Calm and Collected Canter?

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Elizabeth

This week I answer a question from horsetrainingsolutions reader Estelle G. who has been trying to improve her horse’s canter, among other things.

Estelle writes:

Estelle & Alston Mists

Hi Elizabeth, Just a line to let you know how I’m doing with my Irish Sport Horse, Alston Mists.We have enjoyed the Summer months, hacking out; we hardly missed a day! We have been concentrating on ‘ confidence building’ & I’ve attached a few photos to show you how confident we are at passing ‘spooky’ objects, now that we know each other better!

We managed to trace back to when he came over from Ireland, 2 of his previous owners; one young lady bought him as her First Horse but quickly realised ( in her own words) that she had ‘bitten off more than she could chew’ as he was very strong willed & was away with her & too strong for her to control.

Hardly surprising when the owner before her used to let him gallop when they turned for home!! After which Alston then wanted to gallop everywhere he went!

Anyway, the lady who got him as her First Horse then sold him to her Riding Instructor ( who we bought him from) & she has told us that she owned him for 2 years, & has used on him a Chambon, a Flash Noseband,( fitted very tight) a Running Martingale & then a pair of Draw Reins.Then she started ‘Jumping’ him & used a Pelham to control him.

Poor lad! he has a few scars on his face, where things have been rubbing & made him sore; particularly on each corner of his mouth ( with the Flash Noseband adjusted too tight) So, I did not wish to add to his torture, but had to re-make his ‘very dead mouth’ for a start.

I decided to put him in a snaffle, a copper one with a middle link,& it took around 6-8 weeks plus lots of mints to get him mouthing the bit as he should.I also put on him my ‘old favourite’ the Market Harborough martingale adjusted loose at first & gradually adjusting it as he progressed.This allowed me to control him when he got ‘a bit strong’ without resorting to more severe bits.

Alston Mist's well-built up "resisting muscle"

It has taken a while, but he is no longer going on his forehand with his head in the air, he has built up his top-line & hindquarters, & the huge muscle on the underside of his neck has now reduced, giving an altogether ‘ softer, more rounded’ outline.He makes a lovely contact with the bit, for longer periods of time out hacking, now.

But I’m aware that he finds it tiring, so I reward this with a long rein, which he appreciates.However, we have a good walk, a slow trot & the extended trot is almost there, but when I ask for canter in the sand menage it soon becomes a four beat, instead of a three beat canter!! He becomes so excited,I can only just hold him, he becomes so strong.

This is what he did when asked to trot!

Perhaps you can tell me where I am going wrong, & advise me what to do in order to settle him into a nice calm & collected canter?

I would be so pleased to hear your views.

Alston Mist and Estelle with the new, improved top line and working on to a more genuine contact.

Best Regards, Estelle G.

Elizabeth writes:

Dear Estelle

Thank you for your e-mail. You sound to be doing very well with your horse and restoring his confidence in human hands.

My immediate thought when reading your e-mail was “one-rein stop” – Exercise 12 and Exercise 18 on the Thinking Horse video.

You must start the one rein or single rein stop on the ground at a halt. He must understand this exercise at a halt in order to do it while moving.  The concept behind the one rein stop is disengagement of the hindquarters.

Why? Well, this is the “emergency brake” on your horse. Every horse has one, you just have to make sure that he knows it is there!

From a halt, drop the outside (right) rein and bend the horse to the left and plant your left hand on your thigh. Look down at the ground. Your horse will probably move its hind end. Keep your hand planted on your thigh until the horse stops moving. When he has stopped, reward him by releasing the pressure.  If he moves off, bend him around again until he stops (keeping your legs off him all the time).

Repeat the exercise to the right. It is important to remember not to bring your hand behind your thigh.  If you do this, you bring your balance and centre of gravity behind your body. Remember you are asking him to flex, you are not trying to throw him over on his side! It is a rein exercise – make sure you don’t have any leg pressure on your horse or he might think you are asking him to do something like a leg yield, which you are not.

