Horse Training Lessons in Online Video Workshop

Horse Training Online Video Workshop

How to Train Your Horse and Improve Your Horsemanship Skills Goes to an Online Video Format…

New Technology now makes it possible to Learn How to Train Your Horse and Improve Your Horsemanship Skills from the comfort of your own home.

Now you can watch an online video with How to Instructions as often as you need to until you understand the concepts and actually turn information into knowledge.

Then as you practice the exercises that you’ve watched over and over again in the Video, with your horse your body and your horses body will turn the information into what is called muscle memory. Just like when you drive a car…your foot automatically knows when to put the brake on….

You will begin to learn how to ride your horse using this same muscle memory. Now you will learn an exercise and then be able to move on to the next exercise much more quickly because you are really getting it….rather than just having more information.

Information>>>Turns Into Knowledge>>>Knowledge Turns Into Muscle Memory>>>

The results…You Learn Horsemanship Skills – Faster – Better – Have More Fun – and You Will  Quickly Move On To Learning More!

Online Horse Training Video Workshop with Multiple World Champion Mark Shaffer. 8 Week Step by Step Training.

Join us – Head to this Link and Register. Time and space is limited.

http://www.railandpatternhorse.com/horsetraining

Horse Training with a Professional Horse Trainer [ Video]

Pros and Cons of Your Horse in Full Time Horse Training with a Professional Horse Trainer

In my previous post I listed three methods of  horse training and improving your horsemanship skills.

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

Today I want to cover the Pros and Cons of Method One; Your  Horse in Full Time with a Professional Horse Trainer:

Here’s what it looks like when your horse is with a professional trainer:

• • Your horse trainer rides your horse a set number of days per week
    
  • You set an appointment to see, ride, and watch the trainer ride
    
  • The trainer coaches you how to ride your horse
    
  • The trainer tell you which events to ride your horse in
    
  • The trainer tells you when your horse is ready for you to ride
    
  • The trainer tells you when your horse is ready to show
    
  • The trainer tells you if the horse is suitable for you

Your Horse in Training: Things to Like or Pros>>>

• 1. Trainer coaches you on how to ride
     
  2. Trainer fixes your horse’s problems
     
  3. Trainer gets your horse ready for you to ride
     
  4. Gives you a safe environment to ride and learn in
     
  5. Provides a social environment
     
  6. Trainer helps you make decisions
     
  7. Trainer can bring you along at your speed
     
  8. Trainer does most of the work for you

Your Horse in Training: Cons

Full-time board and training is expensive

Trainer trains the way they want the horse to go

Trainer bonds with your horse

You don’t get the feeling of achievement and satisfaction

No matter how well trained your horse is, when you get your horse home:

You must still learn how to ride your horse yourself; each horse is different with different personalities and different needs.

Many horse trainers have their specific program

Trainers don’t change their program to fit the horse

Trainers change the horse to fit into their program

You lose control of your horse

The horse trainer makes the decisions

You can’t see your horse on your timetable

You can’t learn how to ride once a week

There is no substitute for time in the saddle

The only way to achieve harmony and connection with your horse- spend time with him on and off his back – no one can do that for you!

Things to consider when making your decision:

• • Your short term and long term goals
  • Olympic competitors have a trainer/coach
  • World show competitors have a trainer/coach
  • Your budget
  • Your ability to let go of control to the trainer
  • There is no right or wrong – its just what fits for you
  • You can always change to another method

Do you prefer Video? I go over this method in this video>>>

Horse Training at its Best [Video]

This video inspires me to want to work with my horses more. Showing your horse in a performance event should be a reward for your many hours of work with that horse. You can see in this video that Clinton Anderson has spent many hours with this horse. And even though he competes in the reining horse events those of us who compete in the pleasure horse events can learn a lot from him.

My advice; never close your mind to a particular kind of training just because that trainer doesn’t compete in the same events that you do. A good horseman is a good horseman.

I hope you enjoy this video.

You can find this video on You Tube

Great Bridle less and Horsemanship Video

This is a great video of a horse trainer in Texas on a Mustang. Horses are truly amazing animals.

Enjoy!

Teach Your Horse to go Bridle Less

Lead Departures with Your Horse ( Video)

This is a good basic video on getting your horse into the correct lead. It also shows the first stages of getting a lead change on your horse.

Here are two URLs to find this video at You Tube

railandpatternhorse

Find it under the  Training List

and also at its original home site at :

eXhorses

5 Horse Trainer Rants and 5 Gratitudes

I’ve owned, bred, raised, worked with and been involved with quarter horses for over 10 years now and before that paint horses and before that a mixture of no particular breeds. I had my daughters involved in 4H and open shows when they were growing up. I got into breed shows when I owned paint horses and then quarter horses and starting showing at the AQHA breed shows.

