|
Winter Horse Training Tips By: Jimmy C. Driver,
 |
John and Josh Lyons Certified Horse Trainer
These training tips are to build on lessons already taught to your horse.
Training is an agreement from you the Trainer to your horse partner student to get a yes answer to our request. We ask, with light
pressure, and then when your horse responds positively, release the pressure rapidly for your horses reward. We have to be consistent and focus on our request and the horse's response.
Remember in all requests, be slow with your hands and pick the spot on the horse you want to move.
Decide the direction you want it to move before asking. When the horse does what we ask, our part of the
agreement is to release the rein completely and with speed. The faster we release pressure, the faster the horse will consistently give us our desired response.
We have worked our horse during the summer but cold, wet weather is about to set in and we do not want our horse to forget our training. Every time we are with our horse we are training them.
There are many different tasks that we worked on over the warm months that we can practice and perfect in the cold months if we have access to a closed barn. Winter practice will lead to spring
perfection.
Our horse should be able to understand a go forward cue, soften his neck, move his shoulders over, move his hips over, disengage his
hips, pick up his feet and drop his head. These are all areas that can be worked on in the closed barn or even in the stall. You will not
believe how much better your horse will be in April with practice from October till March. Remember we must have patience and focus, to attain the performance we are asking for from our horse partner.
 The isle of the barn is a good place to walk our horse practicing our go forward cue. We do this with a
light tap on the hip with a dressage whip, a kiss, or pressure on his side. We can also do some work stretching muscles and asking to soften the horses neck and to give to the bit.
A perfect give is when the horse's head comes about four inches from his side and the opposite side of
the bit coming to the point of the shoulder. At first, our horse will just move to the pressure then begin to
drop his head till the neck is level with the ground and with each request continue till he breaks at the poll
and brings his nose perpendicular to the ground. Continue to ask, striving for that perfect give on both
sides. We should be able to lightly pick up on the rein and have the horse give and soften. To determine
how well have we taught our horse this skill, we will ask your horse to give with just the halter and a lead rope. He should give to the pressure and perform to our expectations.
As we progress we can ask for the shoulder to move away from us.
 This does two things. First, we are teaching the horse to move his shoulder out of our way and not
invade our personal space. Second, we are working on reverse arches and preparation for side passes, half and quarter passes. This will also be a first step for the Reiner in spins. Remember to
practice on both sides. As a rule, one side will be better than the other and the better side will change sides. This is because we work more on the not so good side and it improves, as the
opposite side remains the same. As we work on this area remember to pick up pressure on the rein, and hold until the hip disengages, the foot closest to you steps over the foot on the opposite
side in the rear and the front feet STOP. This is our emergency brake, and leads to teaching the back and same rein same foot. Our horse should disengage his hips with a soft picking up of the
rein and visual pressure on the hip. These are areas to practice together soften the neck, move the shoulders and disengage the hips. This will also help the horse learn to move his shoulders and
hips in the stall and cross tie not crowding our space. Every time we feed we can ask the horse to move his shoulders and hips over,
getting out of our way and not dominating our space at feeing time. These moves came from our work in the round pen with inside and
outside turns and our bridle work described above. Use ever opportunity to ask and have the horse respond.
Now let's become friends with our Farrier.
 We can take the shoulder and hip over exercise and begin to ask the horse to step over
until the onside foot (foot on your side) rests off the ground. Keep the horse moving until the foot is light on the ground and move your hand down the leg. If the horse moves at any
time begin when asking for the foot to rest off the ground you should continue with the hip over exercise as described above.
Continue until you can pick up the foot with no resistance from the horse.  Hold the foot for a second or two then easily put it back on the ground.
Do not just drop the foot. Continue until you can
hold the foot for three or four minuets and tap on the bottom of the foot. Do this with all four feet.
IMPORTANT.
Once you can hold the foot and tap, every day or two pick up all four feet. Keep the horse in practice. Your Farrier will love you.
Let's teach our horse to relax.
Have you ever seen a horse excited and fearful with his head down?
We can teach our horse to drop his head, which results in him relaxing. This would be very important when we are on a trail ride and a
deer comes springing across the trail? We jump; the horse jumps and all of our emotions are running full speed along with the horse.
This is the time we should disengage the hips as described above, and stop the horse, then asking for him to drop his head, relax and
think the situation over. We can then say, "I don't see any deer", and have the horse continue down the trail. We ask for the head down
by placing our hand on the poll (top of the head between the ears) with just the weight of our hand. Watch the ear and pick a spot on
the wall as a height reference. When the ear drops even a half-inch below the spot on the wall, take your hand away. Yes, the ear,
because if the ear drops the head will have to follow. Continue looking for the slightest drop to begin with. Build on the initial drop, remembering to focus on the ear.
 When the horse is dropping his head like you want and fast, begin to put slight pressure on the lead
rope changing our pressure from our hand to the halter. He should drop from the pressure on the halter. If he stops, just hold pressure on the rope until the head drops.
Now let's move this to the reins. Pick up on the rein, either side, and watch the ear and your spot
on the wall. Our reward for the horse is doing what we asked and when the head comes down, we release the rein. If we have our horse giving to the bit good, then he should be coming down with his
head from rein pressure already. Now ask him to drop his head straight in front of him and we will
continue to ask and reward until we can get him to touch his nose to the ground. When you have an excellent working relationship with your horse partner try testing your horse by holding your lariat in
front of you and squating in front of your horse and just lightly put the rope on his head. Will he drop
his head to each of your request with this very soft light pressure? How far can you get him to drop his head?
Remember all these training areas are meant to keep the horse in tune not start a horse in a new area of training. We must have our
horse thinking of and trusting us before we begin. These are only meant to perfect what has already been taught. Don't forget, anytime we are with our horse we are training.
Jimmy Driver is a John and Josh Lyons Certified Trainer and conducts clinics, apprenticeships and symposiums through Progressive
Equine™, LLC. Jimmy lives in Tennessee and is willing to travel wherever people want to learn to become closer partners with their
horse. Sponsored by Wrangle, Source and Professional Choice. Call today to learn how to arrange a clinic in your area.
|
