There are countless methods of training horses.  If you want to choose a method, always look at the end result.  Simply make sure that the method the trainer is using gives you the results you are looking for in a horse.  Almost anyone can train a horse to some extent.  Remember, a well-trained horse requires a well-trained trainer!

           Owning a horse should be seen as a commitment and a responsibility.  Horses live twenty-five to thirty years.  There are few things in life that get better with use, but a well-trained horse is a good example.  Just remember that there is a fine line between use and abuse.  A good guideline to follow involves giving a horse two hours a day of exercise.  The level of exercise depends on the breed and physical conditions of the horse, as well as its age.

            Personally, I always work with a partner when training a horse.  You may find it unusual that my partner is of the equine species.  The only exception to this rule is when I am training a horse to be my partner.  You must be careful when choosing a horse to be your partner – only years of experience can teach you what is needed.

            Also, remember that there is a night and day difference between training a horse and breaking a horse.  There are those who believe in both methods (mind you, there are those in the world who still believe that the earth is flat).  Needless to say, I am very much opposed to breaking a horse.  I have often heard it said that breaking is simpler and faster.  This, however, is not true on either account.

            Personally, I recommend that the initial training of a horse should be done by an experienced trainer.  If training horses is something you want to do, then learn it from a good teacher.

            The following information on training horses is not meant as a guide or a type of how-to book – it is only meant to inform.  This method is mine, and I have enjoyed great success with it over the years.  It is by no means a new method, and can in fact be traced back to the ancient Egyptians.

            I rarely start to work with a horse before the age of two.  Although there have been some exceptions from time to time, waiting until a horse is two is a good idea.  Retraining a horse that has learned bad habits or been mistreated is very difficult and requires a great deal of time and patience.  You also need to remember that such a horse can never be trusted completely.  Ideally, I prefer to work with a horse that has never been handled before, not even halter-trained to lead.  I believe that if a horse is allowed the first two years of life to run free and play, it will grow up into a much better horse.  It is also my experience that a horse should not be pushed too hard until it is at least three years old – giving the horse enough time for its heart muscles to develop fully.  If this is done, it has been my experience that a horse will live at least five to ten years longer.

            To start training, I simply put the horse that is to be trained in a pen.  Right from the first, make sure that you have the following things in the pen: halter, reins, saddle, saddle-blanket and lead rope.  This will help to make the horse being trained comfortable and make him familiar with these things.  The size and shape of the pen in not of any significance, as long as it is a secure pen – something that will not hurt the horse.  I then bring in my partner, who is saddled and wearing reins.  While training other horses, the horse I work with as a partner is named Duke.  He is a nine-year old stallion who stands fifteen hands high and weighs fourteen hundred pounds.  Once Duke and I are in the pen with the horse to be trained, I mount Duke from the left, the right and the back. The horse being trained observes our relationship.  The maxim “a picture is worth a thousand words” holds true for horses as well as people.  My next step is to once again mount Duke and push the horse being trained around the pen one way and then the other.  While doing this, from time to time I stop Duke with only a spoken word (Whoa).  Once again, the horse being trained observes this behavior.  At this point, I dismount Duke and pick up the halter that has been placed in plain view on the ground.  I now approach the horse being trained with the halter in plain view in my hands.  If the horse remains calm, I will start talking to it in a calm voice while trying to put the halter on.  However, if the horse backs away or becomes aggressive to me, Duke raises his voice and advances on the horse.  At this point, 98 times out of a hundred, the horse being trained will put its head down and start moving its lips in a gesture of submission towards Duke.  I again try to put the halter on, and I usually experience no problems at this point.  Of the two horses out of a hundred that still resist, Duke will start to get a little bit more aggressive.  He starts to advance on the horse being trained, paws the ground, and begins snorting in front of the other horse.  If this doesn’t work, Duke pins the other horse against the pen.  Only on one occasion have I seen Duke go as far as forcing another horse to the ground.  Please keep in mind that this level of aggression is rarely needed.  Moreover, I have never injured a horse while training it.  After Duke has restrained the other horse, I have no problem putting the halter on.  I also don’t have to worry about getting hurt while I am carrying out this training, since Duke lets the horse being trained know that I am in charge.

            Once the halter is on, I praise the horse, and give it a couple of pats on the neck.  Then I walk away from the horse being trained, exposing my back to it.  By walking away from the horse with your back exposed, you are telling the animal “I trust you”.  If you don’t show the horse being trained that you trust it, you will receive no trust back from the horse – making the training that much longer and more difficult.

            After praising and patting the horse, I walk away with my back exposed while talking in a calm and reassuring voice, stopping after five or six steps.  Then I turn slowly (no sudden moves) and continue talking while walking back to the horse.  I praise the horse in a gentle voice and pat it lightly once or twice on the neck (left hand side, about the middle).  I have no explanation for why I pat the horse on this spot, I just know that they seem to prefer it.  I repeat this procedure, walking away and returning, until the horse being trained is comfortable with the whole process.

