Leaning during circles
Check in the left hand link column for a page with diagrams and instructions on this problem.
Below you will find a video demonstrating taking a colt thru this training correction.
Trailer Loading
That seems to be a big trouble spot for many folks. One method that seems to be popular is to circle the horse at the trailer gate till he gets tired of it, and steps in.
But, in my experience, horses always have more patience and endurance than me. That's why when we go riding, the horse is carrying me, and not the other way around.
I prefer to teach them 3 signals, and to make those signals stick. Those three signals will allow me to guide my horse onto the trailer. The horse perfectly understands what I want, and neither one of us has to get sick and tired of the other.
These three signals take all the work out of teaching a youngun to load.
Get in shape for spring and summer riding
After a long winter lay off, my horses need a little bit of TLC to get them safely going again. This is the pattern I will most often ride for that. It is a busy pattern. Both my horse and me have to focus on staying on course... rather than the big boogie man around the corner.
Use a better Neck Rein
I see a lot of folks use a pulling rein while neckreining. This video explains how the neck rein works and why you should never move your hand back to change directions.
Excuse the quality of this video. The wind just seemed to always be in the right *wrong* direction.
Discipline... Part of training from Julie Slater on Vimeo.
We all want to bring our horses along slow and steady. But if we never raise the bar on what level of effort we are willing to accept from them, they will be happy to oblige... Giving us only the amount of effort they can safely get away with.
Discipline wisely to a advance your horse's skills. It is an important part of the training process.
Adjusting your reins from Julie Slater on Vimeo.
If you have ever tried to teach your horse something new, you will have found that the process takes a constant adjusting of rein length.
This is how you adjust your reins as fast as possible, from short to long, from long to short, one rein or both.
Two quick motions will enable you to keep your hands in the correct position.
This riding skill is essential to any rider, english or western.
Turnbacks from Julie Slater.
on Vimeo. Circling, stopping, backing, flexing, moving laterally... all practiced in one very valuable drill.
The turnback against the fence is my favorite exercise.
I use it on horse that are a little fresher than I like
or to hone any part of the above skills.
The beauty of this exercise is that the fence does a lot of your training for you.
The imortance of the correct foundations
A horse that has not been allowed to develop the correct foundations will never be as handy as he could be. If you think your horse is missing crucial fundamental training blocks, you might want to go back to the basics with him.
Haltering your Horse Correctly
This tip is part of the New Horse Owner Course.
If you would like to join this course, click here for more information.