Other things we do
Play in the Columbia Community Band. He plays a euphonium and I play a clarinet.
Wash Jack Russell Terriers
Links to our friends
www.willowpondsfarm.com
www.hinksonvalleyponyclub.org
www.freshstartfarm.com
www.photobucket.com/syrussell
www.grcphoto.com
www.thehorsefarm.com
www.missourihorseshowassociation.com
www.EquestrianProfessional.com
Susan's Rules for Training Young Horses
Training young horses is an art not a science. There are very few rules or methods that work all the time every time. Very Few. What I have learned about young horses has been learned mostly working around the horses we have bred. Some of the rules I learned while teaching my young daughter how to ride and train the green horses she rode and learned on. Others I learned from reading books written by noted horsemen and women. Although not really rules these are guidelines and snippets of wisdom gathered for use by us to work by.
We, my daughter and I, have proved over and over again how true these rules are. We find ourselves preaching them as we teach and help others. I thought it might be helpful to others if I shared them. Let's face it we all need all the help we can get when dealing with the HORSE.
1.K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid.
2.Take it Slow.
3.Have patience, lots of it!
4.Be consistent.
5.STOP! Before you get to “just one more time.
6.When in doubt, DON'T.
7.Always reward by giving; encouraging words, pats, carrots, the reins, the tension
8.Horses are multilingual, every language works.
9.Learn Horse as a second language. Watch, look and listen.
10.You are the Alpha, Tolerate NO disrespect! You have three (3) seconds to kill him!
11.If the horse says no, you either asked the wrong question or asked the question wrong.
12.If a horse is mature at 6, then at 3 he is as a 10 year old and at 4, a teenager.
13.Forward is the reward and forward is the punishment.
14.Study to be a thinking rider so he will be a thinking horse. Read, read, read.
15.Communication is a two way street, listen to what your partner is telling you.
16.99.9 times out of 100 you are wrong!
17.If you are listening he will tell when he is ready to move on or when to stop. Listen, Listen, Listen.
It is very hard to put this in any order as I think almost all equally important. On the ground or under saddle these things need to be remembered EVERY time you work with your horse, especially when they are young and just learning. They learn quickly and they don't forget. One incorrect lesson could take years of retraining to correct. See #6.
I could elaborate on every point but am not, see #1. When you get in trouble always go back to #1 and #6.
Holy Cow! Sporthorses
syrussell@hughes.net
Susan Y. Russell 573-808-5557
Fishing with Matthew and his friends.
Brother and sister.
Our travels. Above, overlooking Chattanooga TN
Below Blue Ridge Parkway going to Mt Mitchell, NC. Oct 2009
Isle of Palms, SC
October 2009
