All of my training sessions with my performance horses are about 30 to 40 minutes in length and follow a general outline: Warm-up Training Friendly time Training Friendly time and cool-down When I say, “friendly
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Tag: training tips
Reactive on a Group Trail Ride
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship It’s common for horses to ride well on the trail by themselves and get excited and ignore their riders when they’re in a group. When you get two or more horses
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Pinny-Eared Horses
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship When we see horses being worked and their ears are pinned back, we often assume the horse is cranky or upset. While that can certainly be the case, it’s not always
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Buddy-Sour Horses
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship Whether your horse doesn’t want to leave his buddies on the trail or overreacts when you take him away from his buddies at shows, use these tips to regain control and
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Bridle-Shy Horses
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship Many horses become wary of the bit and find ways to avoid being bridled because they’ve had their mouths hurt from the bridle being taken off incorrectly, allowing the bit to
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Training Tip: Avoid Losing Your Temper When Desensitizing Your Horse
By Clinton Anderson Training isn’t about emotions or feelings, it’s all business. It’s about how much the horse tries. Resistance is normal, especially when you’re introducing a new object to your horse. It’s very common
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Understanding Hot-Blooded Horses
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship While the Method works on all types of horses, every horse will require you to vary your approach slightly. I break horses into two broad groups – hot-blooded horses and cold-blooded
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Your Imagination is Your Greatest Tool
Courtesy of Downunder Horsemanship When it comes to training your horse, your imagination is your greatest tool. The more creative you can be in your lessons, the more interested your horse will be in his
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: One Step at a Time
Written by Clinton Anderson When you begin to teach the horse to load onto the trailer, the first rule is to completely forget about the trailer. Act like loading the horse onto the trailer is
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Mouthy Horses
Written by Clinton Anderson When a horse gets mouthy — he nips or nibbles shirt sleeves, jackets or the lead rope — the behavior is often brushed aside. This is especially true with young horses,
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Your Horse’s Head Position
Courtesy of America’s Horse Daily, Written By Martin Black Why do some horses have more trouble with their head position than others? This is a common issue with horse people, regardless of whether it’s a
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Kicking in the Trailer
Written by Clinton Anderson Because horses are prey animals, when they are made to go in tight, narrow spaces – such as a trailer – it’s natural for them to feel trapped and claustrophobic. When
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Introduce Scary Objects to Your Horse
Written by Clinton Anderson Trying to protect a horse from objects he’s scared of only makes the situation worse. I’m sure you’ve experienced this yourself. Your horse is afraid of fly spray, so you slowly
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: There Are No Shortcuts
Written by Clinton Anderson Too often, I meet people at tours or we’ll receive letters in the office saying that they have a problem that needs fixed. Everyone wants a quick fix, a magic cure that they can
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Training Tip with Clinton Anderson: Light Hands = Light Mouth
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Light hands, light mouth.” I disagree with that. I say, “Light hands that pick up softly and= hands that release quickly make a horse’s mouth light.” For example, you could
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