            The next step involves attaching a lead rope to the horse.  While standing on the horse’s left side, I start to try and lead the horse.  Horses are like people, 95% of horses are right eye dominant.  If you’ve ever wondered why horses are always mounted from the left hand side, this is the reason.  They are simply more comfortable with it.  Personally, I always train a horse to be comfortable with being mounted from both sides.  Once the lead rope is in place, I say “stepping up, stepping up,” and try to walk a few steps with the horse.  If all goes well, I praise the horse and give it a couple of pats on its left hand side.  However, there may be a problem if the horse resists walking – this happens about 25% of the time.  You need to remember that you are much, much physically weaker than a horse – but the horse doesn’t know this and should never be taught this fact.  If a horse ever finds out that it is stronger than you it is a lesson you will come to regret.

            If the horse refuses to be led forward, simply remain calm and apply steady pressure.  Do not make any sudden moves, and do not anger the horse, as this will be of no use.  Move calmly in front of the horse so that you are staying face to face – always stay calm and deep talking.

            While still holding on to the lead rope, say in a calm voice “backing up, backing up,” while pushing gently on the lead rope in the direction that you want the horse to move.  In most cases, probably 9 out of 10, the horse will respond by baking up.  If the horse doesn’t respond, simply put a hand across the bridge of the horse’s nose, about 4 inches (10 centimeters) above the horse’s nostrils, and cup the hand around so that you are applying even pressure on both sides of the nose.  Now say “backing up, backing up,” with pressure on both the nose and the lead rope.  I have never seen this method fail.

            After the horse has taken six to eight steps, praise the animal and give it a couple of light pats on the side of the neck.  If you want to have a good working relationship with your horse, don’t pet the fur on the horse.  The horse interprets this as it being the dominant animal that is being groomed by a subordinate.  I have seen more good horses ruined by this than by anything else.  I am always telling people that if they need something to pet, they should get a cat!

            After backing up has been accomplished several times, we move to the stepping up part again.  Stand to the left of the horse’s head while applying steady pressure on the lead rope and giving the command “stepping up, stepping up.”   If all goes well, take five to ten paces forward and stop and praise the horse verbally while also giving it a couple of pats on the neck.  If however, there is a problem this is when I turn to my partner Duke for help.  I tie the lead rope as close to Duke’s saddle horn as possible.  I then stand to the left of Duke’s head and say “stepping up, stepping up,” and that is precisely what Duke does.  Duke is a very powerful horse, so I have never had a problem with another horse being able to resist.   I simply continue this procedure until the horse being trained no longer resists, all the time praising both Duke and the horse being trained.  Then I untie the horse’s lead from Duke’s saddle horn.  Only twice in my life have I found it necessary to repeat this procedure before the horse follows the lead without a problem.  I guess horses are just like people – you run across the occasional bonehead who is a slow learner.

            By this point, you should be able to lead the horse forward and backward without a problem.  Always use voice commands, and always give a reassuring pat when the horse performs well.  If your horse doesn’t have a name yet, simply say “good girl” or “good boy” – depending on the gender.  Never be in a rush to pick a name for the horse – the right name will come in time.  “Good girl” or “good boy” will do until you are sure of the name of the horse.  Don’t change a horse’s name, because that will only confuse the animal.  When picking a name, it has been my experience that single syllable names generally work best.

            Always remember that the command “whoa, whoa” must be given when you stop the horse.  Stop applying pressure on the lead rope and the horse’s nose when you say “whoa.”  The reason for repeating the command twice is to familiarize the horse with the sound of the command.

            Once the animal is more comfortable with the different commands, I start leading it around the pen under Duke’s watchful eye.  I start making turns to the left and right while praising the horse’s good behavior.  The turns become increasingly tight circles to both the left and the right.  On average, it takes about 30 minutes to train a horse to lead – although I did once spend and hour with a particularly stubborn horse.

            The biggest mistake people make with their horses comes when they underestimate their intelligence.  None of us would send our kids to schools to be trained by a monkey – so it’s important to respect the intelligence of your animal and pick a good trainer.

            Once you have established a good working relationship with the horse being trained, it is time to take that horse out of the pen and into an open area.  I do this with Duke on my left side and the horse being trained on my right side while I am facing forward.  If any problems arise, I simply tie the lead rope of the horse being trained to Duke’s saddle horn.  After a short time, the horse being trained becomes comfortable and I can lead it around on its own.  Duke is never far away if I need help, and is trained to come on my command.  He always stays close to me when he is wearing his saddle because he knows that he is on the job.

            Once the horse being trained is comfortable with being led around out in the open, I bring it (and Duke) back into the training pen.  For the next step, tie the horse being trained in the middle of the pen.  A simple ground screw can be used for this.  At this point, you are ready to put a saddle blanket on the horse.  There are usually no problems.  The saddle blanket, saddle, reins, head-stall halter and lead rope have all been placed in the pen from the start.  Nothing new is being introduced to the animal.

            While this training is going on, Duke and myself are working together as a team of trained, calm professionals.  If you think that the horse being trained cannot sense how you feel, you are wrong!  It has been my observation over the ears that no other animal can beat a horse when it comes to being able to read a human’s emotions.  Dogs may come close, but I still think they are a distant second.  When I hear people talk about “breaking” a horse, I feel queasy.  It is simply wrong to do anything that destroys such a noble animal’s spirit and trust.

