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Randy Bird Horse Training Tips
Randy Bird ,one of Canada’s top trainers of both riding and driving horses has seen it all through the hundreds of horses he has trained over the last 35 years. We asked Randy to talk about some of the common problems and things he does to assist his “pupils” to become responsible and safe equine companions.
 Randy’s philosophy is Quiet Man,Quiet Horse and the techniques outlined below emphasize that attitude and approach.

Trailer Loading

“A lot of horses have loading problems and almost all of them are as a result of incorrect training or inconsistent training in the first place. If a horse has learned that he doesn’t have to go in the trailer, he will keep up the behavior, and of course, it can be very dangerous for both the horse and the handler. I believe that the trailer has to be just another part of life for the horse; it needs to know that it has to get in when asked and do so calmly. You don’t have the luxury (or want the aggravation) of having to take two hours to coax your horse into a trailer if you have to go to the Vet or a show. So you might as well take the time to teach your horse to go in willingly every
 time. It might take a couple of hours or even a week but that’s it - forever.

“I start with leading. It’s amazing how many horses don’t lead well. I start with asking them to follow me on a lead line and bridle; the bridle is essential for control. If they don’t step forward readily, I tap them on the hocks with my stock whip. It is very gentle, but they respond. You can also use a lunge whip. You will see later when it comes to the trailer or obstacles that the tap on the hocks is their cue to move with me. “Once I am satisfied that they are leading well, I take them to my small wooden bridge. The bridge is about twenty feet long, about two feet high and has side railings. It’s safer than the trailer because there is no roof and there is lots of space around it. I let the horse sniff it, then ask for one foot to go on - tapping lightly on the hocks. I am happy with one foot on, then I back him off, reassure him with a rub on the face and then ask for two feet and again back off. And reward. The back off is important as we are gaining the horse’s trust and building his confidence. He realizes that it wasn’t so bad and nothing has happened to him. I then ask for all four feet. And I stop him. Some horses may want to rush across but I want him to know that I decide when he will walk across. “The first time he is going to still be a bit nervous as there is a hollow sound to the bridge, but across he goes. I reward him with a face rub and praise for a job well done. I immediately repeat it several times until the horse goes across with a quiet eye and a relaxed head. I realize that you may not have a bridge but the same process works with the trailer; it may just take a little longer. The process must be calm and relaxed and the horse should finish the exercise more relaxed than he started. (you too)
 
 I now proceed to the dreaded horse trailer. Quite frankly, if I have won on the bridge, the trailer will never be a problem. I again let the horse sniff the ramp, look at the trailer, then ask for one foot (tap on the hocks) and back off, rub his face and reassure him that he did a good job. Next two feet and off, rub, then all four feet and stop. Reassure him, then quietly walk in the trailer, he will follow you. “Now, the next challenge - coming out. Some horses, even after they will enter the trailer willingly, want to rush off. This is not acceptable. You must teach the horse that they have to walk off quietly and at your request. This is where the bridle is necessary. Ask the horse to go back one step only and stop him. Reward and reassure. Then two steps back, stop, reward and reassurance, then all four feet on the ramp; stop. Then all the way off. Repeat in and out calmly three or four times and that is enough for one day.
 “If you follow this procedure a half hour a day for a few days, your loading problems are a thing of the past. I do however recommend that you put your horse in and out of the trailer as much as possible so that it becomes a way of life. also make sure that your trailer is of adequate height for your horse

 “We had a horse here at the clinic last year that was a race horse and wouldn’t go into the starting gate or a trailer. In fact, it took a lot of effort on the owner’s part to get him to our clinic. I worked him in the round yard with a bridle and the stock whip, making sure he would lead and respond. The stock whip is also very useful in determining who is he boss. I never hit the horse with it but I condition the horse to the sound, which is quite loud. After a few cracks and reassurances, most horses become completely accustomed to the noise. Anyway, I led the horse to the bridge and he stood straight up on his hind legs. Fortunately, I had anticipated a reaction and had not only the bridle and reins but a long cotton lead line. He did manage to make me drop the reins but not the line and he didn’t escape. Lesson one. He wasn’t afraid of the bridge; he was just reminding us that he didn’t go anywhere that he didn’t want to and of course in his past he got away with it.

