12/12/2010 - Our Blogs are currently being posted at http://codymcarthur.wordpress.com/home/
| 10/21/2010 - Heated Buckets and Wormer! No not warmer... I said WORMER!
Dig out the hatchet, the cold weather is comin! It won't be long and we will be breaking ice for all of our critters to catch a quick gulp before that bucket freezes up again. What a pain, I remember one time last winter when by the time I had got my bucket free of ice my eye lashes and nose hairs were frozen solid..... We call this fun?? Anyhow you know the story! Break the ice and hope you didn't crack the bucket..... right! You fill the bucket and sure enough there is a little spirt squirting out of the side of the bucket. Well there is a cool new product out on the market now, its a bucket with a heater in it..... Its called a "Heated Bucket!..... Go figure eh!.
I've got mine, you can get yours here!!!
| 10/19/2010 - HBRL MOBILE-- A Great Grooming Idea! A Fraction The Cost!
| 10/02/2010 - Forward Back Right and Left
In this horseback riding lessons blog post we will be discussing how to get your colt to move out and steer in the next few rides. The most important aspect of steering is making sure your colt moves out properly on a loose rein. By properly i mean the colt will freely walk, trot, and lope with little resistance. When the colt is asked to lope he must lope around the edge of the round pen until i relax in the saddle. Once i relax in the saddle the colt should relax himself and break to a trot, walk, or stop.
When the horse can perform this simple maneuver it is time to start steering the colt. At the walk I will ask my colt to do a simple turn to the outside of the round pen. If i am going to the left i will use my right rein to do a turn to the right supporting the turn with my left leg. As i am walking around the round pen i leave myself just enough room so that the colt does not hang up on the fence. I perform a series of these outside turns all over the round pen. I use the wall to my advantage as the colt understands the reward to the turn comes at the end of the turn where there is no resistance from the fence. This encourages the colt to actually complete the turn.
After i've done multiple turns to the outside of the run pen and i feel that the colt is starting to understand direct rein steering i will then at the walk ask for some circles to the inside of the round pen. As i steer the colt to the inside, on a smaller circle, i use my direct rein (inside rein) and my supporting leg (outside leg). You must use your legs to support the direct rein. This also keeps the horses feet moving forward. It is impossible to teach a colt to steer without forward movement. This is why lining your colt out is VERY important.
Often i will use the tail of my outside rein on my colts rump to keep him moving in the direction my direct rein is asking him to go. i will stick to one side for a series of circles, as changing directions to quickly can confuse young colts. I may do six single circles over a five minute period and then change direction and do the same.
As i move up into the trot i will continue to work on my steering. I don't often do too many small circles at the trot at this stage. How i work on steering at the trot is by doing outside turns or "rollbacks". As i'm trotting around i occasionally allow my horse to come off the fence which gives me enough room to perform an outside turn without causing my horse to hangup on the fence. I relax in the saddle and release my calf pressure and slightly pick up on my reins. As the horse comes to a stop i then use my direct rein to pull his nose to the outside of the round pen. I often use my outside rein to gently spank him on the rump to help motivate the colt to move his feet in the direction my rein is asking him to go. During these maneuvers you are multi-tasking as you are not only working on your steering you are also working on your stop from the walk, trot, and lope. This is a great way to get your colt to understand simple steering.
When the colt is starting to feel tired and in need of a break, i relax in the saddle, release my calf pressure, pick up the reins with even pressure, and ask for a stop. All of the work that we've done on the ground on the back up will now pay off. I hold constant pressure on the reins until the colt takes two or three steps back. I then release the reins and reward the horse with a rub on the neck once he's taken a few steps back. The back up is an essential part of the entire horse training process as you will find out in further Horseback Riding Lessons posts.
Put your colt away and take the weekend off. Here is a free video compliments of Horseback Riding Lessons to help you learn to teach your colts to steer better!
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| 09/29/2010 - Putting On The Miles
Putting on the Miles
Now that you have successfully mounted your horse and you have spent sometime building confidence by rubbing your horse on the neck and rump, it is now time to move out. As i said in the previous blog, i personally like to go to the left first. I am a stronger rider to the left, if my colt should buck or spook i will have an easier time staying in the saddle if i am going this direction. Its up to you to decide which direction you will go first, but having experience in this department i strongly suggest you go to the direction in which you are stronger.
The first few steps are the most critical. It is important that you stay relaxed in the saddle. If you are tense it can cause the horse to spook which may lead to bucking. Staying relaxed, i bend his neck around to the left which generally encourages the colt to take a few steps. Typically, as i am bending him around i am bumping with my legs to encourage him to move. My goal at this point is to get the colt to walk around,hopefully to the left, and get him lined out along the wall of the round pen. Remember BABY STEPS. You may only get two steps, then eight steps, then twelve steps at a time. Keep working towards getting a smooth fluid walk in the direction of your choice. Encourage your colt to stay on the wall. I always keep my inside rein slightly shorter so that if the colt does try to spook or buck i can have control immediately. I have this control because when i pick up both reins the colt remembers what we taught him from the ground, which is to pick up their shoulders and back up or stop. Im not looking for the horse to back up here, i'm looking for the colt to stop and feel back to me. That is why i spent so much time working on the back up from the ground. Should this not work and the colt decides to continue bucking or spooking i can then use my shortened inside rein to pull him around. This is a great way to get control of a horse in a dangerous situation when nothing else seems to work .
As i am encouraging the colt to move out I like to use the end of my rein as a cue to get the horse to move. A gentle slap on the rump with your outside rein should make your horse move. I introduce this method calmly as i don't intend to belt the horse and cause him to spook. Many colts can be quite numb to a boot heel with no spur. Using the end of the rein can save you a lot of energy when you are teaching your horse to move out.
When the colt is moving out at a nice pace at the walk i no longer keep clucking, spanking, or kicking him. I want the colt to learn to keep a steady pace without me having to constantly picking at him to move forward. Each time the colt slows down i use one or all of my aids until he is back at the pace i want. Once he is at the pace i want i will then leave him alone. Soon he will learn that when i want to walk he should continue walking unless i ask him for something different.
At this stage nothing is as important as teaching the horse to move out and forward. I do not try to soften my horse or bridle my horse up at this stage. I am simply trying to get him to move out around the edge of the round pen. It is critical that you do not ask to much of your horse at this point. A horse can not learn to steer or be soft without learning how to properly move out with a straight body first.
Once i feel the colt is comfortable at the walk i will often then urge the horse forward into the trot. I like to do this before the colt becomes board at the walk and starts to look for ways to entertain himself which could result in bucking or spooking. By asking the colt to do different things, such as trotting, I occupy the colts mind which allows me to maintain more control. Once the colt is trotting, it is my goal to work the colt until he is somewhat tired. I want my first ride to reinforce confidence; but it is also important to put miles on. This will help keep the colt quieter and more confident for future sessions. It is easier to put extra time in the saddle today to ensure the colt is confident tomorrow than to do hours of ground work and lunging everyday before you ride the colt.
After trotting briskly around the round pen i will relax and allow the colt to slow down to a walk. I will then ask the colt to change direction. Usually, i change direction to the outside of the pen. I gather the slack in my right rein and apply my left leg until the horse begins to turn to the right (vies versa if you are going to the right). As i change direction I am cautious because the colt may be seeing me for the first time out of his right eye, this can sometimes cause a colt to spook. If the colt is relaxed i reassure him with a rub on the neck. I then repeat the process to the right, walking and trotting along the fence of the round pen.
If the colt has enough energy i prefer to move up into the lope as well. By doing this you create an easier second ride. The colt is more confident because you have exposed him to the walk, trot, and lope on the first day.
