When I say “young horses,” I mean anything under 4 years old. I get a lot of questions about what we should be doing with those yearlings, 2 and 3 year olds. The answer is quite simple.
Training Young Horses?
Spring Training
I’ve had quite a few people asking me about getting horses going again after their long winter off. The question always is: How to get the horse back in shape without over-doing it, but fit that work into the already demanding schedules that humans have to keep? Start with the rule in mind: “less is […]
Occam’s Razor
When you hear hooves, you naturally think of horses before you’d think of zebras. It’s the simplest explanation. When we have training issues with our horses, we don’t always use such simple logic. Occam’s razor can help!
Your Covid-19 Pony Plan
Things you should be doing with your horse during the COVID shut-down. Lots of people are spending a lot more time at home than normal. If you have your horses at home, this can equate to a bunch of bonus time to spend with your horses. That’s a real silver lining in this difficult time. […]
Baulking With a New Carriage
When you’re teaching a horse to drive, sometimes everything goes great until it doesn’t. Things may go great in the preliminary work, but then you hit an impasse. Those problems can be mild, as described below. However, if the problems go unchecked, or ignored, they may be a prelude to a runaway. This question was […]
Single Jointed (snaffle) Bit for Carriage Driving?
Is the single jointed bit the root of all evil? Many people shy away from a bit that has been used successfully for generations. What’s bad, and not so bad about a single jointed bit?
The Skill Of Being Still
The most valuable skill you can teach a horse is to stand still. You may think that’s an overstatement but it’s not even the slightest exaggeration. You can accomplish more in all of your training by giving your horse “the skill of being still.” Unfortunately, many people fall into the trap of thinking that patience […]
The Willing Pair
Carriage driving pairs of horses and ponies is great fun, but it comes with one common challenge. Getting the two horses to work equally as a pair. The solution is relatively simple, yet most people go about it all wrong. Learn how to make your carriage driving horses a pair.
Quitting While I’m Ahead
Is working your horse longer setting your training back? It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking more = more, but that may be doing more harm than good. Getting the most of your workout may mean quitting while you’re ahead. Read how I was reminded of this by a new horse in my training.
Are You Prepared for a Runaway?
It was my last chance for survival… I had just left an airplane at about 6,000 feet (1,800+ meters), and I was spinning on my back being slung around like a doll by a malfunctioning parachute rapidly diving toward the ground. There was no way I could possibly survive hitting the ground at that speed. […]
The Specific Trick (Facebook Live)
There’s specific training trick that most people don’t know about, or forget to use. It’s simple that you can use it every time you take your horse out to train, and he’ll never get tired of it. Checkout the video to learn more!
The Training Prism
I’ve been surprised at how many horse enthusiasts aren’t aware of the training scale. Of the ones who are, many view it as an overly complicated, strict set of ideals that can’t possibly be reached, held up by FSDQ’s (Fun-Sucking Dressage Queens.) I don’t have anything against dressage, or dressage queens. Just people who latch […]
Beyond Theory
One thing that drives me crazy is “theoretical instruction.” Like most people, I start to get fidgety, even anxious when an instructor makes a deep dive into theory, no matter what the subject. After all, it’s great to know the theory, but I want something I can use! (there’s something you can use at the […]
What’s the Bucking Point?
When a horse or pony bucks in a carriage, it presents a potentially dangerous situation. If the horse is able to get his hind end high enough, he can kick the carriage, or worse yet, the people in the carriage. To safeguard against that, a bucking strap can be added to the harness. However, that […]
When Your Carriage Horse Spooks
Even the best horses have their spooky moments. When those moments occur under saddle, their usually pretty easy to ride through. However when we put the horse to a carriage, those spooks can a be more intimidating. As with many things in life, it’s not about what you’ve been handed, it’s what you do with […]
