Whether you have a top quality dressage horse, a two year old youngster or a bombproof 20 year old in your stable, the basic ground rules of horse training are universal and will always apply.
Decide what you want to achieve with your horse, then set and stick to your ground rules.
And regularly dip into that vast pool of equestrian skills, techniques and suggestions available on the internet and in equestrian books and magazines.
Set Goals in Your Horse Training & Always Ask for tips and advice
If you don’t know where you’re trying to get to, how will you know how far you’ve come or when you’ve arrived?
“How many times have you tacked up your horse, spent a couple of hours hacking out, got back to the yard and turned your horse out without asking it one question?”
There are times when switching off and simply enjoying a hack is exactly the right thing to do
Particularly if it is a planned part of your horses training or if it just feels like the right thing to do after a hard week.
But, make sure you recognise that it contributes very little to producing a more supple and responsive horse.
Today’s horses have more than enough time to themselves each day and in the short time you spend with your horse, it’s time for it to listen and to learn.
Horse Training Tips & Relationship Ground Rules …
Trying to be your horses best mate may make you feel better, but will it do the same for your horse?
Horse owners quite often confuse love with sentiment
Your horse needs you to lead and if you don’t or won’t then your horse will lead you.
"Your horse likes to be mentally stimulated, to play games and be rewarded with affection and it’s only when boredom sets in that your horse misbehaves, becomes rude and has no manners."
"Ask your horse whether he’d rather have an owner and a leader he can trust and respect, or one who breathes gently up his nose each morning and buys him this seasons top turnout rug and you’ll be surprised by the answer."
For successful horse training you need to establish trust and respect.
And, this is done by setting ground rules that you stick to. During schooling, competition and around the yard.
A good relationship with your horse is of prime importance, but once you have established respect you will find that this happens quite naturally.
You will also discover that like any true trusting relationship, it will become a win-win relationship and not a one-way where it’s you who does all the giving.