“If you want a truly trained horse, there are 3 things you have to have in equal doses” Clinton Anderson says that his mentor Gorden Mckinly always told him. If you read why, you will understand the reasons behind it.

The 3 things ingredients are like the 3 legs to a stool. A lot of practices out there have the number 3 with them. Religion has the Father, Son, Holy Ghost. Cesar Millan the Dog Whisperer has, exercise, discipline, affection. So it’s not uncommon that in the horse industry there would be a set of 3 to train your horse by.

Wet Saddle Pads

Bring your horse back with them. Work your horse while you out riding them. Again, this is just one piece to the puzzle. Because if all you do is gallop, like race horses, they aren’t getting the other 2 ingredients and if you try to do anything but gallop you will soon see where they fall short in their training. But you don’t want to go on a long ride and just walk. Do a lot of transitions, concentrated training, things to get your horse listening to you better any time that you can.

Long Rides

If you can, ride your horse for some long rides. The only way a horse will get trained is by putting miles under their feet. Getting out there and riding them. You don’t have to go on a 6 hour ride every day, but if you can get out once a week for 2-4 hours that will let the horse move, and make sure you are riding at all gaits. Because if all you do is walk, then you aren’t getting a rounded horse when it comes to trotting and cantering. Let’s say you want to be gone for 2 hours, so it’s not so much distance but the time. Then do an even amount at each gait. You don’t have to do the first 40 minutes at the walk, next 40 trot, and last 40 canter. But mix it up, put all 3 in there for a good time. It will be putting some steady miles on your horse and each time your horse will just come back better and better. But don’t forget the concentrated training while you are out there.

Concentrated Training

Concentrated training is the exercises that include bending, transitions, yielding, moving the horse off your leg, those kinds of things. A lot of people just put their horse on auto pilot when they get on the trail. I don’t like doing that because either something else will move my horse’s feet, or I will, and I’d much rather it be me. I love to do things that I am teaching the horse but out on the trail.

So maybe I just started teaching the horse to back up and stop by 2 reins. I’ll teach and get the concept in a controlled environment, round pen, arena, etc. But then I’ll take them out to the trail and continue with it. So I will walk the horse down the trail 100 feet, stop. Walk off again, stop, back up a little bit. Trot the horse off, stop, back up. Go for a while, then bend them around a couple of circles and go off again. Stop by doing a one rein stop and yielding the hindquarters, then trot off. Maybe do so 2 tracking down the trail. Engage that hindquarters like you would do a lead departure. Do a lead departure a couple of times.

Get your horse interested in what you are doing. Make it fun. If you follow this formula I know you will have great results with your horses and have a horse everyone else will want and look to with respect. This is how I train my horses and they all surprise me each and every time with getting better and better.