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Foundations in Trailering
Demonstration
It's time for spring shows and trail rides,
so... Why be inconvenienced by a horse that is resistant
to loading into the trailer?
There are many ways to load a horse into
a trailer, yet very few that teach the horse to be relaxed
and willing, rather than fearful and forced or even lured
by sweet feeds. If you can capture its attention, engage
its mind and reduce the fear level, you can have a horse
that's willing to load . Using foundation techniques, learn
how to load/unload in a manner that is safe for both horse
and handler.
Bye, Bye Buddy Demonstration
Hang on! You think as you grab your reins.
Your riding partner just walked her horse away from yours,
and the minute she passed out of sight, your horse became
a raving maniac. Now he's snorting and dancing all over,
carrying on as if he'd never been alone for a minute. Charles
will explain the equine anxieties that lead to buddy-sour
behavior, and demonstrate how you can help solve your horse's
anxiety problem. Before you know it, he'll be saying "Bye-bye
buddy," without a second thought, any time he parts
company with a pal.
Respect-building Clinic
There's a big difference between a horse
that's spoiled (good living quarters, nutritious diet, and
lots of attention) and a horse that's ill-mannered (walks
all over you, pushes you around). You'll learn how to replace
ill-mannered behavior with desirable behavior (moving his
body when and where you ask him to). You'll achieve this
control by teaching your horse cues that will enable you
to move his hind end away from you with turns on the forehand;
to move his front end away from you with turns on the haunches;
and to move his entire body away from you by side-passing
or backing up.
Emotional
Control Clinic
Your horse spooks on a windy day, and you're
left sitting on air. Garbage cans are scary; potted plants
at a show conceal tigers; that puddle is really a horse-eating
monster. The flying lead change you schooled so perfectly
at home falls apart in a noisy show environment with 20
strange horses in sight. Why does the horse need to be taught
on emotional level? Because all of these problems can be
overcome by training the horse to respond to you even when
excited. Charles will demonstrate how to establish control
over the horse's emotional level and how to teach your horse
to listen and trust you even when the horse is emotionally
"high". Learn the "roller-coaster" exercise
which teaches the horse to respond both when calm and when
excited. If you want your horse responsive under emotional
pressure, you need to teach just that. Charles will show
you how.
Foundation
Clinic
Charles first demonstrates how a solid
foundation allows the horse and rider to go on and specialize
in whatever field is desired, achieving maximum performance.
Then he'll show how that foundation is achieved, by training
the horse physically, mentally and emotionally. Specific
exercises, in hand and in the saddle, develop the horse
gymnastically. Rewarding the horse generously for correct
responses makes for an eager and willing partner. Charles
will also show how to maintain and improve your horse's
foundation. Learn to understand when training is needed
and how much training to provide. You horse will tell you
what the lesson is today. Charles will help you tune into
what your horse is saying.
Foundation: What it is and why you need
it (Lecture)
Charles specializes in foundation training.
Foundation training is the basis for a horse's performance,
no matter what discipline (trail, dressage, reining, endurance,
racing). If you make the analogy that the training of a
horse resembles a pyramid, the foundation is the numerous
blocks at the base. Some of these blocks are familiar (suppleness,
responsiveness, impulsion) and some are virtually ignored
(emotional control, spook-proofing). Charles will explain
the components of a solid foundation and show how they contribute
to a perfect performance.
Bridging the Gap (Lecture)
Classical, traditional and natural horse
training; what do they have to say to each other? Does being
a natural horsemanship trainer mean you never pick up a
longe line? Will practicing changes of direction lose you
your dressage credentials? Is traditional training obsolete?
Charles shows you why the answer is "no". He teaches
a cutting-edge blend of the three major schools of training,
demonstrating how to achieve effective results by blending
the strengths of natural horsemanship with classical and
traditional principles.
It's Just a Tool: The Role of Equipment
in Horse Training (lecture)
Snaffle, curb, hackamore, bosal? Rope reins,
braided leather, mecate, web? Longe line, lariat, or none
at all? Dressage whip, carrot stick, want? Charles demonstrates
that it isn't the equipment, it's how well we use it to
speak the language of pressure and release. The pressure
is the cure; letting up on the pressure is the reward. What
your horse is doing when you reward him is the behavior
you'll get in the future. Learn to recognize the behaviors
you should reward and how to time that reward so it leads
to the desired response.
No Magic Gadgets (Lecture)
Equipment doesn't train the horse, you
do! So you went to the clinic and came home with an "approved"
halter/lariat/line/stick/gadget. But within a week, the
magic wore off. Why? Charles explains that training is a
result of responsiveness - beginning with how you respond
to your horse. When you converse using the language of pressure
and release, the timing of your response makes all the difference
in what your horse learns. The magic is your ability to
shape your horse's responses into the desired ones.
It's Never, EVER the Horse's Fault (Lecture)
The majority of problems Charles solves
in his practice are the result of handler errors made in
simple ignorance. Small problems, which could be solved
quickly, if neglected, become bigger ones that are even
more difficult to correct. Eventually someone is hurt and
if the horse survives the experience, often he's sold down
the road to someone who has no more idea how to solve the
problem than the previous handler did. Without intervention,
the road leads to heartbreak for the owners and often, the
slaughterhouse for the horse. Learn how handlers unintentionally
teach horses bad habits and how to correct them safely.
Whose Job Is It Anyway? (Lecture)
The responsibility of the trainer/handler!
People who hang out the horse-training shingle are everywhere.
How many of them also train the handler? When your horse
comes back from the trainer, have you been trained to fix
any problems that arise? More importantly, can you build
on what your horse has learned? Charles explains that, at
some point, to improve the horse's performance, the handler
must take responsibility for changes they must make in their
approach, as well as simply improving their skills. Increasing
your expertise means you lean to see in more detail, and
respond more subtly and with better timing. In the end,
a horse's performance is only as good as his handler.
Guest
Lodge & Stabling available for out-of-area participants! |
The Role of Conditioned Response and Pressure/Release in
Horse Training