 “I reassured him all was well, led him back to the bridge and asked for one foot - he hesitated. I tapped his hocks a few times and lo and behold he put one foot on the ramp. After a few minutes’ work, he tiptoed across. The second time he walked, the third time - no problem. I then proceeded to the trailer knowing that the battle had already been won. I followed the procedure outlined above and he quickly and quietly went in the trailer and calmly walked out. I then asked the owner to do the same. No problem. This was all accomplished in less than one hour. The horse returned to the track and won his first two races. Horses are wonderful creatures they can overcome their fears far quicker than we humans can and once conquered, they never seem to revisit them.”

Crossing Obstacles and Coping with Noises and Surprises.

 “When you are out in the real world you just never know what you and your horse will encounter on the trail or on the road. And it pays to be as ready as you and your horse can be. Crossing obstacles starts again with leading. If the horse has been taught to lead properly, he has the foundation to cross an obstacle.

 “We use a large orange tarp and sometimes a large black tarp. The black tarp looks like a huge hole to a horse and they have to trust that you won’t lead them into trouble. Up to now, his lead training and trailer loading has reassured him that he can trust us that nothing bad will happen to him. I approach the tarp and let him sniff it, then I ask for one foot. If he hesitates, I tap his hocks until he steps forward. It might be a sideways step on the corner of the tarp and that’s okay, he made an honest attempt and I reward him for it and reassure him with a face rub. Bring him back and ask again; eventually he will walk over the tarp. At first it will be sloppy and a bit jumpy, but very soon he will overcome his fear and go across. After a few passes, it’s just routine.
 “We were at a show in Morrisburg last year and a woman at the show asked if I could wrap her horse in a tarp. That was a first and I asked why. Her reply was that when she was on a trail ride and it rained, she wanted to cover her horse and saddle. I worked with her horse crossing the tarp, then I actually wrapped him up like a Christmas present and we have a great photo of the event.

Next - water.  “All the horses that are here begin and end their training sessions with a walk through the water. It becomes a part of their life while they are here. At first I use my lead horse Link for the job. Link is a purebred Hanovarian, he over seventeen hands tall and weighs about 1600 pounds Link’s presence reassures them and although at first they may be reluctant, once in the river they find out that it is not a hole and that there is nothing to fear. After a couple of Link lessons, we ride and drive the horses through the river. People at our clinics are amazed when we gallop a team through the water hazard, do a 360 degree turn in the water and gallop out. Then wer bring them back in and have them walk over the same course. Sooner or later if you trail ride or cross country, you are going to encounter water. If your horse has been prepped – no problem.”



Noises

“Bottom line is, we try to expose the horses to as much of the real world as they are likely to encounter when they leave here. That includes noises, dogs, traffic, bridges, trips into town, water, deer, grouse, gunshots, and those scary country mailboxes, you name it. People often say, “my horses are used to dogs at home”, but don’t forget they are in their own environment. They know those dogs and are used to seeing them come from certain directions all the time.. That’s not the same as a strange dog coming out of a ditch and jumping at the horses. And we have that on several occasions. The only way to prepare a horse to all of this is to try and expose them to as much as possible and condition them to the surprises that they may encounter.

“Right from the start, I crack my stock whip around them and within literally a few cracks, they are ignoring it and later I will crack it while riding them. The whip sounds very much like a gun and they become accustomed to the sound. A couple of years ago, I had a call from a chap in Michigan and his pair had bolted at the sound of a backfire. The wagon overturned causing him several injuries, in fact he phoned me from the hospital to ask if I could help. We had them picked up t and began by working them singly conditioning them to the sound of the whip. The job was really twofold, to get them used to noises and to rebuild their confidence.

“They were here for four months and turned out to be a superb team.
 I used them in a demonstration at last year’s clinic.
I drove them through an obstacle course at various speeds then drove them by a running lawn mower, a running chain saw, someone dragging a chain over a metal ladder and I actually fired a twelve gauge shotgun over their heads, all without so much as a blink on their part. They were ready to face the world again.

