Understanding the drive line is a really important part of being able to communicate effectively with your horse. If you are asking your horse to do things by putting pressure in the wrong area, then you are only going to confuse your horse, but by understanding where you need to ask your horse for a given thing, you can make it a lot more black and white for him. #horsetraining #horsemanship #naturalhorsemanship #horseman
I usually start with hindquarter yields, but forequarter yields are important too. They are obviously important for various maneuvers, but they are also really important especially if you have a more pushy and dominant horse. You’ll find that horses with that kind of attitude tend to want to lock the front end down and not move it out of the way. #horse #naturalhorsemanship #horsemanship
Hind quarter yields are one of the most important things your horse can learn how to do. Not only for safety, but also because they are foundational for so many other movements. #naturalhorsemanship #horsemanship #horsetraining #horseman
You can teach your horse how to work with you and pick you up when you are mounting. Whether you are getting on from a mounting block, or a fence, or even if you normally get on from the ground, teaching your horse how to do this help them to really be an active participant in the mounting process and learn to be responsible about it. #naturalhorsemanship #horsemanship #horsetraining
Here is Annie, a 3 year old of mine, ponying a yearling with me just to get her used to going down the road. At the same time, it’s giving Annie something else to do other than just walk mindlessly forward. Give your horses jobs. Give them things to do. Give them a purpose. If you can help them see the point in what you are teaching them and help them realize that there is a point to it, then they will be a lot more motivated and will learn faster and do things better, and that, is good for both of you. 🤠
This was Annie’s 8th ride overall, and it was her first ride on the road. If you prepare your horse properly, then things like this don’t have to be a big deal. 🤠
When done well, foal imprinting not only helps ensure that your goal will grow up with a positive association with people, but you can also start teaching them basic things like how to respond appropriately to pressure, to let you handle their feet, etc., that will serve them well later in life. Since horses are a precocial species, it allows them to learn things like this within hours of being born and to be able to retain that for the rest of their lives. ☺️
Here, I was helping Annie learn how to spin better. You can see even when she slows down how she never loses connection with me. Without connection, you won’t get far trying to teach anything else at liberty. The relationship has to come first. 😊
After connection, feel is one of the most important things to develop with your horse. Good feel is a lot of what gets you softness, responsiveness, lightness, etc.
This was Annie’s first time with long lines. She’s a filly of mine who still has more growing to do before I start her. That being said, what I do with her now can help make the riding part really easy when she is ready for it. Long lining with your horse can help your horse become more prepared for being ridden in many ways. With the lines on each side, it helps them get used to that feeling before your legs are on each side of them which can be claustrophobic for some horses. It helps them learn to receive direction from behind the driveline like they will when they are being ridden. It can help develop softness to rein pressure. It helps desensitize them to thing behind them and around them, and it great for introducing them to the feel of a rope running alongside them like if you were dragging something. I could go on, but you get the idea. So if you have a young horse you can’t ride yet, or an older horse that needs more work, don’t underestimate the value of long lining. 🤠
As we enter spring, here is a look back at some fun things from the last few years. Never stop learning. You can always get better. Your horse will thank you. 🤠
[Michigan Horse Expo 2023]First day and first time for Melody in this big arena!👀 Jordan and I brought her along to be a pairs horse with Eclipse during one of his demos, and this was me practicing with her the night we arrived. Because we prepared her properly and and have a good relationship with her, being in a new environment didn’t have to be a big deal. Her first expo was definitely a success! 🤠
Liberty and natural horsemanship
Liberty should be more than just something fun to do with your horse. When done naturally, liberty really help create a connection with your horse and helps you develop a good relationship with your horse. It really helps you and your horse learn to work with each other instead of against each other, and it really gets your partnership off on the right foot.
Welcome Annie Mae!
Welcome Annie Mae (the 2 year old bay filly at liberty). 😊 I bought her last year, but she has been at a friends house until now, so I haven’t done much with her. This was the day she arrived, shortly after I introduced her to Murray and Melody. I’m excited to see how she develops as she grows up! 🤠
Your horse needs to choose to be with you whether you are riding or playing with them on the ground. Otherwise you are just going to end up trying to force your horse to do things instead of doing things with them.
Want to find out how good you are? Try a mule. Mules can be just as responsive and soft as horses, and they are even more intelligent. That being said, mules will hold you to a much higher standard and expect you to do everything you do better before they will respond to it.
Throwing the reins over your horses head is easier than you think. Don’t let the technique of switching from side to side stop you from enjoying the benefits of practicing riding with just one rein such as:
- Learning to not pull back with both hands at once.
- Learning not to oversteer.
- Improvement with using each individual rein when you do have two reins.
The better your horsemanship is, the better your horses will be. 🤠
Liberty Without Boudaries - Matt Hendricks with Murray and Solstice
When you take off the halter and lead rope, you’re only left with the connection and relationship that you’ve created with your horse. When you add a bunch of grass and go outside all the fences, you’re asking your horse to still prioritize you with a whole new level of distractions.
Playing out in the fields with my 3 year old filly Melody and Solstice. Creating a connection with your horse so they want to work with you is so important. It allows you to do things as one with them instead of fight them when you are riding. Be your horses partner, you won’t regret it.