Practice this exercise at least 60 times (30 on each side of the horse) alternating sides from a stand still.

Your goal is to get the horse to stop moving when you ask for the one rein stop. Keep practicing until he reaches for you emotionally (see Richard Thompson video below). And then reward him by stroking his head and making it a really nice place for him to be (as can be seen in both videos).

When he has learned to do this exercise from halt, then practice as above in walk. The faster the gait, the less bend you should take to disengage the hindquarters. What you are looking for is a very slight bend to take away the hindquarters and your horse will soon understand what you are asking.  Ideally, he should stop moving when he feels you dropping the outside rein and before asking for the bend with the inside rein.

After you have mastered this exercise at the walk, move on up to the trot. When you have mastered this exercise at the walk and the trot, move on up to the canter. You have to practice this at the walk, trot and canter.

Be careful when you start with the trot and canter, too much bend and the horse may actually fall down.

The one rein stop must be practiced in order for it to be a useful tool in faster gaits. If you use it in a faster gait without practicing from halt through the gaits, you are asking for an accident!

Here is a little more text about it:

http://www.thinkinghorse.org/sample-exercises/the-one-rein-stop

This is really a huge training aid when done properly. It has to be practiced and practiced and practiced until your horse is as light as a feather on the rein. It has to be practiced without any gadgets, just a normal snaffle bit and rein. The idea is to get him reaching to you emotionally.

Richard Thomson shows this off quite well in his video at around the 1 min mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_rWogC6YsI&feature=player_embedded#!

When all the above is working properly, then you know that you have your horse sensitised to the reins and he no longer uses the reins to pull on or lean on. You can use the one rein stop to stop him when he gets too excited in canter on the school.

The canter is 4 beat because he is tense. I assume he doesn’t have any back problems? Cantering is stressful for him, as he has learned to avoid the bit as much as possible, even if it means leaning on to it with all his strength.

Practicing and using the one rein stop correctly should give you the tools to bring him down to a standstill before he gets too excited and gets the bit between his teeth. However, you must build up to the one rein stop. He needs to build up his mental muscle and learn how to yield to the rein. Do not go into the one rein stop in canter without having done lots of practicing before-hand! A one-rein stop in canter must always be done with the inside rein.

Some tips for practicing the canter. Think more of asking for canter transitions rather than riding the canter.  Ask for an upward transition in to canter and when he gives it to you stop asking him for more strides. Do a one-rein stop or a downward transition to walk. Reward him by letting him have a rest. Then ask again for an upward transition into canter. If he gives you a good upward transition immediately come back down to walk or halt and let him have a rest. If he rushes into the canter, do a one rein stop or halt. Reward him for stopping, and then ask for the canter again.

Ask and release is the ultimate training tool when used properly. If he responds in a way which is acceptable to you, then stop asking him to do more of it. Take off the pressure and let him have a rest. If he responds in a way which is not acceptable, do a one-rein stop or halt. Count to 10 and then ask him to repeat the transition again.

Always finish the exercise on a good note i.e. reward the slightest try on his behalf to do as you are asking him to do.  Be precise.

Do not keep on practicing until he no longer knows what you want of him. Once he responds well to upward and downward transitions (this may take more than one session, even a few sessions), ask for another upward transition and let him canter a few more strides then ask for a downward transition to walk. Build up the canter in this way.

It will probably take a few weeks until he understands what you want him to do and until you can canter a full circle without him getting excited. Once you can canter a circle, then use the same procedure to build up to cantering on a straight line.

If you have a round pen to practice in that would also be quite useful.

I found this video on U-tube. It isn’t perfect by any means but gives you some idea of what I’m talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02j2xF3P8nU

There is no quick fix, as I am sure you know. A horse learns by ask and release or pressure and release. Make sure you are rewarding the right thing and he should learn what you want him to do. Break your sessions down into mini sessions – one canter transition at a time. Be aware of when to stop asking for more.

