Many people know that when we are working with a horse that we look for the "lick and the chew" but what does it actually mean? Jim clarifies what it actually means when a horse licks or chews after an exercise. Watch the video to learn the real meaning of licking and chewing.
In this video, Jim displays a whole hour of trailer training in 6 minutes. Jim will also talk about tying in the trailer and why he trailer trains the way that he does at the end of the video. Enjoy!
What does the hierarchy of anxiety look like for the horse? What's the optimal state of cognitive arousal to work with your horse? What happens if you reach the apex? Thanks to the authors of Evidence-Based Horsemanship for this information! *I apologize for the quality of the video. This was during a live stream at a training.*
In this third, and final installment, of our three-part Safe Space training with Jim Thomas and Dr. Steve Peters you will get to see the work being done with Mason to help him feel safe. This is paramount to being able to move to any of the next steps in Mason's training. Though this is a longer video, it has a lot of good action and all three of these videos have been segmented from about an hour of Q&A and 30 minutes of round pen work with Mason. That is important to know because as we say at The
In this second video in our three-part series on helping horses find and transfer their safe place, Jim Thomas and Dr. Steve Peters take the conversation a step further and discuss the importance of teaching horses to deregulate on their own and move their safe space from one place to the other. We will be posting the last of this three-part series tomorrow. Tune in for more with Mason the horse, Jim's perspective and insight from Dr. Peters. Make sure to check out part 1 and stay tuned for part 3! (Each video has information independently useful too!)
Have you ever "distracted” your horse to get a task done? Though it may seem like a good idea, Jim talks about how distraction is the same as sedation and the positive effect that you can have keeping your horse present and cognizant and in a learning mindset. Check out the video now to learn more and hear about a horse who doesn't want to " give its feet up" and how Jim suggests working with the horse.
Jim demonstrates the need to be mindful about how we ask our horse to turn with proper hands and by lifting UP not OUT with the reins. This is a great video to watch and then go out practice!
In this video Jim Thomas demonstrates and discusses the purpose and effectiveness of a "3 foot lunge" with a beautiful Friesian stallion. The horse does not need to make you a "june bug on a string" and lunging should NEVER be for the intention to "wear a horse out". Instead, find out more about the HOW and WHY Jim uses a rope and does small three foot circles to gain the brain of the horse and start working.
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
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
