Pratt Natural Horsemanship

16/04/2024

Exactly. When preparing a horse to ride, I do EVERYTHING from the ground. Including getting a light stop and turn with a bit. I also teach them that leg pressure means move forward…yes, from the ground, removing the reaction a lot of horses have to their first experience of leg pressure.

28/02/2024

02/12/2023

Getting light horse, part 1.

Oh my, where to start. I don’t care how dead sided or hard mouthed a horse is, it can be re-trained to respond to a light touch on reins or sides. No harsh bits, no spurs, no kicking. It takes time and patience, but most of all, it takes commitment by the rider to change how they ride, and follow through, no matter how long and frustrating it is. That becomes the most difficult part.

My best suggestion is to start from the ground. Yes, the ground. Unless you are too short to reach over your horse’s withers if you are working on the mouth.

I will address working on the mouth first.
Preferably starting with a 4 knot rope halter, attaching reins to either side. You are using a halter first because you are going to have to use a lot of pressure at first for extended periods, and it is just easier on the horse’s mouth. If you have a round pen or small area to work in, that would be ideal. Stand next to the horse with your hands on the reins as if you were riding. (If your horse is too tall, you can try it in the line driving position with a couple of lunge lines attached for reins). Here is one of the hardest things for most people to remember: PICK UP LIGHTLY FIRST, EVERY SINGLE TIME! Even though you know the horse won’t respond at first, it doesn’t matter, you still HAVE to give it a chance to feel it, a CHANCE to respond. If you only ever pick up the reins hard and fast, your horse can never get any lighter than that, and will only get worse. The next hardest part is remembering to keep steady pressure on the reins NO MATTER WHAT until you get a full stop. Even if you need to adjust your grip, you CANNOT release the pressure even a tiny bit until they come to a complete stop or you will be giving them a release/reward, reinforcing their resistance.

At first, you are going to be at a standstill, looking for the horse to give to the pressure and tuck their nose, doing it in such a way that you feel a split second slack in the reins. Pick up the reins lightly, wait a couple seconds then increase the pressure. If still no response after a couple seconds , increase the pressure again. Keep increasing until you feel like you can’t anymore and then just HOLD the pressure. Make absolutely sure that you are not giving ANY release of the pressure during the increases or while holding the pressure. The SECOND you feel the horse give you ANY slack in the reins, drop the reins INSTANTLY. Be careful not to give a release if they try turning their head to the side, they have to give by tucking their nose down quickly enough to give you a split second slack in the reins.

I am going to come back and edit this to continue later.

19/11/2023

Brief little preview of my next training tips post.

To get a light horse, YOU need to learn to get light with YOUR hands and legs. Let me repeat that in case you weren’t paying attention the first time you read it. To get a light horse, YOU need to learn to get light with your hands and legs!!!

You CANNOT get your horse light by using the hardest kick, by yanking the reins, by using your spurs first and hard, by using the harshest bit you can find “because he won’t respond to anything else.”

18/11/2023

Just checking in with a few reminders going into winter. Hopefully we get a relatively mild winter. Even if it gets really bad, try to find some time a few times a week to do a little groundwork as a reminder to them that they still need to have a job to do even if they are not being ridden. As long as the footing isn’t too slippery, do a little lunging, ask for some backing, perfect time to do some desensitizing, teach or refine side passing from the ground, if your horse is dead sided, start working on getting them to move forward off of light touch on their side from the ground (yes, it can be done from the ground ), if your horse always gets ahead of you and pulls you while leading , work on getting that better. Even if you don’t want to ride, put the saddle on for all of the groundwork, or if even if you don’t do any groundwork so in the spring you aren’t putting the saddle on them for the first time in 6 months. If you can ride ba****ck, hop on and ride, even if it is for 5 minutes. Every little thing you can do with them sets both you and them up for success in the spring.

If you would like an explanation on how to do any of the above things or something I didn’t mention, comment on this post or shoot me a message. I can put the details on how to do it in another post.