Let me know how you get on, or if you have any further questions. Are the canter aids clear for example, or is there any confusion there?

I hope this has been of some help.

Elizabeth

Thinking Horse DVD Click here to see sample exercises.
Always wear appropriate safety items of clothing, gloves, shoes and head protection when handling or riding your horse. There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Be sensible and stay within your level of training. This information illustrates the training methods and techniques I and my colleagues use. It is your responsibility to use it wisely. It is not intended to replace personal instruction from a professional instructor. Keep yourself and your horse out of trouble. if you wish to learn more about these methods contact us at: elizabeth@horsetrainingsolutions.com www.horsetrainingsolutions.com

Video/Sykpe  consultations are now available. Contact me for details.

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How 60 seconds can improve your performance

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Elizabeth

Via Horse & Country TV: Charlie Unwin, Equestrian Psychology Coach, explains how a simple technique can improve your competition performance.

http://www.horseandcountry.tv/ask-the-expert/case-study-how-60-seconds-can-improve-your-performance

 

 

Use the comment box on the blog itself to send me your questions about horse training. You can also write in about any problems you might be having with your horse.Either I or one of the resident expert trainers will do our best to answer your questions.
Understand your horse better & communicate more effectively. The Thinking Horse DVD -  a must-have DVD for horse owners! Click here to see sample exercises and order your copy.
Always wear appropriate safety items of clothing, gloves, shoes and head protection when handling or riding your horse. There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Be sensible and stay within your level of training. This information illustrates the training methods and techniques I and my colleagues use. It is your responsibility to use it wisely. It is not intended to replace personal instruction from a professional instructor. Keep yourself and your horse out of trouble. if you wish to learn more about these methods contact us at: elizabeth@horsetrainingsolutions.com www.horsetrainingsolutions.com
Members area coming soon!
Thinking Horse DVD Click here to see sample exercises.
Press the Google  “+1″ button if you like this!

Video/Sykpe  consultations are now available. Contact me for details.

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Bush Telegraph: 15 min interview from Australia with Buck Brannamn.

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Elizabeth
15 min interview from Australia with Buck Brannamn where he talks a little more about his clinics and not just about his childhood traumas or the film.

He also provides a bit more background information on the very aggressive horse we see in the film.

An interesting interview and one of the better ones I’ve heard since the release of the film.

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/telegraph/content/2012/s3415410.htm?site=melbourne

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An Introduction to Laterality by Dr. Ingeborg Hein

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Elizabeth

Dr. Ingeborg Hein and Ringo

Have you ever wondered why it is so difficult for many horses to bend equally on both sides? Like humans, most horses are  born favouring one side of their body. About 80% of these horses favour their right side, which means that they are right handed.

In horses the forelegs bear about 55% of the body weight and the hindlegs about 45%. In a right handed horse the body weight is not evenly distributed between both forelegs and both hindlegs, respectively. The right fore- and hindlegs each bear more weight than their left coutnerparts, which means that the centre of gravity is shifted towards the right foreleg.

This serves the horses well when they are living as wild animals in herds. It might even help these horses to synchronise their flight behaviour, e.g. all of them  turning in the same direction.  However, when being used as riding horses, problems start to arise.

When being put under the saddle for the first time many horses experience emotional and physical stress.  In the beginning they have problems to balance their bodies with the added weight of the rider. The dominant side of the body is used to keep their balance, similar to what we would do when trying to balance ourself in order to prevent us from falling. Over time the dominant side of the body might get even stronger and the other side weaker in a riding horse.

As a rider, the difference between both sides of the body of a horse is experienced most pronounced when riding through corners or on a circle. The stiff side of the horse is the dominant side and the hollow side is the weaker side. In a right handed horse the right foreleg is like a pole, firmly planted in the ground. On a circle to the right this leg is the inner foreleg. It is easy to imagine how difficult it is for such a horse to lift this leg up in order to get the inner shoulder out of the way.

