[kmolen2]

I'm sure there are a lot of folks on here who just grew up on a farm, with horses, and it was just part of their upbringing to be around, and train, their horses. I can't tell you how much I wish that had been my upbringing! Unfortunately, it wasn't, and I'm just learning everything I can absorb-- though I feel like a super dry sponge that's only getting little drips of water at a time to soak up.

I want to know more, more, MORE! I'm so excited that someone on here steered me in the direction of training dvd rental places, and I can't wait for them to come and be able to work better with my horse once he gets back this next week...and to work with the trainer at the barn once he has some time!

Anyhow- back to the original question...how did you learn about horses and training- and what do you think the best ways to learn are?

[BNA526]

I wasn't raised on a farm, but my Mom grew up with horses her entire life. All through childhood I dreamed about horses, and when I was little my Dad finally got me lessons, which I am eternally grateful for. That is what started me with horses fourteen years ago.

I took lessons for about a year until my Mom and I bought a horse together (Well, she bought him, I was too young, but we shared ). We both took lessons still weekly, and from there I started showing.

And I've never stopped since. I've been taking lessons from different trainers (Changing as I got older/moved/etc.) and have learned a LOT from that in itself. I've been riding and owning different horses over the years, and have a deal of show experience now in several different aspects.

Several years ago I started riding as almost an "Intern" under my Trainer. I started to ride the 'problem' horses and started to help her with Training. I started teaching lessons to our students, and helping to manage the barn. She taught me how to deal with more issues and how to work with green and/or problem horses. That then escalated to me riding for her all the time and training/teaching.

I now am to the point where I am confident in training a horse, and even bringing up a baby. I've learned a great deal from my Trainers over the years, and have the experience w/ different horses of all kinds of personalities & talents. It is something acquired through hands-on type of training, with the assistance of a professional, until you are comfortable doing the tasks on your own. And the Pro feels you are ready. At least that was how I learned.

Training is not something that you will pick up overnight, it is something you learn how to do. Something that you learn from Instructors and Trainers over the years. It comes from reading books, watching clinics, and picking up every bit of knowledge about horses that you can, whether it is from their movements, to explanations why they do things or how, down to different techniques to accomplish certain maneuvers. It is all about learning how to ask the right question, to achieve the result you are looking for. Learning how to efficiently be able to communicate with horses and be able to read their body language, even in the subtlest form.

I personally have learned a lot from every Trainer I have, and you being an individual will pick and choose techniques you prefer, and ones you don't. There are some things that Trainers in my past have done I don't agree with, but may have taken 'exerts' from and just re-adjusted the 'method' to my own liking.

Hope that helps!

[ColorMyWorld]

I've had actual riding lessons off and on.

I read a ton and of course browse the internet like crazy, etc.

When my mare Holly was started, we took her to a trainer and I went once or twice a week and he taught me a ton about groundwork, backing a horse, and then riding, for 4 months. I learned so much. I've also taken dressage lessons.

I wouldn't start training horses as a living for a long time, but I did train my other horse from birth up (now 5) and want to get a few project ponies in another year or two.

[mustang_dodger]

i read a lot of books, and with the help of an old boss the is a horse trainer. i also went to college, and took a couple horse training classes.

[Taihoa]

I'm very lucky, my mum was a good rider in her own right and got me on horses from day one -although as never one of those pushy mums. I rode because I enjoyed it. From the start I was encouraged to learn for myself, I never had the push button ponys, more the ones that were free-bees cos they should have been dog tuckered! I started getting lessons around 8 years of age once I proved myself as dedicated - all the basics I had thanks to mum. Ever since then I've had lessons sporadically with top trainers (Mark Todd, Bill Noble, Jody Heartstone, Blythe Tait, Matthew Grayling & Malcom Maytom) to help me improve and point me in the right direction. I have worked as a groom and spent time overseas working so picked up alot of different tips and tricks. I don't watch DVDs and the only horse book I have ever read is 'The Truth About Horses'.
Mainly, I have learnt by doing - riding lots of different and varied horses and finding out what works. I don't beleive there are hard and fast rules on how to train or ride a horse - I think they are indiviual like people so don't all learn the same way. While its all good to have a 'plan' you need to be flexible with your time frame and realise that sometimes it doesn't go A B C D ...... Z sometimes its more like A F H B T Z X P

[kmolen2]

Originally Posted by mustang_dodger

i read a lot of books, and with the help of an old boss the is a horse trainer. i also went to college, and took a couple horse training classes.

Just noticing you're in IL- where did you go to school?

