We've had a fantastic start to the clinics with Confident Poles and Gridwork Clinic today at Willow Farm Equestrian Faversham ! All the horses and riders did amazingly and rose to the challenge.
Our next arena date at Willow Farm is on 20 January 2024 with our Winter Workshop - start the morning with a polework session aimed to improved your Flatwork, followed by an afternoon session of simulated XC and showjumping. The perfect way to build up towards the start of the season.
Bowing trick
Trick training
I often get asked how I teach my horses tricks,. I like all my horses to do at least one trick. Some reared on command and some bucked on command and it’s nice to have a little party piece I think.
Some tricks can of course be a little dangerous, horses that rear at the wrong signal are a nightmare and buckers can be even worse . I once had to untrain a pony that sat down if he was turned to sharply as that was the signal someone had used. So I'm not going to tell you how to teach a horse to rear, buck or lie down, please leave that to the professionals, let's cover the basics of how to teach the bow. This isn’t a how too, just a guide,
It's easy, and all horses do it their own way. All you need is a treat or two and some time.
Remember nothing happens overnight with horses so don't be in a hurry.
Well cover it from the ground, mounted takes longer, is harder and like I said, can go wrong.
Stand to one side, at the shoulder, and signal the horse with a vocal command or tap on the shoulder with the hand closest to him, and using your other hand, offer the treat in such a way as to make him lower his head a little, he'll follow you hand! Once or twice at a sitting will do and always do it in the same way.
Over a few days lower your treat until your hand is on his chest, soon you will find that when you give your signal, he puts his nose to his chest, then its time to move on!
Same signal, but now offer the treat between his front legs! Don't over do it, run don't walk, and again over time lower your hand and take it back. a little. It won't take long untill at the tap of a. shoulder down he goes!
If you want to be really fancy then you could left the leg nearest t you in the same wayas you would do when picking a foot up. Just make sure your cue is very clear. We don’t need him to bow for the farrier.
In a nut shell that’s it,
Take your time, keep the signals the same.
If you can all cast your minds back a few weeks to the video of the foal scared by the fireworks. A few comments were made about the halters being left on without understanding that the young fillys were all but unhandled and only just arrived from overseas. Here is the video of all the hard work paying off showing the owners how far she has come.
Foals halter
sadly bad camra angle's but the highlights of putting the halter on the foal that had barely been handeld
New trainee under saddle today for her first ride. Groundwork in place making the whole process easy, as you can see no kicking and light hands make the job a whole lot easier #horsesofinstagram #horsetraining #dunmare #coltstarting
Now taking chickens in for training
While i have never been a fan of polo or polo cross i think this video explains the mechanics of a snaffle far better than i can.
We owe it to our horses to know these things
Something to consider when your horse starts throwing his head?
Maybe proof (as i have always said) that a bigger bit isn't the answer?
