manners

all good horses must have decent ground manners, and should be willing to be directed in a controlled manner. it is wonderful for horses to be able to do all of the grand prix movements or spins and sliding stops, but they also need to load well in a trailer without being difficult. this applies to stallions too. a stallion that is being used to cover mares or is going to be used to cover a mare s...hould learn to mind his handler until the handler gives the green light to mount the mare. mare with babies at their sides should be willing to stand tied and patient if their offspring suddenly go out of sight, while some mares naturally don't care, others must me trained to stay calmer than they normally would. babies will need to learn to be caught in an open field, to be groomed, clipped, bathed, and have their feet trimmed without resistance. all riding horses must know to stand still until they are given the command to move out. a horse that pulls away while tied will need to learn to stop this vice before training him under saddle. no time in basic work is a waste of time, ever. the best time to start teaching our horses good manners are from the first day we, get our hands on them. we must be careful though not to punish the horse if he does not understand and to punish immediately if the horse presents deliberate insubordination. to do this we need to be able to understand exactly the difference between the one and the other, otherwise we will unjustly punish and this kind of punishment can very easily turn to abuse, due to lack of knowledge. a horse that is regularly turned out to play must be willing to have his halter taken off and put on, in an open field. if a horse runs away from the rider or handler in the field, because he is being worked hard every time he is caught, the handler must not chase the horse or rope him but rather bribe him with a handful of grain and given another treat immediately after work, or ignore the work all together and just bring him in to brush and groom him while he enjoys a good portion of grain or oats, then he must be put out again. manners friends, are for all of us and all our horses regardless of our sport, breed or experience. if you need help with your horses and would like to set up a clinic feel free to give me a call.