Don't be alarmed if you have trouble moving out. It is very normal to have colts that take extra time in this area. Sometimes it is difficult to get your horse on the edge of the round pen. That too, can take extra time. Simply making the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult can help you with these challenges. By making the edge of the round pen an easier place to be, your colt will soon learn to stick to the rail.
In our next Horseback Riding Lessons blog, on Friday, we will talk about how to continue teaching your colt to move out and how to begin steering.
Here is a free video compliments of Horseback Riding Lessons to show you how I like to begin the first ride.
Until Next Post
Happy Trails
http://www.fliqz.com/aspx/permalink.aspx/?vid=08c84e34460c4398916ca64fbbc714ec&app=1dffdb5b-ef63-4525-bcb1-cb93df15025b
| 09/27/2010 - Go Ahead Get On
In the last post we discussed how to teach your colt to steer from the ground with backing up being the most important of the 3 maneuvers; but all important. I like to prepare my colts to be ridden by being able to steer around the pen from the ground. The reason this is so important to me is because it gives me so much added control which is essential to keeping me safer in the saddle.
If the colt is acting quiet I will advance to the stage where i begin to prepare the colt for me to climb onboard and sit in the saddle. The following are the steps i take to ensure my own and the colts safety at all times.
1. The first thing i check is my cinch. If it needs to be tightened i gently tighten it. After i do so, i ALWAYS walk the colt forward before doing anything else. The reason for this is because if the colt back into a freshly drawn cinch it may cause the colt to become cinchy which may create disasters in the future. So after i tighten my cinch i always walk my colt forward ten to twenty steps to ensure the cinch is not pinching the colt.
2. Next, from the left side i gather my reins, with the left rein being shorter than the right. I do this incase the colt decides to leave. This way i can bring him around me and stop him and still remain in control. From there, with my reins in my left hand, i will grab a handful of mane in my left hand as well and the saddle horn with my right hand. From this point i shuffle around beside the colt, this will help build confidence. Every time he stands still i calmly reward the colt with a rub on the neck. I try to build the colts confidence by keeping him quiet rather than causing a disturbance and then trying to calm him down. My right hand is repeatedly tapping the saddle, swinging the off side stirrup, rubbing him on the neck and rump, further sacking him out. If i feel i need too, i will bounce up and down beside the colt simulating how i may bounce when i have my foot in the stirrup and am ready to step up on the side of him.
3. I repeat this process from both the left and right side.
4. From the left side i gather my reins and a hand full of mane and i put my right hand on the saddle horn I then pull on the horn and push on the horn, throwing the colt off balance. Each time the colt is taken off balance he plants his feet more firmly on the ground because he does not like to be off balance. The reason i do this is because when i do step up in the stirrup the colts feet are planted firmly on the ground. This helps ensure the colt will be standing still when i am ready to mount the colt for the first time.
5. I repeat this process from both sides.
6. The next step is stepping up along side the colt. The first thing i do is gather the reins and a handful of mane with my left hand. From the shoulder area of the horse, i then lift my left leg and put my left toe in the stirrup, ensuring i only have my TOE in the stirrup. The reason i do this is so if the colt moves away my foot would easily slide out of the stirrup. This will keep me safe from getting hung up and dragged by my colt which could result in a serious injury. NOTE: i also recommend leather sole cowboy boots when riding colts or any horse.
7. My right hand goes to the offside cantal board. The reason for this hand placement is so that i do not pull on the saddle more than necessary when getting on. This will help keep my colts feet firmly planted on the ground. I then take three small hops and stand up in my stirrup beside my colt. If the colt makes any drastic moves i come back to the ground, calm the colt and begin again.
8. I repeat this process from both sides until the colt stands quietly and confidently.
9. As i work through this maneuver I am rubbing the colt on both sides of the neck, swinging the offside stirrup and rubbing his rump and much as he will let me. I'm always cautious the first time the colt may see me from above with his offside eye as this can spook him.
10. Now that i have built the colts confidence from both sides I am now ready to get on. The reason i am able to get on is because the colt told me he was ready to be ridden. It is not because i have followed a sequence and just decided to get on. How i know that the colt is ready comes down to various signs and clues such as: the colts eye is calm and relaxed, the colts neck is in a relaxed position, the colt may have a hind leg cocked, his breathing is relaxed, he is acting confident, his muscles are relaxed, and he shows no fear when i am moving around him from above.
11. The next step is to get on. When i get on, i get straight on, i don't spend anytime rubbing, i just get on and get my other foot in the stirrup as soon as possible. I then begin to gently rub the colt on his neck. My colts head is usually turned slightly to the left. I am cautious when the colt may see me from its right eye from above. Sometimes i will spend ten minutes, sometimes i will spend 30 minutes rubbing the colt down and building confidence. You must be cautious not to let the colt thoughts stray to far otherwise he may react in undesirable ways. Before the colt gets board i will ask him to move out to the left. I like to go to the left first as my riding ability is stronger to the left. This way if the colt was to buck i would have a better chance at staying in the saddle.
The next step is teaching the colt to move out under you which we will cover wednesday. Here is a video compliments of the Horseback Riding Lessons Video Library showing you how to mount a colt for the first time. We hope you enjoy it!
Cody and Farrah
The Horseback Riding Lessons Video Library now has over 100 videos available to Horseback Riding Lessons subscribers! Subscribers will now receive a complimentary subscription to Western Horse Review magazine and a 1 year subscription to our directory. Thats over $182 of added value!
| 09/23/2010 - The Most Important Tip You Will Learn About Starting Colts
Now that we have saddled our colt and lined him out, which means he's not bucking or spooking, he is just simply traveling forward under saddle. It is time for us to do the one most important training technique when it comes to starting colts. Teaching a colt to steer before it is ridden is fundamental. I always start my colts in a snaffle on the first ride. I personally do not believe in riding colts for the first time in a halter; however that is just my opinion. The reason i feel so strongly about this is because riding in a halter lacks safety because it lacks control. I had the opportunity to apprentice for the best hackamore reinsman, Benny Guitron. One of the most important rules in Bennys' barn was that you NEVER ride a horse in a halter. Once a horse learns to pull into the halter while being ridden, he will assuredly pull into the hackamore with the same disrespect. In my opinion it is unnecessary to try to retrain bad habits out of a horse that you have reinforced at an earlier time.
Up to this point I have allowed my colt to wear the snaffle in his stall at different times, perhaps over night, or for an afternoon. The reason i do this is so that the colt can learn to carry the snaffle in his mouth and he is more comfortable with the snaffle. Often when a colt first wears a snaffle you will notice that the colt is constantly playing with it. This makes it difficult to teach them anything. So i like to make sure that the colt is used to the snaffle before i put the first ride on them and before i teach them to steer.
We now have our colt saddled and bridled. The reins are attached to the snaffle rings. The first thing that i do is walk a tight circle with my colt at my side, applying constant pressure on the inside rein encouraging him to follow me, while applying constant-direct pressure on the bars of his mouth. The reason i do this is so the colt can feel the pressure and not react to it. He can learn to respond rather than react. Doing this in both directions sets you up for the next maneuver: turning over the cantle board.
