Posted on August 9, 2018August 18, 2022 by Margaret Lee

Sliding Stop on a Reining Horse

American Quarter Horse doing sliding stop

Sliding Stop on a Reining Horse

Brandy and Terri Murphy

Rundown

To have a good stop you must have a good run down. Start your lead departure by walking the horse forward with their head straight and in the bridle. After your first strides, you will be able to tell if the horse is soft and collected or if you need to work to get them that way. When you are working the rundown, forget the stop. Use the length of the arena, even if they break down, trot them up into the bridle to the end of the arena. Once the horse is straight you can start to ask for an increase in speed during the rundown. Only after the horse is going straight and you can rate their increase in speed should you say whoa and ask for the stop. Doing this teaches the horse to hunt the stop with their head down and their body round, as well as travel straight and wait for your cue to increase in speed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bkfi0_67Q7E

Stopping Exercise

Using two hands start out on the left lead across the pen on the diagonal. As you go, build speed while maintaining collection. Once you get to the half way point break down into a trot. Continue to the corner and counter bend a circle in the direction of the right lead at the trot. Now lope off in the right lead and do another diagonal breaking down to the trot to the corner and counter bend a circle in the direction of the left lead at the trot. As you are building down the diagonal you want to pick up your reins and hold them to maintain collection. Doing this helps teach the horse to pick up their back and stay collected as you drive to the stop. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUChKea5TFA

Jay Dee Anderson

Run Down and Stop

Jay Dee likes to work on the run down and stop by doing a rectangle around the arena. The first step is to lope around the arena and make a small to medium size circle at the end of the arena. After doing that a few times he starts to build speed for the rundown and maintains that speed into the circle at the end of the arena. Once he has done this and the horse is straight and building well he will ask for the stop by saying whoa. The goal of the is exercise to prevent the horse from anticipating the stop and slowing down before you tell them to whoa. A good stop requires an increase in speed on a straight line with the last stride being your fastest.

Mack Weaver

Run Down and Stop

This exercise for the run down and stop helps keep the horse from running off after you turn the corner at the top of the pen. It also allows you to practice the maneuver without having to lope as much. Start by walking half way across the top of the pen and loping off. Once you turn the corner for the run down you want to see if the horse is waiting on you to go to the stop. If not turn the horse into a small circle and stay there until you feel the horse is listening to you. Once the horse is, go to the top of the pen and walk across half way and lope off and try it again. If the horse is waiting on you for the run down go ahead and continue down the pen and stop. Wait at the end of the pen for a minute or so and walk across the pen half way and lope of and repeat the exercise. https://youtu.be/V6iMIxrpyq4

Rein length is very important when it comes to getting a good stop. If your reins are too short the horse will not be able to drop their head and move as well in the stop. Short reins can cause you to pull on the horse’s face causing a jarring of bit in their mouth as well as stopping their forward motion. Mack likes to have a shorter rein around the top of the pen, but when he turns the corner for the run down he will shake out some rein so that the horse is on loose rein for the run down and stop.

Sean Johnson

The Run Down and Stop.

When you are running down to the stop you want to have your inside leg forward and your outside leg is used to bump for more speed if the horse does not respond to the kiss. You also want to be driving down into your heels and sit down and back in the saddle. The idea is to have your body already in the stop position and be behind the motion. Being in the stop position as you are running down allows your horse to go to the ground with their hind end and you to stay seated during the stop. When you are stopping a horse you also want to be aware of your reins. You can use them to moderate the speed if you need to but when you ask for the stop you really don’t want to pull back on the reins. Pulling back on the reins will stop the forward movement and result in a shorter stop that can be heavy on the front end.

As with everything in reining maneuver the approach to the stop is just as important as the stop itself. What we did was use the entire length of the arena as well as going around the ends. The advantage to this is you can practice speed control at the ends as well as squaring off your corners in preparation of the run down. Sean likes to practice the stop this way because it allows you to build for the stop but you are not always stopping every time. He feels that when you are sitting in stop position and squared your corner and building incrementally you are able to surprise the horse with the stop there by training the horse to stop only when asked.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will share it with your friends.

All images were provided by Maria Hurd and show case her daughters Amanda and Elena Hurd competing.

For more reining horse training blogs go to the post page at https://horsetaillegacy.com/jgjs

Posted on July 26, 2018August 18, 2022 by Margaret Lee

Lead Change Maneuver on a Reining Horse

Lead Change Maneuver on a Reining Horse

The lead change maneuver on a reining horse has always been one of the things that I didn’t practice a great deal so it made me nervous to do them. Working with these professional reining horse trainers help me look at the lead change differently. I was able to incorporate their techniques into my practice routine, which made doing lead changes just another maneuver instead of something I was uncomfortable practicing and doing. The bottom line is that we practice every other maneuver until we can do it in our sleep and the lead change shouldn’t be any different. Changing leads is a nature thing for a horse to do, all we are asking is for them to do it on cue.

Ashley Villmow

Lead Change

For this exercise, I made a figure eight shape around the arena. Starting on the correct lead I loped around one end and then turned to cut across the center of the arena on a diagonal into the other circle on the counter canter at the opposite end of the arena. I would then continue around and across the center maintaining the counter canter. Once at the opposite side of the arena I would be back on the correct lead. As I turned to cross the arena again I would ask for the lead change on the straight line just before or after I passed center. Once the lead change was done I continued around the circle and stopped as I started the next diagonal line across center. This exercise allows you to work on lead changes without the horse starting to anticipate the change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btt6swO5Xec

Bobby Avila

Lead Changes in the Center

All reining patterns require a lead change in the center. We all need to practice changing leads in the center especially before a show. So how do you do this and prevent the horse from anticipating the lead change in the center. What Bobby does is practice the lead changes in the center of the circle until he is happy with the maneuver. Than he finishes the practice with circles and no lead changes, there by taking the lead change out of the circle at the end so the horse is not thinking circle always means change leads in the center.

Brandy Murphy

Lead Changes

When doing a lead change, you want the cues to be very simple. This exercise is done in a counter canter circle. As you circle you want the keep your outside leg off the horse and your inside leg is used to push the horse’s hip over and maintain the counter canter. Continue to lope around like this until the horse is following the circle well. When you are ready to change leads simply close your outside leg on the horse and open your inside leg to ask for the lead change. Doing the lead change this way sends a clear message to change leads when your legs change position. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aOyNxd-ots

Bruce Barber

Lead change

Counter cantering a circle is a great exercise to work on the lead change. Normally a horse wants to be in the correct lead on the circle so it becomes a natural movement for them to change to the correct lead when asked. It is important to stay in rhythm with the horse and to ask for the lead change by softening the horse’s chin and changing your weight into your outside hip and step through the change by placing your outside leg on and releasing the inside leg and clucking. This allows the horse to change into the correct lead for that circle while allowing you to practice the lead change.

