Clinton Anderson’s Training Tip of the Week: If your horse has had a break in training, practice groundwork before getting in the saddle.

If your horse had a break in his training, his mental attention and physical fitness aren’t going to be up to par. The biggest mistake people make when bringing horses back to work is getting straight on them. They drag the horse out of the pasture, yank the girth up as hard as they can, jump in the saddle and kick him in the belly. Thirty seconds later, they’re sitting on the ground wondering why the horse dumped them. If your horse has had a break in his training, spend several days doing nothing but groundwork. Lunging for Respect is a great exercise to get your horse’s feet moving and to get him using the thinking side of his brain. It’ll really get him to focus his attention and respect on you. What’s the secret to earning a horse’s respect? Moving his feet forwards, backwards, left and right and always rewarding the slightest try. Once you’ve gained his respect, then you can move on to riding.

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