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Training: Western
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Overcoming Fear on the Trail
Have you ever been on a trail ride with someone who was
riding a nervous horse? Maybe the horse was insecure and easily frightened.
Maybe he was unused to being away from his familiar home turf. Or maybe he'd
just never learned how to keep his emotions (and body) in check when... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Rehabilitating an Anxious Horse
Any horse, at any stage of training, is going to benefit from
a confident rider, reassuring treatment, and lots of slow work. But sometimes
you buy a horse that already has problems, or you create problems yourself
before you learn to be a better rider.
Training and riding errors can create... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Collection
The term "collection" gets thrown around by lots of riders,
but if you pinned them down, a surprising number would have a hard time
explaining exactly what collection looks or feels like. Some folks see a horse
who's traveling with nice neck flexion and head elevation and declare him to be... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Get Your Horse Easily Out of Your Pasture
Taking your horse out of the horse pasture seems simple enough.
Just open the horse gate and walk on through, right? Well, that's not quite the case
if your horse has pasture-mates eager to escape behind you and your horse. To
help keep the rest of your horses contained as you exit the... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Preparing Your Horse for the Long Haul
You probably think nothing of loading your horse in the
trailer, shutting the doors and taking off down the road. For most trips across
county lines, the haul is uneventful. But when you're traveling long distances,
you need to think and plan ahead.
The stress and
anxiety that your... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Perfect Horse
Ranch Horse Versatility
If you pay attention to the press, "specialized" seems to be
the name of the horse game. But before you decide to trade in good old Mr.
Reliable for a horse who can star in just one discipline--you might want to
consider getting involved in versatility ranch horse events.
There's... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Trail Rider
Halter a Hard-to-Catch Horse
Question: I board my 7-year-old Quarter Horse gelding at a farm near my home.
He's in a small pasture by himself. Whenever I try to catch him, he runs away
from me. Treats worked the first two or three times, but he got wise to that,
and now it takes me hours to catch him. Do you have any... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Trail Rider
Gait Training 101
Gaited horses have several more "gears" than do trotting horses. As a gaited
horse owner , your goal will be to "get the gait" consistently, without your
horse reverting to a trot or pace. Further, you need to make sure he isn't
performing a stepping pace, which is smooth to you, but will... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Trail Rider
Raising a Stallion Colt
On a balmy fall afternoon back before the turn of the century, in 1999 to be
specific, Vanessa and I stood at a paddock and looked at Kovat, our magnificent
purebred Arabian stallion. He was snorting and prancing as usual. I gave a nod
of agreement when Vanessa commented that life on our... | read »
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Training: Western
from the pages of Trail Rider
Creative Control
Imagine riding a wiry mustang at full gallop into a herd of racing buffalo
and maneuvering at top speed for the best shot. You can't rely on your hands to
guide your bareback pony, since you're holding a bow and arrow, aiming for the
kill.
Talk about a solid seat! The Plains Indians were... | read »
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| Bonding Exercises |
| Question: I have a 7-year-old grade-horse gelding that’s very receptive to training. I'm aware of the importance of bonding — that is, building mutual respect and trust to create a positive relationship. I was wondering whether you could suggest some specific exercises... | read |
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