A well trained horse is not a fixed asset. Your investment in training will only be secured if you can maintain or improve that level of training with a firm understanding of what your horse knows, how to ask for it, and how to effectively thwart off unwanted behaviors. At Next Level HorsemanshipTM we encourage people to become involved in their horse’s training by inviting them to watch, participate at a level that is comfortable for them, and providing them with training materials such as our Foundations: From the Ground Up DVDs to ensure that they can continue the Program well beyond when they take their horses home. Ultimately it is up to the owner to ensure the success of training beyond the trainer’s barn so here are a few NLHTM Cue Tips to help you out: Always review with your trainer what your horse has been taught. Watch your horse in training and at some point take lessons on your horse so that you know how to ask him to perform the maneuvers he’s been taught. Become a better rider for your horse. When your horse comes home from training, make sure that you are ready to take the […]

NLH Cue Tip: Secure Your Investment in Training Next Level Horsemanship.

Horses are unpredictable at times and sometimes when you’re riding things don’t always go as planned.  Good training and mileage will minimize the likelihood of mishaps and that should be your first line of defense against cantankerous behavior or spooking episodes on the trail.  The more you ride and the better you train, the more likely you are to have a horse that is predictable and closer to the ideal of “bombproof”. If something does go wrong you need a plan to recover-an effective technique that quickly puts you and your horse back on track, without injury.  The best approach is the “one rein half-halt”.  It’s really a cousin to the one-rein stop and the half-halt. Like the one rein stop, the one rein half-halt uses one rein to divert the horse’s motion from forward to forward and around, a direction that puts you in the driver’s seat without getting the horse off balance.  Like the half halt, this technique slows the progression of forward motion and compresses the horse’s frame just enough for you to regain control. By pulling the horse around in a circle in one direction or the other you channel the forward motion energy of unwanted […]

How Do You Handle Hanky Panky? Next Level Horsemanship.

Have you ever seen a pull-toy?  I think we all have and likely remember them from our childhood.  They are usually very simple, make some noise or are somewhat flashy by design and can be quite captivating to watch.   When I was a child I remember playing with these and my overstuffed animals for hours but I also remember just sort of dragging them along mindlessly while focused on other tasks.  It was easy to cling to them and still move about. I’ve come to realize that too many people view horses as “pull-toys”.  And too many people have problems because of it.  They erroneously learn to rely on their hands instead of their seat and legs to ride and as a result instill many problems into their horses.  One of my biggest mentors, Ron Johnson, always told me, horses are not pull-toys, they’re “push-toys”.  What he means by that is that you don’t pull horses where you want them to go, you must always push them there.  Drive them there with your seat and legs, using your hands only as a guide.  This is tried and true horsemanship theory and has truly been one of the best pieces […]

Push-Don’t Pull Next Level Horsemanship.

Do you feel like you have the versatility and flexibility that you’re looking for with the horse you have now?  You can by making a few changes in your training program.  At Next Level HorsemanshipTM we build the Foundation, from the Ground Up.  It’s important that horses have a strong Foundation in training before being asked to perform beyond their capabilities. Then they will be prepared to succeed in any discipline. Think of training horses as an inverted pyramid.  For a horse to be well trained and versatile the bulk of the area of the pyramid should be filled with solid principles of training based on good horsemanship theory, no matter what discipline you want to pursue.  At the bottom are the basic elements of training that have to be there for any horse understand the Partnership that’s about to unfold with people.  As you move up the inverted pyramid it becomes filled with the basic and more intermediate and advanced elements of training that all horses need to Perform in any discipline.  Finally, at the very top and widest portion of the inverted pyramid we can fine tune or finesse the maneuvers for specific disciplines.  This is where all […]

Cross Training Improves Your Horse Next Level Horsemanship.

Dory Dory is a 6 year old warm blood mare that came to NLHTM in November of 2010 for training after her frustrated owner spent more than a year with other trainers, and with lessons trying to improve her training to no avail. “My horse wasn’t moving off my leg, she wasn’t engaged with the bit, she was stiff and temperamental. Although I was jumping her, it felt more like luck than ability. There was something missing and I needed help,” explained Dory’s owner. After the first 7 weeks of training at NLHTM, Dory’s owner was amazed with the results of her training. Dory was then forward, balanced, flexible, obedient and much more pleasant to be around. During this training, we not only taught Dory the Foundations series for success in her advanced training, but we also taught Dory to lay down and hobble, techniques that highly contributed to her very noticeable change in personality and more willing Partnership with her owner. Other aspects of her training included trail riding, something she had not been privy to before. After seeing the change in Dory initially, her owner decided to keep Dory in training for more advanced maneuvers and was excited […]

Trainer Spotlight:Dory Next Level Horsemanship.

