It's been weeks since you went riding. Now you have time to ride this afternoon and there ain't no one gonna stop you. Excited, you saddle up your horse and get on him. You get about 50 feet from the barn and your horse turns around and goes back ? and you can't stop him. Why? You have a barn spoiled horse. This is a common scenario for novice horse owners.
Here are the top three tricks to solve the barn sour problem.
Teach your horse that you have control over him. Once your horse gets it in his mind that you can make him do what you want him to do, you have control over him and can thus make him leave the barn. One way to get control over him is to use a training technique called doubling. When you double your horse you teach him you can control him.
It doesn't take long before your horse will know you can control him. Be careful when doubling though. If you do it too much at a time you can over do it. Your horse could get so sensitive to you doing it that he may try to anticipate it. If he sees your hands making the slightest movement that looks like you're about to double him, he may double himself. Thus, just double him four to six times a day on both sides. He'll quickly learn you have control.
The next thing you can try is this: Make it dang hard to do the wrong thing ? and make it real easy to do the right thing. Here's what I mean. A while back my horse didn't want to leave her buddies or the barn. We'd get about 100 feet away and she'd turn around and bolt back. She'd stop in front of the barn expecting me to get off, remove the saddle and tack, and put her back into the corrals.
By my barn is two hay stacks. There is a space between them big enough to go through and do figure eights around the hay stacks. So every time she'd go back I would make her work, and work, and work at running figure eights around those hay stacks. Then I would test her to see if she had enough and would leave the area.
The first seven times she ran back. Each time we came back to the barn we'd run more laps around the hay stacks. I could tell she was getting tired. But the eighth time I walked her away from the hay stacks I noticed she went quite a ways before turning to go back.
When we went back again we ran more figure eights. Only this time I could tell we didn't have to do too many. I walked her out and away from doing the figure eights and I suddenly had a horse who decided that it was sooo much nicer going for a walk away from the barn rather than doing a bunch of crummy ol' figure eights. We had a nice ride that day and she was in no hurry to get home.
The last thing to do is this: Ride. Ride a lot. Don't wait for weeks or months in between riding. Try to ride at least once per week for three or four hours. Preferably, try to ride at least twice a week for a few hours at a time. (Ideally, you should ride everyday. But that's hard to do with today's time constraints) Doing that your horse will get in his brain that you're going to ride and he's going to leave the barn and there will be no argument. In fact, if you want to have a great horse the biggest secret is this: Ride the heck out him!
So if your horse is barn spoiled you can try doubling him to show you are in control. The next thing you can try is making the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy. Make it dang hard for him to go the wrong thing and very pleasant to do the right thing. And lastly, ride your horse often. Two to three times a week if possible.
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.
local house cleaners Park Ridge ..Do you have some adult discus fish and want to... Read More
You Must Be The Alpha DogFirst, let's take a look... Read More
If you thought dog noses were just a source of... Read More
This is an 11 step guide to setting up a... Read More
Whether you intend to show your Westie, or keep him... Read More
Domesticated rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart... Read More
You spoil your pooch as close to rotten as you... Read More
When you take into account that there are over 68,000,000... Read More
Nearly every puppy in the world is born with roundworms.... Read More
When looking for the best dog food - consider Life's... Read More
1) Why should I crate train my dog? ... Read More
The 4th Of 6 Keys To Building A Life Long... Read More
The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior... Read More
A couple of years ago a Japanese electronics company came... Read More
Wether it be on a vacation to your favorite resort,... Read More
Get to know your beloved dog better with these insightful... Read More
Dog Travel SuppliesThe shopping part along for dog travel supplies... Read More
Grooming means taking care of the physical maintenance of the... Read More
Every year, many cat owners decide to get their cat... Read More
When it comes to the art of giving, a gift... Read More
German Shepherds were among the first dogs trained for police... Read More
Having a pet is an experiance that I think everyone... Read More
This is the story of my dog called Shandy. He... Read More
Let me introduce my dogs. I have 3, Nikki and... Read More
My love of horses began at the age of 11... Read More
move out cleaning service Glenview ..Brings live to your community tanksMany freshwater fish-keepers have a... Read More
Are you irritated by your dog's drooping ears or your... Read More
Buying a pet bird can be quite an investment. After... Read More
There may be no warning before dog worms strike.It was... Read More
The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior... Read More
Let's say you've made up your mind on the breed... Read More
If you are thinking of adding a feline to your... Read More
If you decide you want a purebred, make sure it's... Read More
We all know how special interest groups can blow things... Read More
Author of Keep Fleas OffStill using all the chemicals you... Read More
"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil... Read More
Is your dog or cat tormented by ear infections? Do... Read More
This is an old saying that many of us have... Read More
When you get a puppy, one of the first things... Read More
Many parents know that the best way for children to... Read More
My dad was an avid animal lover. We grew up... Read More
Good filtration is the prime priority in the discus tank.... Read More
You know that cats should always have a supply of... Read More
Domesticated rabbits are one of the most popular pets, apart... Read More
I have a business card burning a hole in my... Read More
A puppy wanting to chew makes you want to scream!... Read More
Many people ask the question: "Should we get a purebreed... Read More
Natural preventative pet care isn't a new thing but it... Read More
Everybody loves a baby animal and Westie puppies are adorable,... Read More
Every year, many cat owners decide to get their cat... Read More
Pet |