Horse Training Tips
Versatile Horses
| Horses are wonderful, beautiful, complex animals. Training them is an equally complex job and something that should never be taken lightly. No matter what sport you’re involved in, if you are not a professional or have a lifetime of experience, don’t train your horse yourself. Green horse/green rider is a classic recipe for disaster. |  |
That being said, every time you handle a horse, for better or worse you are teaching them something. Here are some basic guidelines to make sure you’re teaching (and learning) the right things.
General principles
Training should never involve outright pain, intimidation or fear. Can you learn or even think if you’re in pain or afraid? And we’re the brains of the operation – it’s impossible to imagine an animal whose driving instinct is to run from danger learning by this method.
Consistency is also key. It’s all too easy to think, “oh, but it’s cute when he butts me with his head to get cookies” until he head-butts you while you have hot coffee in your hand. We tend to punish the horse for this “naughty” behavior, honestly expecting him to know the difference between cookies and coffee. Keep your rules consistent and logical.
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Most horses want to do the right thing; your job is to keep the boundaries clear so they understand what the right thing is. To paraphrase the words of legendary horseman Ray Hunt, “Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard – not impossible”. Given a choice and a little time, the horse will choose the right thing because you’ve made it the easiest thing for him to do. |
If you find yourself getting in over your head, call for professional help immediately. Horses learn quickly and they seem to learn bad habits twice as fast as good ones. When Widowmaker bucks as soon as your butt hits the saddle, don’t keep doing the same actions and expect different results. What he’ll learn, especially if you get off or are ineffectual at showing him that this unacceptable, is that this is what he’s supposed to do. Most horses (although there are rare exceptions) aren’t malicious, they either don’t understand what you want or might be in pain and unable to cooperate. A professional trainer should be able to evaluate what’s really going on and fix the problem.
Ground Manners & Training Tips
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Ground manners refer to your horse’s behavior while you are working with him from the ground as opposed to under saddle. This includes grooming him, giving him a bath, leading him, etc. Working with your horse on the ground can sometimes be more challenging than riding them. Keep in mind that the two are directly related; if you let your horse walk all over you (pun intended) on the ground, they will learn they are the one in charge even when you’re in the saddle. |
Horses are wicked smart that way and while we may not see the connection, in their mind it’s very clear. On the other hand, if you build a trusting relationship where he learns good behavior is rewarded with a pat, he’ll continue to try and please you under saddle.
You and your horse are a herd of two and only one can be dominant. Your job is to make sure that you establish that you are the boss at all times without resorting to excessive strong-arm techniques. Some general tips are:
- Use your voice – While there is some debate over whether horses understand actual words, there is not doubt they are very sensitive to your tone of voice. Note the word “sensitive”: that means do not shout or raise your voice. Use a lower tone of voice if they are doing something wrong to let them know, and a higher, more relaxed tone if they are doing something right. Often times this is all the reprimand a horse needs so don’t be afraid to speak your mind to them! The person in the next stall may think you’re nuts but only until they see how well this works.
- Never hit a horse in the face – Even if he bites you, NEVER hit a horse in the face. There are too many delicate structures in their face that you can damage and you’ll only end up with a horse that is head shy, which is one of the hardest problems to fix once established. IF it’s necessary to reprimand your horse by smacking him, use to the neck and shoulder areas.
- Zero tolerance - Accept only good behavior and admonish bad behavior consistently. Don’t let it be ok if Widowmaker drags you out to grass because it’s so cute he wants to graze. It won’t be cute when he drags you smack into the edge of a wheelbarrow diving for a piece of hay in the barn aisle and realistically, how is he supposed to know the difference? Always ask for and expect good behavior; once you’ve established the rules, horses generally live pretty peaceably within them.
- Look ahead - When leading your horse, always look where you want your horse to go, don’t look back at him. Horses are flight animals; if you look back at them it feels a little predatory to them and most horses will stop. I’ve actually seen someone trying to lead a balky horse onto the wash rack by staring straight at them, pulling on the rope and yelling at the horse. Finally, the person stepped towards the horse and smacked it in the face. Not much incentive to go forward, is there? All of those actions – looking straight at them, stepping towards them and of course smacking them were cues to the horse to run away. Sadly, it did not, but it also never stepped foot on the wash rack.
- Stay calm, think positive – It’s easier said than done when things go wrong but that’s when it’s the most important that you stay calm. Take a deep breath and remember that you’re supposed to be the brains of your herd of two. Horses are extremely sensitive to emotions, especially fear and anger. They can sense you’re afraid and figure, “hey, if the head of my herd is afraid, then there’s probably a good reason so I should be too!” They don’t’ realize that what you’re afraid of half the time is THEM. And if you want to take it a step further, animal communicators claim that horse’s speak in pictures, so if you’re picturing them rearing up and doing a tap dance on your head it’s a good bet the horse is going to think that’s what you want them to do. Always keep in mind the outcome you want and be confident that you’ll get it.
If your horse gives you any difficulty on the ground such as running over you when you’re leading him, freaking out when tied or put in cross ties or an unwillingness to get in a trailer, for example, seek professional help! As amateurs, we not only don’t have the know-how to fix the problem, we usually don’t have the experience to keep fear and anger out of the equation. Don’t make a bad situation worse by trying to handle it yourself.
