Clinic Clips: Motivating Energy
It's no secret that horses perceive energy differently than we do. In this short video, Jim talks about how to use energy to motivate your horse.
It's no secret that horses perceive energy differently than we do. In this short video, Jim talks about how to use energy to motivate your horse.
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.
We might be eager to go somewhere with our horse, but our horse isn't always eager to hop in the trailer. Here, Jim walks you step-by-step through his trailer loading process with a hesitant horse.
Want to head out to Montana with Bar T Horsemanship? Here's your chance! We're partnering with Montana Mountain West Outfitters to offer an all-inclusive pack trip on horseback through the backcountry of Northwest Montana. Specifically, the West Kootenai National Forest, west of Eureka, MT. This includes lodging, food, horse rental, etc.— everything except your airfare and your "Free Day" activities. You'd fly into Kalispell (FCA). There will be four nights in cabins at the lodge and three nights in tents in the back country. Here’s the itinerary: Day 1: Arrive (meals and board and at RiverStone Family Lodge) Day 2: Pack
“It’s all about helping a horse shape up to a feel. And when I say shape up, it’s from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. It’s not about just turning the head in or the shoulder in, it’s about the whole body picking up that shape.” In this video lesson, Jim continues his work with training horse Sandy, an 8-year-old quarter horse who was started under saddle a few years ago but ridden very inconsistently since. He runs through a few little evaluation exercises before swinging a leg over the saddle.
In this video lesson, Jim works with a horse who is having a difficult time accepting the rear cinch during a lunging exercise. "Closeness just gives us the ability to have a better conversation with our horse. Distance and feel in the lead line is like distance when trying to talk to somebody across the room or the arena. The closer I can get that person to me, the better they understand what I’m saying. The closer I can keep this horse to me on this lead line, the better she can understand the feel of what I’m offering up
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