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"Training through trust"

    We specialize in Training both horse and rider, English, Western or Dressage. We start young horses the quiet gentle way and believe and teach behavior modification for a trusting horse that will last. In my experience in horse training and competition, I have concluded that there are no problem horses – only uneducated horses (and handlers). Most horses are trainable; they have an inherent desire to please and perform for their handlers, but are usually confused by unclear signals or are locked into undesirable behaviors that were never corrected.

    The most enjoyable horses are those with good manners that have been patiently built through a solid training foundation.

    There are three things that will improve a horse. They are EXPOSURE, EXPOSURE, and EXPOSURE but before you can expose a horse or condition him, he needs to trust you and the people around him.

    Once the foundation is established, the horse becomes a quick, willing student who is eager to learn and wants to please.  In most ways horses are just like people, with different personalities and characteristics. Some learn quicker than others. Our job is to help the horse to stay FOCUSED on the tasks to be learnt.

    Some are physically built to perform some tasks better than others.  Those with conformation that fits a particular discipline may learn more easily than others. But all horses can be enjoyed.  All horses can do arena work and be on the trail in a relaxed manner.  Just like humans, horses are always learning every day, from their mother, from you, and from each other. To understand the horse we must understand his body language, and teach him to trust us.  Horses are not cars, where you turn a key and go.  Just like us they have good days and bad days. If we go on vacation for two weeks, we don’t perform on our first day back like we did just before we left. So why should we expect our horse to be any different when it has been laid up for any length of time in a stall or pasture.

    Most problems come from skipping over the basics of his early education.  You may want to do upper level (Grade 8) work, but the horse is at grade 4. From that you get a confused, nervous horse that resists, through bucking rearing or evading, which are just a few of the symptoms of misbehavior that are the direct result of skipping ahead.

    Whenever I work with a horse we follow the 3 Don’ts -  1. Don’t get yourself hurt, use safe techniques. 2. Don’t let the horse get hurt: training is of little use if your horse is hurt or lame. 3. Don’t stop until the horse is calmer after your work session, and he exhibits signs of comfort and shows he understands the lesson.

    There are three parts of the horse that need to be trained: physical, mental and emotional.  We work with all three.

    If you would like more information about Jim Young’s methods for producing horses with great riding and ground manners, please call or, better yet stop by the Farm and say Hello.

Send mail to info@velvetlane.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Last modified: February 11, 2007