When starting to retrain a horse to use both sides of its body more equally, it should be kept in mind that the muscles at the dominant side of the body are stronger than on the other side. Depending on how long the horse has been under saddle and how big the difference is between both sides, stress patterns might be present in the muslces, which in turn might have put stress on the skeleton. In addition, the way to use the muscles in the body in order to move is hardwired in the brain. Imagine how difficult it might be for you if you would have to retrain your writing behaviour, e.g. using your left hand instead your right hand to write or the other way round.

Thus, it is a matter of learning a new way to use the body in order to move. This might be easier for the horse to do if stress patterns in the skeleton and the muscles have been removed by chiropractic, osteopathy, massage and acupuncture. Since old habits die hard, regular check ups might be necessary. It might be a good idea to learn yourself how to perform some basic massage strokes and stretch exercises on your horse.

Training sessions should be kept short in the beginning in order to prevent muscle soreness. In addition, if we stick with the picture of the right handed horse, the left hind leg might be the weakest part of the body. Thus exercises to shift the weight back from the right foreleg to the left hindleg should be performed carefully. Strength in this leg has to be built up gradually. Otherwise, the joints and tendons of this leg might be put under too much stress.

To keep your horse balanced will be easier if your own body is balanced as well. Chiropractic, osteopathy, massage and yoga exercises might help you to balance your own body. You could use the winter months to get your horse and yourself in a better and more balanced shape for this year´s riding season!

Click here to view  Figure for laterality

About Dr. Hein: Dr. Hein studied veterinary medicine in Vienna. Upon completion of her dissertation she spent over a decade working in research at the Veterinary University of Vienna. From 2007 she became interested in alternative veterinary medicine, especially acupuncture, and various manual techniques such as lymphatic drainage and massage.
  • Cranio-Sacraler Energieausgleich für Tier und Mensch, Ausbildungszentrum Schildbachhof, Baden, Österreich (2009/2011)
  • Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy of Small Animals I, European School for Advanced Veterinary Studies (ESAVS), Wien, Österreich (2010)
  • Dauerakupunktur mit Goldimplantaten, Berliner Fortbildungen, Deutschland (2010)
  • Massage für Tiere, Ausbildungszentrum Schildbachhof, Baden, Österreich (2009)
  • IVAS Foundation Course in traditionell chinesischer Veterinärakupunktur, BEVAS, Hasselt, Belgien (2008/2009)
  • Foundation Course in westlicher Veterinärakupunktur, ABVA, Biggleswade, UK (2008)
  • Therapiekurs in Manueller Lymphdrainage nach Dr. Vodder für Pferde, Ausbildungszentrum Schildbachhof, Baden, Österreich (2008)
  • Basiskurs in Manueller Lymphdrainage nach Dr. Vodder für Pferde, Ausbildungszentrum Schildbachhof, Baden, Österreich (2007)

Click here to visit Dr. Hein’s website

Inge and Ringo wish you all the best for this year´s riding season!

Bibliography
L. Benedikt, V. Wirth. Yoga for equestrians. 2000. Trafalgar Square Publishing, USA, ISBN 1-57076-136-1.
K. Blingault. Stretch exersises for your horse. 2003. Trafalgar Square Books, USA, ISBN 978-1-57076-245-1.
N.C. Coumo, M. Whittle. Yoga on horseback. 2006. Alpine Publications, USA, ISBN 1-57779-080-4.
H.K. Kleven. Biomechanik und Physiotherapie für Pferde. 2009. FNverlag, Germany. ISBN 978-3-88542-734-6.
K.J. Ridgeway. Expanding your horizons. AVAS horse acupuncture seminar series. 2011. Drasing, Austria.
K. Schöneich, G. Rachen-Schöneich. Die Schiefen-Therapie. 2006. Müller Rüschlikon, Germany. ISBN 978-3275015177.

