Young Horse Training

 
   
       
go to home pageKeith Hosman's biosend us an emailJohn Lyons links and morestep by step horse training email
go to: homepage go to: homepage go to: homepage
 
 

Sign Up Today!

If your horse is buddy sour or won't speed up, slow down, or pick up its leads, you missed the latest training methods from John & Josh Lyons. Sign up here to get step-by-step lessons emailed every month free.

country

Note: We will not sell you out to spammers.

Sample Our Newsletter
"An Exercise For When You Can't Ride," Issue 1, part 3 of our FREE monthly newsletter

From our Horse Ground Training Series:

(sign up / read more)

 

From John Lyons Trainer Keith Hosman

 
 

Trailer Training Horses
A Downloadable Book

A sample from Day 1:

 

- Print out from home
- 5 Days, 5 chapters
- Learn at your own pace

Just $4.99

For more info:
this course | all courses

Available Downloads:
"Stop Bucking"
"Rein/Speed" (for Nervous Horse Owners)
"Round Pen First Steps"
"Trailer Training"
"Your Foal: Essential Training"

 

clinic infowhat people say about our clinicsshop online
browse article archiveperuse articles from outside writersfind training by relevant topicsee past issues of the newsletterhorse training courseslisten to training audio clipswatch free horse training video clips
Horse training courses teach trailering, round penning, how to deal with bucking and speed control.
Lyons Training 101

Issue Number:  One
Get Control of Your Horse

written by Josh Lyons & Keith Hosman
 


Print This Article for Free
(This is a large file and it might take a moment to load. Note: The article might be paired with another.)
See Complete List of Horse-Training Articles
See related articles & products
Tell A Friend (Click to send them an email)
Link to this Article (Click for code and instructions)
& lead directly to your country's eBay site for current listings of related products selling near you
Find this article faster next time:  

 

 
Issue One, Part 5 of 5
The Steering the Tail Exercise:
What To Do If
 
Note: This is a follow-up article to the “Steer the Tail” exercise. (Think of this one as "Part 2 of 2.") Find that other article at Horsemanship101.com/Articles.

The “Steer the Tail Exercise”: What You Should Expect The “Steer the Tail” training exercise will have the effect of awakening your horse to the touch of the rein. Following patient practice, you’ll find your horse calmer, softer and more willing to keep a bend in his body. Plus, you’ll have a way to teach him to turn - not drift - through his circles. For all horses, young and old.

Best Start For An Unbroke Horse

• Round Pen Work
• Spooking, Catching
• Sack Out, 1st Ride
• Stopping & Backing
see more

       

Buy now: $148.99

What If?... If you get a slingshot action with the horse’s head, where you pull it back and they give but immediately throw it forward, then move your hands a little slower. Hold on longer, move slower to give back. Make them hold a little longer, until they really soften up, then slowly give it back and change direction.

Why Am I Doing This Again? Your horse “powers himself” from the hindquarters. Being able to “disengage” the hips allows you to unplug that power or use it to your advantage. You can move the hips to discourage your young horse from bucking or rearing. This training exercise also gives you a terrific way to begin teaching direct reining or reinforce your direct rein if your horse misses a turn: Pick up the rein and say “No, we’re going THAT way.”

Keeping The Following In Mind Will Help You: A horse always has one good side and one bad side. The problem is that it keeps changing. The left side might be good now and the right side is the bad side. You’ll work on that for fifteen minutes – and all of a sudden the right side is the good side and the left side is the bad side. It’ll keep going back and forth. Smile, it’s just part of training.

Common Mistake: Doing a U-Turn instead of insisting that the tail pivot around the shoulders like the hands of a clock. Watch that inside shoulder until it stops – that’s when you’re moving the hips correctly. Remember to time your release in order to let the horse know that that’s what you’ve been looking for.

Don’t: Ride in a straight line. You shouldn’t take more than two steps in a straight line before turning. Getting a young horse to travel straight is a perfection of going left and right. If I can’t get my horse to travel straight, it’s because he’s either going left or right. If he’s going left when I’m asking him to go straight, that means he’s not responding to my right cue. (That is “turn right.”) So in your training you should work on going left and right. The more you work on left and right, the easier “straight” is.

