Hi Dale. Your training videos have been so helpful! I use your groundwork methods on my 2 year old QH gelding and he’s just getting better and better! Thank you!
Love the video, Dale, thanks! I've been doing a lot of this stuff just kind of instinctively. One thing I noticed is that your horse stays in the same position whether you have her walking or trotting. My horse tends to get past me when I run with him trotting next to me but he's a big boy. I'll try holding my near hand a little lower like I noticed you do. He's a good boy and he crowds me I just push gently with the near hand and he gives me more space pretty readily.
Hi Rick; Glad you like the video. Sounds like you're doing good things with your horse. Sometimes after a horse kind of knows what to do, but wants to get ahead of me, I might slow down or even stop rather abruptly, give him a chance to respond to my body position, and if he doesn't- I'll back him off with firmer than usual bumps on the halter. I might even back him up a few steps with the harder bumps, then let him think about it for a few seconds and try again. Remember too; if we want our horses to lead strictly off our body position, we must always lead them on a slack lead-rope. (except when you tug on it) Sometimes that's a little harder for people to do at first when going faster. Thanks for your comments, and continued success with your horse.
Hi Dave, just came across your channel. I live in England, where ground work is not a practice many leisure riders are of or have any knowledge off. I have read quite a bit about it and do practice it on a horse I loan and find it has many benefits in giving the horse confidence and making him more relaxed. Really enjoyed your videos and informative explanations. You mentioned in one of your videos when starting to do work with a young horse about three year old , that's best if they are not fresh. So if it's winter time and they are not being turned out, what would you suggest. Is it best to wait for the time of year when they are turned out. It would be good if you ever get an opportunity to do a few videos on a young horse that has no ground work done to it , showing the order you do thing with sensitising and desensitising. Once again, thanks for all the time and effort you put into these training videos, you are helping a lot of people and horses out there. Abdul
Thanks Abdul for the kind words; am glad you're enjoying our videos. As for working a young horse that's overly fresh, I like to put then in a round pen without a halter or longe line on them and encourage them to run around the pen both right and left until they've gotten some of the silliness out of them and get in a more learning frame of mind. We're planning to do a video soon- showing how I halter break a young horse. Although the colt has already had some work done with him, I will explain the steps I take to get him halter broke. Hope it's helpful.............Dale
Hi Dale. Thanks so much for your videos. I grew up with horses, was never "trained" to ride them, just did it. After 20 years of not having horses, I am getting back in the game but realized I needed more training, and your videos are awesome (have been working with a 20 year old paint that has never been ridden- thanks to you, she's done great and I got her in a saddle with zero fuss, haven't gotten on yet). We were also given a great Quarter horse that knows more than I do. In perusing various horse sites, I find many terms I am not familiar with. (such as sacking out, surcingle, and bitted up to name a few.). I have no desire to be a fancy rider, but my kids are starting 4H and I want to know more. Do you have any book suggestions or other resources that you find down-to-earth and helpful?
+Hailey H2Ozen Hi Hailey- You're welcome; we're glad our videos have helped you. After looking over my bookshelf, I would recommend 'Western Training' by Jack Brainard. It is published by Western Horseman magazine. While we all do some things differently, this book is pretty straight forward and easy to understand with a good underlying philosophy. Western Horseman magazine also publishes many other books that you might find interesting and helpful. Keep up the good work and welcome back to the wonderful world of horses!
Hi, Dale! So glad to have found your channel. Exactly what I was looking for. You make it easy to hear and understand, and I LOVE your gentle, easy engagement with the horses. I have not yet seen a dressage whip used in the round pen / doing ground work; is it just easier because of the length? I have a lunge whip on order but am wondering if the dressage whip would be a good investment? Thanks from Andrea in Missouri!
Hi Andrea; glad you like our videos! A lunge whip is real good to have for lungeing, but is pretty limited beyond that. If you're working close to a horse on the ground it would just be too long and unwieldy. I carry a dressage whip in my back pocket most of the time. It's real useful for both groundwork and mounted work. Definately a good investment.
Hi Dale, many thanks for your video's! I'm learning a lot, while I am training my young paint horse. I tried these exercises, but my horse does not react to the whip ( he stays walking behind me). Do you have advice to learn this?
You'll just have to tap a little harder, and if he doesn't respond, tap harder still, increasing the force you use until you get some response. Then reward the horse with a few moments rest and repeat. Be sure you're not in a position where you can be kicked until you see how he responds. (thanks for watching our videos!)