 

Use the comment box on the blog itself to send me your questions about horse training. You can also write in about any problems you might be having with your horse.Either I or one of the resident expert trainers will do our best to answer your questions.
Understand your horse better & communicate more effectively. The Thinking Horse DVD -  a must-have DVD for horse owners! Click here to see sample exercises and order your copy.
Always wear appropriate safety items of clothing, gloves, shoes and head protection when handling or riding your horse. There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Be sensible and stay within your level of training. This information illustrates the training methods and techniques I and my colleagues use. It is your responsibility to use it wisely. It is not intended to replace personal instruction from a professional instructor. Keep yourself and your horse out of trouble. if you wish to learn more about these methods contact us at: elizabeth@horsetrainingsolutions.com www.horsetrainingsolutions.com
Members area coming soon!
Thinking Horse DVD Click here to see sample exercises.
Press the Google  “+1″ button if you like this!

Video/Sykpe  consultations are now available. Contact me for details.
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Jane Savoie teaches how to maintain contact with your horse’s mouth.

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Elizabeth

Regular readers know know I’m a big fan of dressage trainer Jane Savoie. I find her to be one of the easiest and clearest of teachers to understand.

Here is another video of Jane Savoie teaching valuable information on how to ride with a sympathetic contact, using the Equicizer as a teaching aid.

 

What do you think?

 

Use the comment box on the blog itself to send me your questions about horse training. You can also write in about any problems you might be having with your horse.Either I or one of the resident expert trainers will do our best to answer your questions.
Understand your horse better & communicate more effectively. The Thinking Horse DVD -  a must-have DVD for horse owners! Click here to see sample exercises and order your copy.
Always wear appropriate safety items of clothing, gloves, shoes and head protection when handling or riding your horse. There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Be sensible and stay within your level of training. This information illustrates the training methods and techniques I and my colleagues use. It is your responsibility to use it wisely. It is not intended to replace personal instruction from a professional instructor. Keep yourself and your horse out of trouble. if you wish to learn more about these methods contact us at: elizabeth@horsetrainingsolutions.com www.horsetrainingsolutions.com
Members area coming soon!
Thinking Horse DVD Click here to see sample exercises.
Press the Google  “+1″ button if you like this!

Video/Sykpe  consultations are now available. Contact me for details.

 

 

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Here’s the Replay of the “4 Biggest Mistakes” Teleseminar by Olympic Dressage Trainer Jane Savoie

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Elizabeth

If you missed the teleseminar Jane Savoie  just did on the 4 Biggest Mistakes Riders Make…And How To Avoid Them, you can listen to the replay at:

http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=24777237

I’ve just listened to the whole recording. The teleseminar is approximately 1 hour long and packed full with training tips from Jane about how she approaches training horses. She covers a lot of things in the recording but the emphasis is on dealing with resistance, getting the horse in front of the leg, canter departures, the horse not going forward, the horse horse not stopping and how this is a knock-on effect to all other areas of training.

There is a Q & A at the end of the recording too. All of it relevant to any kind of horse training, whether inside a dressage arena or outside it.

What I like about Jane Savoie’s explanations is that she reinforces the “pressure and release” aspect of training and believes in taking “ridiculously small baby steps” and “setting your horse and yourself up for success” and “improving the quality of the work” you are doing with your horse.  Like me, she believes that it is the horse’s responsibilty to maintain the forward movement until being asked to do something else. She also explains how to  learn to ride from training, not from strength, thereby building up the horse’s and the rider’s mental muscle for the exercise being asked.

The replay will be available through Sunday, 11th December 2011. You can save the recording on to your computer by clicking on the link above then right clicking on the mp3 link and left clicking save to/save as. 

Enjoy!

PS. I’m not in any way associated with Jane Savoie’s Happy Horse product or any of her other products. I find her style and clarity of presentation and her explanations of building up to various movements very helpful to me as a trainer. I wanted to give horsetrainingsolutions followers the chance to listen to Jane speaking.