Having the reins draped over the horses neck, just like i am about to ride him. I take my right had rein, if i am standing on the left hand side, and i take the slack up on the rein with my right hand. My left hand gently pushes his head away from me. The more he bends his neck to the right, the more my right hand takes up the slack that is in the rein. As his neck is bent around i calmly wait for him to figure out the solution to this equation. I step back a couple steps so that when the colt turns, follows the right rein, i am not hit by his rump which could swing my direction. As he begins to think about the solution he may try numerous things. He may flip his head, turn the opposite direction, or rear. It is very important for the first few times to use caution and BE PATIENT. Up until this point you have taught the colt to turn into you; but for this one maneuver you are teaching him to turn away. This may cause some confusion so be patient and understanding of his confusion. I practice this turn until i feel he somewhat understands how to follow the rein. I then switch sides and repeat this process in the opposite direction. Many colts will react to the pressure in their mouth and try to turn the same direction as before when you change sides. Be aware of this and understand that this is how you are teaching the colt to respond to different pressures instead of reacting. Each time you will notice a significant improvement in your colts turns. I recommend you change sides. By you changing sides this will give your horse a break from the training which will help your colt improve. Use caution as the hind quarters can swing past you and be very dangerous if your colt is not sacked out completely.
NOW HERE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIP I HAVE EVER LEARNED ABOUT STARTING COLTS: The Back Up. It is extremely important you teach your colt to back up with the cue coming from the snaffle. The reason this is so important is because it gives you an absolutely amazing amount of control. When a horse backs up his shoulders must elevate. Many people have a fear of colts bucking or running away. You can eliminate that fear by teaching your horse to back up, which will elevate your colts shoulders. I don't know how many times i've had a colt spook or try to buck and i simply picked up on both reins and had my colt stop and feel back to me in an instant because i previously taught him this maneuver.
Take both reins in your hands as though you were sitting on top of your colt. Apply direct pressure from both reins in a backing fashion. Do not bump or seesaw, just apply straight back pressure. The colt may push on the snaffle, that is ok. Keep holding the pressure until the colt takes a step or two back then release the pressure. After rewarding your horse pick up the reins again and apply pressure. If the colt does not back it is not because he is stiff in the mouth it is because he is not moving his feet. If he is not moving his feet use your foot and tap him on the ankle to encourage him to move his feet. I repeat this process numerous times until the colt is moving his feet backwards willingly when i pick up on my reins.
My next goal is to have a colt that breaks at the poll while backing, in-turn this elevates the shoulders. So my release comes when the colt is backing with his feet and brings his chin in towards his neck. A backup with out the colt breaking at the poll is useless. You must teach your colt to back and break at the poll. This way the colt will feel back to you when you pick up both of your reins while you are riding him. If you find your colt is stiff and not giving his chin you can now back and incorporate turns at the same time. That is the reason why we taught our colt to turn before we taught him to back. As you work on these three maneuvers and work on getting your colt soft while executing these maneuvers you will notice the confidence your colt gains in the snaffle. This confidence is vital when you put your first ride on your colt. Every time you pick up a rein on your first ride your colt will be confident in you. All of my horses, young and old, all back from the ground extremely well. Ironically, they stop and back extremely well when i am in the saddle.
Here is another video compliments of the Horseback Riding Lessons Video Library to show you how to teach your colt to steer before you ride him. Cody & Farrah
The backup video will be released Monday, there will be no post tomorrow. Happy Trails.
| 09/22/2010 - Move em out!
Not all colts buck! Some do, and some don't. If they do buck on the first day I don't pay any attention to it. Often colts that buck like a son of a gun never buck again. The most important thing at this point is to keep that colt moving. Whether they bucked or not, once they are moving, keep them moving. I personally like to have that colt put a good sweat on when they are under saddle for the first time.
Don't be alarmed if your colt isn't quite as hooked on to you at this point either, just keep em moving. Many colts are to pre-occupied with their new saddle to worry about you at this time. I like to simply send them around the round pen at a steady pace, usually a brisk trot to a lope until I see their head and neck lower and they begin to relax. When you want to change direction I again do my inside turns as we talked about in a previous blog.
Many colts will rebel at this point, it is also important to keep your patients through all of this weird behaviour. For example, Alice the colt in tonights free video was very, very hooked on before we saddled her. Then after we saddled her she nearly forgot everything we had taught her previous being saddled. Fortunately my patients paid off. A few minutes of simple round penning and a few inside turns and we were able to reinforce Alices' idea of being hooked up one more time. Very few colts are perfect all of the time, and it is important to realize that the odd momentary set back can reward you greatly just minutes later if you keep your confidence and your patients. Each set back or mistake made by your colt is one more way you can reinforce exactly what you want. Just like humans, horses too learn from their mistakes.
Here is a great clip for you tonight from horseback riding lessons to see a quiet colt come out of her skin, only to return to her quiet self again. Just for the record, Alice has never bucked since this day. Proof that just because a colt bucks once or twice doesn't mean they are a bronc.
Compliments again of the Horseback Riding Lessons video library.
Happy Trails
Cody McArthur
| 09/21/2010 - Broncs to Bestfriends
What are you waiting for? Go on get your pad and saddle!
Well we've thoroughly sacked out our colt, rubbed her down and she's very comfortable with us touching her all over. In that case it is a perfect time to grab your saddle pad and saddle! Don't slow down the momentum by quitting now! You might as well try to saddle up.
Since she is used to my flag stick, rope and my human hand I like to proceed with the next item. Walking toward my colt with the saddle pad tucked up under my arm just like my books when I walked home from school. As I approach the colt I gently rub her with the edge of my pad. Everything feels O.K. since you did such a good job of sacking out your colt. Next I pull the pad up to her body, gently rubbing her all over with the pad. Then... up it goes, onto her back, bringing the pad from the ears down to the rump I sack my colt out. I want her as comfortable with the pad as she is with my human touch. As she becomes comfortable with it I then lead her over (wearing my pad) to the saddle.
I personally like to tuck the saddle up under my arms as well. Holding on to the skirt on the right side of the saddle with my arm running across the seat, again just like my books. As I approach the colt I am again watching every thought the colt has to see how she might accept the saddle. The biggest reason I like to spend so much time sacking out is so I don't have to do it when I am trying to saddle. Believe me when I tell you it is much easier to move around with a colt while sacking out without the extra 30 pounds and inconvenience of the saddle. So with that being said, if you did a good job you should find that your colt will stand nicely when you go to saddle her up.
I make any final adjustments to my pad, turn my shoulders so that I am parallel to my horse but facing the opposite direction and with one swoop the saddle goes up, being cautions as it come down not to have it land on her back like a ton of bricks. I may do this 3 or 4 times per side, on off, on off, until I know the colt is confident in what I am doing. I don't tie my stirrups up or pull my cinches over my saddle when I throw it up either. I throw the saddle up their on day one exactly how I do on day 100. Next, the cinches are let down from their tab. I always make sure that they are adjusted properly before I go to the other side to draw them up. But first we rest them up against the colt to be sure she is relaxed and doesn't mind them, if all is well lay your left hand with the cinch in it up against her girth. If the "d ring" on the cinch is in the middle of her girth area you are good to move to the other side.
As I pass from one side to the other in front of my colt I am always cautious, especially now that the saddle is on her back. If she were to spook when i'm right in front of her she could run me over, so be cautious. Now that i'm safely on the other side I then reassure her with some gentle rubs, then I go for my front cinch. I always grab my cinches from under my colt with my LEFT HAND. This allows me to keep my head up and out of the way of possibly getting kicked. Front cinch first I lay it up against her belly to "sack out" that area again before I tighten anything. Once I feel all is good I then loop my latigo around the cinch three times and begin to slowly tighten it. The reason three times you ask? If the colt should jump away from me and start bucking, with three wraps I can hold the latigo as she pulls away from me and likely that will tighten it enough to keep it on through the tantrum if she has one. Slowly tightening, pulling up with the loops and down with the tail of my latigo I have found a hole for my cinch that I am confidant will be tight enough.
