Learning how to ride a horse isn’t as easy as the trainers make it look. For instance I use my hands and reins to control my horse and rate his speed way more than I should.  Now I know better and I’ve spent years learning how to ride a horse but, still when I get nervous my reflex is to lean forward and use my reins to control my horse. How about you?

I, like many of you have been told by coaches and trainers that to learn how to ride a horse I need  to sit back, relax and use my legs to control my horses body. And I have practiced doing just that. But today I had a ride that proves I still have a lot to learn about how to ride a horse to get the results I want.

Riding my horse today for about an hour, I had some success but I also had some issues with getting him to slow down and come back to me when I asked him to. So after an hour I told my trainer, Teresa Sullivan that I was finished and slid off. I say slid off because my horse is 16:3 hands and I’m past my youth so I don’t bounce off my horses anymore and certainly not one who is as tall as my horse, Snickers…

Anyway, Teresa decided to hop back on him to tune on him a bit. When she got on him, she tied the reins in knot and wrapped them around the saddle horn. Then she proceeded to ride him around the arena and over poles using just her legs to guide him. She walked, jogged and loped him around and around. She used her legs, seat and spurs to slow him down and cue him to perform his gaits.She was demonstrating how to ride a horse to get the results you want.

He looked incredible.

Her words to me….Snickers has told on you. His issues today were yours and not his. To learn how to ride a horse you need to learn to let go of the reins and use your body to guide him. Long story short, I got back on and rode him around for another 30 minutes or so and while I was a bit nervous I let go of the reins and used my legs and seat to guide and direct him. I’m not sure I have ever had a horse back ride that was more fun. The moral of my story, if you want to learn how to ride your horse then let go of the reins. ( in a safe environment and safe horse of course.)

Do you have stories of learning how to ride a horse? If so then share them with us. Click on the comment section below and leave us a comment.

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

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

In This Video I Show You How to Register for the Horse Training Membership Site.

In This Next Video I’ll Take You Into the Workshop Membership Site so You Can Look Around.

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>>>

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

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