            It’s important to remember that a horse is a herd animal.  When using the training methods I follow, the animal being trained recognizes that Duke is the dominant animal and is prepared to follow his lead.  The horse being trained quickly picks up on the fact that Duke is listening to and obeying my directions and treating me as the dominant member.  It naturally follows that the horse being worked with will take direction from me as well.  It is simply following the herd instinct.

            If, for any reason, the horse resists the saddle blanket, then Duke comes into play again.  Duke raises his voice and advances on the horse being trained.  I have never known this to fail in calming the other horse down.  Once the saddle blanket is on, I start leading he horse around the pen until I feel that is comfortable wearing the blanket.  Next, I put the saddle on.  I only cinch the saddle up tight enough to ensure that it will stay in place.  Always remember that as long as Duke and I stay calm, so does the horse that we are working with.  Once the saddle is on, I start leading the horse around the pen, talking to it all the time.  One cannot forget to give it positive reassurance and pat it on the neck from time to time.  When the horse becomes comfortable with the saddle, I tighten the cinch to its proper tension.  Once again, I start leading the horse around until it becomes comfortable with the saddle.

            The next step always surprises me as it seems to involve a large leap of faith for both the horse and the trainer.  I bring Duke directly in front of the horse being trained after tying that horse up in the middle of the pen.  I then mount Duke fifteen to twenty times from the left and the right, and even from the back.  The horse being trained is obviously taking this all in.  While I am getting on and off of Duke, I praise him, and pat his neck.  The next step involves getting on the back of the horse being trained.  After going through these steps, I have never experienced a horse bucking or had any problems.

            If a horse bucks you when you first start training it, I don’t think that you are doing your job right.  Whenever I mount and dismount a horse being trained, I always talk to the horse and praise it with pats on the neck.  I also make a point of mounting and dismounting the horse from both the left and right sides right from the start.  It usually takes from one-and-a-half to two hours to train a horse to reach this stage.  I usually stop at this point and give Duke and the horse being trained some oats to eat.  When I give the oats to the horses, I always do so in a special chute.  This is important because it allows the horse to feel comfortable with it.  It may be necessary to use this chute later on in the training process.  When the horses are finished their oats, I let the horse being trained loose.  This is enough for the first training session and allows you to end on a positive note.

            I usually take Duke for a ride for about an hour after such a session.  I can’t speak for Duke, but I always find it relaxing to go for a ride with Duke after the first lesson with a new horse.  It requires all of my attention, and all of Duke’s attention, during the first lesson – and this can be very physically and mentally draining.

            I can’t overemphasize how very important the first lesson is.  I know from past experience that if a horse is started wrong, it may take hundreds of hours to undo only a few hours of bad training.  The following reasons will help me to emphasize why I feel it is so important to start off right.  Please remember that the following statements are based on a lifetime of experience working with horses – as well as from generations of knowledge passed on by people with similar experience – but hey are still only my opinion.          

            A)  Horses have remarkable memories.

            B)  Once a horse learns that it can be in charge, it will always try to do so.

            C)  A well-trained horse should have a well-trained rider – this is important

D)  Once a horse has been abused by human hands, it is extremely difficult to work with – not impossible, but very difficult

E)  If a strong bond develops between horse and riser, that animal may become a one-person horse.  This can be a problem as horses have the capacity to be extremely possessive.  The horse that I work with (Duke) and I have such a bond.  This type of bond is very helpful when we work together training horses.  But there can be a down side because horses can not turn their emotions on and off the way a human can.  If another horse, a dog, or even a human becomes aggressive towards me, Duke feels that it is his job to intervene.  I always try to be very aware of this as it can be somewhat dangerous.  If you ever develop such a bond with a horse, you always need to be very aware of your surroundings and be extra careful that the horse doesn’t see other people or animals as a threat.

The next stage of training involves Duke, me, and an additional rider for the horse being trained.  The additional rider only requires moderate skill in training horses, but must know how to ride well.  The main prerequisite is the ability to take directions properly.  It is necessary for the three of us to work together as a team for the next six to seven hours.  It is also critical that this time is split up over 3 to 4 days – a lesson with an untrained horse should never exceed two hours a day.  If this lesson time is exceeded, the horse will retain little or nothing of the lesson.

            I have found that these training lessons can be carried out in a few days, or as much as two weeks apart, without any adverse affects being experienced.  This really helps to illustrate how good a horse’s memory is.  When I was much younger, I was repeatedly told that I shouldn’t exceed two –hour training lessons with horses.  But being young, I ignored this advice and attempted to work with the horse for several hours.  The horses I worked with always became confused and retained little of the lesson, I would never repeat this mistake now that I am older and have a lot more experience, and you will always get the best results if you bear this in mind.  Once the initial lessons are complete, the horse being trained will be capable of the following things:

            1)  Riding forward in a walk, lope or gallop

            2)  Backing up

            3)  Sidestepping left and right

            4)  Halter trained to lead        

            5)  Plough rein

            6)  Stop on command

            7)  Allow saddling with no problem

            8)  Not kick

            9)  Not bite

            10)  Lift feet on command and allow feet to be worked on

If further skills are required, then of course additional training is required.  Duke has had extensive “schooling” and is very intelligent.  It is almost unbelievable what a well trained horse is capable of.  I very much believe that a well-trained horse is capable of independent thinking.  If you have ever heard the expression “horse-sense”, you should realize people use this term for a reason – horses can be very intelligent.  Fortunately, a horse’s reaction time in an emergency is much faster than a human’s.  It is important to remember that a horse that has been beat into submission through a conventional breaking method will, in an emergency, think of it’s its’ own self-preservation first.  With the training method I use, a horse will think of its rider first.  Remember that if you have a horse that will put its safety on the line for you, you need to do your best never to put it in a dangerous situation.  Every time I think of the issue of horse and rider safety, I think of an old proverb that says “a horse that won’t climb up a hill is not a real horse.”

