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Starting Colts, Part 4—First Ride

July 21, 2010

The previous groundwork exercises will give your horse a good understanding of how he should behave under saddle, and the ground driving will establish a habit of giving to rein pressure and being controlled by the rider. So all that’s left is to climb on the horse, but there are still a few precautions to take and things to work through to make sure the horse is ready to accept a person in the saddle.

Starting Colts, Part 3—Ground Driving

July 21, 2010

Ground driving is an important step in preparing a young horse for being ridden, as it asks him to focus on the rider’s commands, yield to direct rein pressure, and covers the beginning basics of reining so that the first actual ride can be a much safer one.

Starting Colts, Part 2—Bitting

July 16, 2010

I have climbed on colts bareback with no headgear for their “first ride”. But I think I was lucky to not get into trouble with that. I have also ridden colts in a round pen with no headgear, while another trainer worked the colt from horseback, directing and turning the colt in the round pen. But if it’s just you working with the colt, my suggestion is to introduce the bit and work on him bending his head a little before you ride.

Starting Colts, Part 1—Saddling

July 15, 2010

Putting the first ride on a colt is an amazing thing to experience. Much forethought and preparation will make it more successful, because there is a bit more to training horses than climbing into the saddle and hanging on. I would like to share some tips for getting that first ride to be a good one. Always keep in mind that every horse is an individual, and will have certain needs and weaknesses that need to be worked on.

Bridling Basics

July 13, 2010

Some readers really need a firm grasp of the basics before they are able to work with a horse, so I’d like to explain how to go about putting the bridle on a horse. This is how a normal scenario of how bridling a horse should happen, but I would always remind you that every horse is different, each will react in its own way.

Cowgirl Essence

July 11, 2010

I think it’s something you’re born with….the horse thing is something that’s so strong you can’t ignore it. Horses give you a reason to wake up in the morning, a reason to get outside and breathe in nature, and a power to look past the small stuff and realize all you’ve accomplished that you can be proud of.

The Legend of Blacky Lawless

July 9, 2010

Last Saturday just after lunch, Cowboy Dad came driving up to the house and said, “Come on, hurry! We’ve got trouble. The cows are out and the bull and one calf are in with the neighbor’s cattle.” So I hurried to get my boots on and he loaded up my saddle.

Unexpected Outcomes

July 7, 2010

Part of working with horses on a daily basis is understanding that you cannot always control circumstances that involve a near-ton of weight on four fast-moving legs powered freely at the will of a flight-instinct animal.

Kokomo

July 6, 2010

In my years of growing up with horses, there was one horse who was there through thick and thin, solid and dependable, and forever golden in my memory….it was Kokomo. He was one of those ranch horses who require no pedigree to achieve greatness.

Lunging Advice

July 2, 2010

If you have ever worked with a colt on lunging, it can be one of the hardest concepts to teach, especially if the colt is a gentle, in-your-pocket type of horse. If the horse is really “hooked” on you, it’s going to feel really contradictory to your gentling process to have to make him go away from you. What you do need to establish is a cue, and follow it up with bodily actions that are “sending” actions that tell your horse it’s time to lunge.

Watching Airplanes

July 1, 2010

Yesterday was one of those beautiful balmy summertime days with a good breeze and lower humidity than usual. In other words, it was the perfect day for horseback riding. As soon as Cowboy Dad got home from work, he and the kids and I got the horses saddled and went for a little joy ride.

Common Sense at Horse Auctions

June 29, 2010

It’s a known fact that we horse people are a crazy bunch. But some of the stories I hear make me wonder if all of our common sense has been dropped in pursuit of gaining more horse sense, and the result is a bunch of daft idiots.

Knights of the Round Pen

June 28, 2010

I see a lot of round pens set up around the countryside today, and it makes me wonder if the people who have round pens really know what to do with them, or if they just have one because they have a horse? There are many uses for a round pen–whether you’re working on halterbreaking, lunging, separation issues, or just need a clean space to put a horse that’s recovering from an illness.

In It For the Horses

June 25, 2010

Twenty years ago I was just getting into training horses, and other than following the examples of my older sisters, I had one strong influence in natural horsemanship training. My teacher at Sunday School just happened to be the best horse trainer I have ever known or ever will know.

How to Buy A Horse

June 24, 2010

They say that it is easier for a woman to find the perfect husband than it is to find the perfect swimsuit. And I would say that’s about how hard it is to find the perfect horse. When you’re thinking of getting a horse, you need to know how important a “good fit” really is. So I’m sharing a few tips here to help a less experienced person find a horse that will be perfect for them.

Training With Patience

June 22, 2010

Have you ever been in a tough situation with a horse where it seems like to quit would be training him that he can get away with doing the wrong thing? It’s a principle we’ve all heard of before: Don’t let the horse win or he’ll fight you every time. But there’s quite a bit of evidence to the contrary.

Rewarding the “Try”

June 21, 2010

Training a horse can be really hard and really easy. It depends on how well you can communicate to the horse and how well you can read what the horse is thinking. If you can recognize the moment in which the horse is working for you and instantly reward him for it, it creates a trust and a learning progression that will develop a strong foundation in the horse’s training.

Blondie

June 16, 2010

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want a horse of my own. When I was about five, I picked out a mare named Blondie from my dad’s bunch of horses, and claimed she was mine. I don’t know where she came from, but she was a registered Quarter Horse. She became my first horse.

Join Up

June 16, 2010

Join up is a round pen method that is meant to bring a horse’s attention to the trainer, establish a sense of trust, and get the horse to allow the trainer to handle it. A horse’s fear and natural flight instincts are what join up is meant to overcome, so that the horse willingly accepts a trainer’s presence, touch, and handling. It establishes a good foundation for all other training that will follow.

When Country Wasn’t Cool

June 15, 2010

I have never been a “cool cowgirl”. I grew up so far out in the sticks that being in style was never on my agenda, and keeping up with the times was about twenty years in arrears. Whatever we threw on made no difference to the horse so it really didn’t matter to us. I’ve been looking through some old photos of me riding, though, and some of my outfits are good for a laugh.

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