Teaching a horse to Search to improve the Partnership

The Search

 I balance between working with a horse both on the lead rope and loose. 

 In this scenario, with Pardner the goal is for him to address when I ask him to think, then move with intention.

 It is an opportunity for him to think through his options, try something, perhaps let it go if I ask him to, and then to be willing to try something else. 

 I'm looking to see if he gets stuck on a thought, or if he has the ability to address me, if he can pause when asked to stop or if he has to leave to sort himself out. 

 In the end, he "happens" to be asked to step into a tire cutout. But the focus was not about the task, rather the Quality of the Conversation, that then allowed the horse to "find" the specific task presented. 

 I don't want conditioned or patternized responses from the horse. I want him to be interested in participating and willing to try. Is the about getting him to be obedient? No. It is creating a scenario where we can practice the Conversation together which will apply to any future scenario with him, whether from the ground or while I'm in the saddle.     

Learning to Believe the Horse's Communication

A client's mule from a few years ago...

30+ years ago when I started out with horses I never would have thought my journey would evolve as it has... The variety of disciplines and animals I've worked with was not exactly intentional, but rather part of my evolving journey. The more exposure I had to unfamiliar experiences, the more I wanted to learn.

Whether it was 3 Day Eventing, jumpers, Dressage, racehorses, driving, ranch roping, moving cattle, cutting, reined cow horse, packing in the mountains, colt starting, Horsemanship, or rehabilitating dangerous horses, each area had something to add to my foundation of understanding. Over the years my experiences ranged in working with a variety of breeds such as Thoroughbreds, ponies, Warmbloods, Arabians, Heavy and Light Drafts, Chilean Criollos, east Asian horses, gaited horses, Mustangs, Mules, and many others.

Improving your Equine Skill Set

Improving your Equine Skill Set

Everything that we do in life requires different skill sets. Unfortunately, when it comes to horses, many folks approach it as an "I bought it, I should be able to do it." But the reality can turn out quite different.

One of the challenges for both pleasure and competitive riders is prioritizing the time and having the mental clarity to build their skill set when it comes to their horsemanship.