            I will now go on to explain how the next 6 to 7 hours of training should proceed.  Horses are as unique as people, and they learn at different speeds, in different ways, and for different reasons.  The second training session involves an additional person.  I prefer it to be the person who will be the horse’s companion or regular rider.  This is not absolutely mandatory, merely preferable, because it gives me a good opportunity to make sure that both horse and rider get started off in a good working relationship.  To start the next session, I place the horse being trained in a pen with Duke, the additional rider and myself.  I do a quick review of what was learned in the first session, and then I start to move on to new things.  The review usually takes about 10 to 20 minutes.  The additional rider mounts the horse being trained.  In addition to the rider, a set of reins are attached to a snug fitting halter.  The new rider must be very attentive as mistakes at this point will cause trouble down the road with the horse.  I have stopped training sessions and replaced assistants more than once.  One quite simply must understand how important the right message is to the horse being trained.  These training sessions are, after all, for the benefit of the horse being trained, not to spend time arguing with an assistant.  The horse is anxious to please you and listen to your directions, and if you send the horse mixed messages, you shouldn’t blame it if things go wrong.

            I start the new lesson by walking forward while holding on to the lead rope with the rider on the horse being trained.  As I walk forward, I am putting forward pressure on the lead rope, and saying, “stepping up, stepping up” to the horse being trained.  While I am doing this, the rider on the horse is saying the same command at the same time.  The rider is also holding the reins loose and applying slight pressure to the horse’s inside flanks with both feet extended back in the stirrups – just a gentle nudge.  If there is a problem at this point, I go to the backing up command first.  I have never experienced a problem with a horse responding to the backing up command.

            For backing up, I stand in front of the horse being trained pushing back with the lead rope with my hand on the bridge of the horse’s nose.  My assistant who is on the horse, pulls back on the reins, and we both say “backing up, backing up”.  Once the horse starts to do this, I stop and let the pressure off the nose and the lead rope, the rider lets the pressure off the reins, and we both say “whoa” together.  When the horse stops, both the rider, and myself praise the horse verbally and pat the side of the horse’s neck together.  Then we start on the forward movement again as we say “stepping up, stepping up” with no pressure on the reins.  I apply forward pressure on the lead rope while the rider applies moderate pressure with both feet on the horse’s rear flanks.  All of this is done at the same time.  If the horse being trained is still reluctant to move forward, I will grab hold of its tail and pull forward on the tail.  90% of horses will respond by this time.  If there is still a problem, remember that you shouldn’t lose your temper and resort to physical force.  If you do, someone may get hurt and the horse will realize how much stronger than you it really is – and this is not a good thing for the horse to know at this point in the training!  If the horse is still reluctant to move forward, then Duke comes into play again.  I tie the lead rope to Duke’s saddle horn and give the command “stepping up, stepping up” while the rider does the same.  The rider also applies slight pressure on the horse’s rear flanks.  The horse being trained may be a little reluctant at first, but this will soon be overcome.  After both horses have moved ahead six to eight steps, I and the rider both say “whoa” at the same time.  I praise and pat Duke, and the rider praises the horse being trained.  This procedure is repeated until the horse being trained is completely comfortable with it.

            When the horse is being stopped, the rider must always pull back on the reins when giving the command “whoa”.  The only exception is when backing up – and in these circumstances the pressure on the reins is loosened while saying “whoa”.

            After the horse being trained is comfortable moving ahead with only the rider and me, we move on to the next stage.  All the same steps are taken that were used in the moving ahead process, but now I start to initiate turns into the forward movement of the horse being trained.  While moving forward, I apply pressure to the right and left, depending on the direction in which I want the horse to turn.  At the same time, the rider pulls on the appropriate side with the rein on that side only.  Once a successful turn is completed, we both verbally praise the horse while only the rider pats the horse’s neck.  I continue moving with the horse turning both left and right until I feel the horse is comfortable with this movement and understands it.  After completing each turn, we both verbally praise the horse, but only the rider pats the horse on the neck.

            The next step in the training process involves letting the rider alone try to bring the horse ahead.  If the horse is reluctant, I step in front again for a short time and lead the horse.  If the horse is still unwilling to do this maneuver with the rider alone, I tie the lead rope to a special adapter on the back of Duke’s saddle.  This leaves me riding Duke and the other rider on the horse being trained.  We start out by giving synchronized commands and praises accordingly.

