Top 7 Tricks That Eliminate Bad Horse Behavior!

Time and again, I hear about a horse behaving badly-a horse chases someone around a pasture, it kicks, it bites, it bucks, it won't canter. While all of these issues sound different-they can all be traced right back to one and the same cause. A horse that exhibits bad behavior is more often than not just suffering from what I call alpha horse complex. That is, the owner of the horse has not truly established himself as the leader for the horse. The horse thinks that he is the leader, and all he is doing is behaving like an alpha horse does! The owner calls this bad behavior and feels like he needs to correct it. In truth, what we need to do as horse owners is take a step back and learn how horses think. Then apply our new knowledge to make ourselves the alpha mare or stallion of the herd, rather than letting our horses fill that role. Where to begin? In this article I'm going to mention 7 easy to apply exercises that will help you become a leader for your horse.

1. No more treats for your horses while working

When you are working your horse, do not give him any treats. Period. Giving treats to a prey animal does not reinforce good behavior the way we think it does. Instead, it makes the horse think of you as a cookie factory. This in turn makes the horse want to take advantage of you. So throw away the treats-during training. Give your horse a treat after you've been working with him and you're finished.

2. Do not use treats to catch your horse

All too often horse people want to just grab their horse and go ride. But the truth is you're establishing the bounds of your relationship with your horse the second you walk out to the pasture to get him. Your horse is sizing up your body posture, how you walk, and if you can be intimidated. That is he is seeing who is the leader in this relationship! You cannot bond successfully with a horse that you have to bribe to come into you. Instead of wagging carrots at your horse hoping he will come over, learn to catch your horse using body language horses already know.

3. Lead Your Horse Properly

Where is your horse when you're leading him? Is he in front of you or creeping up on you? If so you aren't leading properly. He is going where he wants to and not really minding you. Take some time to study proper leading of horses. Just by doing some simple leading exercises, you will find your relationship with your horse improves drastically.

4. Do join-up in the round pen

Longeing your horse in the round pen at liberty so that he joins-up or hooks-on with you is a great way to establish yourself as the leader of your horse.

5. Get the Attention of your Horse

If your horse is not focusing two eyes on you, then he is not paying full attention to you. He is looking off with the other eye for threats or maybe things more interesting than you are. To become a leader for your horse, you need to have both eyes.

6. Do backup exercises

The alpha mare or stallion in a herd gets the other horses to move out of the way. We can use this fact to communicate with our horses just by moving them around. A great way to do this is using backing up as a regular part of our groundwork routine. Backup exercises are an excellent way to get a horses attention when he is behaving badly.

7. Look for Precision

When you are communicating effectively with your horse, take things to a new level by looking for precise backups. Instead of asking your horse to back up 10 feet, ask him to backup just a hair. Start with 2 steps and then ask him to stop with a "whoa". When you have that down, ask him to backup a single step. Progress from that so that you can get your horse to shift his muscles backwards without even taking a step. When you establish that kind of precise control with your horse, you are not only communicating with him effectively but also establishing leadership. A horse you can control precisely on the ground is a better riding horse.

That concludes our look at 7 tricks to eliminate bad horse behavior. If your horse is being dominant in any way, apply these 7 steps and build the foundation you need for a successful horse-human relationship.

Read more at http://www.nmhorse.com

Article Source: Ezine Articles Expert Author: David McMahon

• Horseback Riding: How To Canter Or Lope •

The canter is widely regarded as being the most difficult pace for a horse to perform correctly. Before attempting to canter it is strongly advised that one has already mastered walking and trotting, and for the slower paces a smooth control needs to be maintained.

When one learns how to canter well whilst practicing a relaxed posture in the saddle and moving in sync with the slightly rocking motion, the exercise of cantering is a comfortable one. The main challenge is for one to learn how to adjust to the fast three-time beat bounding pace where each stride is followed by a period of suspension when all four feet are in the air at once.

The following steps are a useful guide when learning to canter:

(1) It is important that your horse maintains a smooth trotting action to begin with in preparation to begin cantering; the better trotting technique maintained, the smoother the transition to cantering will be.

(2) It is also important to teach the horse being ridden to strike off on the correct leg. When riding in a straight-line either leg may lead yet when turning or circling the inside pair (both fore and hind legs) must lead in order for the horse to maintain its balance. Care must be taken depending on whether one is cantering to the left or right when determining the best leg to lead off on.

(3) When cantering, first tighten your seat muscles and hold the horse together with legs and hands. Control the horse's direction through flexing with legs. ease your rein to provide freedom of movement.

(4) Maintain a straight, relaxed sitting posture and let your hips go with the horse's movement to allow your seat to remain in the saddle. Ensure that one hand holds a neck-strap or pommel to maximize a safe riding technique.

(5) Continue the cantering by keeping your legs firmly in place. The horse's balance is promoted by keeping his strides short and bouncy.

Effective cantering is best achieved when a smooth, fluid motion is mastered. Reins must never be too long otherwise control of the mount and one's balance may be compromised.

Don't lean too far forward or too far back and ensure that your back remains relaxed and that the seating position is comfortable.

Pace needs to be maintained; going too fast will cause the horse to gallop, too slow and a trotting action will ensue.

A good communication and attaining of the 'entente cordiale' between horse and rider will lead to the smoothest gait.

Happy riding!