What are your favorite training tips?

Barbara F · Grand Prix

What are your favorite training tips?

prospect · Advanced

Good job - my favourite training aid are longlines - I love using long lines - my three year old has had about 5 months on the long line - you can do so much before you ever get on the horse, you can use them as leg aids in conjunction with the reins on the bit and drive them all over the place.

I taught him to doing flying changes, he knew all about turns with both inside and outside reins, I took him hacking with the long lines and even did some cross country jumps with the lines.

I will always use long lines for training a young horse and have even used it as remedial for a problem horse.

There is so much you can do without ever getting on their back. They made it so easy that when I did get on my 3 1/2 year old he knew all about the rein aids and leg aids were even easy as the lines go along the body when you use a surcingle and so he respects the aids on his belly sides but does not panic when you apply your legs.

SoftTouchTraining · Well Schooled

I have a couple favorites that I always use.
1) I teach all youngsters to pony before I break them to ride. I like doing this for 2 reasons. First, I hate staying in a round pen or arena for long. This way 95% of the time I can take youngsters out for a trail ride after 2 or three days. They have a buddy and the other horse can hold them if something happens. Second, if I get a horse in that either has a major problem or is not getting over being bucky it is much safer for me and dad (who is my breaking partner) to get the first couple rides on them. This has worked for us for years, but should only be done with two people who are use to ponying horses and with a pony horse that is very trustworthy.
2) I also teach them to longline. For the same reasons as Prospect. You can do a lot of longlining and not worry about hurting them like too much lunging can.
3) Voice commands. I like to teach horses to respond to some basic commands: walk, trot, canter, whoa, easy, and back. Yes I want them to listen to leg, seat, and rein aids, but if it helps a young horse understand and transition from being on the lungeline to being ridden that is fine with me. After they seem to understand I start to phase out using my voice.

justice · Grand Prix

1) Leave all the ...stuff (altho also an avid fan of long-lining and for same reasons :).. at the gate for just a minute and try not to scare the horse half to death. 'eSpecially upon first approach.

2) Give the horse a chance to understand what is wanted.

3) Ask the horse again the SAME WAY til s/he gets it.

This certainly is not the be-all-end-all of training approaches but it has worked for me. Then again, it could be that I have been dead wrong for the past 50 years.

-- Edited by justice on Saturday 13th of November 2010 10:08:57 PM

-- Edited by justice on Saturday 13th of November 2010 10:09:25 PM

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

Some of my top training tips would be..

1. I always teach my horses to stand calmly (ground tie).

2. I always put a "cowboy stop" on a horse I'm training, what is a cowboy stop? It is an aid to halt your feet right now and stop whatever you are doing, and you signal this aid by squeezing the horse's withers with your hand. You teach this by using your regular method of stopping the horse, but with the addition of squeezing the wither.

3. I always teach my horses to "whoa" by allowing them to think that we're changing the direction of motion, so when I'm teaching a good stop on a horse I'll ask them to "whoa" and then back 4 steps, I find this helps as they progress to stop square and wait for further ques, as it changes their train of thought from forward motion while keeping them handy.

4. Down time, everybody, including horses in training or that have a heavy work load needs to relax!

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Nikki, that cowboy stop is fantastic! Isn't it interesting how much one can learn from the different disciplines?!
Do you think it would stop a bolting horse?

Nikki Salo · Grand Prix

Hi Barb, in my experience I've stopped my notorious bolter using a cowboy stop, but only after a lot of training (through breaking the habit, and retraining). I've put a cowboy stop on all of the horses that I have worked with and it really worked well in conjunction with teaching a good "whoa".

I find that some horses aren't taught to stop and stand still, and they start to learn that a "whoa" is more of a half-halt or a brief moment before moving onto something else (have you ever hear a rider saying "whoa" when they really mean "slow down a bit" or "pay attention", I find that really wrecks a horse's idea of what "whoa" means). Also, I am not a fan of the one-rein stop because of the fact that the horse could go down and injure himself or you, or both rider and horse could get injured. Have you ever seen a horse turn sharply and fall? Or a barrel racing horse fall while going around the barrel? If the horse isn't taught to keep his shoulder up while turning sharply, he'll fall, same with the one-rein stop in my experience.

