Trainer's Corner Archives – The Northwest Horse Source

Trainer’s Corner: Force or Fear as Motivation?

October 25, 2024 by Ben Longwell

Good Training Focuses on the Mental and Emotional State of Horses Many times, as we work with our horses we have a physical goal in mind—we want them to accomplish something specific such as getting in the trailer, standing still or moving when told, or performing a flying lead change. …

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Trainer’s Corner: Does Your Horse Come to You?

August 19, 2024 by Kim Roe

My gelding Exodus learns to connect eyes and ears in a “whoa/stay” with liberty trainer Donna Kelleher. This connection becomes a powerful reward to a horse. Photo by Kim Roe

How to Create an Easy-to-Catch Horse One of the more satisfying moments in horse ownership is standing at a field gate, calling your horse, and have him break into a canter and come joyfully to you. By contrast, it’s frustrating to find yourself walking after a sour-faced horse who turns …

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Trainer’s Corner: Get the Most from Your Training Dollars

April 22, 2024 by Mark Bolender

Photo by TooTrickPony.com

Have Clear Expectations and Good Communication Deciding to send your horse out for training is a huge commitment and financial expense. When you put your horse in training it’s important to define your expectations. Select a trainer who specializes in the discipline you’re interested in pursuing. For example, we train …

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Trainer’s Corner: Do a Pre-Ride Safety Check

February 21, 2024 by Scott DePaolo

Correctly fitting protective headgear is always a good idea for safety while riding.

Pay Attention to Four Crucial Areas It was an ordinary late summer day—dry and warm, the perfect moment to be on horseback. We had been riding daily since mid June and had led almost 1000 kids, ages 8 to 10, out on trail rides. Most of them were first-time riders, …

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Trainer’s Corner: What to Do When Your Horse is Wrong

January 27, 2024 by Anna Blake

Photo Courtesy Anna Blake

Affirmative Training Shapes Behavior It started the way it usually starts. Either the horse looked to the side or the rider pulled on her horse’s face. It’s the fundamental disagreement; the rider thinks it’s her right to control the horse and the horse doesn’t like having metal jammed on his …

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Trainer’s Corner: My Journey with “Journey” the Mustang – Part 4

November 10, 2023September 13, 2023 by Matt Livengood

Matt and Journey the Mustang. Photo Courtesy Alayne Blickle.

Competition Day and Beyond At the end of our last article, I’d been out of town judging shows and wishing I had more time to prepare my mustang, Journey, for the upcoming Mustang Mania Trainers Challenge (see the July/August issue). These mustang competitions demand a solid, trusting relationship between horse …

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Trainer’s Corner: My journey with “Journey” the Mustang – Part 3

November 10, 2023August 15, 2023 by Matt Livengood

Matt and Journey the Mustang. Photo Courtesy Alayne Blickle

Competitions and Opportunities Highlight Mustangs’ Qualities At the end of the last article, I’d finally saddled Journey, my formerly wild mustang who I was preparing for a 90-day competition, with a full-sized saddle after starting him with a kid’s saddle. Then life happened, and I had to be gone for …

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Trainer’s Corner: My Journey with “Journey” the Mustang – Part 2

September 12, 2023June 26, 2023 by Matt Livengood

Journey on Arrival. Photo Courtesy Matt Livengood

From BLM Holding to Accepting a Saddle In my first article in this series, I introduced you to Journey, my 4-year-old (formerly) wild mustang. I chose him by looking through photos of available mustangs for a 90-day mustang competition where competitors gentle and then ride wild horses. I brought Journey …

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Trainer’s Corner: My Journey with “Journey” the Mustang – Part 1

September 12, 2023April 15, 2023 by Matt Livengood

Matt and Journey. Photo courtesy Matt Livengood.

What is a Mustang? Mustangs are the wild horses of the American West. When most people think of wild horses, they think of stallions rearing and fighting with a band of mares and foals watching intently. Or maybe they think mustangs are a thing of the past—those great herds of …

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Trainer’s Corner: Seeking Unity

June 13, 2023February 24, 2023 by Kim Roe

Photo Courtesy Kim Roe

Step One: Say Hello “We are taught to watch or feel for external changes in the horses we work with but pay little attention to the internal changes. Even when we do look for internal changes in the horse, we often are paying little attention to what is going on …

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Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

Thank you for supporting the businesses that support The Northwest Horse Source

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