Dallas Cunningham

Lead Changes

For the lead change Dallas prefers to keep it as simple as possible. He feels that the horse should be able to change leads whenever they are asked. In keeping with that philosophy, he does not do much in the way of setting the horse up. He leaves his hand down and asks for the lead change by changing legs. To practice this, we loped a counter canter circle and maintain light leg pressure to maintain the counter canter. Once the horse was moving well we simply changed legs to get the horse to change to the correct lead. Dallas feels this method helps take the anticipation out of the lead change because the horse never knows when it is coming. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfAEdOtqTHY

Jay Dee Anderson

Lead Changes

For a horse to do a lead change easily they need to be straight, collected and moving forward. This simple counter canter exercise helps you achieve all three. Jay Dee likes to counter canter a square at one end of the arena. Doing a square gives you four straight lines to use to change leads. The corners also allow you to practice squaring off your straight lines which you need to do to get a good rundown for the stop. Once he has done a number of squares he will ask the horse to lead change. Because you are riding in a square it also helps teach the horse to change leads and stay straight.https://youtu.be/2ZTneQSUrOc

Linda Hitt

Lead Changes

The lead change exercise was a new one for me. We counter cantered around the outside of the arena being sure to stay away from the walls. After multiple times around the arena I would ask for the lead change by laying my outside leg on and releasing my inside leg and kissing for the lead change. This was done on the long straight line of the arena. I have to say I was not good at this exercise. Every time I took my inside leg off my horse thought I wanted him to stop.

Mack Weaver

Lead Changes

Mack believes that you have to practice lead changes to be able to feel comfortable doing them. The way he does this is by making the center line anywhere down the length of the arena that crosses the middle of the pen. Making the center a different place allows you to work on the lead change in such a way that the horse will not anticipate the lead change. He likes to set the horse up as he comes through center by picking up on the reins and getting the horse straight through center. Doing this on the correct lead and the counter canter over and over until the horse is relaxed with coming through center and has their body straight. Once they are relaxed he will ask for the lead change but he will continue in the same circle on the counter canter. Staying in the same circle helps prevent the horse from dropping into the opposite circle after the lead change. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEua8RgiToU

Mike Davis

Lead Change

Before loping off pick up on the reins to let the horse know that they are about to do something. Than lope a few circles picking up on the horse through center to get them to straighten up. Once the horse is picking up well than move on to the main exercise. The exercise is started by loping a straight line down the length of the arena. At the top make a counter canter circle and cross the arena picking up as you cross the middle. Continue around on the counter canter to the top of the arena and turn to go on a straight line to the opposite end of the arena. Repeat this pattern a few times picking up on the horse when on the straight lines down the center and across the middle of the arena. Once the horse is picking up and moving smoothly change legs and ask for the lead change. This exercise works well because the horse does not anticipate the lead change and all the time spent picking them up allow them to change leads smoothly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKWK7YOA_E4

Nathan Kent

Lead Changes

This exercise is done by making your circle into an oval shape. You want to lope off and start making your oval. As you come through the center of the arena on both of the long sides of the oval you want to pick up your reins and keep your outside leg on. This is how you set the horse for the lead change. You don’t want to do the lead change until the horse is relaxed and straight as you set up for the lead change. Once you have the horse soft and straight, go ahead and change leads. Once you change leads you want to remain in a counter canter circle. Doing the counter canter circle helps keeps the horse picked up and prevents the horse from dropping into the other circle. You can counter canter a few circles and then move into the circle onto the correct lead and repeat the exercise. This exercise helps teach the horse to relax through the center and not anticipate the lead change. It also allows the rider to practice the lead change in the center without the horse getting sour in the middle. Click this link to watch the video explaining the lead change exercise. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_56fsgvjMk

Steve and Dori Schwartzenberger

Lead Changes

We started the lead change exercise by counter cantering the circle. The advantage to the counter canter is that it helps the horse to frame up and stay in shape themselves. Once in the counter canter circle you want to have the horse’s head and body following the circle as if they are in the correct lead. By doing this it helps keep the horse’s shoulder picked up before you ask for the lead change. Having the horse following the circle as if they are the correct lead keeps the lead change simple for the horse. Their body is already following the circle so all they have to do is change their feet and they are in the correct lead.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will share it with your friends.

All images were provided by Maria Hurd and show case her daughter Elena Hurd competing.

For more reining horse training blogs go to the post page at https://horsetaillegacy.com/jgjs

Posted on July 19, 2018August 18, 2022 by Margaret Lee

Turnaround Maneuver on a Reining Horse

Turnaround Maneuver on a Reining Horse

Bobby Avila

Turnaround

My horse likes to hang his right shoulder out in the left turn around. I have used many different exercises to improve his reach in the left turn around, but have found that he improves for a while but then he goes back to hanging his shoulder out again. Bobby’s approach was to allow the horse to correct himself. The way we did this was by placing my right leg forward so when he hangs his shoulder out he would hit my spur. The advantage of this is the horse learns to reach with his shoulder because he wants to avoid hitting the spur not because you are spurring him. Again, teaching the horse what is right and giving him the ability to make the right decision

Brandy and Terri Murphy

Turnaround

There are two exercises that we worked on for the turnaround. For the first exercise, you start by walking the horse in a small circle. While you are doing that you lay the outside rein on the horse’s neck and bump the inside rein out and slightly back to get the horse to point their nose to the inside. This helps get the horse back on the inside rear foot as well. Once the horse is responding to the outside neck rein you can ask for the turnaround. When you are working the turnaround, you want to walk or trot out of the maneuver to make the horse work harder outside the turnaround. This helps get the horse to hunt the turnaround since it is less work.

The second exercise is designed to keep the horse in the correct frame during the turnaround. With one hand on the reins start trotting a circle. Than take your free hand and close it over the reins at the level of the horse’s neck. Using both legs bump the horse’s belly to get them collected up and straight. Once the horse is collected ask for the turnaround by bumping only with your outside leg. Be sure to maintain the same hand position so the horse remains in the collected frame. This helps teach the horse not to throw their head up or turn their nose out when they are asked for the turnaround. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUmwszMd5EU

Dallas Cunningham

Turnaround

This turnaround exercise helps develop a snappier turn by teaching the horse to move their inside front leg back and their outside front leg to push off and cross over. Start the exercise by trotting a small circle with your inside rein up and slightly forward and your outside rein on the horses’ neck. If the horse is leaning to the outside with their shoulder, you want to bump your outside leg to get their shoulder to commit and then ask for the turnaround. Once they are turning well, trot out to a small circle again and repeat the exercise until the horse will commit to the turn as soon as you lay the outside rein on their neck. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7GQlJD1Kek

Jay Dee Anderson

Turnaround

Before you ask the horse to turnaround you need to work on collection. Jay Dee does this by walking a small circle. He pushes the horse’s hip into the circle with his outside leg. With two hands, he picks the reins up in a “V” shape and bends the horse’s neck to the inside of the circle. He uses his inside leg to prevent the horse from dropping into the circle or turning. This exercise helps pick the horse’s front end up and teaches them to turn without sticking their nose out. The more collected the horse is in the turnaround the easier it is for them to cross their legs over and turn smoothly.

