Tag Archive: professional horse training

Taking the Horse’s Thinking into Account

Central Oregon Trail Horse

by Danica Yates (reprinted with Permission)

Too often with dressage training and horse training in general, methods are forced upon the animals without attention being paid to what the animal is thinking. Horses will often submit to pressures but never fully understand what they are supposed to be doing. Tactics that help some horses understand …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/taking-the-horses-thinking-into-account/

Walk Breaks

by Danica Yates reprinted with permission

The significance of taking walk breaks can often be overlooked in the process of training sporthorses. Each of the three gaits is important and should be developed evenly. Developing a relaxed, forward free walk can help improve the other gaits. Walk breaks should be used with intention. Timing and …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/walk-breaks/

‘Pet Him’, Properly Releasing with the Inside Rein

by Danica Yates (reprinted with permission)

What happens when you ride your horse and give with the inside rein? Next time you ride, try it out. At any gait, establish contact and softness and then reach your inside hand forward towards his ears to release pressure. Does your horse’s head swing away from that hand …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/pet-him-properly-releasing-with-the-inside-rein/

The Critical Riding Errors Atop A Rearing Horse

by Jeffrey Rolo (reprinted with permission)

Every year horse owners experience serious injuries or even tragic deaths while riding their cherished equine companions. One of the more significant causes of rider injury is a rider being tossed from a rearing horse… or worse, caught underneath a horse that reared so fiercely that it flipped over …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/the-critical-riding-errors-atop-a-rearing-horse/

Quite Hands

by Danica Yates (reprinted with Permission)

My partner is tree guy, not a horse person. But he is interested in dressage and asked me one morning at breakfast, “So when you are riding, doing like a half pass or something, are you telling the horse every minute what to do, squeezing or pulling or whatever?”

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/quite-hands/

Western to Dressage

With an appropriate amount of contact for dressage, Diago moves from his hind end into the connection.

by Danica Yates (Reprinted with Permission)

Each discipline in equestrian riding has training specifics that make the disciplines what they are. Western disciplines are characterized by short, slow movement and minimal contact on the reins. Dressage is founded on forward impulsion and good connection. Perhaps you have experience with western riding in your background and …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/western-to-dressage/

Soft Hands for Free Movement

by Danica Yates reprinted with permission

In past articles, we have looked at axioms of Classical Dressage. Here is a very important one, ‘ride back to front.’ All too often, we see dressage horses who are pulled together with the hand. These horses may appear ‘round’ by looking at their neck. However, looking more closely …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/soft-hands-for-free-movement/

Getting your horse ready for trail course obstacle training

By Shari Maguire

If you haven’t read “Making a Pleasure Horse – Part 1 & 2”, than I suggest you do so now; the exercises mentioned in those articles should be applied to all horse training before you begin any schooling program. The bending/flexing, flexing approach of this training program quiets, relaxes and …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/getting-your-horse-ready-for-trail-course-obstacle-training/

How to make a Pleasure Horse – Part 2

by Shari Maguire

Now that you have developed the comfortable cadence and rhythm from the day to day repetitive exercises of bending around your inside leg, flexing the head and neck, suppling the five body parts we talked about earlier, the head, poll, neck, withers and shoulders, it’s time to move on to the trot.

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/how-to-make-a-pleasure-horse-%e2%80%93-part-2/

How to make a Pleasure Horse – Part 1

by Shari Maguire

The training sessions are easier and more successful if you start with a horse that has the conformation suitable for this particular discipline.

Ideally, the Western or English pleasure horse should be long across the topline of the neck and short on the bottom line. This makes it easier and more natural for the horse to carry its neck in the right spot. Not too high or too low, just about level from the poll to the withers, the nose no more than 3-5 inches in front of the vertical not behind the vertical or “behind the bit”.

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/how-to-make-a-pleasure-horse/

Which Horse Trainer Should I Emulate?

By Jeffrey Rolo (Reprinted with permission)

Selecting the right horse trainer to emulate can be a daunting task for newcomers to the world of horse training. As with nearly any occupation or hobby, there are many authorities within the field willing to offer advice, some good, some not so good. Before spending an investment in …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/which-horse-trainer-should-i-emulate/

Have questions regarding gaited horses, bitting, and riding issues?

Have questions regarding gaited horses, bitting, and riding issues.  Theresa Denham of Juniper Meadows has offered to answer your questions.  Just “leave a reply” and she answer your questions.

Theresa has over 25 years of experience teaching, has been certified by the American Riding Instructors association , and has teaching methods which have helped hundreds …

Continue reading »

Permanent link to this article: http://centraloregontrailcourse.com/have-questions-regarding-gaited-horses-bitting-and-riding-issues/