Picture this. You're late for work one day. You look at your watch and notice you have about three minutes to feed your horse before you have to leave. Plus, it seems to worsen every day. You notice your life getting busier and you have little time, if any, to spend with your horse.
Should you sell him? Should you keep him? What do you do.
It depends. If you only want a pet that eats a lot of hay, then you can keep him if it is affordable. If you want to ride him but you know you won't have time then consider selling him. (Ouch!)
However, if you know you will eventually have time to ride then you can keep your horse "tuned up" by doing some "quick and easy to do" horse training maneuvers on him.
For instance, you have about two minutes to feed your horse before you go to work. So you rush outside and get some hay for him. Just before you feed him you get beside him and practice his backing up.
Backing him up is a great way to keep him "tuned up". Why? You get your horse to move. When you get your horse to move you earn more and more of his respect. Getting a horse to move is using the horse's psychology to get it in his brain that you are the boss. The chief. The head-honcho.
There are more exercises to do than just backing.
Say you have a horse that won't come to you. The reason he won't is likely because of fear or doesn't trust you.
But for the next few weeks go feed your horses with a halter and brush in hand. Horses love to be brushed. Once you get it in his head that seeing the halter means pleasure you will almost never have trouble getting him to come to you.
Here's a good one many people don't know. When you go to feed your horses whistle loudly if you can. If you whistle a certain way and if you're consistent in the way you do it...then you can usually call horses in from an open field and they'll come a runnin'.
Want another tip? Try this.
Before you feed your horse, approach him and pet on his withers. Assuming you are standing on his left side poke your finger into his flank (around the rib/hip area). Hold it there. If he doesn't move, increase the pressure and hold it. If he doesn't move, increase the pressure even more and hold it. Repeat this process until he moves away from the pressure.
When he moves reward him with a petting on the forehead. Do it a couple more times then repeat on his right side.
Doing this teaches the horse a couple things. First, it teaches him to move away from pressure. Since pressure is a tool we use to communicate with the horse, we want him to know how to move away from it.
Secondly, you are doing ground work of teaching your horse to move his hindquarters away from you. Thus, when you sit on the saddle and apply pressure with your boot in that same area, you have primed him to move away from that pressure - he moves his rear end away from your foot.
This is a tremendous tool to not only disengage a horse's hindquarters, it is also part of how to teach a horse to sidepass.
There are more "quick to do" horse training tips you can do. These are but a few examples of what you can accomplish even if you have just minutes a day.
About The Author
Andy Curry is a nationally known horse trainer and author of several best selling horse training and horse care books. For information visit his website at www.horsetrainingandtips.com. He is also the leading expert on Jesse Beery's horse training methods which can be seen at www.horsetrainingandtips.com.
Beautiful as they are, Boston Terriers have some genetic traits... Read More
A New Understanding of AllergiesAllergies of all kinds seem to... Read More
Just because we moved out to the country a couple... Read More
Last summer, we added a new pet to our family... Read More
Even with the best care, cats can become ill. Sometimes... Read More
What Is ParvoParvo is a serious viral disease that can... Read More
What should you feed your cat to make sure he... Read More
Part 2: Protecting your petIf you own a cat, then... Read More
Unfortunately, accidents can - and DO happen, so it's always... Read More
I'm a dog lover who believes that every dog owners... Read More
Bringing home a new puppy, ushers in a wave of... Read More
Until a very recent period, dog worms were thought to... Read More
Congratulations. You've decided to buy a bird, and you even... Read More
The greatest fear of most pet owners is that there... Read More
When you take into account that there are over 68,000,000... Read More
Settling a puppy into a new home successful is often... Read More
"Mom, can we get a puppy?" Who hasn't heard that... Read More
It's been weeks since you went riding. Now you have... Read More
A dog that is feeling pain can often be highly... Read More
Boarding, Breeding, Training & Showing Stables:1. You need to fill... Read More
So you're bringing home that cute little puppy from the... Read More
Do you have at least one framed photo of your... Read More
Some sources seem to indicate that living with a serval... Read More
If you are considering opening a dog day care, then... Read More
Adopting a dog is a lot of fun, but it... Read More
Dog flea control and management requires an integrated approach. For... Read More
Puppy CarePuppy care can be a lot of work, but... Read More
Owning a dog is a serious responsibility, one that should... Read More
Good filtration is the prime priority in the discus tank.... Read More
Tired of cleaning the cat box? Here are some tips... Read More
Are you ready for a Boxer?The answer is "no" if... Read More
Wether it be on a vacation to your favorite resort,... Read More
Beautiful as they are, Boston Terriers have some genetic traits... Read More
House rabbits are a perfect pet for many people, regardless... Read More
Remember when you first met your dog? He was fresh... Read More
Horse owners who are history buffs may recognize the name... Read More
With all the companionship and love that our dogs give... Read More
Pets provide an unconditional love that requires very little on... Read More
Your dog's dental health is so important for his total... Read More
Training Tips for a Happy and Healthy Relationship with Your... Read More
Many dog owners are bewildered when they hear their dog... Read More
As a pet owner, no doubt you want to give... Read More
Are you nuts? You think banging your finger with a... Read More
This has been one of the most rewarding adventures I... Read More
Large dogs and extra large dogs require more thought and... Read More
Stingrays will eat a wide variety of foods. Maintaining a... Read More
Which cat food should you feed your cat to be... Read More
As with every training tool used to modify a behavior... Read More
Keeping fish as pets takes more than just feeding them... Read More
You want your dog to swim?We're going to try to... Read More
Pet |