After I started breeding and raising horses I really got more involved with professional horse trainers. I had young horses that needed to be trained, shown and sold for many years.

So I’ve built up a bunch of my own opinions on the horse training industry and things I like and dislike about horse trainers in particular. Not that you asked but I decided to share some of those rants and gratitude’s with you today….

Let’s start with the “rants” or said another way some of the things that drive me nuts about horse trainers.

These are in no particular order…just a general rant session..

My Trainer Rants

1.Trainers or worse yet trainers assistants lunging my horses

Now in general the horse is usually stalled if they are in training so lunging them is one of those good things to do to get them warmed up before the trainer or I ride. But allowing the horse to run wild on the lunge line, kick, buck, jerk on the lead rope, lope on the wrong lead and in general be out of control.  This I hate. My thought has always been, if I have hold of my horse in any way, whether leading, lunging or standing I expect them to show respect and know they are under my leadership. This is not the time to do what they want to do. If I want to let them loose to do what they want to do then I let them loose. I don’t hold onto them or attempt to lunge them and still allow them to run wild. I always have to retrain my horse when I bring them home from a trainer who has allowed them free rein on the lunge line.

2. Advising and leading a client to buy a horse for the trainer not the rider/ owner.

I’ve had it happen to me and seen it happen over and over again. A trainer may want a horse in their program for them to show in a particular event. So they get a client to buy the horse supposedly for them…the client / owner when in reality the trainer is only looking out for their own professional best interest. They want a horse to show in a particular event for that year. This has nothing to do with what the owner may or may not want. Clearly not a trainer who is really working for their client. These type of trainers need some good business skills training.

3. Either not allowing or not wanting the owner to ride their own horse…because they will mess them up

You own the horse right, you bought and paid for the horse, you pay for the horses feed, board and training. But your trainer does not want you to ride the horse because you will mess him up. And when you do they go behind your back and talk about how you messed up your horse after they have trained him. Well here goes guys…too damm bad. You are training the horse for the owner not for you so the owner needs to learn how to ride the horse and if one or two rides is going to mess up the horse then you are sadly lacking as a trainer. And its you who needs to go back to trainer school. Oh I forgot most of you don’t bother to go to trainer school. You just decide you are going to be a trainer and put your shingle out for us non suspecting customers who don’t know you don’t really know how to train. ( a bit harsh perhaps, but quite true none the less)

Now to be fair there is a time period when a trainer is trying to get something done that you may need to allow them to work on your horse without you riding the horse. But give me a break….it doesn’t take a year or even six months to get there unless the horse is an unfit horse for an amateur owner to begin with. I’m usually the first person on my young horses. Then when its time to really get down to business I send them out to someone who can sit a buck if they need to.

4. Hearing but not listening to me the client and what I want out of the relationship

When I hire a trainer I tell them about how long I’ll be there. I know my budget and I know how long I plan for the horse to be in training. I never lead a trainer on, if I want to get the horse ready to show to sell, I tell them that and I also tell them how long and how much money I’m willing to put into this horse to get there. If I’m not sure whether I want to sell the horse or keep it for myself, I tell them that as well. I still tell them about how long I expect to have the horse in training. I am always totally honest and up front.

But I still have trainers who think they know my budget better than I do and who think I’m somehow at fault when it comes time for my horse to go home… however they sure aren’t willing to give away their training time.

I even had a trainer tell the other clients in the barn to not help me with my horse at the last show of the year because I was taking my horse home. Now this trainer knew all along that I planned to take the horse home after this show so it was no surprise. So how childish was this??? and do you really think I will ever take a horse back to this trainer when he has that kind of business ethics and poor customer service. Hardly!

5. Telling me what my goals should be with my horses

So this is a little one but a big one as well. I have horses because I love my horses. I also love working with my horses and I love most of the experiences with horses. For me its not just about showing a horse. It is about the process, the journey, the ride. Showing my horses is fun and even having my horses shown and watching as the proud parent is fun. But it is not the end all of horse ownership for me.

So if I have a really good horse and I want to play with my horse at home and never show this horse. He is after all my horse and it is my right to do with my horse as I choose as long as my horse is not harmed. So get off my back. Your goals as a horse trainer have nothing to do with my goals as a horse owner.

Wow I think I have wanted to say these things for years. And there is more but I’ll stop here.

Now I know this is a long post but my mama said you had to say something nice about people and there is a lot that is nice to be said about trainers so here goes.

My Trainer Gratitude’s:

1. Riding the buck out of my horse

I’m a decent rider but a cautious rider and I’m not sure I can push my horse through some of the phases they have to go through to become a fully trained horse. I appreciate the trainer who is willing to put their life and limb at risk to ride and train my horse for me.

