In this clinic clip Jim talks about something a little different; ENERGY! Okay, okay - as Jim says, he's not all out there with the Chakras and balancing BUT there is something to this whole thing about energy that we share with horses AND the power that horses have to shape our own energy! So, enjoy this little bonus clip and if you have a great story of the power of the energy and relationship with the horse please post below in the comments!
It's important to keep your horse out of your space and in his proper position when doing anything from the ground, even leading him around. Here's why.
Does your horse like to act like a slinky when riding with a group on the trail (dragging up the tail, falling behind, then trotting to catch up) or do you have a "I gotta get there first and the lead the pack" horse? Either way, it can be a bother when you want to have a nice, relaxing ride with a group of friends. In this clinic clip, Jim touches on what to do in either situation.
Do you have a Spooky Sally? In this video, Jim works with a horse who has spooking issues under saddle.
Sometimes, horses will display aggression toward other horses when under saddle. In this clinic clip video, Jim has riders do an exercise to work through that aggression.
Riders often come to me for advice because they’re having a hard time getting their horse’s mind and body soft and willing when they go to work in the arena. I always respond with the same question— “How do you go about your lesson with your horse?” Their response always seems to be the same. “I catch my horse, lead him to the barn, put him in cross-ties, groom and saddle, lead him to arena, get on and hit the rail for our warm-up.” Usually, they go on to say that the horse starts pushing through all directions once they
When working with horses we often hear, “You just need to show him who’s boss,” or “I hope you didn’t let him get away with that.” Do these phrases sound familiar? As I continue on my own horsemanship journey, I find myself wondering what I was thinking in the past when I would sometimes scold a horse. Did the punishment meet the crime? Was it really a crime? Was it a behavior I or someone had taught the horse? Was he just escaping a fear? All these are valid points in decisions we must make, split-second, to continue the positive
For years, I worked and rode my horses feeling very proud of the fact that my horses had the softest feel in the pole and face. Yet, I never understood that true softness travels through the face, pole, neck, withers, shoulders, fore legs, barrel, flank, hips and all the way down to the hind feet and tail. Where did this idea of softness start? Ask many folks and I’m sure we will get a multitude of answers, but I really think it starts in the brain. And with that, we strive for willingness from the horse. Alternatively, I think we
As I spend my days working with horses, here and on the road, I sometimes find myself wondering If everyone understands the purpose of groundwork the same way I do. Notice, I did say “understand as I do” opposed to what is correct or incorrect. I’ve been involved with horses over 50 years and had times that I never did ground work, even in starting colts, to the other extreme of doing groundwork until the horse shut down from boredom or intolerance. I imagine we all can relate either from our own actions or observations of others. So, if
Unless you have a lazy horse, you probably had to put a good deal of effort into developing a good stop on your equine. If he stops, that is…! What I often see in clinics and lessons are riders that allow their horses to take their time stopping…it might take them a quarter of the arena before they get their horses stopped. Dribbling is for basketball—not riding! With that being said lets take a look at what happens with the horse when we ask for the stop. From the horse's perspective, we too often pick up aggressively when we ask for