I then pull up my back cinch... With what hand?? THE LEFT then lay it on her belly, then I fasten it. I never really do it up to tight at the start, however as I work more with the colt I do the back cinch up tighter at times so they can get used to it as it can give a horse the effect of being flanked. So always use caution with your back cinch. I like my horses to be used to a tight back cinch, just not necessarily on the first day.
As the saddle is done up, and secure to my horse I then typically unsnap my lead rope, and back away from her toward the back end, but not in any area in which I could get kicked if she were to buck and kick out. DO NOT spook your horse at this point, let her find the saddle and learn about it. Many people want to move out a horse to quick at this point, not allowing the horse to think about whats going on, the horse then reacts to the saddle instead of responding, causing her to freak out. Many people like to see how hard the colt can buck so they can see if they should "be worried" or not. Keep the colt calm, build confidence. Let her move out at her own pace.
Once the colt starts out she may decide to buck. That is O.K. It's quite natural for a colt to buck when saddled for the first time. I don't mind and typically just keep them moving out until they are quietly going around the pen. However on day two bucking is strongly and i mean STRONGLY discouraged. On day one however it is just a part of learning to move out under the saddle.
Of course as my gift to you, Farrah and I would love to show you another clip so you can see just how to saddle a colt for the first time
Compliments of the Horseback Riding Lessons video library. Farrah and Cody
| 09/20/2010 - Round and Round We Go! Pt. 3
In this edition of round and round we go we will be talking about sacking out a young colt in the round pen. In the last edition we left off with the inside turns and how we can use them to get our colt "hooked on" to us. Each time the colt becomes uncomfortable at this point, if he decides to leave we can simply let him go a short distance around the round pen and ask for an inside turn which often will hook him back up to us. They quickly learn that just sticking with you is much easier than wasting all of that energy moving around the pen only to find themselves back in the same spot as before! Which is right back with you.
Once this relationship is established I like to begin "sacking out" my colt. The term sacking out comes from horsemen and women using sacks, often burlap to get the horse used to being touched and handled with foreign objects. In many cases the human hand is foreign enough to cause a horse to take flight. Since we have taught the horse that is is nicer and easier to stick with us we now have the upper hand when it comes to working with the horse on a psychological level. As I approach the colt for the first time I am constantly taking inventory of the colts reaction to absolutely everything. If he's frightened when I approach quickly, slowly, from one side or another and so on. As I get up to the colt I typically rest my hand on the spot where the colt is most comfortable with me touching. I don't ever try to move to difficult areas at the start.
If my hand were to rest on his neck, because he told me with his body language that that spot was O.K. my job is to then build confidence in that one spot. Since we have our inside turns down pat if the colt were to leave because he could not bare the pressure I allow him to leave then perform an inside turn. The colt finds he is then right back where he started and will soon find it is easier for him to allow me to touch him, handle him and be around him.
A common mistake made by many horsemen and women is to move to quickly to areas of the horse which he considers forbidden to you. This can cause a lack of confidence between you and the horse resulting in a much longer period of time spent on sacking out. The proper thing to do in this case is find that one comfort zone, and build excessive confidence there. As the colt becomes extremely confidant in you move slightly in the direction of a new less confidant location. You may find your horse becomes more alert when you do this. I recommend when this happens you move back in the direction of where he had more confidence and rebuild it. Once you have rebuilt it move back to the area of less confidance again and you will find he is more allowing of your touch.
I use this theory until I have completely sacked the colt out over his entire body. I have built trust in him through this session and began a long term relationship. It is due to this method that the colt will allow me in time to perform so extraordinary things with him because he understands that he can trust me at all times, and that I have a way of understanding his feelings and will work with those feelings to enhance the relationship. The days of tying down horses to get them used to our human way of thinking are over. Psychology has to become a part of your training methods.
Here is a free video on sacking out so that you may see exactly what I mean! Compliments of Cody & Farrah and the Horseback Riding Lessons Video Library
| 09/17/2010 - Round & Round We Go Pt. 2
An essential part of starting colts is the process taken in the round pen. The main purpose of the process is to teach the colt respect and discipline. The respect comes in the way of hooking up with the handler. No matter what the situation may be, the end goal with a colt in the round pen is to have your colt hooked on to you no matter what else is going on. If a bomb goes off the flight mode that horses typically revert to will be replaced with confidence in the handler. This also means that the colt should look to its handler for security rather than going into flight. The discipline acquired in the round pen will provide YOU, the handler more safety as well. When ever you are around your horse after being properly round penned he should hunt you and join you. A horse ideally will never turn his hind quarters to you or evade you. When you walk into his pen he should come to you, and follow you. How he learns this is due to the fact that you made it difficult for him in the round pen when he evaded you, and you made it easy for him when he wanted to join you.
In the last post we discussed how a colt needs to move out around the pen until they realize that the solution is to hook up to the handler. Many times when they hook up or stop and look at you we give them total release so that they can learn that being with us is easier than working out on the edge of the round pen. The next step is to work on the inside turn. I personally never do outside turns, it just never made sense to me to encourage something I don't want my horses to do. Turning away shows the hind quarters of the horse to me which defeats the purpose here. My recommendation is to work on inside turns only.
When the colt is wanting to stop and join up with me meaning he's looking for an out other than work I often will encourage him to relax and try to get a hand on him, as I approach him I often walk to the side of him that would force him to go in the opposite direction. This way if the colt becomes nervous and decides to leave before I get to them I get an opportunity to work him round and around from the other side. If the colt doesn't want to look at me or isn't hunting me I can also step to the front of him as he goes around the pen and walk backwards away from him encouraging him to come inward, as he does this I often use body language to send him the opposite way which encourages inside turns. As the colt becomes enlightened that there is a "world" to the inside of the pen and "you" are at the centre of it often it is then that they become aware that there is an amazing world to be found by being with you.
As I encourage these inside turns the object is now to show "by backing away" that there is total release of pressure on the horse when he has both eyes on you. With a few more inside turns you will find the colt turning to the inside and completely stopping because he identifies the release. You have now successfully communicated with the colt that YOU are the centre of his universe.
Now each time you approach this colt if he leaves you just simply shorten up your distances between turns. This will teach the colt that he is simply wasting his own energy to get away from something that he can't "really" get away from and he will realize it is easier to deal with you than the extra effort needed to run around and around. As the distance gets shorter and shorter your colt will become more comfortable with you approaching, and touching him, which is where the sacking out process begins.
In the next post "Monday" we will begin the sacking out theory and how inside turns play a huge role in having a horse hooked on to you.
Here's another quick video to show you how the inside turns can help you and your colt. In this older video out of the Horseback riding lessons video library "Alice" decided to rebel after being saddled. We then needed to go back a step and work on some inside turns and reinforced respect discipline and partnership.
Until Next Post
Happy Trails,
Cody
| 09/16/2010 - Round & Round We Go Pt. 1!
Round penning a colt can be a challenge for both the horse and the person doing the round penning. The main purpose of round penning a colt is nothing more than to teach the colt that looking for an out other than the handler is both unattractive and difficult. Many people misunderstand this technique of starting a colt. Many think you are merely trying to tire the colt out so he is easier to handle. Unfortunately this thinking will do no good for the colt. In this short series of Round & Round We Go I will explain to you the fundamental ideas of round penning with the hopes of you learning how to better handle your own horses.
The most important principal in training horses is the simple idea of making the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult. So naturally it must start in the round pen. This is where the relationship starts between the horse and rider for most trainers because they are not the ones who have raised the horse to this point. When the colt first enters the round pen he has absolutely no idea why he is there and what his purpose in life is about to become. Which is why it is so important not to create the wrong first impression by chasing the colt around until he is just plain tired.
