Welcome To Horse Riding Training

Posted on August 10, 2009 at 4:00 am in

Horse Riding Training

Welcome to Horse Riding Training, our Blog specialising in bringing you all areas associated with Horse Riding Training.

My family has been involved in keeping horses for over 25 years and we thought it would be a great idea to share some of the knowledge we have built up along the way. Also, as our daughter is about to start her horse riding training we thought it would be nice to share some of her experiences with you.  We’ll also try to point you in the right direction for information and products that will help make your horse riding training experience enjoyable and fun.  As we’ve found there are a lot of people promoting things that you really don’t need.

We’ve put together these five tips for you to follow before getteing started in your horse riding training.


1. An important factor when you start horse riding training is making sure that you take your time to find a good reputable training school using good training methods. The reason why this is important is because it’s easy to pick up bad habits. If you don’t take your time in finding the right training offering the best horse riding lessons, then you run the risk of developing bad habits which are difficult to correct later.

2. Another important consideration for horse riding training is what equipment you buy. It’s critical that you buy good quality equipment because you want it to last and be safe, horse riding can be harsh on equipment and riders especially when riding cross country.  Also, if you lie the idea of entering horse showing events you will want to look your best. If you make sure that you buy good quality equipment, then you’ll be fine.

3. You don’t have to spend vast amounts of money in order to start horse riding training. All you need to do is read up as much as you can, and make sure that you research the various training centres in your area.

4. Instead of complicating horse riding training efforts by buying a horse and equipment straight away, try it this way: contacting your preferred training school and part renting a horse and then as you improve your horse riding ability and you are sure it is the right hobby for you, then buy your own. In fact, if you contact your local stables, then you may find that there are horses available to rent and look after as it if they were your own.

5. Have you considered sharing a horse with a friend. It’s not as difficult as you might think, and can help to spread the costs of looking after your own horse.

So if you really want to start horse riding training, following these tips can help make your experience a fun, safe and enjoyable one and one that you will want to continue for life.

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How have you gone about training your horse?

Posted on November 25, 2009 at 2:13 pm in

what steps should you go about for training a green hunter starting with a horse who is learning bending and the correct frame. what shoud they know by now and what should be the next few steps?
plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz help me I rly want to be successful with training my horse.

Okay this reply might be long but here it goes.

If your working on framing, use draw reigns. But if you dont want to use those this is what you do to get a nice, low, hunter frame.

Use a "see-saw" motion with your hands, like a half halt in time with his stride, almost like your squeezing a sponge, alternating hands so "left, right, left , right…." and dont stop or lose contact ever, and when he puts his head down squeeze alot with your leg so he knows to stretch and move forward. keep doing this and he will lengthen out :)
The most important thing to remember is, when he gets his head where you want it, although you can stop see-sawing, dont lose contact and dont take off your leg!

Bending:
A really helpful tip with bending is stand in the middle on your horse, pull lightly to make him turn to your foot, and do the same with the other. Then, eventually he’ll know to do this with just you sticking out your foot :)

When riding, do little half halts on the inside reign before you come to the bend. With some horses, the "pull and give" might have to be exaggerated "pull, pull, pull…give" till they get it. What some horses will do is TILT their head, so theyre nose will be to the inside, but their outside ear will be to the outside. If this happens, pull up on the outside reign so they correct it. You can work on bending to the inside all the way around the arena with constant pull-gives =)
CIRCLES CIRCLES CIRCLES
help SOO much starting big and then getting smaller and smaller and then back to getting bigger and bigger, all the while working on bending. Whats important with circles is inside leg is pushing your horses bum out, and your outside by the girth pushing his shoulders in, making him bend almost around your foot and so hes not drifting out. ALso, make sure your square to your horses shoulders, not falling in to the circle.=)

One more thing that helps is figure 8’s from corner to corner. Your horse has to change his bend in the middle and it helps him realise when he needs to bend in what direction. There are so many other techniques you can use as well, weaving in and out of pylons, etc.

Sorry this was so long! >.< I could probably go on but ill save you the reading :) if you want any other info just email me! The most important thing to remember is you give back as much as you take and you’ll have a happy horse!

Keira

2 Comments on How have you gone about training your horse?

Help, I am in a MAJOR horse funk – Has this ever happened to you?

Posted on November 25, 2009 at 2:13 pm in

I’m in a major horse training funk. I got Dobbin in 2004. He was a mess. I don’t have a complete history, but from what I know he was definitely abused (old rope scars, etc.) and terrified of whips and most everything else, started very young (say about 2 yo) by people who knew nothing about horses, sold and started again around 3 after he was gelded (saddle plopped on and 9 inch shank bit), ridden in a harsh-handed, ventroflexed forced rackish-gait (extremely confused about his gaits when I got him), ridden in a pack horse fashion on trails by different inexperienced riders, fell more than once with riders, malnourished, upside down neck, stifle problem, couldn’t walk a straight line, couldn’t turn, slab-sided, high-headed with a rock mouth, no conceivable whoa to speak of…I hope I’m giving the right details.