Teach Your Horse To Hobble: At Next Level HorsemanshipTM we teach our horses to hobble because it is an extremely valuable technique for teaching patience, to give to pressure around their feet which could save them from injury, and to stand and ground tie quietly. But more importantly, hobbling horses can increase the efficiency of your training program, and effectively save your horse’s life and you from the potential for serious injury. Aside from the obvious fact that hobbling will teach a horse to submit to pressure and restraint about his legs, hobbling is also an effective way to teach them to think before they react. Restraint is not a bad thing for horses; much like we teach dogs to submit to pressure around their neck by way of collar and leash training, so to we can teach horses to accept restraint about their legs. In doing so, we teach them patience and submissiveness, attributes which ultimately translate into confidence and maturity in their training and overall persona. But for horses that are highly reactive and perhaps carry emotional baggage, hobbling can be a lifesaver for both the horse and rider. When we gentle wild mustangs, train pushy or over […]

NLH-Cue Tip: Teach Your Horse to Hobble Next Level Horsemanship.

What Makes a Well Trained Horse? Someone asked me once, “What makes a well trained horse?” The question is definitely an interesting one. People aspire to do many different things with their horses and so the answer to the question may be different depending on who you ask. But for me, the answer is clear. Every well trained horse exemplifies a number of characteristics that parlay them to the top of the class to be role modes for all others. At Next Level HorsemanshipTM, there are the core characteristics that we use in the NLHTM Training Program regardless of discipline to ultimately produce the BEST results for a lifetime of Partnership, Performance and Possibilities for you and your horse. Read more online on page 14…

Articles: April, Midwest Equine Online Next Level Horsemanship.

If you’re looking for a better Partnership AND greater Performance from your horse, then you should concentrate on fine tuning and finessing the groundwork in his training program.  The Foundation in groundwork cannot be overlooked if you want more out of your relationship with your horse.  And, if you’re looking to excel in any discipline, you will need to concentrate on making sure your horse has no holes in his Foundation training.  This may sound like an obvious statement, but in fact, too many people overlook the basics when it comes to training their horse. Build the Foundation of groundwork in your training program and you will marvel at how easy it becomes to accelerate your horse’s training for specific disciplines which require higher level maneuvers.  Without the Foundations, your horse is not prepared to succeed in other areas of riding.  When training for specific maneuvers we often say that we want to ‘set our horses up for success’ by making the teaching of that maneuver easy for him to understand.  But, why not do that for him throughout the entire training program?  When you build a Foundation of ground work, you are developing a pattern of learning for your […]

NLH Cue Tip-Finesse Your Horse’s Groundwork Next Level Horsemanship.

Getting out of the arena and onto the trail is a great way to continue the training on your horse.  Many of the things that you teach your horse inside the arena can also be taught on the trail such as softening and suppleness to contact with the bit, yielding  and forward motion exercises.  But some things can ONLY be taught on the trail and many flaws or holes in your training program are discovered there which will inform you of what you need to work on in future training sessions.  You really don’t know what you have until you unleash it on the trail. At Next Level HorsemanshipTM, we do much of our training on the trail.  Many of our training sessions combine ring work with trail work which adds value to the training because the horse is getting a real life education in addition to his academic training. And by training on the trail, the lessons that the horse learns are not soon forgotten.   Most of all, getting your horse out on the trail for training gives him a reason to do what he has been taught to do inside.  This makes him a more willing partner […]

NLH Cue-Tips: Training on the Trail Next Level Horsemanship.

“Winter Blues Got You Down?” I was watching the morning news the other day and I heard the anchor person declare that ‘today’ was the ‘saddest day of the year’.  Evidently June 17th is the happiest day of the year.  Really?  I want to know who gets paid to make such assessments and better yet, why?  I’ll be my own judge of when and where my emotions flare thank you very much!  With that said, I will admit that this time of year can be a bit frustrating with the lack of abundant sunshine, more than our share of snow, ice and bitter winds and the need to muster up more than the usual amount of energy just to get outside and be productive.  Sometimes the winter doldrums do creep in, and combined with the let down from the rush of the holiday season, can leave us with a feeling of stagnation and perhaps a few extra pounds around the waist. The BEST way to fix that is to get back in the groove and start Equi-cising with your horse…. read the full article on Midwest Equine Online at http://issuu.com/midwestequineonline/docs/february_2011

Articles-February, Midwest Equine Online Next Level Horsemanship.