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Horse Health - Avoiding Training Stress

June 16th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

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Equestrian Sports require a great deal of training for both horse and rider. We are well aware that we get stressed by the ups and downs - but what about your horse?  What do you do to keep the training sessions as stress free as possible.

There are three simple things that I do which make our sessions a great deal more pleasant and productive for both of us.  First and foremost - talk to your horse, tell him when he is doing well and let him know by the tone of your voice how pleased you are.  I keep up a constant stream of conversation, talking my way through the session, which is both calming and relaxing for both us.

Make sure you give yourselves some breaks, training sessions are demanding both mentally and physically and you need to take a breather.  Give your horse lots of encouragement during the break, especially if he has done something well.  In an ideal world you should try to take breaks so that they fall just after a particularly successful moment.

Last but not least, at the end of a session. let yourselves unwind.  Let your horse walk round and stretch on a long rein for a while so that he relaxes slowly and lets go of the mental effort as well as the physical.  None of these take any time at all and will ensure that you and the horse both end the session feeling you have achieved something and you feel better for it.

Dancing With Horses - A ‘Must’ For Equestrian Sports

February 24th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Success in any equestrian sport is dependent on the rapport between horse and rider and it takes hard work to achieve that. Horses have personalities just like people and it is just as necessary to bear those in mind and work with them as it is with any social interaction. Dancing with Horses is an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who is working to communicate with their horse and develop their relationship. Klaus Hempfling’s book has been around a while but is only recently getting the coverage and recognition it deserves.

To quote from an article in The Library Journal by Deborah Emerson

“The author’s approach combines his backgrounds in communications, theater, and dance with more traditional means. The result is an unusually harmonious relationship between horse and trainer, in which there is complete understanding and communication through body language. Hempfling’s method has proven successful with all breeds of horses and makes the learning process fun for both horse and rider…. “

There have been many reviews of the book but one particularly caught my eye as I think it summed up the benefits that can be achieved - it came from Tuike Ekroos of Helsinki and summed up the desperation some riders can feel

“I have a so called problem horses. He was almost dangerous to handle and not so much interested in me. Now I have found my way to communicate with him without using violence. This book is really easy-to-understand with its advice. On this book there is the Hempfling’s key philosophy but you can also find really concrete advice from this book. I really have to say i love Hempflings way to communicate with horses.”

Given that one can have so much success with a problem horse, you can imagine the benefits with a horse that is less difficult to handle. Dancing with Horses is a great investment for anyone who takes part in Equestrian sports.

Horse Training Success

February 15th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

I came across an excellent ebook the other day which was drawn to my attention by a fellow rider when discussing training methods to help deal with some of the behavior problems you can encounter with your horse. When you first buy your horse you have to spend some time getting to know each other and it is during this time that you may discover problems that have not been addressed by the previous owner.

Horse Training Success is full of very practical information on how to train your horse into good behavior patterns presented in a step by step fashion that is easy to find your way around. The book is based around real problems presented by real riders of real horses rather than just a theoretical, airy fairy approach which does nothing for you or your horse. Problems such as biting, bolting, kicking and bucking which can cause nasty injuries are dealt with in a no nonsense fashion which will help both you and the horse to get rid of those unpleasant habits. There are a number of practical approaches to the things that make your horse skittish and jumpy like cars, blowing rubbish and other animals, not to mention getting him into a trailer without a fuss. Feeding time can often cause issues, especially if you have a strong willed horse that likes to take control and I was impressed with some of the solutions presented in the book.

The manual doesn’t only deal with horse behavior problems but also with basic training and riding techniques in plain English with no jargon or waffle - invaluable! Phil Tragear has put together an enormous amount of information and shared the benefit of years of experience both in basic horse training as well as problem management. Horse Training Success is one of the best all round manuals I have come across in a very long time.

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