Starting the turnaround. Jay Dee trains his horses to turnaround as soon as he lays the outside rein on their neck and kiss. He does this so that when anyone gets on the horse they don’t need to think about the turnaround, they just need to lay the outside neck rein and kiss and the horse will turn. In addition, he feels using your outside leg to start the turnaround often causes the horse to look in that direction instead of keeping their head looking in the direction of the turnaround. He keeps his outside leg next to the horse’s body but does not squeeze with it. If he needs more speed he will bump with the outside leg and kiss. To stop the turnaround, he says whoa and puts his hand down. He does not like to stop every turnaround, but likes to walk out into a small circle, this help keeps the horse from anticipating the shut off of the turnaround and work on collection. https://youtu.be/qtFdCeZz_6g

Mack Weaver

Turnaround

On an older horse, Mack works a lot on their start. He wants the horse to move off the neck rein as soon as he lays it on their neck. If they don’t move than he will pull them around and stop and ask again until they start to respond to the neck rein as soon as they are asked. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIiWVo-81lA

Mike Davis

Turnaround

Irish tends to tip his nose to the outside during his turnaround which makes it harder for him to cross over in the front. Mike feels that the reason he does that is because he is trying to move off the pressure from the outside leg and the more pressure the more he tips his nose out. To fix this he works on lifting the horses front end up as they are trotting around in a small circle by picking up with the reins. At first you will need to exert a good deal of pressure to get the horse to lift their front end but as you lift and release over time the amount of pressure needed will decrease until the horse is lifted enough in the front end to be able to cross over smoothly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCm4ens9B1M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDAk5fZ72JQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wshSMpp7exc

Nathan Kent

Turnaround

Nathan likes to trot a small circle in a counter bend to work on the turnaround. To do this you pick up your outside rein and bring it across and above the saddle horn. This bends the horse’s neck to the outside of the circle. The inside rein is back and just above your hip to help balance the horse’s face. Using your outside leg, push the horse’s hip to the inside of the circle. Doing this gets the horse’s front and back legs to cross over. After the horse has crossed over a few times release their head and let them turn in the direction they were crossing over to. So, if the horse was crossing to the right you want to turn right. This exercise helps get the horse to drive from behind for the turnaround. You don’t want the horse to only pull from the front on the turnaround. When you ask for the turnaround this exercise has conditioned the horse to use their whole body to execute the maneuver. Click this link to watch the video explaining the turnaround exercise. https://youtu.be/buFxHccptQ0

Patti Cusker

The Turnaround

Patti’s approach to the turnaround it to ue the horse by turning your head in the direction she wants to turn, as well as opening her inside leg and putting pressure on the horse with her outside leg. She uses very light contact with the outside rein to start the turn and prefers to say whoa to stop the turn. The goal for teaching the horse to turn using more body and leg pressure is to be able to turnaround without pulling on the horse’s mouth. The overall result is a responsive horse with a very soft face.

For my turnaround, we worked on keeping my horse head position correct. He likes to turn his nose to the outside of the turn. When he does this, it hinders his ability to cross his front legs over in a smooth cadence. In keeping with Patti’s soft hand approach to training I would use my free hand to lightly pick up the inside rein and drop it to get his nose to straighten up. This is a soft movement just like tapping someone on the arm to get their attention. The end result was a smooth turnaround with more natural speed.

Sean Johnson

Turnaround

The turnaround requires the horse to cross their front outside leg over in front of the inside leg. The outside shoulder cannot be pushing to the outside or the horse will not cross over well. To work on this start trotting your horse in a small circle and guide their nose by pulling your inside rein out and holding it there. Continue to trot like this until you feel your horse’s shoulder and neck commit to the circle. Once they commit to the circle open your inside leg and lay your outside rein and turnaround. While turning pull your inside rein out and kiss and release. The horse should increase in speed every time you kiss. If the horse does not increase its speed bump them in the outside shoulder and pull your inside rein out and kiss all at the same time. Do this for multiple revolutions and then trot out into the small circle and repeat the exercise. After doing this exercise in both directions and you feel the horse is crossing over well and is committed to the turnaround you can go ahead and do the turnaround maneuver in both directions.

Sean likes to start the turnaround by opening the inside leg and rein and laying the outside rein on the neck and outside leg on the body. He does not like to kiss to start the turnaround because he feels it can create a more abrupt start. Once the horse has taken three steps he kisses once for more speed and then again for each increase in speed. If the horse does not increase in speed he will bump the horse with the outside leg or both legs as well as kissing. If they speed up with every kiss, reward the effort by stopping the turnaround and let them rest. If you would like to see my video recording of Sean explaining turnaround exercise check out my you tube link. https://youtu.be/ouDRj7xYR3g

Steve and Dori Schwartzenberger

Turnaround

For this exercise, we trotted a small circle with the horse’s front end squared up. Once the horse is collected up and lock into the circle ask for one or two turns and trot out into the small circle again. Continue to do this exercise and ask for more turns each time. Soon the horse will be hunting the turn around and crossing over correctly in the front and planting the pivot foot behind.

The interesting thing about the turnaround that I learned was that the inside front leg needs to step laterally to allow the outside front leg to cross over. To help teach the horse to step laterally with their inside leg you want to bring your inside rein over your inside knee and lay the outside rein on the horse’s neck. This will cause the horse’s inside leg to follow the inside rein. The result will be a clean cross over with the outside front leg.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will share it with your friends.

Feature image was provided by Maria Hurd and show cases her daughter Amanda Hurd competing.

For more reining horse training blogs go to the post page at https://horsetaillegacy.com/jgjs

Posted on July 12, 2018August 18, 2022 by Margaret Lee

Rollback Maneuver on a Reining Horse

Rollback Maneuver on a Reining Horse

This blog presents exercises used by professional reining horse trainers to teach and perfect the rollback maneuver. As with every aspect of reining the rollback is a finesse maneuver. I feel it tests the communication the rider has with the horse. The horse is running to a sliding stop which really gets the adrenaline pumping and then the horse has to come back to the rider and rollback precisely and quietly lope off in the opposite direction.

The National Reining Horse Association definition of the rollback. “Rollbacks are the 180-degree reversal of forward motion completed by running to a stop, rolling (turning) the shoulders back to the opposite direction over the hocks and departing in a lope, as one continuous motion. The NRHA Handbook states no hesitation; however, a slight pause to regain footing or balance should not be deemed hesitation. The horse should not step ahead or backup prior to rolling back.”

Ashley Villmow

Rollback

Taking a page from Ashley’s cutting horse background she used her horse Augie to incentivize Irish to depart out of the rollback faster. We lined both horses up parallel to each other, then backed them up so they had their weight on their back end. Ashley would than roll Augie back toward me and lope off down the straight line. I would have to shadow her by rolling Irish back toward her and chase them down the straight line and stop. Doing this exercise really helped get Irish to snap out of his rollback and depart more quickly in the opposite direction.

Bobby Avila

Rollback

When a horse rolls back you want their inside leg to reach forward when they lope off. Moving your inside leg forward to creates more forward motion allows the horse to extend their stride. The extend stride creates a better lead departure out of the rollback. The object of the rollback is for the horse to turn inside out and lope off in the opposite direction. You must move your hands so they are creating the alley way toward the direction you want to go. For the rollback that alley way is back over the horse’s hip to complete the rollback.

When Bobby is teaching a horse to rollback he lopes it across the narrow part of the pen stops and turns and lopes off over and over until the horse understands what is expected of him when he stops. This condition the horse to think stop and turn. Bobby than makes the horse stop stay square and back up and turn and lope off. At the end of the practice session he will stop and stand and then walk off. By doing this final step the rollback is taken out of the stop and communicates to the horse that they are only to turn when you ask.

Brandy and Terri Murphy

Rollback

This exercise is designed to work on the rollback without having to do the rundown and stop. Start by walking your horse forward a few steps and then open your legs to stop them. Back the horse up a few steps than put your hand down. Start the rollback by looking in the direction you want to go. Next, pick your hand up and back towards the new direction. Wait a few seconds to let them figure out what you want then squeeze with your outside leg to get them to follow through with the rollback. If they continue to lag, make them turnaround a few times and start again. You can also trot them around in a small circle, pushing them into the bridle. Once you have built up the energy, stop, back the horse up and ask for the rollback. Continue to do this until the horse starts to snap through the rollback.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t7gyBAG448

Dallas Cunningham

Rollback

The key to a good rollback is to stop squarely, wait, look in the direction you want to go while drawing your rein back at the level of your hip and follow through by asking for the lead departure in the opposite direction with your new outside leg. To practice this Dallas, like to lope around the arena and ask for the rollback at any time. He believes the horse needs to be able to rollback when ask as if they are chasing a cow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7S9mm9M7lKw

Jay Dee Anderson

Rollback

We did two exercises to help improve the rollback and departure. The first was to back the horse up in a small circle. With the outside leg, we pushed the horse’s hip into the circle. At the same time, we pick up the reins with both hands and bend the horse’s head slightly to the outside. This exercise helps clear the hips and the shoulder in preparation for the rollback. Once you have done this and the horse is moving well ask the horse to rollback to the outside of the circle.