When you first turn the colt loose, chances are he will walk around sniffing the ground and fences. I personally would allow him to do this, let his curiosity take him around the round pen. Once he appears to be comfortable in the pen I then move toward his hind quarters, with my 30 foot soft nylon rope with an aluminium hondo in hand. Being cautious to not get to close as to get kicked I then give him direction with body language around the pen. Usually using the rope lightly toward his hind quarters and my other hand motioning for him to go around the pen. This is the crucial point at which you must become aware of what the colt is thinking. The colt at this time will usually go into flight mode and travel more briskly. Keeping him moving I then pay close attention to where he is looking. I want to keep the colt moving forward, especially if the colt is looking straight ahead or to the outside of the pen. The only time I let up on the colt and let him slow down is when his attention is on me. Whether its an ear or an eye, I will take what ever I can get in the way of the colt putting his attention on me in a positive manner. That is me making the right thing easy. The pressure i put on him to move out briskly for his lack of attention on me is the way I make life for him more difficult by moving him out around the round pen, usually at a fast trot.
The whole point of this exercise is to establish respect to you from the colt by becoming fully focused on you rather than everywhere else the colt could be looking. Some would call achieving this horse whispering however I disagree, you can do this with nothing more than practice and common sense.
As the colt puts more ear and eye focus on you you then want to release the pressure and somewhat open the door for more attention. If the colt doesn't get the idea at first don't be surprised, thats quite normal. The idea here is to just be open to him hooking up with you in any way. If he decides to go further just keep him moving until he starts to look for a solution again and be ready to be open to him trying to hook up to you. The wrong thing for the colt to do is move around unhooked to you, hence making him work by moving out which is making the wrong thing difficult. The right thing for the colt to do is hook up with you in any way which is when you in turn release some pressure and make it easier on him.
Think of it like this, colt does what you
don't
want (apply pressure and discomfort), colt does what you want or even slightly what you want (release pressure and make it easier on him). As the lesson goes on with your colt you will find that he will continually want to stop and look into you. This is exactly the first stepping stone of round penning.
In the next post we will introduce inside turns and how they create a colt that is 100% focused on you, and how they are an integral step in achieving total respect from your colt so he never turns his hind quarters into you.
For now here is a short video compliments of Farrah and I to show you a little taste of some essential colt starting techniques.
Cody & Farrah
| 09/14/2010 - Revealing Colt Starting Videos Provide Phenomenal Info With A 100% Guarantee!
Revealing Colt Starting Videos Provide Phenomenal Information With a 100% Guarantee!
The biggest problem with colt starting is it is can be quite costly if you are Not doing it yourself. Not only that; but, if you are doing it yourself, it can be extremely frightening at times, especially if you are not overly familiar with what you're doing. We offer you essential guidelines to colt starting which will enable you to start your very own colt. You will also learn techniques used by successful trainers that will help you build confidence in you and your horse.
It is important for your horse to have a strong foundation to ensure its success later in life and that is exactly what you will learn in this video series. You will learn imperative colt starting techniques that will provide you and your horse with information that will start you off on the right foot.
With experienced colt starter and cutting horse trainer, Cody McArthur, guiding you through each step, from the ground up, you will be amazed at how fast and effectively you and your horse will learn. We offer this incredible colt starting series in confidence and with a 100% guarantee.
| 09/13/2010 - Revealing Video Shows Essential Steps to Hackamore Training
A unique video series is getting a lot of attention in Horseback Riding Lessons, video library these days. The Hackamore series with Trainer Cody McArthur takes an interesting look into showing you how you can put your horse in a hackamore the right way. Also Cody is debunking many myths associated with the hackamore to give you a clearer picture on what it means to have yourself a true hackamore horse.
In an incredible step by step 25+ video series that we have prepared exclusively for our members we take you from the basic first day training all the way to advanced maneuvers in a hackamore. Such a powerful dvd series on hackamore training just does not exist.
With an astounding response to the first 10 videos in the hackamore series we have decided to release this revolutionary set one per week rather than a slower release. Due to this overwhelming response to this series we will soon be working on another series with another horse to give you more in depth looks at how we can help you learn to use a hackamore on your horse to its fullest potential.
These amazing how-to videos in your library will dramatically improve your chances of success whether you are riding in the show pen or in the pasture. Be sure to watch for new videos being added to help expand your horsemanship toolbox daily, while learning at your own pace from the comfort of your own home.
Until Next Post,
Happy Trails!
| 09/03/2010 - McWhirter Horse Sale
On Saturday, September 18, 2010 Dan McWhirter Quarter Horses will consign more than 80 mares, show prospects, yearlings, foals and leading sire Absolute Investment for their complete dispersal sale. Additionally, 10 more Absolute Bloodlines horses from other consignors will be included in this auction event for a total of 90 horses.
This gives you the chance to join the elite group of customers who have helped make Dan McWhirter Quarter Horses an AQHA Top-5 Breeder!
If Absolute Investment does not meet his reserve, he will continue to stand at the Kentucky Division of Gumz Farms.
| 08/31/2010 - Colt Starting Channel Update
Horseback Riding Lessons is pleased to announce that we have been starting a new colt for Horseback Riding Lessons' Colt Starting Channel. We should start uploading those videos within the next 10 days or so. We will also be working with Jay Duke to produce more Jumping videos that will include walking the course at some exciting show jumping venues.
Our new stallion page has become a real hit! It was just launched a few days ago and is getting an amazing amount of views. I urge anyone who is a stallion owner to contact us. We would love to showcase your stallion on this page so we can help you promote your wonderful breeding stock.
Until Next Post,
Happy Trails!
| 08/31/2010 - Legendary Cutting Sire Dies Monday
Smart Little Lena, 1979-2010
Smart Little Lena,
the NCHA's first Triple Crown winner, died Monday at age 31. Bred by Hanes Chatham, Smart Little Lena was shown by the late Bill Freeman to win the 1982 NCHA Futurity, followed by a win in the 1983 Super Stakes and a co-championship with Peppymint Twist in the 1983 NCHA Derby.
Smart Little Lena went on to be one of the sport's most influential stallions and for many years was the leaading sire of NCHA money earners. His offspring have over $34 million in NCHA earnings to date.
Great stallions never die, but live on through their progeny. So it is with Smart Little Lena, who suffered a debilitating stroke this morning and was humanely put to rest by Dr. John McCarroll.
“It is one thing to recognize a horse for all his great accomplishments, but it’s another thing to be fortunate enough to really have known him,” said longtime Manion Ranch employee Robin Levison, who was with Smart Little Lena at the end and who found it hard speak.
Levison said that the 31-year-old legendary cutting horse champion and sire had been in good condition until the stroke
| 08/25/2010 - The Hackamore
An exciting new release of footage on how to train a hackamore horse starts tonight. Over the next several weeks horseback riding lessons will be showing you all you need to know on how to start a horse in the hackamore, how to train your maneuvers into your hackamore horse, and how to work a cow on your hackamore horse. The hackamore is a beautiful old piece of traditional equipment that was used buy the spanish vaquero. Many people today love the hackamore, however it is becoming a lost art. Few people actually are taking the time to learn how to use the hackamore, as it is a tool that definitely takes some training to understand. Cody McArthur will be featured in the videos. He has a genuine love for the hackamore and was very fortunate in his apprenticeship to have worked for some of the best hackamore men in California. Over 20 parts to this series it will be slowly released weekly for now. Don't miss this opportunity as these videos have absolutely crucial information regarding the "Timing Of The Stop"Until Next Post, Happy Trails!
| 08/15/2010 - An Amazing Video
We just uploaded a great new horseback riding lessons video on the Jumping channel. Jay duke gave us a fantastic lesson on all of the different types of releases to use when going over jumps on your horse. He also shows you what not to do. I myself had no idea of all the different ways to ride a horse over jumps nor did I have any idea as to each of the special characteristics of each release. The footage is great and I urge you to check it out!
