Behind-the-scenes view of how we train our horses when we’re out hacking and dealing with real-world scenarios.
All of our training is done using positive reinforcement, or clicker training. We aim to keep the horses feeling good and enjoying the things we do with them. Both horse and human need to happy about the exercise in order to have a positive experience together.
Sometimes that means that we take things slowly to build the rider’s confidence or skill and sometimes we change plans to work at the right place for the horse. This builds the best connection ever and means that your time with your horse is always fun for both of you!
We took India and Heather to a woodland with some xc fences in it. My plan had been to jump India over XC fences for the first time but, for some reason, she was quite anxious and spooky when we unloaded. I walked with her for a while to help her settle – walking together, targeting spooky objects and exploring from the ground, is a great way to connect with your horse and help them to calm down in a new or challenging environment.
Later on, I was able to mount and we found some tiny logs to introduce the horses to cross-country jumps. Heather isn’t really up for jumping yet, so Rachel worked on some confidence and body-awareness building exercises over the logs. India did really well jumping logs for the first time.
➣ If you’d like to find out more about my horse training approach and learn how to train your horse this way, please check out the Connection Training Club. The CT Club is an online membership site where you can get access to hundreds of step-by-step training videos on training your horse using positive reinforcement. You can learn and see exactly how I train my horses and how to train yours using rewards, from starting off with a fantastic foundation to effective and practical techniques for despooking, loading, riding and more. You can find out more and sign up here.We look forward to seeing you there 🙂
➤ You can also find out more in the #1 bestselling Connection Training BOOK 📖 Get it on Amazon (search for ‘Connection Training’) or download Chapter 1 free here for a preview 👀
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