Sample Our Newsletter From "How Do I Get My Horse's Attention?," Issue 1, part 2 of our FREE monthly newsletter
Re: horse owner resource
I could walk by my horse all day and he doesn't have to even recognize that I'm here - and it would be a waste of my time to ask him to do anything. But if I took a stick and started poking him, then all of a sudden it becomes a whole lot more important to the horse that "I'm here." When you ask a horse to do something, a lot of other things are going to draw his attention and it's important that you become more important, no matter what it takes. The horse has to fully recognize that you're there. That's important, otherwise, you can't get to the next step: You can't get him to respond in a certain way.
"You've all heard that you want to get your horse's attention first. That's nonsense. We don't care about the horse's attention; we really don't. I don't expect the horse to think about me before he does something. Have you ever been on a trail ride with your horse when the horse did everything you wanted him to do? What were you doing? You were looking around, talking to people, enjoying the ride. Did you care for even one moment what your horse was thinking? No, you didn't, because he was doing exactly what you were asking him to do. You didn't care what he was thinking because...
When he responds correctly, we'll hang up the phone. When perfected, it will appear he is performing by remote control. Sounds great - doesn't it?
Until then, we'll provide you with the tools to end your horse's problem behavior and develop lesson plans so your horse will respond every time you ask.
Section I: Ground Handling and Problem Solving
• You Ride the Horse You Lead
• Round Pen Preschool
• Basic Training for Foals (sacking out, feet, haltering)
• Don't Drag Me Off: Good Leading Manners
• Control That Hip (Gaining control of the horse's hip is the single most important thing you can do to gain control of the horse.)
Section 2: Giving to the Bit
• Understanding Giving (Have you ever wondered what "giving to the bit" is and how it works?)
• So, What Is A Give? (When we ask our horse a question, we don't want a "no" or "maybe." We want a resounding "yes!" That's a "give.")
• Commonly asked questions (How do you teach the give and deal with distractions, too?)
• Asking for a Baby Give (Get the mechanics down pat)
• Giving Spots #3 through #9 (Continuing the "giving to the bit" lesson unlocks the horse's neck muscles and is the key to upper-level performance.)
• Making Connections (Learn to speak to any part of the horse's body through the rein)
• "Hip Talk" (Put "giving to the bit" and "connecting" the rein to practical use)
Section III: Solutions to Common Riding Problems
• Head Toss Cure
• Kicking On The Trail
• Pre-Ride Checkout (A borrowed horse - can you control him?)
• It's a Cinch (A cinchy horse is unsafe. Overcome this problem with a careful plan)
Section IV: Putting Theory Into Practice
• Natural Isn't Always Best (We don't want our horses acting naturally.)
• Evaluating a Clinic (What should we learn by watching a training session?)
• Keep It Positive (Equestrian coach and competitor Barbra Schulte shows us how to teach ourselves cues to improve our performance.)
• Hallelujah! (Despite Lou's years of headshyness and pulling back, Hatsie taught her old mare new Lyons' tricks.)
• Catch Him First (Sometimes training begins before you catch the horse.)
• Training a Perfect Dog (Learning to train your dog could help you train your horse. The training parallels between horses and dogs will amaze you.)
Your phone number will be requested, but it is not mandatory.("Why Is That?")
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