Once I got him and realized the extent of his problems, I wiped the slate clean and started him over from the ground up as if he’d never been started before. I spent over 1-1/2 years the first time retraining, with professional help as needed. He learned to lunge (would run full speed backwards, spook, drag the handler across the ring, hide his hiney, etc. – again, never the same thing twice). He softened to the snaffle bit, learned to straighten, turn, yield to pressure, voice commands for walk and trot and whoa. I started riding again, from the very basics – worked a nice active walk and remedial lateral movements for close to 6 months; the trot took another 8 months. He was extremely front heavy, like he was bogged down in cement, and once ridden would brace and lean against the bit, grab it, run sideways, a number of evasions. I would soften my hands and push him forward, no easy task, and was lucky to come out of it alive each time bc I never knew where we woud end up, face down on the ground, sideways in a tree – you get the idea. His transitions were like two trains colliding and this horse, unlike any I have ever in my life encountered, can move like a verifiable slinky.

To confirm it wasn’t something I was doing, I even paid some top-notch riders (as in Grand Prix) with perfect balance and hands to work him; no difference. So I took on another training professional and we backtracked again. Once we came to the snaffle riding part again; it started all over. Yet I can free lunge him in a HUGE arena with body language and voice commands and he’s fantastic. The trainer I have now won’t ride him in a snaffle any more; he says it’s just not for Dobbin and all we do is play the hard mouthed game instead of teaching him anything. We put him back in a curb and he’s an angel. Yet I feel I have failed and am a crappy horsewoman and am obsessing about it all of the time. I’ve never encountered anything like this with any other horse and I’m not inexperienced. With the curb, it takes very little in the way of aids and seat; only when he decides to test it with something wacky like "ooh, let’s see if I can suddenly gallop sideways towards that other horse" is it used to its effect and now that behavior has been entirely eliminated.

The vet says likely nerve damage in the mouth, after watching me work him in both bits and doing an oral examination. But there is no physical evidence of that in the way of scarring or splitting. I take extraordinary care of Dobbin – regular chiropractor, top vet care, best feed, joint support supplement, massages, equine dentist. He has the best manners of any horse at the barn. I am firm, kind, fair, and when all is accomplished guilty of being a bit of a softie, but never with training or groundwork.

So, first, I’d like to compare what I’ve done with what others do to rebit, to see if something was missed.

Second, has a horse ever made you feel like your previously successful skills and techniques amount to nothing?

Third, have I failed or do I just need to stop driving myself nuts and accept he goes in a curb and that’s that?

I’m really depressed and in a major funk, so please don’t beat me up. I’ve done a dandy job of doing that myself. I even dream about it.

Oh, and Dobbin stays with me for his lifetime. He came to me not to long after my sister died tragically and our bond is strong. I credit him for giving me a reason to live and despite our training challenges, he is meant for me.

I know I’ve asked regarding different facets of this same issue previously. Thanks to all who don’t mind taking another look.

"Before" June 2004: http://pic80.picturetrail.com:80/VOL2132/10980997/19777067/319268439.jpg

"After" May 2008 (Trainer riding in curb): http://pic80.picturetrail.com:80/VOL2132/10980997/19777067/329506367.jpg
Alice ~ you really made me laugh. There were a few tears involved, but it was that fine line between hilarious and OMG I’m crying. I guess I’m worn thin on this issue. Yes, I do a lot of basic dressage in a western saddle now! It fits him best so why quibble, eh ;-) Thanks for the laugh. It was well needed. It’s amazing how a horse can go from Mr. Terror to Mr. Manners!!!
Sovereign7 ~ thanks for the links!!!
Based on two good suggestions, I definitely have to revist my kimberwick(s). Yes, I have more than one! I could open my own bit store; it’s kinda ridiculous.

Rosi M ~ horses have strong opinions, don’t they! Your grey said, "No way" <spin on forehand, spin on forehand> ;-) It does make me sad what horses endure. It never ceases to amaze me that they let any of us ride them at all. I hope in 10 years I can look back and say, "Oh I remember when Dobbin….guess I did my job after all!" Tee Hee
zephania666 ~ I really like everything you’re saying, especially the yardstick part. Need to start looking at this differently. Sometimes I just get soooo serious bc I know what should be happening in a perfect horse training world.