“On a similar note is Tucker. A few months ago I had a call re a young horse that was in trouble and was for sale. I went to see him and he was in bad shape and down to 500 pounds. I brought him home got him in condition, then started his training. Tucker is three years old and had very little handling but I saw something special in his eyes. He has turned out to be an exceptional young fellow and he was the star of my last clinic.

“ I rode Tucker through an obstacle course that he had never seen before. He first encountered a flock of wild turkey decoys.
He sniffed at them with no fear and we moved on to a deer decoy also with no problem.  We then rode through a a bunch of round hay bales where suddenly red balloons rose up from behind them. He was a bit apprehensive but held his ground quite well . A shotgun blast from behind a bale right next to him backed him on to his haunches, but made no attempt to run or buck. On the next shot he twitched, the third he completely ignored. The next day I rode him by the lawnmower, chain saw, ladder and chain and even fired the shotgun from his back. He remained calm and relaxed and was a huge hit with the crowd.
“Later in the week, I rode him into town to pick up our mail. He trotted through town like he owned it. What a wonderful little guy, he will make someone an amazing equine partner.”

Starting a Horse

“When a young horse that has had little to no handling arrives at the farm, I start with the mouthing process. I use a mouthing roller which consists of circingle, crupper and a single driving line. I use a single line as I believe that it teaches the horse to turn better and to bend. I only use double lines when teaching the back up. Once they are turning, backing and leading properly, I introduce them to Link and lead them around from his back. This gets the young horse used to seeing me above their eye. Quite often, it is seeing someone above them that will cause a young horse to buck.  I also lead them through the water with Link’s reassurance that it is OK.

“At the first saddling, the horse is already used to girth from the circingle, as well as me being above their eyes and they know the basics of steering and stopping. I saddle the horse in the small round yard then move him around for a few minutes to let the horse get used to the saddle.  A few bucks are expected. Then I mount the horse and ask him to move forward, turn each way and then they get the day off.

“We will repeat the process for a couple of weeks until saddling and riding are commonplace to them. If a horse is a real problem, I may start with driving training. This is usually much safer for them and achieves many of the same goals that their first riding does. When I feel that they have settled adequately, I will reintroduce them to riding.
“A raw recruit is usually here for 60 to 90 days. At the end of 60 days, the owner and I assess where the horse is in his training . The owner must be comfortable with how the horse handles and that their own level of competence is adequate for what they intend to do with the horse. If not, it is there option to leave the horse here as long as they feel necessary. I want every horse leaving here to be as safe on the road and trail as possible.

Driving Horses

“Driving your horse or even better horses, is a whole new world for the equine enthusiast. Most people picture driving as an elderly lady or gentleman leisurely going down the road in their carriage. It is anything but, and anyone who has been to our clinics knows that it is as exciting as you want to make it. When they see us run an obstacle course at full speed and gallop through the river, driving takes on a whole new look and respect. People are realizing that it extends the fun of the horse to the whole family. Usually it is the wife or husband who ride and their spouse does not. Driving allows both to participate, even the kids and grandparents. At our clinic this year, a 95 year lady expressed an interest in going for a drive. Two of our staff helped her up and sat either side of her and I walked the horses around. She leaned over to me and sweetly said, “don’t your horses gallop?” “Yes they do “I replied. They did and she was absolutely thrilled. That’s the beauty of driving.

“And speaking of older people, you may have ridden all your life but now find for health reasons you cannot; we have a number of clients who brought their riding horse to us for driving and now they are happily extending their equine sport years. A lot of times people are initially intimidated by the harness, but it is really quite simple and we can teach you how to put it on in a few lessons.  We have young people here who regularly do the harnessing. Driving behind a nice carriage can be as relaxing or adventurous as you choose. And the fun is terrific.”

Contact: Don Curtis
4276 Bath Road
Kingston, Ontario CANADA K7M 4Y7
Phone: 613-384-2055
Email: dcurtis25@cogeco.ca
Website: www.randybird.ca

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