Hey there! I wanted to share something that’s really important to me – a list of horse training tips I’ve collected over the years from various trainers. These sayings have been super helpful when I’m spending time with my horses, and I thought they might be useful for other horse lovers too.
Just to give you some context, I’m not a competitive rider or anything fancy. (Bareback and halters all the way! :-)). For me, my horses are more like best friends that I enjoy hanging out with. We have fun together, and that’s what’s important. But even though it’s all about fun, I still believe it’s crucial to have well-trained horses.
Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons. First off, you never know what life might throw your way. If something unexpected happened and my horses needed new homes, I’d want to make sure they’re set up for success. A well-trained horse is much more likely to find a good home and be well cared for.
Plus, let’s be honest – people tend to take better care of horses that know how to behave. It’s just human nature, I guess. A horse with good manners is easier to handle, safer to be around, and generally more enjoyable as a companion. That means they’re more likely to be treated well, no matter where they end up.
So, with all that in mind, I’ve put together this list of training reminders. They’re little nuggets of wisdom that help keep me on track when I’m working with my horses. Some might seem obvious, others might be a bit surprising, but they’ve all proven valuable in my experience. You may recognize a few.
- Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult.
- The release teaches. This is the reward
- Don’t use up all your clucks/kisses…one for trot, two for canter.
- Point, cluck or kiss, spank
- Have a plan
- Back up at a consistent speed
- Work twice as hard on the bad side until the bad side becomes the good side…repeat.
- Escalate from level 1 to level… (air, hair, skin, muscle, bone)
- Be as gentle as possible, as firm as necessary.
- Teach everything from the ground that you do in the saddle.
- Take the time it takes to take less time.
- Perfect practice makes perfect
- Passive persistence in the proper position
- Hands that close slowly and open quickly
- Hold the rope with nails up
- Horses learn in 3s
- The one who moves first, loses.
- Watch what other people do and do the opposite.
- Keep your feet still….
- Pivot your feet and stay in the same spot when lunging
- Your belly button is a gun.
- Align your shoulders with your horse
- One well placed spank is better than a thousand nagging taps
- “Tuck and Roll”
- Ask Less, get more.