I am so truly appreciative of ALL of your answers. I guess I didn’t realize how badly I needed some encouragement and someone to say relax. I keep smiling and then getting teary eyed as I read these. It’s like those dratted halmark commercials.
I don’t do thumbs down

Well, I wouldn’t beat myself up about it. It looks to me like dobbin is a great horse, and sounds like you have and are currently doing everyrhing right. Just because he can’t go in a snaffle due to nerve dammage is no big deal. Really, its not your fault. I can understand if you feel bad for him, but you should try to stop mentally abusing yourself. You sound like a very good horsewonam and Dobbin looks happy to work in the second picture.

You are doing western, correct? Well that is what you are doing in the picture (tee hee! lateral movements in a western saddle! I do dressage and am obsessed by it!). It is perfectly fine if you are using a curb bit in western. I would know. I ride one of my friend’s horses and we tried him in a snaffle, fearing that the curb was too harsh. I almost died when he tried to run me into a tree. Well, anyway, we put the curb back in with a curb chain and he is Mr. Manners himself now.

Don’t worry, everyone has ridden that horse that makes you feel like you are an equestrian invalid. It’s not just you. You havce not failed if Dobbin is happier and healthier. That is the main thing: he is out of a horrid situation and into a wonderful one, regaurdless of bits.

I don’t think you should try the snaffle again. He is ovbiously a curb bit horse. Don’t worry about it.

Well, the moral of the story is that you are not doing anything wrong and just need to stop worrying about it. If you keep having dreams about failing, may i suggest psychotherapy?
Well, god luck with dobbin!

6 Comments on Help, I am in a MAJOR horse funk – Has this ever happened to you?

Horse Training Problems…/Riding Issues?

Posted on November 25, 2009 at 2:13 pm in

i have a 9 year old Morab who hasn’t been worked very much over the past year and a half because of bad habits and disrespect.

this has put an halt to our riding. i asked her to canter while lunging and she bucked and bolted right at the cue. (is this normal?)

a problem i often have while lunging her is she gets very close to me while i’m standing in the middle. and she used to only do this at a walk but now at a trot she is making small circles around me. i want her to fill the round pen and ride on the fence. she never does.
how can i get her to get out of my space and onto the rail?

she also is very disrespectful when it comes to hoof picking. she won’t pick up her foot and always puts up a fight. when i get to her hind she usually kicks….

and in the saddle:

she is distracted and always is paying attention to the other horses who are grazing or in their paddocks. she always wants to ride the side closest to them. how can i get her to be more focused?
_________________________________________________________

side note: i also would love to take her on some trail rides but how she’s acting in the ring, on the ground, and in the round pen i’m afraid that that would be a mistake. whats a good way to introduce a horse to trails who has problems such as my mare’s?
_________________________________________________________

thank you for your two cents and advice. i will take everything into consideration to how to fix her problems.

I have come to realize that a large number of people think of longeing a horse as ground training. I am actually not a fan of longeing. although I do train it, but only as a skill to be combined with riding, and maybe a minor part of the preparation for it. Ground training, as I see it, teaches every move a horse will be asked to do for the rest of his life. It desensitizes, teaches the horse to give to pressure in every possible place pressure will be placed, and establishes trust. Before a horse is ever asked to perform under saddle, he/she should know movement on cue in all directions, pivots, and when to remain stationary until cued to move. My horses know never to come within 3 feet of me without being invited long before a saddle is introduced. You need to get a trainer, or at least a video, that will guide you through the ground training that prepares horses for everything they will do for the rest of their lives. Longeing is not the definition of ground training. Your horse needs to start over and learn to stand ground tied, stand to be mounted, give to every request, respect your space and never think he has any option but to do anything other than that. Look for natural horsemanship videos. They are founded in the ground training that has been done for centuries before horses were put under saddle and asked to perform. You can take a horse back to basics and retrain what was not trained to begin with. For now, throw away the longe line, postpone the saddling, and spend the next months on basic ground work and you will change this horse for the rest of his life.

3 Comments on Horse Training Problems…/Riding Issues?

Good stretches for leg sore-ness after horse riding lessons?

Posted on November 25, 2009 at 2:13 pm in

I just had my first horse-back riding lesson and she had me try to do some posting without stirrups, wow is it ever hard! Any way, now im really sore and need some stretches to help…got any? Thanks! Any advice about first lessons are great!

Depends on which part of you is sore!

No stirrups work, I would guess inner thighs and hip flexors. Try a pigeon stretch: from a plank position, bring one knee up and angle the lower leg across your body. Like this: http://www.womansday.com/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/galleries-slideshows/yoga-for-everyone/yoga-for-your-hips-pigeon-pose-variation-i/47626-1-eng-US/Yoga-for-Your-Hips-Pigeon-Pose-Variation-I_slideshow_image.jpg
Lower your upper body down on your elbows and breath deeply into the stretch. Repeat with the other leg.

