The following are great videos on training your Horse to give to pressure:

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

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

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

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

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>>>

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

Enjoy!

Teach Your Horse to go Bridle Less

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

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

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.