27/09/2023

I have not posted in awhile. Taking a break from training, lessons, and clinics. I may or may not officially return to it, I will think about it again in the spring, but will still post tips, soap box rants, a few videos occasionally. 😀. However, if anyone really needs help with anything, I am more than willing to help, just shoot me a message. My new favorite horse page is this one: https://www.facebook.com/BobWoodHorsesForLife?mibextid=LQQJ4d

A rational discussion of horse centered horsemanship not fragmented separate discipline horsemanship.

20/07/2023

Let’s talk a little about desensitizing. There are 2 types of desensitizing. The slow, careful, “It’s ok Fluffy”, practically worthless type, and the give your horse a heart attack and keep doing it until they finally figure out they aren’t being hurt and start using their brains type. Just for the record, I use the second type. Now, I don’t mean I am mean or aggressive about it, and I also tell people not to go all out right away and cause the horse or yourself to get hurt. You need to find a starting point where your horse is reacting, but not completely out of his mind trying to jump out of the round pen or freight train over the top of you. As he starts to figure it out, you then increase the intensity, move the object closer, faster, etc. Those people sneaking around, being careful, slow etc, are going to have their asses handed to them the second Fuffy decides he doesn’t like the looks of things and suddenly reacts in an explosion. All that sneaking makes you look like a predator, or makes them suspicious and wondering what YOU are afraid of. Lol. You want your horse ok with things moving, etc as they normally do, not only ok if they are moving slowly. You don’t want to have to tiptoe around your horse in order for him not to be afraid. If anything, make whatever it is move like it is absolutely crazy. Get them ok with exaggerated movements, so then normal movements won’t make them even bat an eye at it. For example, if you want your horse to be ok with umbrellas, here is what I would do. With it closed, let them see it, smell it, hear it rustling. Start out with them loose in a round pen or arena. If they want to run, let them run, just keep walking around with it. The second they stop and look at you, stop moving and turn away. You are going to repeat this process over and over again. When the horse will stand still while you walk around, increase the pressure by opening and closing it a LITTLE bit while walking around. Same as before, don’t stop walking around until your horse stops and looks at you, then stop and turn away. Wait about 15-30 seconds before you start moving again. As before, when he will stand completely still, do it all again with it opening halfway, etc, etc, repeat until you can open it and close it all the way while walking around and he will just stand there watching you. Then up the intensity a little by walking faster and/or moving the umbrella in and out faster. IF you are in a round pen, I would suggest starting the more intense part with you moving around the outside of the round pen first in case it causes a big reaction at first, you don’t want to get run over. Don’t move inside the pen that fast until he gets ok with it on the outside. The more crazy and moronic you can be and get that horse to just stand there and look at you like the idiot you are😉, the better your horse will be. I am talking running, jumping, waving it around, etc. We are not done yet. NOW put your halter and lead rope on. For most horses this kicks things up a notch because they will feel a little trapped. Start all over from the beginning, including rubbing them with it. Not slow, use it like a grooming tool. DO NOT try to prevent him from moving or force him to stand still. If he moves, let him, but try to keep him facing you. Don’t stop doing whatever you are doing until HE decides to stand still on his own. Again, stop what you are doing and turn away when he stops moving. If he has a really hard time with it, keep doing what you are doing, but walk away and have him follow you. If he wants to be all the way at the end of the rope, let him. Eventually he’ll be right behind you as the fear starts to fade. Things are less scary if they are moving away from them, so they start to get braver and curiosity starts to come out. Once they are willing to walk right behind you following it, then you can go back to waiting for them to stand still and relax while you open and close it slowly at first, then increase the intensity and crazy movements like before when they were loose.
When it comes to desensitizing, if you are willing to put aside your ego and act like a complete lunatic, your horse will be better off for it. 😀 Eventually he will just stand there and look at you while you act like a moron, and if he could roll his eyes, he would. 😂 Oh if I only had videos of the goofy things I have done. Ha!

