Natural horsemanship techniques?
Monty Robert's Join-up technique is a wonderful way to gain trust with your horse and I've successfully done it with my horses :) Basically you put your horse into a round pen or an area that's at least 50X50 and get them to move away from you and around the pen. Its best to get them at a trot. Send them around for a few laps and then step in front a bit to turn them around. Continue to follow that pattern until their inner ear locks on you, then turn them in the direction and vice versa until they begin licking and chewing. Turn them and they'll begin to lick and chew. Once they lower their head really close to the ground and try to step towards you, turn your back away from them and wait. Don't peek around and wait. You'll feel a nuzzle and this means you have completed join-up :) Walk away and they'll follow. Then turn towards them and touch them all over. Pick up their feet if they let you, if not, work on that another day. Touch their ears. Mouth. Girth line. Tail. You need to desensitize them with touch and they'll become a gem to handle. Monty Robert's website- http://www.montyroberts.com/ Join-up example done by Monty Roberts (Watch for the signs I pointed out above)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dx91mH2v...
Natural horsemanship - what do you think? Is it causing more problems for us?
whats your opinion on this huge natural horsemanship movement? Whilst I think some of the theories are great - and work well - for example round pens and how to get a horse to join up with you - do you feel that the movement is actually imposing on old fashioned horsey methods? For example - here in UK and Ireland it was always the done thing to break horses when they're 3 and ride when 4 - whilst I know America has different views on this - its the way things are done here - we have produced some of the best competition horses in the world - so obviously it cant be that bad for the horse - but recently we are being scrutinised by natural horse manshippers - who claim that it is damaging to the horses and so on. Likewise, this movement claims that any form of tack is cruel and its unnatural for a horse to have a bit in their mouth and so on.. Whilst I can see benefits from both sides - I just feel that its slightly being blown out of proportion.. horses have been broken and ridden the old way for decades and decades without any harm being done.. what are your guys feelings on all this? And can I just state - I DO NOT want a battle of the western against english riders in replies please - we do things differently, neither dicipline is cruel to their horses, so can we please set aside personal insults on riding methods and just give your opinion on the question asked - thank you xx
Need controversial/interesting horse presentation topics! please help!?
Im looking for a topic to do a 7-9 minute persuasive speech, but im short on ideas! Looking for something controversial, needs to be debatable, so that my presentation will correctly fall under the "persuasive" category. also needs to be horse-related in some way. Thank you! (:
Clinton Anderson vs Pat Parelli vs others?
I'm open to any suggestions. Which would be better for training a wild horse? I don't plan on showing or competing in anything. I'm just looking for respect and an occasional trail ride. Also, what DVDs or education references should I buy from your preferred trainer? Right now I am loving Parelli. But Clinton seems like he's almost the exact same, just a little more assertive. Thank you :)
Halter breaking a 3 year old filly?????
Following the obvious building trust thing, here's a technique I posted a while ago: Using just a normal webbing halter, pass a soft rope about finger thickness through the front nearside hole, under the chin, through the hole on the opposite side, and up to the top ring on the off side. Attach with clip. The other end of this cord should be securely attached to a good length of comfortable lead rope. Ask the horse to move forward by gently swinging the rope with your right hand under the chest to LIGHTLY tap the horse on the girth area of the off-side , at the same time make your clicking noise or ask to "walk on" (this is so the horse doesn't see you as an aggressor, he doesn't see where this tapping is coming from, but associates your voice/click as a cue that there will be a tapping at the girth, and when he moves with you, the tapping stops, life's good with you). Do not attempt to pull the horse with the lead. Obviously the second the horse responds, you stop giving the cues and walk with the horse. If he rears or pulls away, step back, pick up the loose lead to his head and apply a firm (not jabbing) pull. You must release straight away. Then move the horse back to the position he was in right before he "did the wrong thing". Now reward him for being in the right spot, and being with you is pleasurable. Now go back to asking him to walk forward. The key, as with all methods of training is timing. Do not overdo the "pull", and change directions from time to time with the pull also, as they will wise-up to you and run with it. And as soon as the horse is doing something good, reward it. This may or may not work for you but definitely worth a shot. I like to have a bunch of techniques up my sleeve "just in case" -This is just one I've had good success with on horses of varying ages and training levels, and found especially useful on spooky horses. Another one I've just started looking into is Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling, but I'm not at all versed in it yet, so won't attempt to explain, but if you can get your hands on one of his Dancing with Horses books, it guides you through his process. Worth a look to add to your collection of training techniques. Good luck! :o) Edit - Duh, I forgot to mention, if you just have a rope halter, the method I described should work just as well.