The next exercise for the rollback is done in the circle. Jay Dee lopes around in a circle and stops and rolls the horse back. This teaches the horse to roll completely around into their tracks and drive out in the other direction. https://youtu.be/CpgzCaQLp2o

Mack Weaver

Rollback

There are four steps to think about when doing a rollback.

The run down
The stop
The release – is after the stop and you allow the horse to stand up briefly and you release their face.
The rollback – is when your hand, shoulders, and head all turn in the direction you want the horse to go.

As you turn around in the rollback you want to use your new outside leg to push the horse through the maneuver and lope off in the opposite direction. If the horse lays on your outside leg you want to turn them around a few times and then lope off in the opposite direction.

If your horse is slow departing after the rollback you can try this exercise to help your horse to move through the rollback and depart. Have someone pretend to be a cow. When you do this your horse’s head needs to stay even with the person as you travel up and down a parallel line to the person. The idea is to have your horse shadow the movements of the person. So, if the person backs up or turns or runs off you need to do the same thing with your horse. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm2Ayg34OOo

Mike Davis

Rollback

We worked on two exercises to improve the rollback. The first was done on the circle. Start by loping off in a circle and then stop, wait, backup, look in the direction you want to go, bring your hand to your outside hip, open your outside leg, and follow through with the lead departure with your new outside leg. If you want to work on the rollback in one direction, stop in the middle then you can rollback in the same direction over and over as you circle around the pen. This exercise also helps with speed control in the middle of the pen and teaches the horse to relax in the middle as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6rqRQn1G5Q

Nathan Kent

Rollback

To do a roll back you want to bring your outside leg back and away from the horse’s body to open the door for the horse to move through. You want your reins to come up and across the horse’s neck in the direction you want to turn. Your hand should point in the direction you want the horse to lope off in once they have rolled back. In order to get the horse to snap out into the lope after the roll back kick with both legs in the belly. The goal is to have the horse rollback on their hocks. To do that you need to be soft with your hands during the rollback and firm with your legs to get the horse to snap out into the lead departure. Once you have done this over and over the horse will learn to speed up on their own during the rollback in order to depart fast after the rollback.

Something we have never done before to get that snap out of the roll back was working with a cow flag. A few of the trainers have suggested trying it but we never had time to do it until we got to Nathan’s. The flag is shaped like a cow and is attached to a pulley system that runs back and forth along the wall. The idea is to give the horse something to follow in the rollback. By working the flag, you are able to sharpen the stop, the rollback, and the depart in the opposite direction faster. My horse wasn’t sure of the cow flag at first but once he got the hang of it he started following that cow like a cutting horse. This was really fun for both of us and it also helped our rollback in the process.

Patti Cusker

The Rollback

We started the rollback exercise by trotting a small circle next to the fence. Once you have done a few circles you want to stop your horse at about a 45-degree angle to the fence. The fence helps to direct the horse in the opposite direction. You ask for the rollback by looking in the direction you want to go and laying your inside rein on the horse’s neck. At the same time, you open your outside leg and push the horse through the rollback with your inside leg.

Patti likes to sit deep in the saddle and drive the rollback with her legs. She feels that if you pull too much with the reins it causes the horse to drag in the rollback. So, she likes to get light contact with the horse’s mouth when she asks for the rollback. The drive for the rollback comes from her seat and her inside leg. When you do a rollback, you need the horse to move their shoulders as well as their hips in the direction of the rollback. By maintaining a deep seat, you can stay balanced through the rollback and feel if the horse is engaging their hips to drive out of the rollback. If your horse doesn’t engage their hips you want to stop the forward motion and pick the horse up in the front end to move their shoulders and move their hips with your leg into a two-track until their shoulders and hips are moving together. Than go back to the exercise and ask for the rollback again.

Sean Johnson

Rollback Exercise

I like to call this exercise the mental gymnastics exercise. This exercise is designed to help load the outside hock in preparation for the rollback and lead departure in the opposite direction. To do this exercise for the left rollback, start backing in a circle to the right. Pick up your left hand and keep right hand slightly lower. The hand position is the same as when asking for the rollback. Your left leg should be on the cinch and your right leg is behind. As you are backing up look slightly over to the left. Once the horse starts to soften in the backing up, start to lower your hand and keep backing up. Then ask for the rollback by bringing your hand to your left shoulder and turning your head and shoulders in the direction you want to lope off. To do a right rollback reverse the backup direction and the hand and leg position. The way I think of the leg position is to place them where they would be if I was doing a simple rollback but adding in backing circle as a windup before the release. These videos will demonstrate how to do the exercise. https://youtu.be/fDDcU5aC6Xk https://youtu.be/nxqXJcQKkXU

A few other thoughts about the rollback.

In practice it is good to ask for the lope off a step or two past your line. This helps teach your horse not to anticipate loping off down the line since they are not conditioned to only rolling back to a set spot every time.

Think of the rollback as a quick movement, that needs the rider to move slowly to achieve a smooth maneuver.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will share it with your friends.

For more reining horse training blogs go to the post page at https://horsetaillegacy.com/jgjs

Posted on July 5, 2018August 18, 2022 by Margaret Lee

Reining Horse Circle Maneuvers

Circle Maneuver On a Reining Horse

Circling a horse sounds easy enough, but it takes training and practice to achieve the perfect circle. The information here outlines how professional reining horse trainers teach their horses to circle.

National Reining Horse Association Handbook definition of circles

“Circles are maneuvers at the lope, of designated size and speed, which demonstrate control, willingness to guide, and degree of difficulty in speed and speed changes. Circles must at all times be run in the geographical area of the arena specified in the pattern description and must have a common center point. There must be a clearly defined difference in the speed and size of a small, slow circle, and a large, fast circle; also, the speed and size of small, slow right circles should be similar to the small, slow left circles; and the speed and size of the large, fast right circles should be similar to the large, fast left circles”

Bobby Avila

Our horses are trained to be responsive to our body ques. When you ride a circle, you want to ride spotting 1/8 of the circle at a time. If you ride too far ahead of your horse it becomes difficult to maintain a consistent circle. An older horse knows how to stay under your hands and follow the circle however, if they make the back decision to lean in or out of the circle Bobby likes to correct this by turning the horse sharply across the circle and then get back on the circles’ path. These two techniques helped my circles a great deal. It also helps reduce the need to continually pick up my hands to guild him to do what he already knows my horse throughout my circle. The more we did this the better he stayed between my hands and on the path of the circle.

Fast Circle to Slow Circle Transitions

The transition from a fast circle to a slow circle requires rhythm. The approach was to ask the horse to increase his speed until he and I were in a comfortable rhythm and to maintain that. Once I had the rhythm, it became a matter of transitioning down by putting wait into my feet and sinking down into my saddle and maintaining the rhythm to create a smooth transition to a slow circle. The end result was a much smoother looking transition in which I was in rhythm with my horse at each speed.