 

Use the comment box on the blog itself to send me your questions about horse training. You can also write in about any problems you might be having with your horse.Either I or one of the resident expert trainers will do our best to answer your questions.
Understand your horse better & communicate more effectively. The Thinking Horse DVD -  a must-have DVD for horse owners! Click here to see sample exercises and order your copy.
Always wear appropriate safety items of clothing, gloves, shoes and head protection when handling or riding your horse. There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Be sensible and stay within your level of training. This information illustrates the training methods and techniques I and my colleagues use. It is your responsibility to use it wisely. It is not intended to replace personal instruction from a professional instructor. Keep yourself and your horse out of trouble. if you wish to learn more about these methods contact us at: elizabeth@horsetrainingsolutions.com www.horsetrainingsolutions.com
Members area coming soon!
Thinking Horse DVD Click here to see sample exercises.
Press the Google  “+1″ button if you like this!

Video/Sykpe  consultations are now available. Contact me for details.

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Making Cues Simple by Richard Thompson

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Elizabeth

MAKING CUES SIMPLE

Which cues?

Getting your horse to understand cues is often confusing and frustrating for both the rider and the horse. For that matter it is also a problem whether you are training anything from fleas to elephants.

I would like to discuss a few concepts that we need to better understand.

First is our old culprit anthropomorphism. No matter how hard we try to make our dogs, cats, and horses human, they just don’t have frontal lobes developed like we do.

Many of the current trends in explaining horse behavior using information from human models regarding their personality tendency is physically impossible. Horses frontal lobes aren’t as developed as ours.

For humans the executive function of the frontal lobes involve the ability to recognize future consequences resulting from current actions, to choose between good and bad actions (or better and best), override and suppress unacceptable social responses, and determine similarities and differences between things or events. Therefore, it is involved in higher mental functions.

What we have to do is look at life through the horses’ eyes with the brain they have.

The second concept is the horse’s learning system. Right now you find Equine Behavior Professors from Australia , to cowboys from Wyoming U.S.A  agreeing that a horse learns when you stop signaling or cueing them.  In other words a horse will learn to respond by repeating what ever it was doing when the signal cue was terminated.

This places the responsibility for performance on the trainer recognizing the horse trying to do what the trainer wanted. The cowboy probably isn’t going to teach with food rewards that are so common in training a predator mentality. The release of the cue stress or pressure is the prey animal’s reward.

Thirdly we need to make sure that make cues are clearly different for the desired response.

The average person gets on a horse and pulls on the reins and kicks the horse to go forward.

Then this same average person has been taught to pull harder on the reins and kick harder with the legs to go backwards. Then somehow the poor horse figures out what the human wants and responds.

A better way is to get on the horse, look forward, move the reins forward, and if necessary apply light lower leg (calf) pressure and go forward

 

 

A better way is to get on the horse, look forward, move the reins forward, and if necessary apply light lower leg (calf) pressure and go forward.

 

 

For the backup, pick up on the reins.

 

 

 

Then for the backup, pick up on the reins, lean back slightly, pull gently on the reins, and squeeze with the knees (not the calfs) and go back.

lean back slightly

lean back slightly

 

"pull" (gently) or squeeze on the reins

 

and squeeze with the knees (not the calfs) and go back.

 

With this set of cues for forward and back, there is now no confusion because there is no resemblance between the two set of cues.

 

 

 

The fourth concept for clarity of cue or signal is visualization.

You see or feel your horse executing the request in your mind before it actually does it.

I believe this is the essence of natural horsemanship.

Geese fly in formation, fish swim in schools, and horses run within herds parallel to each other. The followers somehow have the vision of the destination that the leader has.

For example a rider can be looking over its right shoulder to watch for pursuit and keep the horse turning to the left. Normally the horse would move to the right in the direction that the eyes are looking.

I believe that this confusing signal demonstrates  the intuitive part of signaling a horse.  Somehow horses have an instinct behavior system, which reads our minds.