15/07/2023

Too many people refuse to admit their horse needs to go back to basics to help them advance. Too many big egos out there. People criticize me for focusing on the basics, but I have run into so many people I have helped by having them go back and revisit basic skills that I firmly believe most problems people run into, even the highly trained horses and riders, can be corrected by going back to basics. Most people with those highly trained horses say their horse is too far advanced and couldn’t possibly benefit from basics, yet they continue to push their horse, with the horse and themselves becoming frustrated and having melt downs. My absolute favorite go to favorite exercise is the cruise control/passenger lesson. It helps both horse and rider relax and get in tune with each other, it builds trust and confidence.
Reminder, I am available for riding lessons/training sessions at your location if within a reasonable distance from me.

As you progress your horse’s training, you’ll happen upon an area that requires you to go back and get your foundation better. Admittedly, this will happen more often at the beginning of your horsemanship journey as you’re working on building your experience.

The more horses you work with and the more you add to your knowledge, the better you can get this learning curve down. However, this happens to even experienced horsemen. You’ll think you have something done well, but when you ask the horse for a more advanced maneuver, he’ll let you know you’ve got a hole in your foundation and he needs more help.

There’s no shame in realizing there’s a hole in your foundation and going back and fixing it. The only problem is when your foundation isn’t strong and you ignore it and continue pushing the horse. That isn’t fair to him and is just setting him up for failure. When you get into trouble, always go backwards, not forwards. – Clinton

11/07/2023

Safety tip. When mounting and dismounting, deliberately run your knee/leg/foot over your horse’s rump every time. An unbelievable number of accidents happen when a horse spooks due to someone unexpectedly touching their rump with their foot when mounting or dismounting. Do it every time and it will never be a surprise.

24/05/2023

I have decided not to renew my insurance that allows me to do lessons and clinics at Lewis Bottoms. They require insurance to do any lessons, training, or clinics there. It is too expensive vs. the number of lessons I am doing at that location. I am still available for lessons and private training sessions at your horse’s location, unless the stable requires insurance. I do have an extensive liability release that I have people sign that I believe thoroughly covers me. Also, if you have a group of friends that would like a clinic at your location, please message me and we can set something up.

24/05/2023

I have been putting a lot of time into my mare Lily. If I remember, I will do a Pivo video or two so you can see some of what we are doing. I have been working on neck reining, moving off of leg pressure, and beginning collection. She is in the middle of a strong heat cycle right now, but is still doing very well, even though she is distracted by her boyfriend calling to her from the pasture. 😆

24/05/2023

PSA. If you take no other advice from me than this, I will be perfectly happy with that. PLEASE make it a habit to flex your horse’s head around and keep it there when both mounting and dismounting. Keep it flexed until you are completely settled with both feet in the stirrups, or until you have both feet on the ground. So many accidents happen while people are mounting or dismounting! If you have your horse’s head flexed around, you are much less likely to be hurt if something happens. Along with that, get your horse used to your foot/leg brushing his/her rump when you are getting on and off so they won’t be surprised by it. I deliberately move my foot across their rump both getting on and off pretty much every time.

27/04/2023

Calming the high anxiety horse.

My mare, Lily, is a high anxiety horse. I knew it when I got her, but I committed myself to helping her learn how to relax, if it is the very last thing I do. I had no delusions that this was s going to be quick or easy. There are a lot of layers to what made her this way, and I am carefully peeling them back, layer by layer. In the last almost two years we have had progress, even some breakthroughs, and we have had setbacks, some of them major. One last fall set us back a long way, but I will not give up on her.

I bought her after working with her for quite a while for her previous owner. I knew exactly what I was getting into, but I have this connection with her that I felt almost immediately. I HAD to buy her, even if it takes the rest of my life to “fix” her.
My point is, that high anxiety horses are not going to be fixed overnight. It takes patience and commitment, being willing to go as slow as necessary, and being willing to start over and over again after every setback. If you have a high anxiety horse, you either need to learn to deal with them as they are (some people LOVE high anxiety horses), you sell them, or you make a long term commitment to fix them.

Granted, some high anxiety horses are an easier fix if they have a specific trigger, or if they haven’t been that way very long. It may just take some desensitizing and patience. Others, like Lily, have layers of causes on top of causes. If you make a mistake, she holds a grudge and you have to earn her trust again.