Great video Dale- you're awesome! Just a question: do you have any tips for leading a horse that tries to run forward or into you? I'm trying to break in a 5 year old and she has bad days where she tries to trot off, walk faster and faster or barge into me on the lead rope and I'd like to know the proper way to correct this. Thanks :)
technogandhi Hi techno- Thanks for the compliment and for the question. It's always difficult to give advice without actually seeing what the problem is. For instance, I don't know how easily the horse gets upset, how much experience you have, etc. I sure don't want to give you advice that might get you in trouble. I can tell you what I would do if I had a horse acting as you describe it. The horse has to learn that it's rude to rush past us or barge into us, and we have to let them know that we expect the same from them. Not only that, but we are the leader in the horse/human relationship and if we don't establish that role the horse will gladly assume the leadership position himself. I would start out by taking a few steps and ask the horse to stop. If she tries to rush past you, I would immediately tell her 'whoa' and start bumping her on the nose with the halter. (I would use a good rope halter as the nose pressure will be more localized than with a flat nylon web type halter. Start with light bumps and keep increasing the strength of the bumps until she pays attention and stops. After every bump repeat the word 'whoa'. Once she gets the idea, you can even stop her and back her up a couple of steps in the same manner. This should over a few lessons get her to start paying attention and back off a little. When she barges into you, I would use a combination of the bumps on the nose to stop her, and then I woulld bump her in the shoulder-chest area with my elbow. Again increasing the force with each bump untilo she moves her front end away from you and backs up a little. You can also use your hands on her head/halter to help push her over away from you. As she gets better, you can walk her increasingly farther between stops. Always try to put slack back in the lead-rope in between bumps, even if you have to immediately bump her again. The slack in the line is the reward for the horse, so do your best not to hang on to the lead-rope with constant tension on it. I hope this is of some help to you. If things don't improve, or start to go downhill for you, you might consider getting assistance from a reputable local horse trainer. Wishing you the best; Dale
Hi Dale, thanks a lot for your answer :) I have been using a nylon halter so far so I will go and buy a rope halter. She is generally good and halts and walks on command now, it's just sometimes that she tries to run off, especially when she is looking forward to getting back to the paddock. Will try your advice, thanks again :)
Hi Dale! I have a question, if you have a yearling you halter broke and are now starting these lessons with, you just add pressure until they start to trot if they wont pick up the pace? For an older horse you would just use the same idea? :) If that makes sense lol
Hi Dale, I followed the methods for this video today on my Standardbred mare who's approximately 20 years old and it seems to be working well! I am noticing though that she falls behind a bit and ends up walking more behind than beside me. Is there a way to encourage her to walk up beside me? Also, when I ask her to stop, I use a verbal cue, lift a hand and turn to face her. She stops on a dime so this is good, but she immediately wants to drop her head to graze and loses focus. Is there a way to correct this and keep her focused on the lesson and on me? Thanks in advance!
Hi Meg- I think if you watch the video again you'll find the answers to your first question. We have to get our horses to be responsive when we cluck to them and we reinforce that with taps from our dressage whip. When your mare tries to drop her head, I would bump upward on your leadrope and then give her slack. Every time she drops her head again, bump her again. Thanks for your questions and hope this helps.
hi, im just wondering if i can still use your training techniques if the horse leads behind you, my horse already leads behind me and i dont know if i should now change to this method
Hi Sim, no need to change the way your horse leads. Probably most horses lead this way. As long as he's not dragging on the lead rope I don't see any reason to change.
I've started doing this with my 2 yr. old colt, he has been very good but I find when I do apply pressure he swings his head over as if to bite but doesn't or hasn't yet. What is the best way to correct this behavior? I have heard to hold a nail between my fingers and when he swings around let him run into it, that way he is doing it himself and i am not raising a hand to him.
Well Melinda, the nail might work but I sure wouldn't advise it. You don't want to be poking holes in your 2 yr. old! What I would do when he acts like he wants to bite you, is try to meet him halfway with your elbow or heel of your hand- right on his muzzle. Give him a firm tap at first and if he tries again, rap him a little harder. He might get a little head-shy for a while, but if you're fair with him and keep your emotions under control, he should get over that after a while.
not that it matters; If i wasn't looking at you while you spoke I would guess that you were a Mexican who learned how to speak good English. How do you have that accent?
Hi Cesar; didn't know that! I guess since I've lived in a south Texas town that is 95% Hispanic since 1990, I just picked it up. Still don't know much Spanish though! Also, my wife is Hispanic.
