Training Through Understanding with Jim Thomas and Bar T Horsemanship
Meet Jim Thomas and learn more about what it means when he says "Training Through Understanding".
Meet Jim Thomas and learn more about what it means when he says "Training Through Understanding".
Jim takes a moment to discuss what "True Feel" means. This is a great message from Jim and relates to equestrians of all stages and disciplines. Watch the video below to hear from Jim!
“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