​In The ​Saddle
Trail Tips
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1. Desensitize your horse to scary situations you may encounter on the trail in a safe environment, such as an arena.
2. Gradually introduce him to traffic where you can control the situation.
3. Before you even think of hitting the trail, you and your horse should have mastery of basic skills in the arena. You should have whoa and go, steering, and control at all gaits.
4. If your horse isn’t used to riding alone, build up his confidence by going out for short jaunts frequently, working up to longer rides as his confidence grows.
5. Don’t tailgate! Maintain one horse length between horses.
6. Before you trot or canter on the trail, check with the other riders in your group.
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Trailering
Start with the "go forward" cue. This will involve a crop (wip). Start tapping the horse on his upper hip while cueing him/her with a kissing sound. Point the nose in the direction you want him to go as you give the cue.
He'll learn when he gets a little tap on the hip, it means walk forward. Start gentle - touching and giving a kiss. Then gradually build the pressure with the crop. As soon as he moves forward, then let off. Do that on both sides.
"As soon as he walks forward, quit tapping." "If he backs up, try to keep yourself in position with him and keep giving him the cue until he makes an effort to step forward. You may have to kind of boogie along with him a little bit."
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Trainer comments: Larry Levrets of Heart to Horse in Bandon, Oregon, also uses the "go forward" cue when teaching a horse to trailer load. He then loads and unloads the horse repeatedly until he's comfortable.
But first, he says, you need to gain your horse's trust. He notes that horses "read" people during ground training the same way they do a rider. "A trailer, from your horse's point of view, is a scary place to go," he says. Therefore, he continues, your horse must know that you love him, that you're in charge, and that you can be trusted.
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​Tricks
Arguably the simplest trick you can teach your horse, bowing isn't nearly as complicated as it looks, but it certainly puts on a show. I recommend teaching your horse to bow on the ground before trying it while in the saddle. You'll need a carrot or some other horse treat and plenty of time to practice.
Start by putting the treat in front of your horse's nose so that he can smell it. The trick starts with a basic conditioning response: He wants the treat, but he doesn't get it until he does what you ask. After he's smelled the treat, slowly draw it down toward the ground. When he lowers his nose below his chest, let him lip up the treat. Remember that teaching your horse to bow (or perform any other trick) must happen in small steps.
Next, perform the same steps again, but make your horse bend his head inward toward his chest before he can take the treat. Continue to increase the amount he has to bend until he's bowing the way you'd like. Once you've accomplished this, add the cue to bow with the treat. My daughter used tickling her horse's nose with the tips of her fingers, but any cue will work. After a few days, he'll respond to the cue just the same as he responds to the treat.
The canter is a three time gait, this basically means that the horse will move his legs. First of all the outside hind leg will move then, the inside hind and the outside fore will move together as a pair then, this will be followed by the inside foreleg and if the horse is leading with the inside foreleg first, this means he's on the correct leading leg, this will help with his balance in the canter.
To encourage the horse to lead with the correct leading leg, we have specific aids which we ask him, when we ask him to go forward into the canter. First of all, you will get your horse going in a nice active and forward thinking trot. If the horse isn't thinking forward, he is not going to want to make a transition into canter. Its also incredibly important that you move with the horse in canter, so having a correct position in this stage of your riding is absolutely essential.
As you ask him to go forward into the trot, your going to reach a corner. By using a corner for your canter transition, this can help the horse balance, but will also encourage him to step off on a correct canter lead.
In this occasion we're going to ask your horse to canter to the left. So, this leg will go first, then this leg and this leg will go second and then he will lead with his front left leg.
To ask him to strike off leading with his left leg, you will go into sitting trot, keeping the forward momentum, keeping the rein contact, you'll sit up nice and tall and she will tap with the outside leg back behind the gird. This is the signal for our horses to go from trot into canter.
If you just continually kick with your legs in the same position, the horse will do nothing more than go faster in the trot. You must give him a simple clear aid that it is canter that you're looking for. You must not tip forward because this will encourage the horse to fall back into trot, but you must also allow with the arms so he can move his head to go forward into the canter.
Sitting up tall is essential, this enables your bottom to move with the horse as he goes into his transition. It must be a very positive and forward thinking transition. You can't have any negativity or backward thinking in your riding. It’s essential you also look up at where you’re going and plan ahead, think about where you want your transition to happen.
Sitting trot and off you go! As you're in the canter its important that you allow your hips to swing back and forward with the movement of the horse. Allowing the horse's head to move. It’s essential you don't restrict the horse's head movement. Keep the horse in canter by continually giving him little taps with the leg. A lazy horse will need a bit more leg than others.
Some horses will naturally carry you forward in the canter. When your finished with the canter, you will deepen your seat, spurs with the rein and ask him to trot, then straightaway back to a rising trot to help the horse balance.
Cantering
Training
