A blog about training trail horses.
Posted in Natural Horsemanship Clinic on Jan 12th, 2010
There are a lot of clinics a horseman can choose from to further their education. I have attended a few myself and really enjoy them. All of these clinics have been organized so you can pick and choose your subject matter and most you can bring your own horse. I usually end up buying their [...]
Posted in Trail Horse Training, Trail Horses on Dec 22nd, 2009
If you are a trail rider, and you have been bored with the same trails year after year, you need to look into ACTHA.us . I recently started to feel I need a more challenging trail experience, so I signed onto the American Competitive Trail Horse Association website. I quickly discovered I needed to brush [...]
Posted in Trail Horse Training, Trail Horses on Dec 21st, 2009
Picked up a few pounds since Thanksgiving? Expecting and dreading picking up a few more over Christmas and New Years? Tired of sucking it in every time you zip up? Yeah, me too! Forget about walking 20 minutes a day, getting on the treadmill or killing yourself with aerobic exercises. Ride a horse!
Riding lessons are [...]
Posted in Trail Horse Training on Dec 15th, 2009
Know what your goals are. Don’t just round pen to wear your horse down and don’t round pen unless you have a specific goal in mind for training. For example, when I round pen a horse the first thing I want to teach that horse is to look at me for direction. Then I want [...]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 7th, 2009
Let’s face it, when cold weather comes around most of us want to hibernate. It’s not much fun going out in the cold to ride, especially if it is wet out. And in Statesville, North Carolina it seems all we have is wet winters. Cold one day, warm the next, plus rain…… [...]
Posted in Tennessee Walking Horses, Trail Horse Training, Trail Horses on Nov 29th, 2009
Boogie came to us a couple of weeks ago because Boogie lost his beat. Boot Scootin Boogie is a competitive trail horse that has competed in NATRC trail rides that can be grueling and very demanding. (www.natrc.org for more information) Boogie and his rider both came in with a score 0f 99 out of 100 [...]
Posted in Tack and Equipment on Oct 7th, 2009
I have been riding for around 23 years now and I have been training for nearly 18 years. I have taken lessons and continue to do so, but one thing I was never formally taught about was saddle fitting. I have ridden saddle seat on Saddlebreds and TWH, I have ridden western in western saddles [...]
Posted in Trail Horse Training on Oct 7th, 2009
Own a gaited horse and can’t quite get the beat? Try counting with the hoofbeats to get the rhythm. You can always take a metronome out with you and once you get the beat, memorize your horse’s speed.
It is much easier to learn this by first getting used to the walk. Sounds elementary, I know, [...]
Posted in Tennessee Walking Horses on Oct 7th, 2009
This is my second blog about Woodrow. Woodrow has been undergoing the schooling to be a carriage horse. He has been driven in long reins but never in harness and carriage. Woodrow is a bit afraid of things coming up behind him suddenly or of being touched on the behind. He jumps whenever this happens. [...]
Posted in Tennessee Walking Horses on Oct 7th, 2009
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We recently purchased Woodrow, our 5 year old TWH at an auction in Shelbyville, TN. Love the horse, he is a wonderful ride, real sweet, loves to be petted and does anything you ask. However, it took Woodrow a couple of weeks to
settle in at our farm and get over being afraid [...]