Helping the Fearful Horse by Mark Bolender Mastering the teeter-totter is, for the most part, a simple task for the horse and will only take a few minutes. However, if it has been improperly taught it can be difficult to correct. I have had three very tough horses to … Read More
What Makes a Horse Easy to Train? by Kim Roe Put a group of horse people together and the talk turns to horses. We grumble about our training difficulties and rejoice in the successes. Easy horses make us feel like great trainers and the hard ones teach us lessons. … Read More
“I am afraid my wife won’t come home one day from the barn. I just want her to get rid of that dangerous horse”, Wendy’s husband said to me as he pulled me aside. “I’ll do everything I can to help” I replied trying to reassure him. Wendy first contacted … Read More
The change in Star was amazing after his chiropractic adjustment! His eyes softened along with his countenance and attitude. I had not realized he’d been subtly trying to tell me he was in pain. For instance, after his chiropractic adjustment he stood quietly for saddling with no fuss or fidgeting. … Read More
Now that Star can back-up with the slightest jiggle of the lead rope (read A Star Reborn Part 1) it is time to begin desensitizing him, teaching him to lunge with changing direction and perform a one-rein-stop on the ground which will translate under saddle as his emergency handbrake. As … Read More
When he arrived his mane was dread-locked, his body covered in numerous flesh wounds and his knees were skinned. The beautiful buckskin paint Arab had just been gelded at the age of 5, only two weeks before coming to my place for training, (that explained the skinned knees). Frightened and … Read More
Maintaining and Developing Your Performance Horse by Theresa Rice With this month’s focus on performance horses, I wanted to give a perspective that some may not have considered: The-do-it-yourself (DIY) performance horse owner. Many performance horses are in full time training with a professional trainer. However, my performance horse … Read More
Part 3: The Importance of Your Posture, Position, and Timing by Gerry Cox As an aspiring horseman, I try to glean any piece of information I can and implement it into my daily routine with the horses I train. I will never learn it all, but I do attempt … Read More
Careful Training Leads to a Bold, Confident Horse by Mark Bolender Riding a horse through rugged mountain trails is something many people do on a daily basis, especially in the western United States. It’s anybody’s guess what sort of obstacles you and your horse might encounter on these trails, … Read More
Part 2: How to Teach Your Colt to Bridle by Gerry Cox Have you ever been assigned the task of teaching a horse to take his first bridle? When we were little kids on the ranch we used to lure the horses to the feed bin, talk the horse … Read More