            Once I feel the horse being trained is ready, we start out on some trails with both horses.  It is important to remember that if there are too many distractions, this can become overwhelming to the horse being trained.  A quiet, secluded area is certainly preferable, if possible one that the horse is already comfortable with.  If this is not possible, simply try to keep things as relaxed as you possibly can.  Once the two horses are on the trail, stop and untie the lead rope and continue down the trail at a walk.  Do not advance the training until this is mastered, and until the horse is completely comfortable with starting and stopping on cue.  This is likely as far as you will advance on the second lesson, and it is once again time for oats and praise.  Once again, both horses should receive their oats in a special chute.  This will teach the horse being trained to be comfortable with this chute – and it is something that is required later in the training.  It is always important to finish your training on a positive note.

            Something that always causes me a lot of distress is watching people who have big problems when training their horse, and who then go on to reward the horse with oats or a treat when they are finished the training.  You need to remember that this only serves to reinforce your horse’s negative behavior.  When you reward negative behavior, it will inevitably escalate.

            We now come to the third training session.  Once again, the three of us will be required for this session: Duke, an additional rider and me.  This type of training makes it very easy for the horse being trained to understand, and of course that is very important.

            When I work with a horse that I want to be my partner in training, I do this alone.  It is a long, slow process that involves two hour sessions everyday for about four months.  This is a small investment in time when you consider that a good partner may help you train a thousand horses in its lifetime.  Personally, I don’t think that is possible to train a horse as a training partner for another person.  However, I do know that is very possible to teach another person to do the necessary training of a horse by themselves.  Of course, it may take quite some time.

            In the third training session, we once again do a ten to twenty minute review of what has already been learned by the horse.  Once again, I am on Duke and the other rider is on the horse being trained.  We start out riding together with Duke in front.  We begin starting and stopping at a walk only until I feel the horse being trained is comfortable.  Of course the rider on the horse being trained must continue with all the verbal and physical commands as well as the pats on the neck.  I do the same thing with Duke during these training sessions – mostly to offer positive reinforcement and a positive example for the horse being trained.

            The training now moves into a small meadow where the horse being trained falls in behind Duke.  We start to make turns, and as this is done without stopping, the rider puts a moderate amount of pressure on the reins of the side in which he wants to turn.  This is continued until the horse being trained is comfortable with the movement.  I now dismount Duke, and place him on one side of the meadow while I stand on the other side of the meadow.  With Duke, and me positioned this way, the horse being trained is more attentive.  It is now time for the horse being trained to move around the meadow on its own under the direction of its own rider.  If there is a problem at this point, I use a small sapling or stick about 8 to 10 feet it length.  I stand at the rear left side of the horse, and if the horse is reluctant to move I only touch the top of its rear flank lightly with the sapling.  I have never known this to fail.  Once the horse is moving on its own, the rider starts to incorporate turns into the session.  If at any time the sapling is required, it is used as sparingly as possible.  Once these movements are carried out with no reluctance or problems, we move on to the next step of the training.  We now teach the horse to side step.  Many trainers don’t feel that this skill is necessary in the basic training of a horse.  But I do not agree with them and think that knowing how to side step is essential for the safety of both horse and rider.  If you ever find yourself in a tight spot with little room to maneuver, you will know exactly what I mean.

            I remount Duke and we move to the centre of the meadow.  The rider on the horse being trained moves the other horse in front and facing us.  The horses should be about twenty feet apart and facing each other.  I now give Duke the command “stepping sideways, stepping sideways” and at the same time I tap Duke on the side with my foot in the stirrup.  This tapping is done on the opposite of the side I wish to move – I tap with my right foot if I want him to move left and with my left foot if I want him to move right.  As long as I want Duke to side step, I must continue tapping him on the side with my foot and lower leg.  After having gone about thirty feet, I stop Duke, and get him to start side stepping in the other direction.  I cross in front of the horse being trained, then continue another thirty feet past on the opposite side of the place I started from.  I continue crossing in front of the horse being trained with Duke side stepping approximately sixty feet back and forth.  I will do this maneuver about ten times.  Every time I stop to change direction, I verbally and physically praise Duke, giving him pats on the neck.  There are three words you must remember if you want to train a horse properly:  consistency, consistency, consistency.  A trainer must also have and even temperament, and be stern but not overbearing. 

            I now bring Duke to the outside edge of the meadow.  The rider now tries the stepping sideways maneuver alone on the horse being trained.  If the horse being trained responds well, you know you have a very smart and observant horse.  Such a horse is capable of being trained to do trick riding easily.  If the horse does not respond to this maneuver right away, don’t worry – only about one in ten horses do!

            If the horse being trained is initially unresponsive, I step up to its left side and place my left hand on the horse’s shoulder, and my right hand on its back flank.  Now the rider and I say “stepping sideways” in unison, and I push the horse sideways with my hand.  Of course the rider is tapping the horse’s side with his foot while this is being done.  This almost always works with little trouble.  It’s important to remember that 95% of horses are right eye dominant, so the horse will be more comfortable doing this maneuver to its right side first.  If there is still a problem, I mount Duke and bring him alongside the horse being trained.  At this point, I and the other rider, bring one leg over the saddle in a bent position.  This is done so that when Duke steps sideways against the horse being trained, no injury occurs to me or the other rider.  Once the horses are positioned, we give the command “stepping sideways, stepping sideways”.  It is no long possible for me to tap on Duke’s right side with my leg – however, this presents no problem as Duke knows what is expected of him.  This maneuver is repeated until the horse being trained, and the rider, are able to carry it out on their own.  After the horse being trained is comfortable with this movement we move on to the next step in the training process.