Teaching a high anxiety horse to relax is a very slow process and takes a LOT of patience. You literally have to put the horse into whatever situation, and just WAIT for them to decide to relax. You can’t force it to happen, you just have to wait. People will tell you to run them around, smack them, jerk on the rope or reins, etc. Just reading that sentence gives ME anxiety! Imagine what all that does to a horse that already has anxiety… guess what? MORE anxiety! You have to break down everything into tiny pieces and work on each step at a time, trying to achieve relaxation. Lily would dance all over when at the hitching post. Around and around and around she would go. First I just took her and walked her around and around the hitching post area until she acted bored. Then I started stopping briefly at the hitching post before continuing to walk. I stopped longer and longer. Eventually I discontinued the walking part and just walked her up to stand there not tied. If she was calm, her reward was walking away. Finally, I started tying her, just for a few moments at first. If she remained calm, I untied her and walked her away. Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Most days she stands pretty well at the hitching post now. She still has her days where she moves around a bit, but most of the time she now stands pretty well.

I have spent a massive amount of time taking her for walks down the trail(literal hand walking), getting her to relax. Then we progressed to riding, little pieces at a time. Last summer I finally had her going about a quarter of a mile onto the trail calmly. UNTIL one day when a jogger came down a side trail right when we were going by. Of course she spooked big. And of course shortly after that we bought a house and by the time I had time to do anything again, it was too cold to bother with the trail. So this year I am starting over, and also figuring out how to desensitize her to someone running up to her unexpectedly.

I left out a ton of details, but it all comes down to breaking situations into manageable pieces, patience, repetition, and being willing to start over as many times as it takes.

23/04/2023

Excellent clinic today! Really happy with how it turned out! Thank you Janel, Ashley, and Jill for attending!

10/04/2023

Finally had time to get on my mare yesterday for the first time since probably October/November. The last few weeks I have been doing some groundwork and hand walking. As much as I was tempted to do more, I stayed in the round pen, did some cruise control/passenger lesson just at the walk. She definitely needed some work on responding to leg pressure, so I stuck with that for awhile until she decided to remember. At the end I picked up a little trot, but not for long, and tested out the neck reining we were working on last year. Even though she selectively forgot what my legs meant, she did very nicely retain the neck reining and did very well.

If your horse has not been ridden all winter, remember to do a little groundwork first, then just take it easy the first few rides and do a little basic refresher work before taking off down the trail. It will make your first trip down the trail more enjoyable if you address any issues BEFORE you get out there. Even if your horse is well broke, all that time off can make them and you a little rusty. A little patience and low expectations the first few rides can prevent frustrations and problems later on. If you discover your horse is rustier than you thought, or new problems arise, slow down and take the time to fix them NOW so you can enjoy the rest of the spring and summer.

10/02/2023

I don’t know about anyone else, but I definitely needed to see this tonight.

🙌🏼SPOT ON🙌🏼
𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴.... 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦.

Stop beating yourself up for not riding when it’s freezing cold, pitch black, and raining. It’s ok (and normal) to have no motivation at this time of year. It doesn’t make you a bad rider (or a bad owner).

Stop feeling guilty that your horse isn’t even nearly competition fit yet. Take your time and make your plan, who cares if you’re not ready for the first event? There’s a whole calendar to choose from.

Stop agonizing over the fact you haven’t spent the whole winter training. Riders need a break and horses do too, you’ll probably find your horse comes back better than if they’d spent the entire winter being hammered in clinics and lessons anyway.

Stop comparing yourself to riders who have more facilities, more time, or a totally different set of circumstances to you. Everyone is on their own track and has their own goals, so eyes ahead and focus on yours.

Stop telling yourself that your horse “deserves better” or is “wasted” with you. As long as your horse is fed and warm, they are quite happy, riding does not complete their life.