Brandy Murphy

Fast to Slow Circles

When transitioning from fast to slow circles you need to build in the cues that signal the horse to make the change in speed. Start by loping a circle and when you want to slow down start to hum, pick up your hand as they start to come back to you drop your hand. Use your outside leg to push the hip into the circle. Then once they come back, you want to stop them. This conditions the horse that when they hear the hum they think stop. Once they understand the cues, then move on to the transitioning from fast to slow circles. Be consistent and your horse will learn how to transition smoothly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNNLjj1js88

Bruce Barber

As you circle you will feel when the horse is leaning as soon as you feel it stop the horse, back them up and rollback and depart. Timing the work to happen as soon as the lean occurs is important so the horse connects the work with the leaning.

This exercise helps the horse learn how to stay on the circle willingly. The exercise can be done at the trot and the lope. The goal is to make the horse work when they lean. Once they understand that it is less work to stay on the circle you have taught them to be more willingly guided.

Jay Dee Anderson

Lead Departure and Building Speed in the Circle

For the lead departure Jay Dee picks up the reins and applies light pressure to the bit and asks the horse to lope off. After a few strides, he breaks the horse down to a walk and repeats the process. This teaches the horse to allow you to pick up on the reins and to keep their head down in the lead departure. The next step is pick up on the reins and increase the speed by kissing and bumping with your legs. This technique allows you to pick on the horse in the show pen to increase speed while remaining collected. Once he has the speed he wants he puts his hand down and bumps with his legs and kisses to speed the horse up if they start to slow down. https://youtu.be/yK2rGjiH84M

Linda Hitt

Transitioning from a large fast to a small slow first

Linda likes to think of the circle having spotting points in the shape of STOP sign. Thinking this way gives you the visual of the center of the circle being a straight line. Linda placed two traffic cones on each side of the center line. This created an alley way to guide through as you go from your large fast circle to your small slow. This added visual really helped me to stay straight through center and to time my transition to the small slow.

Mack Weaver

How to keep your horse on the circle when riding one handed. Start by keeping your hand in line with the center of the horse’s mane and keep your shoulders square. Look in the direction you want your horse to go. Your horse should stay on the path you are looking toward. If the horse leaves the circle to the outside you want to stop the horse and turn the horse around to the inside of the circle. Lope off, then cut the circle in half so that you get back to the spot the horse left the circle faster. Frequent repetition allows you to correct the horse in the trouble spot. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UGWl3dW5TY

Nathan Kent

Nathan likes to warm up for circles by trotting in a small circle. From a small circle, you ask the horse to follow the path you chose for that circle. If the horse leaves that path, lay the outside rein, and move them back on the path of the circle. This is also done at the lope. Doing this exercise gets the horse sensitive to the neck rein, which teaches them to guide with very little pressure.

If a horse does not want to stay on the circle the other exercise you can do is to stop the horse and turn them around a few times and lope off. You want to turn them into the circle to teach them to follow it. You want to keep doing this exercise until the horse is soft in the face and following the circle with very stride.

Large Fast Circle

When running a large fast circle your hand position needs to be close to the horse’s neck and forward. To guide the horse in the circle from that position Nathan likes to have his hand lined up with the horse’s inside ear. This position allows you to direct the horse without lifting up or pulling back on the reins. It also gives the horse a clear direction to follow because your reins are contacting a sensitive part of their neck.

Sean Johnson

Sean explains that it takes another half circle before the error becomes evident. So, if your horse is not coming through center on a straight line, the error occurred half way back on the circle, not at the center. Thinking this way was a great insight into where the mistake really started and that the correction should be made back when the mistake was created and that would prevent the mistake that became evident halfway around the other side of the circle.

The goal of the reining circle is to have the horse willingly guided and if you are helping them all the time they are not willingly guided. You want the horse to do more work than you. If you want to teach the horse to lock into the circle, only correct them when they make the mistake. If they leave the circle guide their nose to the inside with your inside rein at the same time bump with your outside leg. Once they are following the circle bring your hands back to center and let the horse follow the circle. If the horse is dropping into the circle guide them to move out by opening your outside rein and bumping with your inside leg. After working on this my horse started to move more freely and was locking into the circle on his own.

Circling can become monotonous for both you and your horse. You really want them to be waiting for what comes next. A great way to do that is to add a stop and a turnaround to the outside and loping off in the opposite direction. This one exercise helps sharpen up the circles, the turnaround, the roll back, the stop, and the lead departure.

Steve Schwartzenberger

What to do if your horse is looking out of the circle.

If a horse is looking out of the circle you want to use your inside rein and bend the horse at the pole by bring your inside rein back and up to your hip. Keep your forward motion as you ask for this bend and continue to ride half way around the circle and release the rein so the horse is following the arch of the circle. Continue to do this until the horse understand that they are to follow the circle without looking out.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will share it with your friends.

All images were provided by Maria Hurd and show case her daughters Amanda and Elena Hurd competing.

For more reining horse training blogs go to the post page at https://horsetaillegacy.com/jgjs

Posted on May 14, 2018August 18, 2022 by Margaret Lee

How to Ride Your Reining Horse Better with Sean Johnson Professional Reining Horse Trainer, Glenpool, OK

American Quarter Horse, Reining Horse, Cluck Cluck Lena

Sean Johnson Professional Reining Horse Trainer, Glenpool, OK

This post will concentrate on exercises for rollbacks, turnarounds and the counter canter on a finished reining horse.

This was my second trip to ride with Sean Johnson. After losing my trainer at home, I contacted Sean to see if it would be possible to come back to Oklahoma to ride with him a few times a year. Sean put me on a nice gelding named Cluck Cluck Lena. He is so much like my horse Irish I was able to concentrate on improving my riding without having to deal with the big learning curve that comes with riding a different horse. While I was there we worked on all the reining maneuvers. I have outlined some of the main exercise we focused on below.

Rollback Exercise

I like to call this exercise the mental gymnastics exercise. This exercise is designed to help load the outside hock in preparation for the rollback and lead departure in the opposite direction. To do this exercise for the left rollback, start backing in a circle to the right. Pick up your left hand and keep right hand slightly lower. The hand position is the same as when asking for the rollback. Your left leg should be on the cinch and your right leg is behind. As you are backing up look slightly over to the left. Once the horse starts to soften in the backing up, start to lower your hand and keep backing up. Than ask for the rollback by bringing your hand to your left shoulder and turning your head and shoulders in the direction you want to lope off. To do a right rollback reverse the backup direction and the hand and leg position. The way I think of the leg position is to place them where they would be if I was doing a simple rollback but adding in backing circle as a windup before the release. These videos will demonstrate how to do the exercise.https://youtu.be/nxqXJcQKkXU

A few other thoughts about the rollback.

Think of the rollback as a quick movement, that needs the rider to move slowly to achieve a smooth maneuver.

Turnaround Exercise

The purpose of this exercise is to get the rear inside pivot foot to drive deeper under the horses’ body. Start by trotting a circle. Pick your outside hand up and place it on the horses’ neck and keep your inside hand down and out. Using your inside leg, push the inside hip toward the outside of the circle. Keep your outside leg up near the cinch. Once you feel the horse is crossing over/under well, then stop and ask them to turn in the direction you were trotting. If you were trotting right then turn right. The tendency is for the horse to start moving their front end faster. To block this from happening you can pick your outside hand up and tip the horses’ face to the outside of the circle. Check out these videos to see how the exercise is done. https://youtu.be/05BWL50GT9M https://youtu.be/05BWL50GT9M

Counter Canter Exercise

This exercise helps you use your legs and seat to feel when your horse starts to push or lean on you. Start by looping in the counter canter around the length of the arena. As you go down the long side of the arena start to lengthen the horse’s stride. About 3 – 4 strides before the corner slow down, then make a 90 degree turn and stay parallel to the short side of the square and make another 90 degrees turn, once you are pointing straight, drive down the long side. During these turns the horse will have a tendency to drop to the inside. You will need to use your inside leg to keep the horse stood up. This exercise also helps develop your ability to rate the horses’ speed. This will also help you use your body position to maintain a straight line, which is needed when doing a sliding stop. This video explains the exercise.

https://youtu.be/L7HfNaL0Ftw

I was fortunate to be able to spend eight days riding with Sean. The ability to repeat the exercise multiple days in a row makes it easier to learn the feel of the horse’s movement. Now that I have the feel, I can take the information home and practice on my own horse.

