I am a huge believer in the value of groundwork. Correctly done groundwork establishes your leadership over your horse and simulates riding. It minimizes or eliminates problems under saddle before you even get on.
A horse that pushes into you, bites, steps on you, kicks or pins her ears at you is being disrespectful. If a horse is disrespectful and disobedient to you on the ground, why would the situation improve under saddle where you have even less control?
A horse is a herd animal that needs to establish a pecking order in order to feel safe. If your horse perceives that you are not in charge of the "herd", then he will step up as the dominant individual in your relationship with him. Horses learn to respect you as you ask them to move their feet in all directions.
I believe in taking the necessary time now to teach the horse correctly from the start, rather than pushing a horse through a lesson and ending up with more problems down the road. I "read" the horse's body language to determine how quickly I can progress with that particular animal. Some can move along quicker; others need more time. TIME and CONSISTENCY are what make a good horse.
Horses don't learn what we want from the pressure that we apply. They learn what to do when we release the pressure. For instance, if I ask my horse to back up and he just stands there and I quit asking, I have just taught him to stand still instead of back. I need to keep asking, and if necessary, keep increasing pressure until he backs. Then I release all pressure and the horse is rewarded by the absence of the pressure.
When I apply pressure, I do so in phases. I start with the smallest amount of pressure possible and then increase it (usually in counts of 4) until the horse responds appropriately. Eventually the horse will start to respond correctly with very little pressure.
I teach my horses systematically, each lesson building upon the last. This helps to increase the horse's trust in me, so that they are more willing to try for me when faced with something challenging. I want my horses to think about things, rather than just react to them.
I work each horse on both sides so that you have a balanced, respectful mount. Horses need long rides, wet saddle blankets, and concentrated training in equal doses. I strive to be very clear in what I am asking to make training easier for the horse to understand.
Owners are welcome and encouraged to come by and check on the progress of their horse. I strive to work each horse 5-6 days/week until we reach the full 30, 60, or 90-day training cycle. I not only train the horse, but will train the owner on how to do the exercises I have taught the horse. I will also provide suggestions on what to continue to work on once the horse goes home.
A horse that pushes into you, bites, steps on you, kicks or pins her ears at you is being disrespectful. If a horse is disrespectful and disobedient to you on the ground, why would the situation improve under saddle where you have even less control?
A horse is a herd animal that needs to establish a pecking order in order to feel safe. If your horse perceives that you are not in charge of the "herd", then he will step up as the dominant individual in your relationship with him. Horses learn to respect you as you ask them to move their feet in all directions.
I believe in taking the necessary time now to teach the horse correctly from the start, rather than pushing a horse through a lesson and ending up with more problems down the road. I "read" the horse's body language to determine how quickly I can progress with that particular animal. Some can move along quicker; others need more time. TIME and CONSISTENCY are what make a good horse.
Horses don't learn what we want from the pressure that we apply. They learn what to do when we release the pressure. For instance, if I ask my horse to back up and he just stands there and I quit asking, I have just taught him to stand still instead of back. I need to keep asking, and if necessary, keep increasing pressure until he backs. Then I release all pressure and the horse is rewarded by the absence of the pressure.
When I apply pressure, I do so in phases. I start with the smallest amount of pressure possible and then increase it (usually in counts of 4) until the horse responds appropriately. Eventually the horse will start to respond correctly with very little pressure.
I teach my horses systematically, each lesson building upon the last. This helps to increase the horse's trust in me, so that they are more willing to try for me when faced with something challenging. I want my horses to think about things, rather than just react to them.
I work each horse on both sides so that you have a balanced, respectful mount. Horses need long rides, wet saddle blankets, and concentrated training in equal doses. I strive to be very clear in what I am asking to make training easier for the horse to understand.
Owners are welcome and encouraged to come by and check on the progress of their horse. I strive to work each horse 5-6 days/week until we reach the full 30, 60, or 90-day training cycle. I not only train the horse, but will train the owner on how to do the exercises I have taught the horse. I will also provide suggestions on what to continue to work on once the horse goes home.
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