And yes I am paying them for this service…but I work my own horses and I know how long it takes to ride and really work a horse so let me tell you…when you sit down and figure out how much a trainer makes an hour…wow…most of us would not even flip burgers for that amount.

The job of horse trainer has to be one of passion because its dangerous, clients expect immediate results and are extremely personally involved with the process and the pay is lousy.

2. Show my horse and get them used to all the scary things in the show pen

Having had young horses for years now, I know that it takes a lot to not only get the horse trained but then to take them out to various show pens to get them acclimated to all the scary things a horse sees in these new places.

The trainer is willing to take the horse around, deal with their fits of oh my gosh that thing is going to eat me and oh no you are  not going to pass me on the rail. If the horse acts stupid then its the trainer who is on their backs not me. I appreciate their willingness to take it in stride and train my horse so that they are safe, sound and quiet for me to ride.

3. Act as my agent and help me sell my horse

I love all my horses and its always a hard thing for me to let go of any of them. But if you raise horses you can’t keep all of them…although I have tried. It’s very nice to have a trainer who will show your horse to their best ability, work with the potential buyer and handle a vet check and all the little things that come up in a horse sale.

4. Listen to my thought processes

Now for me this is huge. I think out loud…ask any of my children or husband. So I solve my problems and make my decisions by thinking out loud and talking with other people. Namely if it is about selling a horse, or working out a horse problem or how to do something with a horse, or making a decision which horse to sell or which one to keep –only because I bred them as a business to sell and must sell  some…

What a royal pain it must be for a trainer who has a client like me…and I know for a fact there are many of you just like me out there…

It takes a good listener, a good communicator and a patient trainer to not only train your horse but put up with all the interactions with clients as well.

5. For being a good coach

The Olympics are going on right now in Vancouver , BC and if you look you’ll see that anyone who wants to compete at this top level has a coach. It’s no different in horses. No matter what your breed may if you to show at a top level you must have a coach. Even if you want to stay local and show open shows…there is nothing like having a coach to help you.

Your horse trainer coach can see things you can’t see, know when you are about to make a mistake and help you avoid them. They bolster my confidence because I will try harder and do more daring things when they are on the sidelines giving me instruction than I will if I’m riding by myself.

I appreciate the trainers patience as they work with me to help me improve my horsemanship skills. There is nothing like having a good trainer who is also a good coach to help you achieve your goals as a rider.

Wow this turned out to be a book…Okay I best be off.

Please feel free to comment, add your rants and your gratitude’s. Maybe we’ll turn it into a book. LOL

Horse Lovers Goals May Be Simple

Yesterday I spent the day with a friend whose mare has just foaled a pretty filly for him by HH Redrock. The sun was shining and it was a beautiful day. The barn where the mare and foal reside is located in the unlikely middle of a busy suburban area south of Seattle.

The owner of the barn and I chatted about the upcoming show season and I asked her if she was planning to show this year. Her response to me; she wasn’t sure she would bother with the competition. She went on to say that what she really enjoyed was just being around her horses and watching them. Learning how to improve her horsemanship skills and even cleaning stalls and keeping her small farm up.

Her enjoyment was simple…being around her horses. Her horses don’t have to be top show horses or even a particular breed for her to find pleasure in them. She doesn’t have to have an expensive horse of top bloodlines and her horses don’t have to do anything but be. They bring her pleasure by being there and doing just what horses do. Eat, poop, roam around and look for a bit of attention once in a while.

It reminds me of how we as humans often look for purpose and meaning in our lives when really to God and our parents, children, grandchildren, wife or husband- all we have to do is just be…to bring them pleasure.

But I digress from my purpose which is horses and how they don’t have to do or be anything but horses for a real horse lover to find pleasure. We may choose to show our horse or we may choose to just let our horse hang out in the pasture and pet them as we go by in our day to day chores. It is often times the simple things that bring us the most joy.

Train Your Horse to Give to Pressure

Great Videos on training your Horse to Give to pressure:

Train Your Horse to Give to his head from both directions.

Warm up Horses for us Over the Hill Gang

You might be asking what hill is that? Well my hill is the over 50 age bracket hill ( I just can’t bring myself to admit to more than that)

and how is warming up horses different for me than you 30 somethings out there…here goes…

My horses and I have had the winter off from any real training or horseback riding so we are a bit soft shall we say. The snow has left us early this year making the ground in my outdoor arena workable so I’m beginning the process and believe me it is a process…of getting them and me ready.

In my 30’s I would have lunged them good and hopped on for a ride. Now I spend about a week slowly bringing them and me along. I start out in the round pen just letting them have a go around one way at a walk and jog and then the other way. Next I ask them to lope but only for one lap around and then let them go back to jogging. The first two  days are usually no more than 15 minutes as I allow them to warm up their muscles.