After working at home for a few days Irish and I really started to click with these exercises. I am looking forward to some even snappier rollbacks and smoother turnarounds.

While riding with Sean Johnson I logged 20 hours toward the AQHA Horseback Riding Program. I also earned my 2000 hours reward gift. A Professional Choice Saddle Pad Case. Go to the AQHA website to find out more about the Horseback Riding Program and AQHA. https://www.aqha.com/trail-riding/programs/aqha-horseback-riding-program

For more information about Sean Johnson Professional Reining Horse Trainer go to: http://johnsonreining.com/

I hope you have enjoyed this post and will share it with your friends.

For more reining horse training blogs go to the post page at https://horsetaillegacy.com/jgjs

Posted on November 1, 2017August 18, 2022 by Margaret Lee

How to Riding a Reining Horse With Melanie and Sebastian Petroll

How to Riding a Reining Horse

With Melanie and Sebastian Petroll

Rock Creek Ranch Sign, Petroll Reining Horses Melanie and Sebastian Petroll are professional reining horse trainers located in Whitesboro, TX. While I was there I rode three different horses and worked on guiding with the neck rein, lead changes, turnarounds, stopping, and rollbacks. I found the Petrolls through the NRHA’s Buy A Pro Program. In 2015 this program replaced the regional clinics as the primary fundraiser for the NRHyA. Anyone that wants to take a lesson from some of the best Reining Horse trainers are able to bid on the trainers that are taking part in the program. I decided to bid on Melanie Petroll during the auction. The auction allowed for two lessons with that trainer. I added additional lessons privately so that I could ride with both Melanie and Sebastian.

Guiding (Sebastian Petroll)

Reining horses are guided off the neck rein. The goal is to maintain a low hand position and have the horse move off the neck rein pressure. You want the horse to become responsive to the rein on their neck and not be dependent on the bit for guidance. Whenever you ask for the horse to do something it has to pass from your head to your body and hands to their body and neck to their brain. It is important not to ask the horse to do something too quickly or things will not be communicated clearly to the horse. No matter what speed you are going you need to ask the horse the same way every time. Do not over guide the horse. They must have some responsibility to maintain the circle, or straight line on their own, don’t do all the work for them or they will become less motivated to do the job.

Guiding exercise (Sebastian Petroll)

Start by loping a circle at the end of the arena. When you are about 1/3 of the way down the length of the arena guide the horse across the center of the arena and continue around the circle. Once you reach the top of the arena turn and lope down the length of the arena to the other end. Do the same type of circle at the other end of the arena. Continue to do this until you fell your horse is guiding well. Click this link to watch the video https://youtu.be/lAEk8Yvjlkc

Lead change (Sebastian Petroll)

The lead change is a natural maneuver for a horse. When teaching a horse to change leads on command it takes some time to communicate what you want. After the horse understands what you are asking for, you can proceed to practicing the lead change. The goal is to be able to ask for the lead change at any place in the arena. The horse needs to view the lead change as an everyday normal thing. Don’t over think it if the horse does not change well just move forward and ask again. Once you get a good change, stop and give the horse a rest.

One way to practice lead changes is to do a serpentine pattern down the length of the arena. Starting at one end depart on the correct lead as you turn to cross the arena you will be on the counter canter as you go across the center. When you turn again you will be on the correct lead. Continue to do this all the way down the arena. Once the horse is moving well you can ask for the lead change as you come across the arena on a straight line. Be sure to continue on the straight line after the lead change. If the horse tries to drop into the circle continue around into the counter canter circle. If you allow the horse to drop in after the lead change eventually they will stop changing leads in the rear end. Click this link to watch the video https://youtu.be/2SBip6G3DYo

Turnaround (Melanie Petroll)

When working on the turnaround first ask for it by laying the outside rein on the horse’s neck open your inside leg. If the horse does not move off the rein, then follow up by bumping with your outside leg. Always keep your hand movements within an imaginary box in front of your saddle. If you pull your hand too far outside the box it will cause the horse to bend its neck to the outside. This makes it hard for the horse to cross over smoothly in the front. Some horses will try to slow down in the turnaround in anticipation of the whoa. If this happens, continue to turn and only stop when you feel the horse is moving well and not slowing down. When you are practicing turnarounds, you always want to count your circle. This will lessen the likelihood of miss counting in the show pen

If your horse is not moving well in the turnaround, then trot it in a small circle and collect it up under its self. Once you feel the horse is moving well, ask for the turnaround by stepping directly into the turn from the trot. Continue to turnaround until the horse is moving freely and in a good cadence before you say whoa. If the horse does not want to stand still after you stop, ask them to turn again a few times and then stop them. This teaches the horse that rest happens when they stand still. Click this link to watch the video https://youtu.be/U2tajLH2ibc

Rundown and Stopping (Melanie Petroll)

To achieve a good stop, you must have a good rundown. When you are fencing or stopping you want to be sure that your shoulders are back behind your hips and you are looking up and out. Your feet need to start pushing down into your stirrups just slightly before saying whoa. Doing this gets your body into the stopping position prior to asking for the stop.

Do not grip the horse with your legs during the rundown. This will prevent you from being in the correct stopping position and can shorten the horse’s stride. You want to feel like your legs are just lightly contacting the horse. You should have the sensation that the horse is moving out in front of you. If you feel like you are tightening up you can move your legs and body around during the rundown to remind yourself to remain relaxed. The rundown should be viewed like any other time you are loping around, the only difference is you are going to ask for a stop at the end.

The other drawback of always gripping with your legs is the horse will feel the release of pressure when you bump your legs to drive them forward. Instead of moving forward they will think the release mean stop. Gripping also prevents the horse’s ability to move freely. Click this link to watch the video https://youtu.be/dHTNSKX2MoM

Rollback (Melanie Petroll)

The rollback is a maneuver that requires the horse to reverse direction and lope off in a straight line back the way they came. To practice this, you want to stop, backup a step, look in the direction you want to go while drawing your hand back toward your hip. Open your outside leg and lay your inside leg on the horse to push them through to the new direction. This can be practiced at the walk, trot and lope. Click this link to watch the video https://horsetaillegacy.com/mnds

I had a great time learning from Melanie and Sebastian. Riding different horses is always a challenge for someone like me that really only gets to ride one horse on a regular basis. Whenever you get the change to ride a different horse take it. Being able to improve your skills as a rider only comes with time and experience. So, get out there and work with different trainers and horse, you will be glad you did.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog and will share it with your friends.

Check out more post by clicking on this link: https://horsetaillegacy.com/063o

Future Reiner Ellie Petroll

Posted on October 21, 2017April 29, 2018 by Margaret Lee

Horseback Riding Safety

To be able to connect with a horse is a gift to be cherished. However, horseback riding is one of the most dangerous sports when it comes to head trauma. In this post, I will be covering some of the safety equipment available to help protect you while you ride. Working with and around horses requires you to remain focused on what is going on around you and your horse.