            The other rider stays in the saddle with the horse being trained in the centre of the meadow.  I bring Duke ten feet in front of the horse being trained and have him stand perpendicular to the other horse.  I dismount Duke and start lifting up his feet.  After each foot is lifted, I examine it for a time, then clean it with my fingers and set it down.  The command I use is “lift” and as I say this I tap the side of the leg that I want Duke to lift up.  After each foot has been examined I praise Duke verbally and pat him on the side of the neck.  This is done to instill positive reinforcement in both horses.  I now bring Duke nose to nose with the horse being trained.  The lead rope attached to the horse’s halter is fastened to Duke’s head.  The rider on the horse being trained dismounts at this point.  Using the same command as used on Duke, I now start lifting the feet of the horse being trained.  Once I have a hoof off the ground, I clean it with my hand, set it down, and then praise the horse.  If the horse being trained has a problem, it usually occurs when I try lifting the back feet.  When this happens, Duke raises his voice and paws the ground – this usually results in the problem being solved immediately.  You occasionally have the occasional bonehead, though, and I will explain how you can deal with them while still ensuring the safety of both horse and rider.

            If the horse being trained realizes that it is stronger than you, it will never forget this and you will always have problems.  For horses that do give attitude, I use a very old and safe method that is safe for both horse and trainer.  For this method, it is necessary to build a small, three-sided chute that has planks or rails on both sides.  This chute consists of a front that is four feet high and three feet wide.  Attached to the front are two sides that are perpendicular to the front and parallel to each other.  The sides are four feet high where they attach to the front of the chute – and rise two more feet in height from the front to the back.  The width inside the chute is also three feet from front to back.  The inside of the chute is lined with lumber with little or no space between the planks.  On the top of the sides you have a ten foot long rail or a four by four.  This will extend past the open end of the chute about five-and-a-half feet on both sides.  The protruding ends of these rails or four-by-fours will be about eight feet off the ground.  A brace is placed about two feet down from the protruding end, and a brace is also placed across from rail to rail.  Tying them together helps to increase both the strength and stability.  This structure may seem a little elaborate, but believe me it is absolutely necessary when it comes to training the odd stubborn horse.  Always remember that a horse’s hind legs are very powerful and many injuries have occurred when trainers forget this fact.  I cannot emphasize too strongly how important this chute is when it comes to the proper and safe training of horses.

            Once point I should mention again is that this chute needs to be introduced to the horse being trained right from the start.  After both the first and second lesson, oats were placed in the chute for the horse being trained.  There is also a trough on the back side of the chute where Duke is given oats at the same time that the horse inside the chute is being fed.  It is important to make sure that the horse being trained is comfortable with the chute if it ever becomes necessary to use it.

            When it is necessary to use the chute, lead the horse being trained into the chute and tie the lead rein to the front of the chute.  Duke is placed on the back side of the chute.  Duke will remain in this position as long as the horse being trained is in the chute.  Duke’s staying in this position helps to have a reassuring effect on the horse being trained.  I should also mention that the back ends of the chute should be padded and covered with carpet.  This is done to ensure that no injuries occur when the chute is being used.

            I have a special shackle made specifically for this job.  It is partially covered with sheep skin and has a metal spine with a fastening loop in the centre.  When laid out flat the dimensions are 8” x 2’ and there is a 1” wide slot cut in the leather material that it is made from.  This slot starts in the opposite end of the spine and loop, and is 16” long in the centre.  The fist 12” of this shackle strap coming from the side with the metal splint and loop is lined with sheepskin.  Velcro fastening is placed on the remaining 12” of the shackle strap.  Velcro lining is also placed on the opposite side of the shackle strap as needed.

            With the horse secure in the special chute, I place the shackle strap on its rear cannon bone.  The shackle strap is adjustable, and it will fit both the front and back legs of all horses.  I have never experienced any problems putting this shackle strap on any horses.  Once the shackle is in place, I wait five minutes for the horse to become used to it.  The longest I have had to wait for a horse to stop trying to kick off the shackle was ten minutes.  After five minutes (or after the horse has calmed down) I attach a rope with a special quick release to the metal loop on the shackle strap.  The rope is attached to a pulley on the end of the overhead protruding beam on the same side as the shackle.  This pulley has a rubber stopper that allows the rope to be tightened, but it can only be released by pulling a lever.  The type of rope used is important – it should be a hemp rope that is ¾ inch thick.  Many people refer to this type of rope as soft rope – indeed, that is why it is used.  A nylon rope is stronger and more durable, but it will also cut into a horse’s hide if something goes wrong.

            Besides Duke and myself, the additional rider is also a very important participant a this time.  I attach the rope to the shackle, and the additional rider pulls up on the rope as I lift the foot – constantly pulling up any slack on the rope.  If there is no problem, I clean the back hoof, set it down, praise the horse and remove the shackle strap.  This procedure is now repeated on the other hind leg.