Since my muscles are soft and in need of building up I have to assume theirs are the same. Over the next week I gradually increase the time I’m asking them to work along with the exercises themselves. After the first couple of days I put them on a short lunge line instead of allowing them to move free in the round pen. On the lunge line I ask them to slow down and listen to me and begin to slow down to more collected gaits.

After their work on the lunge line and still working from the ground I ask them to side pass from both left and right, back up, give to their head both left and right sides, disengage their hip on both sides, turn on their forehand  from both sides and stand quietly without moving when I drop the lead line and ask them to stand.

I still put them out in the pasture for a while but I always take them back to their stalls first to ensure they don’t get the idea that as soon as we are through working they get to run and play. Otherwise it doesn’t take them long to begin to anticipate the play time that is coming and want to speed things up to get to this play time.

Somewhere along this week I’ll put the saddle on them as we do our ground work so they can get used to the feel of it on their backs again. At the end of the week they are more ready to get to work under saddle and so am I. They are showing me respect and listening to what I’m asking of them and they have gradually been asked to work to the next more difficult step so the final step with me on their backs is just one more next step.

Which one of us is this process for you might ask, the horse or me?

Well I’d answer..I’m not a trainer and I don’t have a 30 year old body anymore and I need to be safe so this works for me and them.

If you ride your horse all winter then you don’t need this warm up time but you still need the ground work exercises. All the good clinicians I’ve ever heard are big on doing ground work and working with my horses through the years I’ve seen how important it is. More on that later…after all I need something to write about tomorrow don’t I?

Horses and Humans Excel When You Build on Natural Talents

The following from an email I received, “Bruce Gerrish, a great horseman, died suddenly on Sunday, December 13, 2009.

Bruce knew how to make foxhunters. He was fantastic because he allowed the horse to be who he was while educating him in the sport.” Read more

Sit Deep in The Saddle

Have you been told to sit deep in the saddle and try as you might you can’t figure out what they mean? <--more--> I have! So this week when my trainer told me to sit deep in the saddle and I felt like I was dropping my butt down as deep as I could…I asked the question.

Now just what do you mean when you say sit deep in the saddle? How do I do that?

His answer; when you bring your shoulders back it automatically puts your butt deeper in your saddle. Well you know I had never thought of it like that. So I tried it! And it worked.

Sometimes we just need to hear things in a new way for them to sink in.

Horse Owners Be The Eyes for Each Other

My Friend Kevin Patton came over last night to visit with me. Since we both love horses naturally we headed out to ride and play with my horses. We watched each other and yelled out tips when we saw something that the other could improve on.

My husband does the same thing for me. Just having another set of eyes to tell you what something looks like and how you can improve it is very important when you’re riding.

At the end of our playtime  I couldn’t help but think that we can help each other out a lot with achieving our horsemanship goals. It doesn’t always take a trainer to tell us what to do, it just takes another set of educated eyes to help us along.

I encourage you to help your friends, be their eyes and you be theirs. You may be surprised at how much you can accomplish on your own.

AQHA Shows the Western Pleasure 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.

Northwest

Michael Davis Horse Training

Michael Specializes in American Quarter Horses and American Paint Horses in all Rail and Pattern Performance Events.

Michael has mentored with multiple world show winners and top trainers: Mark Shaffer, Charlie Cole, and Michael Colvin.

Michael has coached multiple clients to their own World and Reserve World Championships. His Business Motto : listen to the client and coach them to achieve their goals and desires. Customer satisfaction and customer first is his priority.

Michael is currently training quarter and paint horses in the Puget Sound Region of the Pacific Northwest. If you would like to get in touch with Michael Davis you can email him at(  Cowboymike72@yahoo.com) .

This is a video with Michael Davis on a One Hot Krymsun mare at the 2008 Reichert Celebration. Michael Davis with only a week to connect with this mare did a great job at this major show.

Jerry Pelikan of Performance Matters

Jerry Pelikan of Performance Matters is located in Ravensdale, WA.

My program focuses on educating and developing horses and riders both physically and mentally to reach their potential.

My unique perspective on training is shaped by my background as a trainer, Licensed Massage Practitioner and Equine Sports Massage Therapist.  I’ve been fortunate to have had opportunities to study and/or ride with such highly regarded trainers as Dick Boettcher (Saddlebreds, Morgans), Steve Heckaman, Mark Shaffer and Buck Brannaman.

I tell everyone, goodnaturedly, “I want to know everything”, and this attitude fuels my passion for acquiring and exchanging information with my clients.

Contact info: # 425-466-1739  email address: jeronimo1216@comcast.net

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