Until Next Post
Happy Trails!
| 08/14/2010 - Some Great Horseback Riding Lessons
What perfect timing to have Dustin Gonnet our cutting horse instructor, give us some horseback riding lessons about how to school young horses on cattle. After watching his lessons I realized one thing that I could definitely do better on my own cutting horses. Having the ability to watch Dustin on a number of horses enabled me to see a pattern in the way Dustin likes to train a cutting horse. He is very very consistent, all of his horses he works with the same principal and end goal. The only difference is the way he may communicate with them as each horse is an individual and thinks a little different. Thanks Dustin for the information it is just in time for the cutting futurity season. We will be uploading even more of Dustins cutting lessons in the near future.
Until Next Post!
Happy Trails
| 08/09/2010 - A Great Article For Beginners
Here is an article I wrote on Hub Pages. It is a beginners guide to horseback riding . http://hubpages.com/hub/Beginners-guide-to-horseback-riding At horseback riding lessons we are working hard to promote new riders and people who would like to be new riders into our passion.
| 08/02/2010 - Lateral Movements
WOW! I have got to say Jay Duke is one fabulous teacher. I just uploaded a new video in the Jumping Channel at http://www.horseback-ridinglessons.com where Jay shows you which lateral movements are a must when it comes to show jumping. As I said in the last post "some of the information here is unbelievable" and I would go on to say it is quite priceless as well. He demonstrates the shoulders in manoeuvre and the haunches in manoeuvre on one of his great jumping horses Grappa. I encourage you to watch this video, and watch it again! Yes, twice to get the full affect. Great Job Jay! Until Next Post
Happy Trails
| 07/31/2010 - 100% Money Back Guarantee
Well the last few weeks have been amazing for me, (Cody McArthur). Farrah (my wife) and myself have been editing and watching every video we have made to date, many of which are being uploaded each day to add to this unbelievable library. I have found that my horsemanship level has risen remarkably in the past few weeks. I am a cutting and working cowhorse trainer by trade, but I have been watching everything that is on the site. The jumping channel alone has both inspired me and taught me a lot when it comes to horsemanship. So I can honestly say that I am totally impressed with the information that Horseback Riding Lessons is providing, and it's only going to get better. Our goal is to have 400 online streaming videos on Horseback Riding Lessons by December 31st, 2010. With all of this in mind I am pleased to announce that we at Horseback Riding Lessons are in the process of adding a 10 day 100% money back guarantee if you are a subscriber who thinks there is not sufficient information on this site to increase your horsemanship skills. I have been training horses professionally for over 20 years now and have learned more information in the last two months that I have in the last 5 years. With that being said I encourage you to take my challenge and watch these videos and see for yourself how much you will learn in this safe, friendly, very affordable environment!
Until Next Post!
Happy Trails!
| 07/28/2010 - Horseback Riding Lessons
Well what an exciting day for us here at Horseback Riding Lessons. We had a great day collecting footage with Jay Duke once again. This guy has a phenomenal way of explaining information, he gets more and more comfortable on camera every time he's in front of it! I can't tell you just how much I have learned about Jumping horses since I have been hanging around with this guy. As I have said before, "a person can tend to get a little blinded by one equine event and forget just how wide a scope the horse world can be." These trainers that Horseback Riding Lessons is bringing in are the cream of the crop. We wanted to give people a great place to learn everything they can about horses and we are creating just that.
Another major announcement for Horseback Riding Lessons is another new channel that we have added. It's called "Critique My Ride." In this channel we will be giving lessons to various individuals who are very inexperienced with horses so that you can see their mistakes and how we fix them. I always noticed how much I learned in a group learning environment, because you get to learn from other peoples mistakes. So we thought we would create that environment just for YOU!
Next major announcement! Dustin Gonnet, 26 year old cutting horse trainer will be posting footage by the end of this week. Dustin has over $350,000 in National Cutting Horse Association earnings. He definitely knows his stuff. We are pleased to announce that he is joining the roster of trainers who are honoured to provide you with the information necessary to improve your horsemanship skills.
Lastly one more major development is nearing completion on our website. Our classified ads section is up and running. At this time you cannot post an ad unless you are a member of Horseback Riding Lessons. However this will be modified soon so we can meet all of your horsey needs. Whether you wish to sell horses, horse related products or services, or list something from your own tack room that you no longer use. Horseback Riding Lessons classifieds will be the place to do it!.
Until Next Post,
Happy Trails!
Cody McArthur
| 07/25/2010 - JUMPING CHANNEL
Horseback Riding Lessons is pleased to announce that the 'Jumping' channel is up and running. With about 10 new videos on this channel we have started it from the beginning of a show jumping program. This way people can learn about the sport step by step and eventually right up to a professional level. I learned a lot about jumping in the filming of our videos. I find that many questions I had in my mind got answered. This is our intent with the whole site is to get answers to questions nobody seems to want to ask. Everything you need to know about jumping will eventually be on video in the jumping channel. We are hoping to have our Cutting, Working Cowhorse channel up this week. Another exciting side note is our 'Barns & Business' link. Here we promote trainers, coaches, stables and equine related businesses. With each subscription to our video library entitling you to a one year free directory listing (or visa versa) you can not go wrong! Thats $131. for a one year listing and use of our ever growing video library!
Until next post,
Happy Trails!
| 07/22/2010 - The Jumping Channel
We are pleased to announce that Horseback Riding Lessons will have its Jumping channel up by tomorrow morning. We are currently working on a video series put together by top trainer Jay Duke. We wont go into to much detail telling you Jays life long story of horsemanship and competition, we will leave that for you to discover from him.
We plan to have 10-20 new videos posted on this awesome channel within the next few days. What a treat it is to work with Jay and his lovely wife Lisa. As a horse trainer myself I can tell you that everyday I enjoy learning something new about horses. I again have realized that with my wife Farrah and I taking on this task of educating the world about horses and the many jobs they do, that we have had our own eyes opened. I learned so much by helping film with Jay and Lisa that I can not wait to take a lesson on one of their horses. Maybe we should change our name to??? The Wide World Of Horses!???
Keep your eyes peeled for some great action to come!
Until Next Post!
Happy Trails!
| 07/20/2010 - An Interesting Article
I found this quite interesting, thought you might too. Heres the link to another good site
http://www.horsetalk.co.nz
Horses face 'maze of fences' to find water
July 19, 2010
by Neil Clarkson
The wild horses reportedly at risk of dying from dehydration in the Owyhee herd management area have been unable to access water because of fences, a horse welfare group claims.
The Cloud Foundation argues that the
emergency muster under way
in the Owyhee herd management in Nevada has arisen because of fencing in the area.
"These treasured Tuscarora mustangs are forced to navigate a maze of livestock fences and closed gates in order to find water," foundation spokeswoman Anne Novak says.
"Miles of fencing prevent their free-roaming rights and ability to access water sites they've used for decades - if not centuries."
The foundation had warned before the muster began of the dangers of gathering horses in the heat of a Nevada summer.
Twelve of the initial 228 horses mustered from the area a week ago died from complications arising from dehydration.