            If there is a problem, however, and if the horse kicks out or fights as the slack on the rope is taken up, I simply leave the back leg elevated and speak to the horse in a calm and reassuring tone of voice until it has calmed down.  The horse will usually stop fighting and calm down within five minutes.  I have never seen it take more than ten minutes – even with a stubborn horse.  You must stay calm all this time, and constantly talk in order to reassure the horse being trained.

            Once the horse is calm, and at ease with having its legs lifted, take it out of the chute and into an open area.  Have the additional rider hold the horse being trained by its lead rope.  Duke is brought along as well, and he is also held by the additional rider and positioned so that he is facing the horse being trained.  I now go around Duke, tapping him on the outside of his legs about 3’ off the ground while saying “lift” at the same time.  Once again, consistency, calmness and positive reinforcement are of the utmost importance when training a horse.  I now move from Duke to the horse being trained and repeat the same commands.  If there are any problems, we go back to the chute and repeat the earlier lessons for as long as it takes until the horse is comfortable when lifting its leg.  I have only had a couple of occasions where I needed to take horses to the chute more than once.  When the horse is comfortable with lifting its leg, it is taken to the chute and given a generous amount of oats in the chute.  Duke is also given oats at the other side of the chute.  We have now come to the end of the third training lesson, and only one more lesson in basic training remains.

            Once again, let me express how important it is to start your horse with the proper training and the proper trainer.  You should judge a trainer by the horses they have trained.  Unfortunately, for an inexperienced owner, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between a horse that has been trained with the gentle method and one that has been trained using a more aggressive method.  Believe me, there is a great deal of difference in the horse’s demeanor and temperament.  The biggest difference lies in the fact that the horse’s spirit has not been broken – and I believe this is the most important consideration.  Ask yourself this question:  would you like someone else to break your spirit and physically force you into submission?  I think not – neither does your horse.

            We now come to the fourth and final lesson in the basic training of a horse.  A fifth lesson is occasionally required, but this is rarely needed.  During the fourth lesson, Duke, the additional rider and myself once again work together.  I saddle Duke, and together we put the horse being trained into the same pen that was used at the start.  All of the necessary equipment needed for training the horse is left in the pen.  This time the additional rider puts the halter, reins, saddle blanket, saddle and lead rope on the horse being trained, while Duke and I wait outside of the pen.  If there is a problem, Duke is brought into the pen while I remain outside.  If the horse being trained still does not let the additional rider put the equipment on, Duke will step in without any command from me.  This reinforces the fact that the horse being trained must listen to humans.  Duke will use whatever level of persuasion is necessary.  After this, I have never seen a horse that wouldn’t allow the rider to put equipment on it.  When the horse being trained is saddled and ready to go, the rider puts it through its paces.  While this is being done, I watch the proceedings from Duke’s back and stay out of the way unless I am needed.  After the horse being trained has been put through all the paces, we are ready for the next step.  Duke and I ride down a trail at a walk with the horse and rider behind us.  Now I take Duke into a lope, and the horse and rider behind me follow suit and also go into a lope.  This is partly because of the herd instinct, but the command “stepping up, stepping up” is also used at the same time and the rider’s heels are pushed back into the horses rear flanks.  If the horse being trained starts to go too fast, the command “easy, easy” is used and moderate pressure is applied to the reins.  If any problem arises with the horse being trained, its lead rope is tied to the back of Duke’s saddle.  We will continue until the horse being trained is comfortable with this new pace.  I have mentioned earlier that the additional rider must have moderate skill (what I consider moderate others may consider excellent).  If the other rider is not capable of moving in synchronization with the horse (not bouncing up and down in the saddle when the horse is loping) then I will ride their horse and have them ride Duke.  Duke doesn’t enjoy having an unskilled rider on his back, but his training is good enough that he is willing to tolerate it for a short time.  A rider bouncing up and down on the horse is a little bit like somebody punching you in both kidneys at every step.  Of course the horse being trained will not respond well unless the rider is moving properly with his horse.

            Once this quicker pace has been mastered by the horse being trained, it is time to go into the meadow and start doing turns at this pace.  It is important to start off with large, sweeping turns as the horse being trained will require time and practice to learn the timing and balance of a rider.  Always remember to praise the horse and pat its neck after a turn.  If the horse being trained is reluctant to do these turns at a lope, I attach the lead rope to the back of Duke’s saddle.  With Duke in front, these turns are made both left and right until a degree of comfort is reached with the horse being trained.  After the horse and rider can do these turns on their own, we move on to the gallop.

            Initially, I only work with three gaits; walk, lope, and gallop.  For most people, this is enough, but some may wish for additional training.

            For the gallop, we move back into one of the trails used previously in the training.  The horse being trained and the additional rider are behind Duke, and me.  We start out with a walk, then give the command “stepping up, stepping up” and go into a lope.  At the same time we push our heels into the horses rear flanks while praising them and patting their necks as they complete this movement.  After several hundred yards of loping, I now bring Duke up to a gallop.  The same command (stepping up, stepping up) is used, and the heels are applied to the rear flanks.  With Duke, the change from a lope to a gallop is very smooth.  The horse being trained typically makes the same change right behind Duke with no problems.

