Well that’s not exactly right. Your horse can’t read your thoughts but he can and does read the energy in your thoughts. To achieve success with your horse your horse back riding begins first in your mind.

It goes like this. Each and every thought you have carries emotional energy with it. This energy begins at your subconscious level. As your sub conscious mind has a feeling, thought or sense emotional energy attaches itself to it.

It it this energy that communicates with your horse. Before you ever even think of giving a physical or verbal command your horse is already responding to this sub conscious energy. This emotional energy transmits itself to your body and your body transfers it to your horse. In this way your horse back riding starts in your mind and communicates to your horse before you can even get a word out.

Think of it like water that is beginning to boil for your cup of coffee. The water is hot long before you actually hear or see it begin to boil. So if you try to touch the water, you can still get burned.  ( I know, not such a great example, but it was the only thing I could think of at the moment.)

Your successful horse training for the show pen, trail or horseback ride for pleasure begins in your sub conscious mind first!

If you want your western pleasure horse to move slowly and correctly then your subconscious mind needs to do the work before your body gets in the picture. Horse back riding is a ton of fun but remember to achieve success get your mind right before your body gets in the game.

Horseback Riding

To ride and show your horse in the western pleasure class it’s important to understand what the western pleasure gaits are and what they look like. AQHA has released an excellent video showing these gaits.

This is a great video from AQHA on the Western Pleasure Horse. Even though it is a 2006 video the principles are the same. Take a look at it.

Western Pleasure Horse

Winning Your Class Begins with Choosing the Right Horse

Showing to win begins with choosing the right horse.  Often we try to make the horse do the event we want them to  rather than choose a horse who is born with natural talent for the event in which we want to compete.

It’s a little like attempting to make a scientist out of a painter. Rarely does this work. Just like you, your horse has to have a natural talent and ability and then you build on this natural talent with training.

If you want to compete in western pleasure it’s important to learn what the judges look for in a western pleasure horse. Then when you buy a horse make sure you buy one that has the desire and ability to show western pleasure. This goes for any other event you want to show in.

However, you may find a horse who is talented in more than one event. There are many horses that are considered all around horses who have the talent and mind to compete in multiple events. The All Around Horse is  popular because many people like being able to show in multiple events when they pay the cost to attend a show.

Take a look at this video of an All Around Horse…his sire is Willy Be Invited. Willy Be Invited was top ten in the nation in western pleasure and hunter under saddle. That’s hard to do but he did it!

Choose your horse for the event you want to ride!

All Around Horse

With over 25 years in the Horse Industry I’ve seen 3 main methods used to get your horse trained.

Buying an already trained horse is not on this list. Let me explain why: First of all no horse is ever 100% trained. They need continual training and reminding of how to perform just like you and I need continual practice and exercise in anything in which we want to excel.

Second: I’ve purchased many horses that are supposedly trained only to get them home and find out they didn’t know nearly what I thought they should. Therefore they needed to be trained to my way of wanting a horse trained.

Not to say that you shouldn’t buy a trained horse, just remember that a trained horse is a subjective term. And even with the best of training, every horse needs continual training and work to stay in tune.

The 3 methods to Get Your Horse Trained:

1. Send them to a Professional Horse Trainer for Full Time Training
2. Train Your Own Horse
3. Combination Method >>>Work with a Professional Horse Trainer on a Part Time Basis and Train Your Own Horse on a Part Time Basis

I’ll cover each of these Methods in more detail in upcoming posts. Until then>>>

Take the Reins to Your Success

“In other sports, if you’re not having your best day, it doesn’t bother your equipment. Your golf clubs don’t care if you slice and your surfboard doesn’t care if you fall off.

Horses, however, care intensely. Remember, they’re counting on us to provide clearly consistent leadership-we are the ones who are supposed to know what we’re doing. So when they sense a wobbly, unbalanced, on-the-edge-of-control rider it troubles them. It shakes their trust and leads them to rebel against what they are being asked to do. And as typically seen, here’s where all sorts of horse behavior problems begin.”

Often when our horse is acting up we just assume it’s him who is having a bad day when in reality most of the time we need to take a look at ourselves first before we lay the responsibility on our horse. While this isn’t always easy to remember when we ask our horse for a nice slow lope and he goes into an out of control canter we’d do well to check in with ourselves first before we discipline our horse.

You can find it here on the AQHA site. They don’t really make it too easy to find and had I not rented it and watched it I would not readily buy it. But trust me this is a great video and whether you have a quarter horse or another breed, if you want to ride in the western pleasure class this is well worth your while.

http://www.aqhastore.com/store/product/7049/DVD-S%26S-WESTERN-PLEASURE-HORSE/

Jerry shared with me his view on the relationship and what works for him so I asked him to share it with you all.

From Jerry Pelikan:

“I can better serve the client if I know what motivates them: a Goal or a Relationship.  It also helps the owner get what they are really looking for from the trainer/owner relationship if they have a clear vision of their own expectations.

Goal oriented clients typically are very driven and focused on a reaching a particular goal or achievement. They understand the sacrifices that their ‘master plan’ may entail. For instance it could mean investing in a horse that’s more suitable for them in reaching their goal. Or it may mean aggressive show schedules, with the travel and expense this includes.

Often times mutually-agreed upon decisions have to be made, without much regard for feelings. This may also mean the trainer is required to push the horse and the person. This person is very ‘business-like’ in their approach.

On the other hand, the relationship-driven client typically has an emotional investment in their particular horse. They will adapt their goals to accommodate their horses’ talents…maybe they change to a discipline in which their horse is better-suited and therefore more competitive, so that everyone is happy.

In my experience, these types of clients enjoy a much more ‘hands on’ approach and thrive on being involved and doing some of the work themselves.  These folks typically enjoy bonding with their horse on a deep level.  The payoff is much more ‘internal’ for them, and it’s all about feelings and emotions, both theirs and their horses.

As a trainer, I try to avoid making any judgments on my client’s motivation.

But, in order for me to help my clients get the satisfaction they desire, it’s beneficial and necessary for me to understand what they’re looking for and their true goals.

Each individual type of person requires their own unique approach and overall program. As the trainer of both horse and rider it’s necessary for me to vary my game plan to meet the unique needs of my clients. Client satisfaction to one most likely is not client satisfaction to the other. I can’t achieve client satisfaction unless I know what that means to each individual person. ”

Jerry Pelikan
Performance Matters

I think Jerry is right on here. What about you?

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