All Blog Posts Tagged 'natural horsemanship' (128)

Anger Doesn't Work

My wife and I have an understanding when we are riding. We have given each other the right to say anything about riding or horsemanship without fear of recriminations. Now in any other life endeavor this could be potentially a very dangerous situation, but with the horses it's working our for us..so far. Twenty nine years of marriage helps too.

A couple of weeks ago we went on a "wild flower" ride through some cattle graze lands. …

Continue

Added by John Harrer on April 6, 2010 at 1:39pm — 1 Comment

Why Go Natural? - Natural Horsemanship is the ultimate way to train a horse... and here's why

Why Go Natural?

Have you ever watched the drama of horse-intimidators trying to load a horse onto a trailer? It’s unforgettable. Very often in the horse world you will see people cracking a whip at a horse or beating a crop against a horse’s shoulder. But you seldom notice the savvy of the horse handler who uses communication and leadership to complete the same tasks because their methods are done in a much calmer and more successful way.

When… Continue

Added by Lindsey Forkun on April 5, 2010 at 9:30pm — 4 Comments

Proven Fact: Horses Pick up Tricks and Moves by Watching!

I was reading an article the other day about some scientists that were figuring out whether horses learned through watching or not and I found it fascinating that they came up with the idea that horses do not learn by watching other horses. It’s just so silly that they don’t know that they do!

When I went to Verde Valley School, aged 14 years, I took my three year old Arab horse with me so I would have a horse to ride. I wanted to show her but there weren’t any horse… Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on March 31, 2010 at 10:00am — 3 Comments

Mediterranean Horsemanship

Talking about the Good old Days, this one is really old! My Classical Equitation trainer Craig Stevens has been working with an Italian Nobleman called Pucci, who is bringing a centuries old method of training horses to the world from the island of Sicily. Sicily was a melting pot between the east and west, and has retained this method of developing trust with humans. It is done from the time the foal is weaned, and involves the gentlest touch and the lightest pressure you can imagine! You…

Continue

Added by P.Ann Turner on March 16, 2010 at 11:31am — 3 Comments

Are Wild Horses and Domestic Horses all the Same?

I’ve often been asked whether wild and domestic horses are the same or different from one another. Here’s my take on it.…

Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on March 12, 2010 at 1:30pm — No Comments

Riding With Confidence: Part 7 - Groundwork

I once heard Chris Irwin state in a clinic that the only real difference between groundwork and riding is that you are in a different location with respect to your horse. His point was that you can establish the relationship you want with your horse before getting into the saddle.

It is far easier to develop trust and respect and assert your leadership on the ground without your anxieties and less than perfect motor skills getting in the way. I know that without groundwork I would…

Continue

Added by Laura Hunter on March 8, 2010 at 3:00pm — 5 Comments

Major Behavior Types in Horses

In their everyday need for survival, horses have created a communication system that is noteworthy. Wild horses are like a society of nomadic people who have leaders of leaders. Because nature’s habitat for horses is open range-land,…

Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on March 3, 2010 at 10:00am — 3 Comments

ONE WITH THE HERD - A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

I just joined a few days ago. I live with my herd of 16 horses and one steer in the interior grasslands of BC. I moved from Gibsons over ten years ago because I was

led to follow my hearts desire and move my animals to a place where

they could have the freedom of a wild herd. We live on 320 acres of

forests, hills and meadows, pristine land that fills me with joy and

new discovery even ten years later. Living in seclusion from the…

Continue

Added by liz Mitten Ryan on February 28, 2010 at 1:52pm — No Comments

The Horses’ Code

I’d like to talk to you about the rules that horses have with each other. This is extremely important to grasp not just because for me, it is the foundation of what I do, but because it is the foundation for all horse interactions.

Horses in the wild follow an unwritten code. A would-be leader needs to follow the code of the herd to win their loyalty and apply the code to win the position of leadership.

The code looks something like… Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on February 25, 2010 at 10:30am — No Comments

Develop Better Body Language Skills and Lead Horses

I had the pleasure of sharing one of my ‘Dance with Horses’ clinic with Joy, a lovely lady from Denmark. I do so enjoy teaching and sharing my message and it’s so nice to see so many people from all over the world finding resonance with my Method.…

Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on February 17, 2010 at 10:00am — No Comments

Sense of Freedom for Horses

I had an unusual life growing up in the desert with horses. Our horses were able to run free most of the day in a herd and go where they wished. They were loose and there were no fences to keep them from doing exactly what they…

Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on February 10, 2010 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Fast is Not Better: Is there Only One Right Way to Train a Horse?