Do: Sit up. If your nose gets beyond that horn your body will get out of position. If he stops hard or does something, your body will have a tendency to fall forward. If you’re kicking and that horse isn’t moving, you keep bumping and pick up that rein. If you bump and he’s not moving, keep bumping, don’t bump harder, pick up that rein and make him move. That rein is more powerful that your legs are. Put more pressure on that rein and have that hip move over. If a horse locks up and you keep driving him with your legs what is going to happen eventually, if he does go, you’re going to get too much energy. He’s going to lurch forward or bolt or jump on you. What will happen is that you will put too much energy into your horse too fast and you can lose control of him.

Do This Exercise Until: While you’ve never actually “completed” any exercise, you should do this one until you can pick up either rein and the horse immediately responds by planting his inside leg while moving his hip around smoothly. His neck should be relaxed, slightly bent and carried at the proper height.

Number One Training Mistake We See: It is very important that you do not stall out after the horse plants his leg and swings his hips. You might have the tendency to stop and congratulate the horse for doing it right. While it is always important to praise your horse for completing an exercise correctly, DO NOT STOP WHEN YOU RELEASE THE REIN – PUSH HIM OUT RIGHT AWAY. If you do not, your horse won’t get lighter, instead his legs will begin to move more and more sluggishly. Think LaBrea Tar Pits.

End of Issue One, Part 5

 
 

 

***

 

Read previous article: Riding Exercise: Steer the Tail

Read next article: How Long You Should Ride

See Complete List of How-To Articles

***

 

Related Products and Articles
 

To see articles and training products related to the article you just read, see the following topics:

Barn Sour
Buddy Sour
Connect Rein to Ear
Connect Rein to Feet
Connect Rein to Hip
Connect Rein to Nose
Connect Rein to Shoulders
Hip Control
Shoulder Control
Turning

See over 300 equestrian-related training topics

***

 

Related Letters
 

See related Questions & Answers (letters from readers like you)

 

back to top

 

***

Disclaimer: Equine training can be a hazardous activity which may subject the participants to possible serious injury. Keith Hosman, his associates, and other trainers listed on this site will not assume any liability for your activities. Our newsletter, books and videos provide general information, instruction and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. No warranty is given regarding the suitability of this information, the instructions, and techniques to you or other individuals acting under your instructions.

All Rights Reserved (TM) 2009, horsemanship101.com
No part of this website, including newsletter material and photos, may be reproduced without our express written permission.


Get the performance and relationship with your horse you desire. We'll automatically let you know when a clinic's coming to your area when you sign up for our free training newsletter, (upper-left sidebar, this page).

horse tack shops | horse miniature sale tack | horse tack equipment | western tack stores | show tack western | horse tack and saddle | equestrian catalogs | arabian horse tack | bit horse tack | bit horse western | how do you teach a horse to stop | how to teach a horse to bow | how to teach a horse to neck rein | how to teach a horse to pivot | teach a horse to pull a buggy

 

 

PRIVACY POLICY

Lyons Training 101: Issue One, Part 5
"Young Horse Training: Steering Your Horse"
bookmark Horsemanship101.com for more info

 

AUDIO CLIP
Listen to Josh Lyons

Click Josh's picture to play
"Soft Neck Top Priority"

Soft Neck Top Priority

Note: Audio clips are large files and may take several moments to load.

Read Josh's bio

 

Josh Lyons

One of the most sought-after clinicians in his own right, John Lyons' son Josh has produced a winning DVD series for the performance horse owner.

 

Josh Lyons Foal Handling
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Teaching Tricks
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Spins and Shoulder Control
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Leads and Lead Changes
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Sliding Stops and Rollbacks
Buy today: $38.99


 

Josh Lyons Teaching Series
Buy today: $158.99



Essential John Lyons

There are certain products that every long-time Lyons fan carries in his equine tool kit. They're the "gotta haves." Here are a few essentials - as recommended by this John Lyons Certified Trainer, Keith Hosman.

 

Bringing Up Baby
Buy today: $23.99

Help Me Help My Horse
Buy today: $25.99

John Lyons Reins
Buy today: $41.99


John Lyons Audio

Don't waste another moment sitting in traffic! Listen to John Lyons discuss simple solutions to common horse problems.

 

Conversations with John Lyons
$98.00


 

Fear in the Rider, Fear in the Horse CD
$28.99


 

Getting Your Horse's Attention CD
$28.99


 

Horse That Bites, Abused Horse CD
$28.99


 

Sensitive Ears, Mouth, & Feet CD
$28.99


 

The Calm Down Cue CD
$28.99