up in vines, ropes, or a fence. Many serious injuries to legs could be avoided if the horse had been gently and slowly desensitized to a rope touching and retreating around its legs. Leg injuries take a long time to heal and require a lot of intensive doctoring which means time and money.

Cinches loosen after being tightened initially. Getting on a horse without checking the cinch can land one in a pile on the ground, or if they loosen after getting on, can cause a wreck while riding. Saddles under a horse’s belly are not something most horses have been desensitized to, and that can lead to a real rodeo kind of action.

Horses that don’t readily give to pressure can step on leadlines and jerk their heads up so hard that snaps and hardware might break. Or they might get a leg over the leadline and take off. Holding on to a horse’s lead at that point is fruitless. They can drag you and you have no leverage to turn them. You might as well let go at that point. Teach the horse to give to pressure laterally, and down.

Another problem with horses that don’t know how to give to pressure is that they may learn to set back when tied and fight the lead until they break loose or hurt themselves. Teaching them to give to pressure is crucial and also it helps to “tie” them so that if they do have another pulling back moment, they line will feed out gradually instead of breaking or injuring the horse. This works well on a panel fence with a long line looped around a couple of the panel rails. Loop it enough times that it doesn’t come loose too fast but few enough times that it won’t be completely stationery. A twelve foot or longer line will probably be enough to give the horse the space it feels it needs without it coming completely untied.

Girths can break. They often do so at the most inopportune time, such as when your horse is running away with you after being scared by something. Perhaps it is the extra energy they put into the effort to escape that causes the failure of the tack, but it pays to check your equipment and repair or replace any that is worn. It also pays to have taught your horse that the word WHOA means “Stop, Now!”

Once you’ve had some of these things happen to you, it becomes obvious that you should have done something different and you will take steps to see that they don’t happen again. If you haven’t experienced any of these problems yet, you’ve either had great mentors to teach you or you haven’t had a horse for more than a few days and can learn from others’ mistakes.

Bonnie and her husband own Gemara Farm Foxtrotters located in Barnesville, Georgia. They currently have nine fox trotters of their own and practice natural horsemanship with them, and Bonnie coaches others. There are usually some fox trotters available for sale. http://www.gemara.homestead.com

Author: Bonnie Martin
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The Dutch Warmblood has made quite a name for himself over the past 15 years, and there are many very good reasons for this. Firstly, it is important to note that there are two very distinct types of Dutch Warmblood bred there today, one for dressage and one for show jumping, while the North American Dutch Warmblood Registry has line breeding ideas of its own for the hunting ring. One thing that remains true to form, however, is that there is a temperament and build of this breed for nearly every advanced equine sporting circuit in action today. The only realm that he has not been pushed toward so far is eventing, but we aren’t counting him out of the running just yet.

Over the past six years alone, the Dutch Warmblood has steadily gained favor in the dressage ring, and as of last year stood second in overall registry ratings only to the Hanoverian. The traits being pulled out of Dutch dressage horses are in high demand, and the breeders are taking note and paying attention. There will be a great amount of comparison and contrasting between the two breeds during the FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, as all eyes will be anxious to see if the Dutch can sneak out ahead of the pack this year. Suiting, though, considering that the Hanoverian was one of the finer breeds used to restore smoothness and refinement to the mechanized Dutch Warmblood after the first and second world wars were through with him.

The dressage temperament of the Dutch Warmblood is one of definitive patience, intelligence, and urgency to please. This was one of the original traits which made this breed so successful as a fine carriage horse during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. When coupled with the strong and elegant lines of a well conformed horse, these traits are difficult to match in the dressage ring.

The jumper class of Dutch Warmblood is strained more toward energy and stamina. It was early on in the breeding of the Dutch Warmblood that jumping emerged as an innate talent, and the refinement of this trait includes allowing a bit more tenacity in the temperament. Determination and a greatly courageous head are needed for the jumping circuit, and this breed gives his all under every circumstance. Lines are crossed with more certainty and intentionality each year, as the gentle disposition of this horse on the whole is one of his most desirable traits, and as such is being heavily protected against warming by hotter temperaments.

For more information about the world equestrian games and to find the best world equestrian games housing visit http://weg2010housing.net.

Author: Abbey Dale
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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The impression most people have is that you need to control a horses’ head in order to control them properly. This is why many trainers show a horse how to stop and start through the use of a lead rope or bridle. But what can you do if you don’t have these supplies? What method can you use to control the horse? If you have spent time chasing a horse around a pasture then you have likely asked yourself these questions.

People can learn to control the horse’s mind through the process of natural horse training. If you control a horses mind you won’t lose control, no matter what situation you are faced with. Natural horse training is a unique method that needs to be done properly in order to ensure success.

The process of training doesn’t use any form of punishment or obedience, but uses calm compliance. As a trainer, you need self-control and discipline to get your horse to willing follow your lead all the time. To achieve this, natural horse training focuses on developing a pattern and establishing a feeling of safety and comfort for the horse. By this description, natural horse training seems easy when in reality it is a very difficult program to learn.

Before you can start this training method, you need to get your horse to pay attention to you. To do this you also need to provide your horse with your full attention. Focus on what your horse is doing and don’t allow distractions during the training session.

Both you and the horse need to be in a position to concentrate and focus. If this is impossible to do for long periods of time, then you should start training in small increments and work up to longer periods. Ideally, you should start with at least ten minutes of training time.