We need to change the concept that there is only one right way to approach a horse and that the “right way” has already been discovered, and that the horse and human must cater to it, and that the best method is the fastest method. Fast is not better. Relationship is about time spent in connection. We need to recognize that better horsemanship is achieved through being continually educated by the horse; by adjusting our leadership to create a true working bond.

By… Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on January 27, 2010 at 10:00am — 4 Comments

Method or the Moment

In December 2009, I moved Shadow to his new home. Unfortunately at the time, he was suffering from an infection in his hoof, which we have been treating with the help of hot poultices, aloe vera, onion water, and some flower remedies.

While his hoof was bad, I did some gentle ground work with him, following the advice of a wwoofer* who has many years of experience with horses and is a stringent Parelli-ite (my name for anyone who follows Parelli’s every word). She taught me some… Continue

Added by Gabrielle on January 14, 2010 at 9:00am — No Comments

Building That Vital Connection with Your Horse, part 2

In my previous blog post, we looked at how the interactions wild horses use within a herd to maintain harmony and unity can also be used by us humans to help develop a horse’s character in the same way.

Now let’s look at the different personality types within the society of wild horses and how that applies to our relationship with horses and what we can learn.

In nature, the spectrum of the equine personality goes from “submissive” to “dominant” but at the top… Continue

Added by Carolyn Resnick on January 13, 2010 at 7:00am — 1 Comment

HARNESSING HORSEPOWER? - Don't "put the cart before the horse".

As we all know, the old expression “don’t put the cart before the horse” is a metaphor about making sure that we have our priorities straight. Having said that, what is literal is how tragic it can get when someone arbitrarily assumes that it would be fun to drive their horse in a cart or buggy and that the horse will just agree do his or her job and be okay with pulling the contraption down the road.

Unfortunately, what all too often happens when even the best riding horses are… Continue

Added by Chris Irwin on August 29, 2009 at 5:00pm — 5 Comments

Do You Demand Your Horse's Complete Attention?

When you are with your horse, do you demand his/her complete attention? I don't.

In the worlds of traditional and natural horsemanship, there is a lot of talk about what constitutes respect. Determining the nature of respect can help you get it from your horse. Commanding his or her full attention while together is an element of respect. Last week I had a conversation with a trainer who was called in to help a horse owner who was having trouble getting the respect of her horse. Here… Continue

Added by Kimberly Cox Carneal on July 28, 2009 at 2:41am — 1 Comment

Walking The Talk of Natural Horsemanship

Hello and greetings to everyone from Riversong Ranch in Alberta. I’m sitting here in my office reading over a recent chat I found on Barnmice about the merits – pros or cons – of Natural Horsemanship. And I must say that I am truly encouraged by most of the comments I read that seemingly indicate that now that the natural horsemanship “revolution” is over that perhaps now the evolution of natural horsemanship into “supernatural horsemanship” will begin.

Despite all the marketing hype… Continue

Added by Chris Irwin on July 12, 2009 at 1:00pm — 13 Comments

"You prepare to position for the transition." Ray Hunt

Truer words have never been spoken.

It's kind of strange sometimes to think about my own past, horseman I've known, clinics I've participated in and watched. Ray Hunt was probably the most impressive. When I was in college, he was the "horse god". We all felt so privileged when he came to give us a free clinic. It was a packed house that evening. His books were required reading in our colt starting classes. Back then I didn't really understand everything he said. After… Continue

Added by Desirea Herrera on July 4, 2009 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Beware of Easy Answers

It was a few too many years ago that I remember the first group of certified trainers from my “train the trainer” program got together at their graduation party and they collectively gave me a box of Depends diapers. This was their way of teasingly letting me know how they felt about the fact that I answered just about each and every question they ever asked with the answer “it depends”. In fact, this happens so much that it has become somewhat of a trademark for me. Often when I am at a clinic… Continue

Added by Chris Irwin on June 27, 2009 at 2:30pm — 8 Comments

TRAINING BEFORE SCHOOLING?

When it comes to developing a truly willing mind from a horse there is a critical difference between training and schooling. Focused schooling for specific tasks as to exactly when, where and how the rider wants the horse to perform should only begin when the horse consistently chooses not to fuss, challenge or search to find a way out from between the legs and reins of the rider. Once the horse has had enough training to willingly choose the easy path of staying balanced with a rider and is no… Continue

Added by Chris Irwin on June 9, 2009 at 3:00pm — 7 Comments