The Seat-Stop exercise is the first of a series dedicated to help riders get control of their horses on one hand, and to help horses feel good about their riders on the other hand. Seat-Stop consists of teaching a horse to stop as soon as it feels our shifting of position on the saddle. We will use the one-rein stop to do so.
2013
DVDs: Ray Hunt Colt Starting Series / quote
Ray Hunt Colt Starting
All Ray Hunt’s philosophy is in this kind of sentences delivered from time to time along the video.
His book Think Harmony With Horses explains it better but the DVDs are a pretty good illustration of his approach: suggest to the horse, let it find its way, do not force it!
Books: Think Harmony With Horses by Ray Hunt / quote
Think Harmony with Horses: An In-depth Study of Horse/Man Relationship is composed of three parts: the first one is written by Ray Hunt himself and enunciates its gentle and comprehensive approach of horses, when the second deals with practical questions he has been asked along the clinics, finally the third part has been written by one of his students to expose the actual methods used during a clinic.
Tom Dorrance inheritance
Of course, we can find Tom Dorrance’s philosophy in these pages:
Video: 4 & 1/2 year old Quarter Horse after 60 hours of training / video
This video is the first of a small series that will show how Brego improves over time.
DVDs: A Day With Tom Dorrance / quote
A Day With Tom Dorrance
A Day With Tom Dorrance is a DVD of almost unedited footage, two and a half hour spent with Tom Dorrance to discuss particular horse problems and see how he solves these issues.
It is commonly accepted that Tom Dorrance was one of the greatest horsemen, and reading his book True Unity is definitely a jewel in the mass of business books published every year.
Yet, I was not convinced by the DVD.
We can hear Tom Dorrance enunciate some of his principles as he is presented different horses having different horse problems. Seven horses are studied, from simple issues to more technical problems.
How to load a horse?
Loading a horse in a trailer or a van can become a nightmare if no preparation has been done initially. This education process should be performed...
Continue Reading →Exercises: Groundwork – Rope Leading / video
Rope leading is not an exercise on its own, as you lead your horse everyday from the pasture to the paddock, from the stall to the arena, from the trailer to the track, etc. Yet, leading a horse implies that the horseman or horsewoman is in charge and the horse follows the pace. The following explains how to teach your horse to respect your leadership in all circumstances.
Exercises: Groundwork – Fence / video
The fence exercise consists in teaching your horse to pick you up from a fence or from a mounting stool for instance. Interest is obvious for those who mount high horses, as for those who start problem horses that would be difficult to mount from the ground. This is actually useful for all horses as it will help to build confidence and partnership between horses and riders.
Resolve to love your horse
Lately, I have been asked the question: "Do you really reward your horse all the time?" It might sound like the answer is obvious, but I think it is...
Continue Reading →Exercises: Groundwork – Sending / video
Sending a horse is one of the most useful exercises we can perform from the ground. Indeed, every day we are confronted to situations where pointing a direction and feeling our horse respond at once and without any fear or hesitation would be of great convenience: walking through a gate, getting out of the stall, loading into the trailer, and so on. This exercise is designed to teach a horse to move on a feel, trusting our decision and judgment.