Also try standing, place one angle across the opposite knee. Bend the knee and lean forward to balance. See if you can get low enough to put your fingers on the ground.

The stair stretch is a good one for your heels/calfs, as others have mentioned.
For a stiff lower back, try laying on a tennis ball. It sounds stupid, but place the ball under the stiff parts of your back and lower your weight slowly, shifting the ball in circles with your weight. It feels like a deep tissue massage.

For shoulders (I hold mine tense when I work no stirrups and they tend to be stiff), sit on your knees, place your arms in front of you and bow backwards, pushing forward with your palms as your weight settles back.
Or, go on hands and toes (plank position. shift your weight to one arm and slide the other underneath it (palm up) until your shoulder is on the floor. With your legs still extended, drop your knees to the ground and reach your other arm straight up from the shoulder. This will loosen your shoulders and stretch your spine. Repeat on the other side.

The looser you are, the more easily you’ll find things like no stirrups work. In my experience, the absolute best substitute for riding is a really good yoga or pilates class so if you’re financially limited in lessons, a good yoga dvd can go a long way.

2 Comments on Good stretches for leg sore-ness after horse riding lessons?

where can i find horse-back riding clothes?

Posted on November 25, 2009 at 2:13 pm in

so my parents signed me up for horse-back riding lessons and i’m really excitedd!! :D i need my own helmet and those special riding clothes. any places or websites where i could get some??(: I can’t wait for my first lesson!! :D

are you doing english or western? i would try rods.com they have both english and western. I also do sheplers.com but i am a western girl. good luck and HAVE FUN!!!

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Training a horse how to stand still when mounting?

Posted on November 14, 2009 at 5:42 pm in

My seventeen y/o quarter horse is a perfect horse, except for the fact when you try to mount her (get on her), she backs up, turns towards you, anything but stays still. She stands fine when someone whos standing holds her by the reins right underneath her chin, while I get on, but it’s quite annoying to ask someone to hold her. I’ve searched the internet (even youtube) for some advice on training your horse how to stand still, but I havent found any of them very helpful. Can anyone help? Thank you:)

Have you tried putting her in a corner? Are you accidently digging your toe into her? Are you short and her tall?

You might try snugging one rein so she can’t go forward. If you think you might be bumping her use a mounting block. Make sure you’re not bumping her mouth even if it means grabbing a handful of mane. When you get on and she’s reasonably still praise her. If she backs up put her rump in a corner. If you can block her from walking that’s part of the battle but make sure you’re not making it uncomfortable for her. :-) Sometimes we do things without realizing we’re doing it.
If you’re still stuck try barnmate.com

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What is the best way to get a horse to frame?

Posted on November 14, 2009 at 5:42 pm in

I have a horse that I am training for dressage. I need some tips on how to get her to stay in the frame. Like what are the correct aids and should I use draw reins or not. I had one trainer say I should use draw reins. She will do the frame for a couple of seconds, but how do I get her to stay in the frame?

Time and patience.
Correct training does not need gadgets, and I stick by my opinion that draw reins do not help a horse at all.
I ride a horse at my yard, who has been trained to go into an outline using draw reins, he goes so easily on the forehand and the use of draw reins haven’t helped him use himself properly, he tends to move very bunched up – because the draw reins never allowed him to move freely and now he finds it hard to. If he’d not been trained with draw reins, chances are he would have become far more free moving.
Going into an outline takes time, it’s not achieved in five minutes. In order for a horse to go into a consistent outline, then they need to have built the muscles to do it – which can’t be achieved by gadgets. Also if this horse is in training, chances are she’s not balanced enough to stay in the frame and move correctly all the time.
Top dressage horses take years and years to achieve their ability, it does not happen over night.

6 Comments on What is the best way to get a horse to frame?

I need help naming my new horse training and riding lesson bussiness…I ride and teach western?

Posted on November 14, 2009 at 5:42 pm in

I am located in Kelowna BC…would like a western sorta name…thank you so much!

wild western school
western rodeo riding school
westkelo riding school
western bc
sidesaddle stables
western showstoppers school of riding
ride western stables
kelowna western riders

2 Comments on I need help naming my new horse training and riding lesson bussiness…I ride and teach western?

Is there any good horse riding lessons in Manhattan?

Posted on November 14, 2009 at 5:42 pm in

I just want to know, from your personal experience if there’s any good horse riding classes in manhattan? I’ve never took riding classes before and barely know how to ride a horse, and I’m only 14… if that helps.
thanks for answering
:)

I,m not sure.

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