            If there is reluctance on the part of the horse being trained to respond to this change of pace, then the lead rope is tied to the back of Duke’s saddle.  Riding together and giving the appropriate commands, we start out at a walk, go into a lope, then back into a walk.  The command for the walk is “easy, easy” and moderate pressure on the reins.  We don’t want the horses to stop, only slow down their pace.  I will go into a gallop from a lope only after the horse being trained has mastered the slowing down command.   Remember that you do not use the word “whoa” when you want the horse to slow down, only when you want the horse to stop.  The words “easy, easy” are used to slow down the horse’s gait.

            Something that I may have neglected to mention before is the fact that there is a ¼” rope attached to a quick release on the lead rope from the halter to the saddle horn.  This rope allows for easy and quick release in the event of any problem – better safe than sorry.

            Back again to the training - With the horse tied behind Duke’s saddle, I go from a walk to a lope to a gallop, all the while using the proper commands.  This is continued while both increasing and decreasing the horse’s gait until the horse being trained is capable of doing it on its own.  The command “easy, easy” for slowing a horse’s gait is one of the quickest learned.

            We now move into a large open field for the next stage of training to teach the horse being trained to turn at a gallop.  The rider practices large sweeping turns at a gallop, turning both left and right.  The command for the turn does not change, regardless of the horse’s gait.  If there is a problem, the lead rope is once again tied to Duke’s saddle and the turns at a gallop are practiced behind Duke until the horse being trained is capable of doing these turns on its own.

            One must be very careful not to make sharp turns – remember that having a rider on its back is a very new experience to the horse being trained.  A fall at this speed would be very dangerous to both the horse and the rider, and such a fall would also require many, many hours of additional training to ensure that the horse is comfortable with this movement again.  I learned this first-hand when this happened to an overly-aggressive assistant.  I had to spend almost 20 hours working with this particular horse myself before it was comfortable with this move again.

            If you are buying a horse for the first time, or if you are an inexperienced rider, it is in your best interests to obtain an older, well-trained horse that is about 10 years old or older.  If you choose to acquire a newly trained horse, please learn how to ride properly first.  I have met people who have ridden for 5, 10 or even 15 years who eventually ended up coming for riding lessons because they never learned how to move properly with the horse.  Please take your horse into consideration – you can’t expect the horse to move will if you are not moving in synchronization to the horse’s movements.

            The following acronym may help you to understand what I feel the relationship between horses and humans should be like: F.A.R.T. – Fear, Attention, Respect, and Trust.

Fear – There should always be a small degree of fear between both horses and humans, but after a time this fear will become insignificant.  It takes time for this fear to dissipate, time for both the horse and the rider.

Attention – Your horse cannot speak to you, but if you pay attention to your horse, you will soon learn its body language.  Once you have learned to understand a horse’s body language, you will respect all the information the horse is giving you.  If your horse becomes inattentive towards you, stop whatever you are doing with the horse and make sure that it is listening to you.  I always tell people that you need to ask yourself if you are taking the horse for a ride, or if the horse is taking you for a ride.  Remember that if both the horse and rider are paying attention to each other, accidents are rare.

Respect - Mutual respect cannot be overemphasized.  If this exists between horse and rider, there is very little chance of injury happening to either one.

Trust – In time, the trust between a horse and rider will become almost unbelievable.  People who break horses in a conventional way will never experience this bond.  Some may ask how important this level of trust between a horse and rider is anyway.  The following scenarios may help to explain why I feel this level of trust is so important.

            Once, when in a large grazing area that I believed to be vacant of stock, I stopped for lunch.  I lit a small fire to cook some hot dogs, and turned Duke loose to graze nearby.  Fortunately, he never wanders far away when he has his saddle on.  I heard quite a commotion while bent over the fire and cooking my lunch, and when I looked up, I saw a large bull coming at me from about sixty yards away.  I had no cover to run to, and I knew that I had made a big mistake.  Luckily for me, Duke cut across the charging bull’s path within seconds – totally on his own without any command given from me.  There was a short stand-off between Duke and the bull, after which the bull trotted off.  Duke simply went back to grazing nearby after this life-saving intervention.  I quickly put out the fire, ate my lunch, and left the area as quickly as possible.  You can bet that Duke got extra oats that night.

            On another occasion, I was working with a horse in a corral and I didn’t have the gate closed properly, so the horse got away on me.  I was putting on a demonstration for three people at the time – so talk about having egg on my face.  Fortunately, Duke was about 150 yards away at the time, without wearing a halter, saddle or anything.  When the horse being trained go out of the corral, I and the other three people chased after it and tried to get it back in the corral, but without any luck.  Almost instantly, Duke realized what I was trying to do, and with no command at all he was working with us, herding the other horse back into the pen.  Within a few minutes the horse was back in the pen, and I had the gate closed properly this time.  The three people with me were all amazed, and they commented that Duke was the best trained horse that they had ever seen.  The only thing is, I never trained Duke to do this particular task, I was just as surprised as them.

            Once again I must emphasize that the trust between a horse and rider is something that can never exist when a horse’s spirit has been broken.  I very much believe in training a horse as opposed to breaking a horse.  Just think about what a shame it would be to never experience this level of trust between you and your horse.  Please take this into consideration before you decide whether you want to have a horse trained to ride or broken to ride.