A former international professional polo player, trainer of polo ponies and an award-winning farrier, Richard Thompson now travels the world helping people to look at life through the eyes of their horse, explaining the predator versus prey psychology of the horse and how he feels humans can and must develop trust and respect in their relationships with their horses.
His DVD “Achieving Oneness” is now available from his website. (see my review of the DVD in my post from 30th September 2011)

 

Use the comment box on the blog itself to send me your questions about horse training. You can also write in about any problems you might be having with your horse.Either I or one of the resident expert trainers will do our best to answer your questions.
Understand your horse better & communicate more effectively. The Thinking Horse DVD -  a must-have DVD for horse owners! Click here to see sample exercises and order your copy.
Always wear appropriate safety items of clothing, gloves, shoes and head protection when handling or riding your horse. There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Be sensible and stay within your level of training. This information illustrates the training methods and techniques I and my colleagues use. It is your responsibility to use it wisely. It is not intended to replace personal instruction from a professional instructor. Keep yourself and your horse out of trouble. if you wish to learn more about these methods contact us at: elizabeth@horsetrainingsolutions.com www.horsetrainingsolutions.com
Members area coming soon!
Thinking Horse DVD Click here to see sample exercises.
Press the Google  “+1″ button if you like this!

Video/Sykpe  consultations are now available. Contact me for details.

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Buck Brannaman DVD available at last!

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Elizabeth

The long awaited (by me at least) Buck Brannaman film Buck is now available at Amazon.uk and Amazon.com. Here is the link to the DVD at Amazon.UK. Please note the format availability (Region 1 encoding)!

Buck

“BUCK, a richly textured and visually stunning film, follows Buck Brannaman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. A real-life horse-whisperer , he eschews the violence of his upbringing and teaches people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment. Buck possesses near magical abilities as he dramatically transforms horses – and people – with his understanding, compassion and respect.

A truly American story about an unsung hero and one of the most successful documentaries of the year, BUCK is about an ordinary man who has made an extraordinary life despite tremendous odds.”

Region 1 encoding (requires a North American or multi-region DVD player and NTSC compatible TV.)

 

Let me know what you think of the film!

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“Achieving Oneness”. A Review of Richard Thompson’s Level 2 Training DVD.

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Elizabeth

Richard and Elektra

I have now watched the Level 2 training video from Richard Thompson, “Achieving Oneness”.

This DVD is an ideal training companion for anyone who has already done a Level 1 or indeed a Level 2 course with Richard or with someone working along similar lines.

In “Achieving Oneness”, Richard concentrates on physically and mentally breaking down and separating the cues or aids. You also learn how and why to move each of your horse’s feet independently; improving leg yielding; achieving and maintaining collection and working up to flying lead changes, keeping your horse super soft while doing so.

It is not necessarily for newbies. The Level 2 DVD assumes you will already be working competently at Level 1 and have knowledge of the exercises presented in Level 2. For me, it is a super training  reminder or companion for people who have already had a glimpse of training at this level.

If you are interested, the DVD is available from Richard’s website or you can contact me directly.

http://thompsonclinics.net/www/index.php?categoryid=22

 

Use the comment box on the blog itself to send me your questions about horse training. You can also write in about any problems you might be having with your horse.Either I or one of the resident expert trainers will do our best to answer your questions.
Understand your horse better & communicate more effectively. The Thinking Horse DVD -  a must-have DVD for horse owners! Click here to see sample exercises and order your copy.
Always wear appropriate safety items of clothing, gloves, shoes and head protection when handling or riding your horse. There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Be sensible and stay within your level of training. This information illustrates the training methods and techniques I and my colleagues use. It is your responsibility to use it wisely. It is not intended to replace personal instruction from a professional instructor. Keep yourself and your horse out of trouble. if you wish to learn more about these methods contact us at: elizabeth@horsetrainingsolutions.com www.horsetrainingsolutions.com
Members area coming soon!
Thinking Horse DVD Click here to see sample exercises.
Press the Google  “+1″ button if you like this!

Video/Sykpe  consultations are now available. Contact me for details.

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How to separate cues.