In addition to paying attention to your horse, you also want to consider the feedback they are providing. Are the eyes and ears signaling anything? What is the horse’s breathing pattern? Are their reactions similar to the last time you worked with them? By paying attention to these things you will be able to help the horse pay attention to you. Find a trigger that gets your horse to do what you want them to do willingly and then use this continually.

Rhythm and relaxation are key when it comes to natural horse training. Your movements as you approach the horse should be rhythmic. Be relaxed when approaching the horse or stall. Your breathing plays a vital role and should be carefully monitored. Horses are keen to your actions and they will sense if you are tense. If something unusual or unplanned happens this relaxation and rhythm is very important.

After mastering these two simple key features then you can advance in natural horse training. Although don’t be disappointed if things are perfect in the first day or week. Often times it can take several months before horses learn a non-predatory system through natural horse training. While it is known as natural horse training this doesn’t mean that it will come naturally for all people.

In order to naturally control your horse you will need to have the appropriate mental self-control. This is where you will need a lot of hard work. Many successful natural horse trainers have years of experience. So if your first try doesn’t result in success then don’t get discouraged. Simply remember to take your time and be patient, this way your horse will be patient with you. When you do this, you can soon see the benefits that natural horse training has to offer.

Sheryll Walker is a horse enthusiast, helping numbers of people to learn secrets of Natural Horse Training.

To discover more helpful tips on Young Horse Training and learn more about Natural Horse Training, visit http://www.HorseTrainingHelp.com.

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Author: Sheryll Walker
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Horse groundwork training is a vital part of getting your horse ready to ride. You should begin with three goals in mind. First, you want to become a leader for your horse. Horses naturally look to a leader as they are herd animals in the wild. For safety reasons, you want to assume that leadership role. Otherwise your horse is going to be making the decisions, like when to run away when he hears something scary on the trail. He’s also more likely to exhibit bad horse behavior if you haven’t established leadership. With leadership comes respect from the horse, and a horse that doesn’t respect you is more likely to rear, buck, and bite among other problems.

There are three simple horse groundwork training exercises you can do to establish leadership. The first that should be done is round pen work ala Monty Roberts “join up”. Take your horse to a round pen and take the lead rope off. Then send him out to your left at a canter. Have him go around about five times and then ask him to change direction and go around to the right. As he is going around apply pressure-swing your rope at the hip and maintain eye contact at the withers. At this point, start looking for signs of acceptance from the horse. This will be communicated to you with four basic gestures. An ear on you indicates respect-the horse is paying attention to what you have to say. Next comes licking of the lips or chewing. This is a sign of relaxation, which really means that the horse is not feeling any fear-or more to the point he trusts you. When you see these signs, take some of the pressure off-stop swinging your rope and back off a little bit. The horse may indicate increased trust by dropping his speed down and circling at smaller distances. The final sign to look for is the horse dropping his head. When a horse drops his head, this is a submissive act that says “you’re my leader” and “please let me join the herd”. When he does this, take eye contact off the horse, walk backwards away from him in a spiral pattern, and exhale. This will bring the horse to a stop. Now you can approach the horse and get him to hook on (follow you without a lead rope).

The second horse groundwork training activity to include in your routine is simple leading. Put a lead rope on your horse and just walk around. Look for signs of disrespect: crowding, edging past you as you walk, and taking two or three more steps when you’ve come to a stop. If your horse indicates one or more of these signs, spend a few minutes each day walking backwards away from your horse. This way you can only be in front of the horse as he’s being led, and he will see you as a leader in his mind. Occasionally ask for stops by stopping, raising both hands with palms out and exhaling. While you’re doing this, make sure the horse has both eyes on you. If they are not you he is not paying attention (disrespect), so bump the rope to bring his nose on you.

Once leadership, trust, and respect have been established, its time to turn your horse groundwork training toward preparing a horse to be ridden. The goal now is to set up a set of cues that will be given to control and direct the motion of the horse, and teach him these cues on the ground. The cues given use a pressure and release reward system. Pressure is the cue to move, release of the pressure is a reward to the horse that reinforces the desired response. The main areas we want to work with are: moving forward and backing up, moving the forehand over, moving the hindquarter over, and disengaging the hindquarter.

Let’s start with moving the forehand. To move the forehand, apply pressure between the jaw and withers in the neck area. When the horse takes a step away from you, release. Do the exercise on both sides. Then repeat with the hip area. Disengaging the hip is a process of applying pressure to the hip and having the horse circle his hip around while keeping his front legs in the same location. His hind legs should cross over one another. This is called “disengaging” because we are taking away the forward impulsion of the horse-when his hind legs are crossing he does not have the balance necessary to move forward.

Backing up applies pressure alternatively to the opposite sides of the face. Shaking the lead rope will do this, or you can apply pressure with your hands (in the air just by the nose). To ask the horse to move forward, you can do a driving exercise. Stand at the midsection to the left of the horse and put your riding or carrot stick over his back. Point forward with your left hand and tap the back of the horse with your tool. The tapping is “pressure” asking the horse to move forward. When he starts moving, you can release the pressure.

The final groundwork exercise you can use to prepare for riding is lunging. The focus of lunging used in this way is not to wear down the horse, but rather to build communication. To do this you will start the horse moving at a walk and ask him to stop periodically. When he is doing that well in both directions, then begin to include trotting. At first, have him start at a walk then ask for trotting, then work on having him drop down from a trot to a walk. Then stop again. Mix it up so your horse is never sure what you’re going to ask (keep him paying attention). When he is doing this well, begin including cantering in the exercise.

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

Author: David McMahon
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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