It’s the little things that add up to a big deal with horses. I often hear people complain that they bought a well-trained horse and he became untrained. You’re training your horse every time you’re with him. If you...
Horses bite and kick at each other in the herd. That’s appropriate behavior for them when turned out together. But that’s not appropriate behavior when humans are present, and you have to teach your horse what isn’t acceptable in...
You’re so excited to have a horse that your first instinct might be to pamper him, feed him treats and love on him every time you see him. That’s a perfectly normal human response to a new relationship, but...
Horses display playful behaviors with other horses. For the safety of human handlers, it's important to make sure these behaviors don't occur during horse/human interactions.Trainer Jill Girardi-Thomas is convinced that her Arabian gelding has a sense of humor.
"We put...
Riding a horse that refuses to go forward is like having a Ferrari with no gas pedal; sure, it's nice to look at, but it's absolutely useless. I teach horses to move forward off my legs using three separate...
Your normally mild-mannered horse has begun to toss his head, refusing directions and acting impatient when you ask him to wait. While under tack, he slams on the brakes and rubs his nose on his legs, jump standards or...
"Loose horse!”
It’s the shout heard at farms across the land that lets our barn brethren know an equine escapee is heading their way. On occasion our horses get away from us for reasons mostly accidental and unintentional. However,...
In developing solutions for horse training problems, it’s important to look at things from the horse’s point of view. If your horse is particularly lazy and unmotivated in the arena, even if he is fine on the trail and...
Q: My horse is not respectful on the lead rope. He barges into my personal space and sometimes tries to bolt off. How can I teach him to lead more safely?A: Safety is your first priority, and respect is...
Q: I show a 15-year-old Quarter Horse mare. She always wants to break into the lope and kick other horses. How can I keep this from happening?A: You will have to work this horse among others in an...