Helmets

Horseback riding accounts for the highest number of sports related traumatic brain injury in the United States.(http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/2016.1.FOCUS15613). Head injuries are the main cause of horseback riding fatalities. That being said, it surprises me how many people don’t wear a helmet when riding. Helmets today are light weight and come in many styles to fit the rider’s needs. When choosing a helmet, you want to be sure that is has been approved by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). You can also look to see that the helmet has been certified by FEI for safety. Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) maintains a list of all the models and sizes it has certified, so if you have any questions regarding the authenticity of any manufacturer’s product, you can verify certification with the SEI. Here is the SEI link http://www.seinet.org/search/search.php

It is important that your helmet fits well and is comfortable. Start by measuring the circumference of your head just above your eyebrows. Remember to take into account how you will be wearing your hair since this will affect the fit of your helmet. Once you have that measurement you are ready to start trying on helmets. It is best to try on a variety of helmets to be sure it fits your head shape well. Ideally you want the helmet to sit one half to one inch above your eyebrows. The helmet should be snug but not tight. When you move your head back and forth and side to side without the strap closed the helmet should not slide around.

Remember to replace your helmet every five years or after a fall with an impact to your head. In the scheme of things helmets are a cheap investment to protect your brain. Never buy a used helmet since you have no way of knowing the true condition the helmet is in.

Boots

Your boot choice depends on functionality, support and style, so before you buy know what you’re looking for in a boot. When working around horses it is inevitable that your horse will someday step on your foot. Having a sturdy pair of boots on can make the difference in the extent of the injury you incur. The type of riding you do will dictate the what kind of boot you will need. There are a wide variety of boots you can choose from no matter what discipline you choose to focus on. The thing to keep in mind is the heal should be between 1 – 1 ½ inches high. The tread should be small so your boots can have traction in the stirrup without getting your foot stuck if you need to pull it out quickly. Investing in a well-fitting quality boot is essential to ensure comfort and safety while riding. For more information about what to look for in riding boot check out these links:

https://www.thespruce.com/choosing-boots-for-horseback-riding-1885875

https://www.horsejournals.com/riding-training/tack-gear/western/how-find-riding-boots-fit

Safety Vests

Riders that compete in eventing, steeple chasing, and flat racing are required to wear body protection, but that doesn’t mean riding in another discipline is any less dangerous. There are different types of vest on the market that help prevent injury to your internal organs, spine and ribs. With any type of protective equipment three things need to be considered, fit, quality and the type of riding you do. There are soft pliable vests, body armor type vests and air vests. Whatever you choose you want to be sure it is tested by either American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) and Safety Equipment Institute (SEI) or by the British equivalent BETA. This link goes into more details about specific brand of vest and what they offer. http://horse-journal.com/article/heres-choose-body-protector-25128

Chaps and Half Chaps

Chaps and half chaps help protect your legs from minor scratches while on trail rides. They also help prevent rubbing and pinching of your calves if you ride in an English saddle.

Gloves

A well-fitting pair of riding gloves offer protection to your hand both in and out of the saddle by providing better grip strength. We have all experienced rope burn which can be quite significant when lead lines or reins are forcefully pulled through your hands by a horse.

Stirrups

When choosing stirrups, you first want to consider the type of riding you do to help narrow down your search. Then try stirrups wear the boots you practice in and show in. There should be about one fingers width of space on either side of your boot to allow for your foot to slide in and out easily. You don’t want stirrups that will allow your foot to slide through or will cause your foot to get stuck in the case of a fall or miss step. There are quick-release stirrups for English riders and breakaway stirrups for Western riders. Again, these releasing stirrups may or may not be the best choice for the type of riding you do. I ride a reining horse and the breakaway stirrups kept opening during my sliding stops which caused me to lose my stirrup. Here is a link to help you choose the best stirrup to fit your needs and safety. https://www.equisearch.com/articles/stirrups-buyers-guide

Mouth guard

The American Dental Association projects that one third of all dental injuries are sports related. The types of dental injuries that can occur without the use of a mouth guard are chipped or broken teeth, fractured crowns or bridges, lip and cheek injuries, root damage to the teeth, and fractured jaws. Custom fitted mouth guards made by a dentist offer the most protection for your teeth from an impacted. They are also more comfortable to wear than the boil and bite type. Riders that jump or do events that put them in a situation where they would land on an obstacle are the most in need of wearing a mouth guard. It is a small investment to protect your teeth in case of an injury.

No matter how well a horse is trained you can never completely overcome their instinct. Remain aware of your horse and the surrounding area and stay safe. After all we all want to be able to ride another day.

For More Post About Reining Horse Trainers Click this Link https://horsetaillegacy.com/063o

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Posted on October 11, 2017April 28, 2018 by Margaret Lee

Finding the Right Boarding Faciality for Your Horse

Finding the Right Boarding Faciality

Owning a horse comes with a great deal of responsibility, the least of which is where are they going to live. If you are faced with the task of finding a new boarding facility like I was you will find using this logical approach will take some of the stress out of finding a new barn. There is a wide variety of facilities available which can make finding the right one even harder. The best approach is to start with an outline of what your non – negotiables are and what you can afford. From there make a list of what amenities would be nice to have but are not necessities. Once you have these thing clear in your mind you are ready to start looking for a barn.

Where to start looking for barns to consider.

Ask your veterinarian, farrier or friends.
Check the local horse association for list of trainers
If you are moving out of the area check with your national organization for list of trainers and barns.
Boarding facilities do advertise.
Equine chat boards online
Go to horse shows and clinics in an area to meet people and learn about the types of facilities that are available in an area.

Facility’s Condition, take a complete tour.

Stall size should be large enough to allow your horse to lay down and get up without the risk of getting cast.
The stalls should be structurally sound. With smooth walls and no nails or splinters.
The stall doors should operate smoothly latch securely
The flooring in the stall should be level and rubber mats should be flat.
Ask about smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers Some barns have sprinkler systems.
Security – are there cameras monitoring the premises.
The paddocks and pastures should have well maintained fencing, secure gates, shade and water. Check that the areas are free of toxic plants and have sufficient drainage to prevent mud and standing water.
Irish in his new field
Is there a wash area with hot and cold water available all year?
Is there an area for tacking up your horse?

American Quarter Horse at the Hitching Post

American Quarter Horse in the tack up area

Is there an area for the horse to receive veterinary and farrier care?
Arena should have the correct type of footing for the type of riding you do and it should be maintained regularly

Is there an indoor and outdoor arena and are they an appropriate size for the type of riding you do?
Tack room – is there an area that you can secure your belongings and is it large enough to hold everything you need?
The barn should be dry, clean and well ventilated. If there is an ammonia smell it is often a sign of lack of cleanliness or ventilation problems.
Are their trails available?
Is there a round pen?
Is there a laundry for washing horse equipment?
Is there a high turnover of boarders?

Care of your horse

Feeding – how much and how often are the horse fed grain and hay and who is responsible for taking care of that? Are the feed buckets clean?
Is the hay of good quality and free of dust and mold?
Is the grain kept in such a way that vermin cannot get to it easily?
Medications and supplements – will they take care of giving daily medications and supplements?
How often are the horses turned out and in what manner? Are they in group fields, or solo paddocks?
Can you use your own veterinarian and farrier?
Do they provide blanketing, fly masking and fly spraying?
How often are the stalls cleaned and the bedding changed?
How often are the water levels checked in the water buckets and are they cleaned regularly. Are the automatic waters checked to be sure they are clean and operational?
How are emergencies handled?
Is there someone that lives on the property?
Does the facility require a negative Coggins test and Certificate of Veterinary Inspections when new horses come to the facility?
Check the conditions of the resident horses to be sure they look healthy and have a relaxed attitude around people.
Meet the people that will be handling your horse.
Have the employees been working there for a while or do they have a high turnover of help?
Who checks the horses for any changes in their overall condition and how often are they checked?
How is deworming handled?
Is there a pest control system for flies and rodents?