Winter is hard. It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s dark and it feels never-ending, and berating yourself for everything you aren’t doing or feel you should be doing won’t make it any easier, so cut yourself some slack and just take a breath.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦.
-Author Unknown

14/01/2023

Time to start thinking about getting ready to ride again after winter. Why wait? When the weather is decent, start doing a little groundwork, or put your saddle and bridle on, even if just for a few minutes. Get your horse’s mindset back into working mode slowly. On a particularly nice day, climb on and putter around a bit. Make sure the gas pedal and brakes work, steering too. As the nice days come more often and get nicer, ride longer. Even if your riding area is muddy, it is better to get on a little bit, go slow, work on leg pressure and stopping, than to not get on at all until you decide to hit the trail or show ring. Better yet, bring your horse to a Fundamentals Spring Tune Up clinic! 😀 I will do 2, dates TBD. I will also do 1 or 2 groundwork clinics, and a Cruise Control/Passenger Lesson demonstration clinic.

11/01/2023

Passenger lesson, passenger lesson, passenger lesson. It is amazing how many people suddenly find that things finally click between them and their horse after they start using the passenger lesson.

As far as I’m concerned, if a horse can’t maintain the gait and speed his rider sets him at on a loose rein – in an arena or out of it – he’s sorry-broke. When you can’t get a horse to move forward consistently without micromanaging him, there’s very little you can accomplish with him. – Clinton

07/12/2022

Great article to use as a guide to buying a helmet for yourself and/ or your kids/grandkids. Please don’t let your ego get in the way of common sense. You don’t want to be, or have your kids/ grandkids end up being the next head injury statistic. It isn’t about fear or riding ability, it is about the fact that s**t happens, and it can happen to ANYONE on ANY horse. https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/equestrian-helmet-ratings.html?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&fbclid=IwAR2V_gDMrb3bRmOWeChsPR9OELCablUxbpzZJjZxrFgejTfdF-sxNXSaZ0Q

Virginia Tech Helmet Ratings - Football helmets have been tested to evaluate their ability to reduce brain injury risk.

19/11/2022

You might not think there is anything you can do with your horse on a bitterly cold and windy day, but there are always little things you can do that actually can make a big difference come spring. When going through a gate or doorway, make sure you make your horse wait for you to go through first. If he tries to go through ahead of you, next to you, or right on your heels, take a second to back him up, try again, and keep repeating it until he waits for you to go first. When cleaning the stall, if he is in it, practice yielding the hindquarters off a light touch on his side. You can do the same thing when he is tied up for grooming. The lighter the response you can get from the ground, the lighter touch you will need from your leg when you are back in the saddle. If you have time to hop on for a few minutes, especially if you can do it ba****ck, work on turning off of light leg pressure, or work on getting a lighter response with neck reining. You could teach your horse to stop just with shifting your weight. Lots of little things that even spending a few minutes a week working on will get your horse a little better coming out of winter before going into winter.

19/11/2022

Absolutely true. I have a hard time getting people signed up for my “back to basics/fundamentals” clinics because nobody thinks the basics are worth it. When a large amount of the horses I see people riding could definitely use a basics refresher.

18/11/2022

She used to be a cowgirl before fear and doubt crept in. She used to swing a leg over any old horse in the corral and ride hell bent and fast over the land. She used to be a cowgirl before she was a mother and a wife. She used to be at the barn from sun-up to sundown before she was cooking breakfast, driving carpool and tending to heart matters. She used to be a cowgirl before the world called her to make a dollar. She used to train c**ts, craft leather and make goods to get by just to ride her horse another day instead. She used to be a cowgirl full of grit, faith and fearless before she doubted her ability and the horse she rode. She used say ‘what the hell’ and give it all she had. She used to be a cowgirl, but now she doesn’t just climb on the cold-backed, snorty c**t with a grin. She hesitates and is a little scared now and again. She used to be a cowgirl, but real life has changed her some as responsibilities pull at her heart, breaking it now and again. She wouldn’t change being a mother, a wife, or a bread winner for her family; those are great accomplishments. But if you see her starting to let the housework slide now and then, that she says it’s cereal for dinner, or she pays a late fee on the power bill, that’s because she’s reprioritizing her heart a little- she’s making room for the things that speak most to her. The barn, the outdoors, the horses, and her cowgirl spirit are calling. It’s her balance; a piece of her she’s not willing to give up. If you find her at the corral instead of the stove, she’s rekindling her heart flames and shoring up her foundation so she can be all she needs to those she loves. Because she used to be a cowgirl, and a damn good one at that.

