Principles of Horsemanship

1.   "Put Yourself in My Horse-shoes" - This may be the single most important concept to good horsemanship.   Think from his/her perspective.   If you can think like a horse or at least understand how a horse thinks, you will be more successful in achieving your goals.   It is this way of thinking that will help you mold your training program.   I understand that horses are creatures of habit, are prey animals, need to learn to trust.

2.     Stallion of the Herd   - "When in charge, take charge".   What I mean is show your horse you are the leader.   Horses are herd animals and follow a hierarchy whereby there is one horse who is   the boss.   We as riders need to be the boss.   Our horses need to know that we are the "stallion".   This does NOT mean that we are tough on them or MAKE them do things.   It just means that they follow their leader for guidance, safety, food etc.  

2.   Harmony/Cooperation - Work together.   Think of your horse as a companion for life and that if you treat it unfairly, then it will either leave you or be less apt to give you what you want.   You will not get anywhere if your horse doesn't agree.   Give your horse space, be flexible with your requests.   Ask and then give.

3.   Trust - Earn your horse's trust by being fair to him/her.   Show them that you are not a monster rather a friend.   Walk across the creek first to show them that it is ok, then ride your horse across.   He will trust you for showing him the safest route.   This goes back to leadership.

4.   Drive the Train - I believe that my horses need to understand that   I am the leader.   I give the queues or I am driving.   I expect them to pay attention to me.   If not, over time they will become less and less reliant on you and take things upon themselves.   If this happens all of the training you have done will fall by the wayside.

5.   Respect - This is a two-way street.   If I respect my horse and treat them accordingly I will, in return, earn their respect.   This takes consistency and time.  

6.     "Don't Test Me"   - Patience!   Have a plan and work your plan, but don't rush.   Key here is have a plan.   Know what you are trying to accomplish yet understand that the same technique that worked on the draft horse may not work on the arabian.   Be flexible.   Horses will test you and your resolve.   Take things slow.

7.   Miles, Miles, Miles - An old cowboy in Baker MT once told me that the only reason his horse is as good as it is, is that he rides it everyday.   This is very true, but it isn't always practical today, to be able to ride as much as he did.   Point is that the more we ride our horse the better he will be.   On the flip side, the less you ride or work with your horse the more   he reverts back to his wilder state.   We all know what it means to ride our horse for the first time after a long lay off during the winter months.

8.     Seasoning - Not everyone has the luxury of taking their horse to a horse show, rodeo, trail ride but if possible get your horse off your property.   Take him to see new things.   I like to call this socializing them to the rest of the world.   These kinds of events will help mature your horse to be an even better citizen.     We don't want to limit our riding to   our own property lines.     This concept is similar to   the miles mentioned above, but this encompasses showing your horse a new venue and teaching them to stay disciplined in what they learned at home.   Is this required?   No.   Is it helpful?   Yes.

9.     Breeds - I have worked with mares, geldings, stallions, foals, hotbloods, warmbloods, cold(?)bloods, drafts, mustangs, mules and even minis!   Does this make me a better horseman?   Absolutely!   It seemed as if early in my career most of the horses that came to me were very rank, belligerent and tough to work with.   Did this make me a better horseman?   Absolutely.   Point is, I have been there and done that.   Like many trainers I am sure, but I have seen a lot and know that the same techniques don't always work with all the breeds.   ie, the drafts tend to be very heavy, whereas the mustangs tend to be much more alert,   the hotbloods seem to be exploding with energy.   What I am saying is that I have to be flexible in my approach.

10.   "Breaking Colts"   or the "Cowboy Way" - it would be naive to believe that the term "breaking" Colts is successful.   The way it was done 100 years ago is not the same today.   Long ago they rode their horses daily soon after the "breaking" process.   It doesn't work that way today.   If I even think of the term "breaking" I think of molding the mind of the horse to "give" to me or pay attention to me or do what I ask.     Cowboy way... yes I am a cowboy, but I have learned to ride with my legs and hips which has promoted me to ride with finesse.   There are some top trainers in the country setting trends today and they are all   cowboys.   So maybe us cowboys have something going!   :-)