Types of boarding

Self-care – which requires you to do all the daily care for your horse and provide all feed and bedding.

Partial care – which requires you to do half the care of your horse when the barn staff is not on site. Often you will need to feed once a day and clean the stall.

Full care – all the daily care of the horse is done for you.

Field board – your horse is kept in an outdoor area

Stall board – your horse is in a stall with possible turn out time

Contracts

Be sure to outline in writing exactly what is included in your board fee. Ask if there are additional fees for extra hay or feed, holding a horse for the veterinarian or farrier, blanketing, turnout, giving medications, supplements or sports medicine care.
Know when board payments are due. Be aware that in some state the owner of a facility can put a lien on your horse and sell it to recoup money that they are owed.
Know how much notice needs to be given to terminate the boarding contract.

Personal Considerations

How far is the facility from home or work?
Your budget needs to be realistic.
Is there a trainer on site for you and your horse?
How much do lessons cost and are they group or private?
Can you bring your own trainer in for lessons?
Does the trainer go to shows and will they go with you to those shows?
Do the other people ride in the same discipline you do?
Know if there are restrictions on when you can ride.
Is there a place to store your trailer or is there a trailer you can use if needed?
Meet the other boarders?

This post outlines many of the factors that go into choosing a boarding facility. Do your homework before you move your horse to a new barn. Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to. A well-managed facility will be more than willing to answer your questions and be happy to tell you about all they can offer you and your horse. Take your time, you and your horse will be much happier if you choose the best fit for both of you.

Please be sure to share this post with your friends.

For More Post About Reining Horse Trainers Click this Link https://horsetaillegacy.com/063o

Posted on October 5, 2017April 28, 2018 by Margaret Lee

How to Find a Horse Trainer

Finding a Horse Trainer

Once you have found a horse that suits you there are many things that need to be considered when planning for your future together. Depending on your skills and your horse’s abilities you may find yourself in need of a professional trainer. When hiring a trainer, it is important to remember that this is a professional business arrangement. Be sure to outline what your goals and expectations are before you start your search for a trainer. Here is an outline of things to consider when looking for the best trainer for you and your horse.

Goals for needing a trainer

Starting a young horse under saddle.
Train your horse in your chosen riding discipline
A trainer that can show and sell your horse
Help to solve a particular training issue that is more than you can handle
Help to maintain the training and conditioning that your horse already has
Train you to ride better so you can reach your showing goals
Learning a new riding discipline
Preparing your horse for sale.

How to find trainers

Ask your veterinarian, farrier or friends.
Check the local horse association for list of trainers
If you are moving out of the area check with your national organization for list of trainers and barns.
Boarding facilities do advertise.
Go to horse shows and clinics in an area to meet people and learn about the types of facilities that are available in an area.
Internet chat rooms.
Trainers websites.

Keep in mind that in the U.S. there are no regulatory associations or licensing boards that evaluation the qualification of a horse trainer. In many cases the only thing that classifies the person as a professional is they are being paid.

What to look for in a new trainer

Is the trainer skilled in the riding discipline that you want to train in?
Are the trainer’s students doing well in that discipline?
Do their students look prepared to show at the level they are showing at?
Do you like their training style and feel you will be able to learn from that person?
Do you think your horse will thrive with the trainer’s techniques?
Does that trainer remain active in the sport and stay current on any changes in techniques and philosophies?
Do you want to ride like them or their students?
Are their horses healthy and happy doing their job?
Are they fair and consistent in their correction of the horse?
Where is the trainer located? Can you travel to them or will they travel to you?
Does the trainer teach the rider or do they only train the horse?
Are you able to ride your horse while it is in training?
Check to see if they are in good standing with their riding disciplines association.
Do and internet search on the trainer and see what comes up. If they have a website or Facebook page you can learn a great deal about them.
Watch the trainer at horse shows and see how they interact with their students and their horses. This will help determine if their style of coaching is going to work for you.
Does the trainer maintain a professional demeanor?
Are you able to understand their instruction to their students?
Contact potential trainers by phone or email. If they don’t get back to you in a timely manner chances are you will not want to work with them.

Once you have narrowed down your list of trainers it is time to set up interviews and tours of the facilities. Be sure to allow plenty of time for your visit.

Bobby Avila and Irish American Quarter Horse and man — Irish and Bobby Avila Rogersville, MO

Brandy Murphy and Irish women and American Quarter Horse — Irish and Brandy Murphy Marysville, OH

Sean Johnson and Irish American Quarter Horse and man — Irish and Sean Johnson Kellysville, OK

Set up a time to meet the trainer as well as any assistant trainers that will be working with you and your horse
Watch them ride a horse that is about the same age and skill level as your horse.
Watch them give a lesson to a person who’s riding abilities is close to yours.
Are they focused on what they are doing while training and teaching?
Check to see that their equipment is in good condition and they do not use any items for training that you are not comfortable with.
Ask for references from present and former clients as well as veterinarians and farriers.
Evaluate the condition of the facility and the horses. This link is to a post on finding a new boarding facility https://horsetaillegacy.com/lile
Review the trainer’s contract and be sure to include any terms that were agreed on that may need to be added to the standard contract.
Review the boarding facility contract.
Discuss how much time will be needed to train your horse to meet your goals. Be aware that these goals may need to be adjusted based on your horse’s progress.
Be sure you are able to visit your horse at least once a month so you can monitor their progress.
Know what items of tack need to be sent with your horse and be sure to label them with your name and the horse’s name.
How much is it going to cost to have your horse in training. Know about any additional costs that you will incur such as, hauling, veterinary, farrier, show fees, etc. Also discuss the billing cycle so you know when payment is due. Ask for an itemized bill for any charges beyond the training and board.
Discuss the trainer’s philosophy concerning horse training and teaching.

Training agreement should include

How much is it going to cost to have your horse in training. Know about any additional costs that you will incur such as, hauling, veterinary, farrier, show fees, etc. Also discuss the billing cycle so you know when payment is due. Ask for an itemized bill for any charges beyond the training and board.
How often your horse will be ridden
Who will be training the horse
Who will be caring for the horse
How show expenses, trailering, training, care, and show winnings are handled
Does training include giving you lessons and how often? If not, how much are lessons?
Will the trainer attend horse shows with you?
How much turnout will the horse get and in what form?
If the trainer sells your horse how much is the commission paid to the trainer?
Can you watch the trainer work your horse and what arrangements need to be made for that to happen?
Who is responsible for making arrangements for the horse to receive veterinary and farrier care?
Will you be notified in advance for any additional fees beyond board and training?
How often will you be updated about your horse’s progress?

When planning my trip across the U.S. with my American Quarter Horse Irish I followed many of the same steps I just outline above. First, I mapped out the areas of the country I wanted to visit and then looked-for trainers in those areas. My biggest source of information came from the National Reining Horse Associations website. The information on their website gave me a jumping off point to contact trainers that would be willing to take us in for a week of board and training. I also found that reading the trainers websites before contacting them was helpful in narrowing down trainers that liked to teach non-pros. All I can say is that the trip took a lot of planning but in the end, we had a great time and worked with some truly talented horse trainers along the way.