I favor cutting horses and I learned from an old cowboy to signal the horse off the cow and to stop what he is doing by using a cowboy stop. I'd rather have my horse stop square then worry about having him fall down. I find it to be a clear aid once it is learned, because I don't have any other reason to squeeze my horse's wither, where if I'm yanking on the reins, to the horse I may be doing that all the time anyway.

SoftTouchTraining · Well Schooled

I like to say "easy" or "hey-hey" When I want them to slow down or settle a bit in a movement. It's much better than confusing them by using "whoa" when you really don't want them to stop.
I have to say that I used the cowboy stop and never knew that it had a name (until today) other than I had taught my horse to stop when I squeezed his whithers. When I did High School Rodeo I loved to goat tie, and perferred the horse to do a sliding stop rather than to get off while they are still cantering. So I taught my horses to stop when I squeezed the whithers. Rather handy I must say :)

Ranna · Well Schooled

I love clickertraining animals more than anything else.

It makes them think, overcome fear, trust you, relax on command and relax in general.

shaiarabs · Well Schooled

'Be consistent, be fair, time it right, never be in a hurry, never be emotional, be calm, just be the system.'

Laura F · Well Schooled

Never rush your training and if the horse is not doing what you are asking ALWAYS look to your own riding before ever blaming the horse.

Sonia · Well Schooled

Laura I completely agree! This was something that I had to look at when my aunt let me start working with one of her 5 year olds. I've never done any training and always riden fairly well trained horses. I was getting so frustrated when he wouldn't do what I asked, until I sat back and realized - he doesn't know what I'm asking, so I had to focus on me rather than him. It was a real eye opening experience for me, but I think it will make me a better rider/trainer.

Barbara F · Grand Prix

Keep the rules the same. No allowing pulling and leaning one day, then expecting lightness and lovely corners the next!

Barnmouser Ash · Grand Prix

All wonderful tips here! I've got to add that as I read more and more of "True Horsemanship Through Feel" by Bill Dorrance, that you really need to get a feel of your horse before you begin to present any situations to him, as well as let him get a feeling of you. It's a two-way thing; communication between horse and rider. If you just hop on a strange horse and expect it to do something without first feeling the horse and letting him feel you, you're bound to run into problems. :) Get to know your pony ;)

LantzM · Yearling

As the leadership, ensure we get something done and done right.
Even if your ride is for pure plesure, make certain that you achieve that goal.
Far, far too many people ride and fix and poke and demand and have "training sessions" that are all over the map.
Working a western trail class gate is a process of many very specific, intricate tasks. Your horse and you have to have a base knowledge of every demand that obsticle is going to ask of you. Stand, be patient, side pass, accept a rope, back, yeild to leg and bridle and so on. To decide to tackle a gate without base preparation is to fail and not be a leader, even if it works out perfect the first time.
LantzM

Lori · Yearling

My favourite tip has been to make my horse carry me and not the other way around. I have a great big warmblood who I was constantly poking and prodding to make him go, making him quite dead to the leg. He is also quite spooky. I finally started working with someone who taught me how to get him forward off of my leg and, poof, all of the problems we'd had for about six years(!) vanished. He doesn't have time to spook anymore and he's so much happier because he's using himself properly! The key was to stop bugging him when he responded.

-- Edited by Lori on Saturday 15th of January 2011 01:58:33 PM

Jackie Cochran · Advanced

My favorite training tip I found (from Western trainers) is to count to 10 the first time the horse gives you what you are asking for. Go passive, quit active riding, and do not praise until AFTER to count to 10. This gives the horse a chance to connect the dots in his brain and the horses seem to learn faster.
I do not know if this makes any difference, but when I praise after counting to 10 I praise the horse for being smart and figuring it all out himself rather that praise him just for obedience.

Barnmouser Ash · Grand Prix

Just a clarification Jackie: do you mean praise as in, "good boy" and pats on the neck etc, or releasing pressure/discontinuing whatever task you are presenting to your horse? :)

Jackie Cochran · Advanced

At the first show of obedience I release the aid, relax the fingers, release and relax the leg, or lighten up with the seat. Then I count to ten.
After I count to ten then I stroke the neck, say "good horsie" and praise my horse's intelligence for figuring it all out.