Lunging Your Horse
No matter how you spell it lunging, lounging, or longing your horse is a good way to get some basic work done without you on his back. It’s an excellent way to work on transitions, get your horse paying attention to you and maybe get some ya-ya’s out of his system with you safely on the ground. What it’s NOT is a way to wear your horse down to a nub before taking him into the show ring.Lunging (I’m the guy writing, I get to spell it my way) for too long a period of time can make your horse sore, lame or even cause permanent damage.
| (Not to mention it can make you very dizzy!) You should keep it to no more than ten minutes each direction. You can switch a few times at short intervals, but if you need more than twenty minutes, say on show days in particular, it’s time to go back home and get some groundwork done first. |  |
To really get your horse working the right muscles, you can lunge in side reins, a neck stretcher or a chambon. If you aren’t familiar with how to use this equipment, ask for help from a professional first. Too loose and they’re really not doing you any good; too tight and they can cause more harm than good.
Lunging is as much art as science so it’s well worth the money to get a lesson from a professional if you haven’t done it before. Lunging can be dangerous both for you and your horse if misused or abused in the wrong hands.
In the Saddle
| The best way to train your horse while you’re riding is to ride correctly. Nine out of ten times, a horse is stiff, over bent, or resistant because of pilot error. There are some inalienable truths about riding that, no matter what discipline you ride (even if it’s just hacking on the trail) or what trainer you ride with, will always apply. |  |
- Where your eyes go, so follows your body – If you look down at the ground eventually, one way or another, that’s where you’re going to land. This is particularly important if you’re jumping but even riding on the trails can be a gravity induced humbling experience if you constantly look down. It’s simple physics: your head weighs approximately 8 pounds. Pick up an 8-pound bowling ball and see how heavy that really is. If you’re looking down, you’ve got all 8 pounds dragging your head forward and down, and where you head goes your shoulders follow. Your shoulders are connected to your spine, your spine is connected to the hipbone and, well, you get the picture. Bottom line: LOOK UP.
- Stiffness is your enemy – Imagine getting on all fours and letting a small child sit on your back to play “horsey”. Cute, right? Now imagine the child bouncing up and down on your back as hard as they can. Suddenly not so cute. You’d like to dump them off but you know that an ear-piercing scream would follow so you find another way to remove them. If you stiffen your body as you ride, you are pounding on a horse’s back just as much and it’s just as painful for the horse as it is for you. Horses, unfortunately, only have that one option for making the pain go away and usually know enough to run away before the ear-piercing screaming starts. Bottom line; RELAX YOUR HIPS, WAIST AND LOWER BACK TO FOLLOW THE MOTION, NOT BOUNCE AGAINST IT.
- Stiffness really really really is your enemy – Locking your arms is just as bad as locking your hips. For a real test of why that is, hold a bit in your hand sometime and have a friend stand behind you holding the reins. Have them give a pull on the rein to get a feel of how little “pull” is actually needed to communicate with your horse. When you lock your arms, you are pulling against them whether you realize it or not. If you really want an interesting test, put your arm up and wrap a snaffle bit around your wrist as if it’s the horse’s mouth and have your friend pull on the reins. It doesn’t take much to feel a pinch. If your arm is locked, you are literally punishing the horse every time he moves his head, as he must do at every gait to keep his balance. You’re asking him to go forward but punishing when he does. Some riders make it even worse by then gouging him with their spurs, frustrated that the horse they inadvertently keep telling to stop isn’t moving out. And then they wonder why their horse gets sullen, nasty or just stops trying. Hmmmm... Bottom line; MOVE YOUR ARMS WITH THE MOTION OF YOUR HORSE, KEEPING A CONSISTENT LIGHT REIN PRESSURE.
- Back to front – These three magical words may not make any sense to you, depending on the level of your riding, but if you keep at it long enough they will become your mantra. You always want the horse moving up into the bridle rather than you pulling his head down into a “frame”. If the horse is truly in a frame, he’s moving his back end up underneath himself, rounding his back and as a result naturally rounding his neck. If you’re pulling on his head to achieve that look he’s faking it. For most of us, this will be the battle that haunts us for the rest of our riding career, as elusive as a hole in one for golfers but it IS the goal so keep shooting for it. Bottom line: LEG ON AND ALLOW YOUR HORSE TO MOVE UP UNDERNEATH YOU.
- Circles are your friends – A small circle is a good way to bring a horse under control if he’s going too fast. And too fast could just be a trot if you want to walk. Most horses will slow down once they’re put in a tight circle so use it to your advantage; the alternative is a tug of war with the reins. News flash; horses weigh between 800 to 1500 pounds, there’s no way we humans can win a tug of war contest with them. Again, we’re supposed to be the brains so work smarter, not harder by putting them in a circle. In a worst-case scenario situation, a true runaway horse, even if they don’t turn a circle they (usually) won’t run very far with their head at your knee. Bottom line: A BALANCED CIRCLE BEATS PULLING ON YOUR REINS AS A WAY TO SLOW YOUR HORSE DOWN.
- Take yoga – That probably sounds even crazier than “back to front” but yoga is a wonderful way to develop the core muscles, flexibility and ability to separate your body parts that you need for truly effective riding. It also gives you a really good feel for when you are truly sitting up with your spine comfortably inside your skin instead of poking out of it the way it does when we slump, even just a little. Besides, a little tranquility never hurt anybody. Whether it’s yoga or pilates or just plain old sit ups at home, core muscles (everything between your waist and your pubic bone) are key to developing a good seat and riding well without having to hang on your horse’s mouth for balance. Bottom line: THE MORE FIT YOU ARE, THE BETTER RIDER YOU’LL BE.
The Armchair Quarterback
Reading books, magazines and watching videos is a good way to continue to educate yourself about riding, horses, and the technical aspects of your sport. Keep in mind, however, that a horse trainer spends years of study, riding and working with top professionals to gain the confidence and skills to call themselves trainers.
No amount of reading, weekend riding or video watching can equal the experience and expertise that a professional brings to the barn. The greener, or less experienced, your horse is the more important it is to hire a professional, at least on a part-time basis, to make sure you install a solid foundation in your equestrian partner.