Written by me, Heather Countryman ©

30/10/2022

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=506172308220763&id=100064839935354

THE DREAM THAT MANY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND:
My horse is my personal dream.
One day when I am very old and when I can not walk anymore, it will be in my heart as a trophy of my memories.
I met people who taught me something and have the same spirit and I met others that I'm glad I forgot.
I got wet,
I felt cold,
And I felt warm,
I was afraid,
I fell,
And I stood up,
I even hurt myself, I have been broken,
But also, I laughed out loud inside .
I spoke a thousand times with myself.
I sang and shouted with joy like a madman,
And yes ... sometimes I cried.
I have seen wonderful places and lived unforgettable experiences.
I often made unplanned jumps that even Oliver Skeete would be proud of; other times I made jumps full of terror.
I stopped a thousand times to see a landscape.
I spoke with perfect strangers, and I forgot people I see every day.
I went out with my demons inside and returned home with a feeling of absolute peace in my heart.
I always thought how dangerous it is, knowing that the meaning of courage is to advance even feeling fear.
Every time I go up to my horse I think about how wonderful she is.
I stopped talking about it to those who do not understand, and I learned to communicate with other riders.
I have met some amazing people I now call friends because of my horse.
I spent money that I did not have, giving up many things, but all these things are not worth even one special moment with my horse.
He is not a means of transport or a piece of iron with wheels, it is the lost part of my soul and my spirit.
And when someone says to me: "You have to sell the horse and you have to be a more sensible", ... I do not answer. I just swing my head and smile,
A horse..... only the person who loves them understands it.
May God bless my friends and all their horses...
And the adventure continues. .

Photo owned by admin.
Horse, pony and rider posters and memes

18/10/2022

Been busy trying to pack up our house to move. The clinic went very well! The horses all did great! The water obstacle was the scariest for most of them. I did not get many pictures, so any participants are welcome to share their pictures or videos. 😀

15/10/2022

Excited for the obstacle clinic tomorrow! 😀

12/10/2022

🤣

12/10/2022

If you can’t sit still for the same time you expect your horse to without any enrichment or entertainment, snacks, or anything to do, then your expectations for your horse are higher than the standards you hold yourself to.

Let’s see you stand in one spot, tethered to a post and do so for 20, 30, 45 minutes and not so much as pick your finger nails. No clicking pens. No checking your phone, just stand there and stare blankly, don’t even take a step.

I am guessing you would struggle to do so without getting distracted in one way or another and seeking external stimulation to make the standing around and waiting less boring.

When we’re stuck in “waiting mode” be it in traffic, or in line at the grocery store, we always seek something to keep us busy. We may tap our foot. We may sing. We may run our fingers through our hair. We may get frustrated and yell at cars on the road or food service employees because we let our impatience redirect into frustration.

We are not any more patient than we expect our horses to be. In fact, in most cases we are LESS patient.

So, let this be some food for thought next time anyone suggests you tie your horse to a post for an hour or two so they can “learn patience.”

Because, my guess is, YOU, the human, still have yet to learn the patience you’re demanding from a flight animal in setting those parameters. If we lack the patience to do things the right way, to empathize with the animal we are training, then we are in no position to be teaching what patience is because the lesson in “patience” will actually be a lesson in IMpatience.

Edit: If you took this post as “all tying is bad” then it’s really time to self reflect on why you can’t see any middle ground between developing more patience and not just leaving a horse to figure out something they’ve never been asked to do before or can’t do well yet.

You can teach patience and good tying habits without making it an incredibly unpleasant experience where your horse violently pulls back until they shut down or digs a hole for an hour until they finally give up

There truly is no shortage of better options and if you’re reading this post as an ultimatum against tying, it just speaks for the lack of tools in your tool box if you can’t understand that there’s better and more patient ways to go about teaching FLIGHT ANIMALS what is an unnatural behaviour for them.

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You can support my work for as little as $1 a month by subscribing to my Patreon. You can get free access to behind the scenes, early video uploads, training help, tutorials and more: http://Patreon.com/sdequus

You can also see my website for more about me, my horses & free learning resources: http://milestoneequestrian.ca