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Elizabeth

Richard and Elektra 26th September 2011

My mentor, Richard Thompson is in Austria right now. I didn’t get chance to work with him when he was here last year, so I’m doubly happy that we were able to hook up this year. Especially as he came round to see how Elektra was doing.  We got on to the conversation about how to separate aids and how difficult this is to teach to people and for me to discipline myself in too!

This is the first entry in a short series about how to separate aids or cues or signals for your horse to respond to.

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So many aids applied at once. Conflicting aids. Contradictory aids. How can our horses NOT become tense, evasive and resistant?

 

How often do we see this picture? So many aids applied at once. Conflicting aids. Contradictory aids.

How can our horses NOT become tense, evasive and resistant?

 

So how do we separate the aids or cues?

In this example, I’ll be showing you how to teach your horse to respond to feather light rein aids and how to back up the rein aid with a body language cue if necessary.

But firstly, what do we use the outside rein for and why is it important to be able to use feather-light aids, cues or signals when riding your horse?

“The secret of riding is the outside rein” Hector Carmona

The outside rein has many jobs to do in riding:

  • Speed control.
  • Steering control.
  • Keeping your horse straight.
  • Connecting aids to put your horse on the bit when combined with “driving” and “bending” aids.
  • Half halts.

Introducing the outside rein in the roundpen. Controlling the speed and the direction.

I and many other trainers start introducing the horse to the outside rein from the ground.

We use a separate and clear signal.

We expect the horse to follow the suggestion of the rein. If we want the horse to move over a step we start by laying the outside rein against the horse’s neck and expecting it to respond by moving over a step with the corresponding outside foreleg.

Elektra is flexed to the right. The left rein is the outside rein. Richard lays the outside rein lightly on Elektra's neck and waits.

 

If the horse doesn’t step away from the outside rein we can back it up with a body language cue, signal or aid.

 

Elektra moves her left foreleg away in response to the pressure from the left rein. She maintains right flexion. Richard releases the pressure. Elektra waits for the next cue.

When the horse reacts in the direction we want it to move, we stop giving the signal and the horse learns that the outside rein used in that particular way means we want that particular reaction.

The horse learns that a specific cue aid or signal requires a specific response.  He learns to wait for the next cue, aid or signal. We learn to develop timing and feeling. The horse learns to remain relaxed.

Many of us are mistaken when we believe that we just have to use stronger aids.

I had to work on separating my cues when I was working Elektra with Richard.

 

I had to work on separating my cues when I was working Elektra with Richard.

I know I can get Elektra to move away from my hand and so I had to work on myself to give her chance to react to the outside rein aid signal I’d given her.

I have to wait for her to react and then back it up with a body cue if necessary.

If the horse doesn't step away from the outside rein we back it up with a body cue. In this case I would bring my right hand up to the area between Elektra's right eye and ear and creat some activity with it. Just enough for her to respond by moving away fom that pressure. And then stop givingthe cue.

 

These exercises help you to become more aware of your outside rein.

They also help to get the horse’s mind focussing on us.

Have fun practicing these outside rein exercises.

Coming up in the series: How to seperate the “go” aids. How to seperate the “stop” aids. How to seperate the “back up” aids. How to seperate the “turning aids”. How to seperate the “go sidewards” aids. See you soon.

All these tips from Richard Thomspon can be found on his new Level 2 DVD available from his website.

Use the comment box on the blog itself to send me your questions about horse training. You can also write in about any problems you might be having with your horse.Either I or one of the resident expert trainers will do our best to answer your questions.
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Always wear appropriate safety items of clothing, gloves, shoes and head protection when handling or riding your horse. There is always some risk involved in horse training for both you and the horse. Be sensible and stay within your level of training. This information illustrates the training methods and techniques I and my colleagues use. It is your responsibility to use it wisely. It is not intended to replace personal instruction from a professional instructor. Keep yourself and your horse out of trouble. if you wish to learn more about these methods contact us at: elizabeth@horsetrainingsolutions.com www.horsetrainingsolutions.com
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