"After the first day proved to be fatal and the roundup was placed on hold, bureau spin began to refer to the horses' situation on the range as an 'emergency'," Novak said.
Foundation director Ginger Kathrens said: "Why didn't the bureau know about the water situation before going in and running 228 horses - at least 5 per cent of them - to subsequent death?
"The public deserves answers, not excuses."
"Mustangs regularly travel distances farther than ten miles if allowed their free-roaming behaviour," Kathrens said.
"Distance or standard drought levels are not the issue. The real question is what is preventing these mustangs from using traditional perennial water sources?"
The foundation said carving up herd management areas with fences was unacceptable and prevented wild horse movement within their ranges set out by the Free-Roaming Wild Horses and Burros Act.
"The bureau has reduced our wild horses to a labyrinth of cattle pastures and has no regard for their needs," Kathrens said.
The bureau, which has trucked in at least 20,000 gallons of water for the horses, has not commented specifically on access to natural water sources.
However, a veterinary report, dated July 11, by Dr Albert Kane, who performed necropsies on three of the horses that died in the initial muster, noted: "The history of this area is that water holes being used recently are drying up and horses were blocked from accessing a singular access point to a river that has historically been a watering point during dry conditions."
| 07/19/2010 - John Swales Calgary Stampede Champion
An absolutely outstanding performance from horseback riding lessons own working cowhorse and reining trainer John Swales. John once again captured the title for the Open Bridle Horse division. Finishing first in the first go-round meant John and Maximum Echo owned by Flo Houlton would be drawn last in the second and final go-round. However dealing with pressure is one thing I have found John Swales is a master at. He has an uncanny ability to sit at the back of the arena, watch his fellow competitors make their runs, and evaluate exactly what it will take for him to get the job done. Often times he will do just that! Getting the job done these days is becoming a show by show occurrence for this young trainer. Maximum Echo and John have been together for a little over a year now and the team work displayed by these two is a beautiful thing to watch. Max (Playboys Remedy X Dry Sans Echo) is a 6 year old stallion who stands in Southern Alberta, watch the home page for footage of this fabulous duo coming shortly. For complete results of the Calgary Stampede Agricultural Events click this link: http://ag.calgarystampede.com/eventsUntil Next Post,
Happy Trails!
| 07/17/2010 - Get The Gait, Get Control!
Whether you are trying to steer your way through a herd of cattle or trying to open or close a gait while horseback having total body control is a must. You see; being able to manoeuvre your horses body parts is the key to having total control at any speed. In order to get total body control you must break the training of each manoeuvre down to the minimum. So when I teach a horse to move away from my leg pressure I always teach one body part at a time. The reason I do this is because it is much easier for the horse to learn when we reduce everything to the minimum. Not only that but it is also easier for the rider to learn and understand. For example if I want to sidepass my horse up to a gait and open it I must have control of the shoulders, the barrel and the hips of my horse. So I reduce the manoeuvre to the minimum when I start teaching the horse the sidepass. The first thing I work on is the turn on the forhand, it is an exercise we use to gain control of the horses hind quarter. Next I work on the leg yield, which helps to teach my horse to move his barrel away from leg pressure. Now that I have those two areas unlocked, I can then work on moving the front end of my horse. And finally I put it all together to achieve a good side pass.
Now this all sounds easy and simple when you read it, but getting it done on your horse can prove to be difficult. That is why horseback riding lessons has added some awesome new videos to our library to help you learn how to gain better control of your horse. Check out the online horse video library at www.horseback-ridinglessons.com Until Next Time
Happy Trails!
| 07/16/2010 - Lateral Movements
Horseback Riding Lessons is adding a few horseback riding videos to the
horsemanship channel! This week has been all about the lateral
movements.
Lateral movements are when the horse is asked to move
both forwards and sideways at the same time. They are very important to teach your horse because they increase your horses responsiveness as well as help to supple your horse and provide you with ultimate body control.
In shoulders in we are not
only teaching our horse to respond to our aids, we are working to supple
our horses shoulders as well as engage the hind quarters. This great
lateral maneuver is a starting point for other important lateral exercises
such as the half pass.
Another maneuver we will be learning in our horseback riding lessons is the
leg yield. This maneuver will help supple and straighten our horse as
well as teach him to carry himself properly. Leg yielding also
encourages our horse to stay straight through transitions. This
maneuver lays the groundwork for more advanced lateral movements that
you will be working on in future horseback riding lessons.
Another lateral exercise we are learning this week in our horseback riding lessons is called the half-pass.
This horseback riding lesson involves engaging the quarters of our
horse, collection, as well as flexion and lateral bend.
A half pass
done properly, involves the horse moving equally forwards as it is
sideways. The horse is bent around the riders inside leg and is flexed
in the direction of travel. The horses shoulder is leading at all
times. This particular maneuver encourages our horse to be supple and
responsive to our aids and at the same time works at improving
collection.
Enjoy this weeks horseback riding lessons! We encourage you to practice each lateral movement with your horse as these exercises are extremely important for further advanced maneuvers we will be learning in later horseback riding lessons.
| 07/16/2010 - What An Amazing Calgary Stampede
The Stampede this year has been absolutely amazing. With so many horse events and horse exhibits, this is definitely the place to be if you want to learn about horses, and the many unbelievable jobs that they do. Last night I covered the Cutting Horse Competition Finals where the competition was absolutely unreal. We will be releasing some videos soon to show you just how unreal it was. But one thing that I realized while covering this story was the fact that while the cutting horse competition was running there was several other horse related events taking place at the same time. It's amazing just how large the horse world is. Yesterday alone the crowds were drawn to all of them. Not to mention what goes on at the thousands of other venues around the globe. Horseback Riding Lessons wants to do its best to provide you with great horse information on as many horse related topics as possible. With that being said, if you have a topic you would like to see please drop us an email at info@horseback-ridinglessons.com . If you would like an update on any of the Horse Related Events at the Calgary Stampede please check out their awesome Stampede Agriculture website with all the current results at http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events .
Until Next Post,
| 07/14/2010 - New Video
We Have updated our Horse Related Info channel again with a few more videos from Horse Haven at the Calgary Stampede. Horseback riding lessons has been working at the Stampede to shed a little light for its viewers on the different breeds showcased at the Light Horse Exhibit. Many light horses are at Calgary and I've got to be honest, I have learned a lot by asking these representatives of each breed all of the questions.
If you haven't heard the story behind the Canadian Horse I suggest you watch that video it is one of my favourites. But I must say the video added to the Free page, which is also on the Horse Related Info channel that talks about the Welsh Pony is a must. Sheila is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Welsh Ponies. I actually took horseback Riding Lessons at about the age of 10 on one of her horses named Kilties Gladness. Check it out on the home page, http://www.horseback-ridinglessons.com
We also will be adding a few videos in the next day or so to the Horsemanship Channel. In this channel we teach basic dos and don'ts with general horseback riding and horse handling. We are also very excited to bring in John Swales and Jay Duke just as soon as the Calgary Stampede is over.
Until next time,
Happy Trails
| 07/12/2010 - A Day At The Cutting
What a fantastic day in Okotoks Alberta, Canada. This is where the first go-round of the 2010 Calgary Stampede Cutting Horse Competition was held and it was very exciting. Cutting horse enthusiasts from all over North America are here to compete. There are three divisions in the cutting horse competition here in Calgary. The first being the 'Open' which means it is open to any age of horse and rider, and a trainer can show in this class. The second cutting horse class is the 'Non Pro' division, which means it is open only to people who do not ride for a living as a means of income. Such as a trainer would. Which is where the name Non Pro comes from meaning non professional. The purpose of this class is to give a non professional an opportunity to show and win with out having to compete against a trainer who rides horses all day long. The third and in my opinion most exciting class is the 'youth' meaning the rider is under 18 years of age. This is the most exciting class because it is showcasing the horsemen and women of the future. We will be covering the 'youth' cutting over the next two days as it starts tomorrow morning. The fierce competition today was unbelievable. Les Timmons of Kamloops B.C. won the Open on a horse named Smart Frele Cat owned by Rod and Marilyn MacDonald of Stump Lake B.C.. A very interesting side note is that this same horse and rider won the open cutting horse competition last year here. In the Non Pro Fallon Nuttal was the first go-round champion riding a horse named Shortys Royal Blue. This young lady is riding under the guidance of her father Will Nuttal who is in my opinion a fantastic trainer and coach. The youth cutting horse competition starts tomorrow and we will be sure to let you know who picks up all the loot with over $50,000 in cash at the Calgary Stampede this year! If you would like to know more about the Calgary Stampede cutting horse competition here is the link http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events/411-calgary-stampede-cutting-horse-competition.html Until next post, Happy Trails!
| 07/12/2010 - Horseback Riding Lessons wants to help kids learn to ride
Horseback riding lessons wants to help kids get a proper start to horsemanship and horseback riding skills. With hours of fun, short, informative videos on many different topics, horseback riding lessons online video library is a must for your young children to get them started right. We have decided to devote a channel to kids in the saddle and we should have our first story by this weekend for that channel. If you have a story that includes kids and horses drop us a line at info@horseback-ridinglessons.comUntil next time
Happy Trails
| 07/10/2010 - Great Give-Away
Just a quick note to everyone at Horseback riding lessons. We are having a great give-away. Anyone who subscribes for one year to the online horseback riding videos during the Calgary Stampede and puts the words Calgary Stampede in the promo box on the registration page will go automatically into a draw for a $500 dollar gift certificate for a pair of beautiful Lucchese Boots. Just imagine showing up at your next horse show or horseback riding lesson in those bad boys. Even if you are an english rider and don't wear cowboy boots you will like their gorgeous craftsmanship. Definitely upper end boots. And not to worry as Spruce Meadows gears up here in Calgary we will be giving away some fabulous horse related products to you as well. Hope your horses are fed, watered and bedded down for the night. Happy Trails.
| 07/09/2010 - Calgary Stampede
What a fantastic day at the Calgary Stampede. We spent hours today filming all sorts of great horse info for the 'horse related info' channel. Here at Horseback Riding Lessons we pride ourselves on delivering you great horse information and we are trying to do it in a way that is not necessarily biased to any one discipline or horse breed. We went to the Calgary Stampede and began filming an interesting series that takes you to all the different light horse breeds. The Stampede has a wonderful idea this year to educate children about horses. They created passports with each 'country' representing a horse breed. The children loved getting their horse passports. They had to go to every different horse breed and learn about that particular breed, it's origin, and the typical size of that horse breed and what disciplines or jobs that that particular horse breed is good at. The response was unbelievable, the kids loved it. We had a group of children following us around the horse barns watching us film all afternoon. It was great. So at each breed we got our tid bit of horse breed information, and got our horse passport stamped. Filming was a real treat today and I learned two things. The people in the horse world want great stories with good interesting information. Also, children love horses and they cannot get enough of them. So with that in mind I have decided to work towards an all kids channel. In this channel we will highlight children and their horses and their accomplishments. So if you have a story we can cover, email us. Until next time Happy Trails.
| 07/08/2010 - A Great Article If You Are Starting Horseback Riding Lessons
Does Your Horse Remain Focused During Horseback Riding Lessons?
If any of the terminology is hard to understand in this article it is answered and explained in many of the videos in our online horseback riding lessons.
| 07/07/2010 - Horse Video Channels Update!
Good afternoon everyone! We are pleased to announce that we will have 30 short horse training videos on the www.horseback-ridinglessons.com site located in the Colt Starting Channel. In these videos you will learn many Colt Starting and Horse Training techniques that you can implement into your own daily horseback riding lesson. In this series Cody McArthur, Cutting horse trainer, works with a 2 year old filly named Alice. She is a very responsive young horse and a great one to watch as she learns the ropes in the round pen and turns out to be a great student. Watch Cody as he gives a virtual horseback riding and colt starting clinic in this series. Don't miss 'The Trailer Loading' clinic coming very soon!
We also have the Horsemanship Channel. This channel has nearly 30 videos as well. It is a great channel if you are a green horseback rider, a youth or just love doing great exercises with horses. Be sure to plug into that one!
With our Horse Info Channel we will be covering interesting sideline stories such as 'How to Properly Fit and Measure a Horse Blanket' By Nova at Equine Essentials. Another great story we will cover is a series on Bits and Hackamores with Peter Swales. If you have some interesting horse info, stories or products, please drop us a line so we can cover the story for you!
And of course coming within the next week are the two exciting channels 'Working CowHorse, Reining and Cutting' with top horse trainer John Swales and 'The Show Jumping Channel' with Jay Duke!
Until next time this is Cody McArthur blogging for www.horseback-ridinglessons.com
Happy Trails!
| 07/06/2010 - Calgary Stampede
What a great week to kick off www.horseback-ridinglessons.com with the Calgary Stampede just around the corner. With literally dozens of horse related events taking place at Stampede Park we will be sure to cover many off them. The Stampede is a very exciting horse show for many cutting horse enthusiast as it is a huge annual event for them and the National Cutting Horse Association, giving away over $50,000.00 in prizes. It runs July 12th to 15th. Not to mention the Working CowHorse competition is always a crowd favourite running July 16th to 18th at the Stampede. The speed and agility of the working cowhorse combined with the precision training is always a treat to watch. John Swales will be there to defend his title, or shall we say titles as last year he won both the Open Bridle and the Open Hackamore divisions in the working cowhorse at the Stampede. Aside from the cow related events there are many other great events taking place, such as the Calgary Stampede Rodeo, where you can watch world class rope horses, bulldogging horses and bucking horses and not to mention some very speedy barrel racing horses. The Heavy Horse Pull is one of my favourite events to watch, it's an opportunity to see some real horse power, it too runs the 16th to 18th. The team penning is also a huge hit at Stampede Park next week, it also can be a real crowd pleaser as the adrenaline get pumping in both the horses and the riders. Of course, if you are taking the kids out you will want to be there between the 10th and 13th of July for the Canadian National Miniature Horse Show. These little cuties are great to see and fun to watch. We will keep you updated on how the horse events unfold at the Calgary Stampede right here over the next two weeks. We will also be reporting on some of the other equine related events there as well. If you would like more info here is the link to the Calgary Stampedes Agriculture events page. http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events
Be sure to watch for John Swales and his Working CowHorse, Cutting Horse, and Reining Horse Channel starting up this week. It will give you some insight as to how you can win both titles at the Stampede Next year!. Also watch for Jay Duke and his channel launch here at www.horseback-ridinglessons.com where he shows us how to ride and train a world class Show Jumping Horse. I'm hoping we will get to walk the course with him during the North American At Spruce Meadows next week. We of course will film that so you can see just how to walk a World Class Course. It will post on the Show Jumping Channel.
At www.horseback-ridinglessons.com our goal is to provide you with up to date information that pertains to todays equestrians, whether you are competing or just seeking the wonderful companionship of a horse we will do our very best to keep you informed, safe, and in the know on all horse topics! If you have a question about horses or a story you would like to see covered drop us an email at info@horseback-ridinglessons.com. Until next post! Happy Trails!
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