[JBandRio]

Nothing beats hands-on experience, I don't care how good a book or video is

How did I learn? Well, let me preface all this by saying there are MANY people out there, more than a few right on this board, who are eons better than I am. But I'd wager the steps they took to get there are roughly the same as mine - they've just had many more horses pass through their hands, and many more human teachers as well.

You start by learning what's correct - learning how to ride correctly, learning how the horse is supposed to respond correctly.

Then you start riding/working with horses who have some trouble spots. Training isn't just about how to get things done correctly, it's also about correcting the horse when they ignore your, or make incorrect guesses, etc.

You ride/work with more horses with more/different issues.

Then you start with horses who are basically nice creatures but just lack training - ie you don't ideally start with rank horses who also have no training.

And it goes on from there. More horses, more different issues.

But in the end, you have to be the one who knows what the correct responses are, and build your repertoire on how to elicit those from the horse.

[farmeress]

Like most...I learned from others.

I was lucky too...I was not limited in my horse experiences.

I learned to drive and handle a heavy team of two/four/eight and how to pull a stump/gravlly from my grandfather.

My one neighbour of my grandfather was a standardbred racing barn that I began grooming at a young age...they knew I could handle a team...so I jogged the racers and learned about trotters/pacer.

That got me into Roadsters....I worked for a friend of my grandfather occasionally and would do shows with him.....I learned alot from someof these old guys.

My grandfathers other neighbour...a high level eventer who kindly gave me lessons since my grandfather lent him farm equipement....it was here I said good bye to showing heavy horses and Roadsters when the two show rings began to collide with each other

From eventing...I moved to jumpers/Dressage...found me a super coaches in these disciplines....and began to train.

I have also taken side saddle lessons and had an endurance mentor when I took up competitive trail riding..

After many years....many lessons/clinics....practise...practise...practising what I was taught by all these wonderful...expereinced people...combining all the knowledge from the different variety of horses in my life from practical hands on experience...I will say...imo...there is no book out there that will replace it.

Seeee...books are great at explaining things to do correctly and how to deal with slight evasions...but they never really get into the real "reality" of handling a horse if something goes wrong...and this is where learning from others becomes invaluable to me.

[meljean]

The first time I was on a horse, I was not even able to sit up by myself, I was around a couple of months old, and my father rode me around.

My father trained, first Tennesse Walkers, or Plantation Horses as used to be called, and then went into American Saddlebreds, he also worked at the King Ranch in Texas, and I never got to ask how a Saddler trainer ended up there for a while, he died of ALS before I could. He was born in 1907, and came up with horses.

And my mother rode to school on son of Rex McDonald, and loved horses too.

But, he loved all horses, and went to the Kentucky Derby, American Royal, Madison Square Garden, World Celebration in TN, Calgary Stampede, Pendleton Days, and anywhere there were good horses, there he was.

Because of him, I knew almost all of the great Saddlebred trainers of MO, the Utz brothers, Art Simmons, Dale Pugh, Jack Baker, Welch Greenwell, and his son Carol, Temple Stephens, Alice Thompson...R.P. Glenn.

I groomed, rode, gave lessons, and everywhere I was, I found someone who knew something I didn't, and I soaked it all in, filing it away. I have never met a true horsemen or women who did not have something I could learn.

And I read, books from the 1800's, all the way to todays books, I talk to the Amish, and have since a child, and everywhere I go I talk to someone about horses.

My father was a man who wasn't a talker, he would say something in a few words, and Dale Pugh was like that too.

Some of the things he taught me when I could still walk under the belly of a horse.

"In a battle of strength with a horse, you're going to lose. You have to outsmart them."

"You can undo in 5 seconds something it took you 5 years to accomplish."

"With horses, you can always escalate the situation if you need to, but you cannot de-escalate it"

"Every horse can teach you something, and every horseman knows something you don't, be quiet and learn it."

"If you come off the horse, get right back on, if you don't, you will never ride again."

"If a horse runs away with you, bring his nose to your knee, with low hands, and circle him, don't set your hands against him, or you can urge him on, shoot the reins, and make him go faster, the horse will get to thinking the running is your idea, and decide it isn't fun if you want to do it."

And from Dale Pugh:

"If you will listen to the horse, the horse will tell you what it wants to be."

And from Temple Stephens:

"I trained World Champions right out there by that lake, it doesn't take a fancy arena, it just takes a lot of good horse, and good riding."

R.P. Glenn:

"Sometimes you just have to wait them out."

I realize how lucky I was, and I am still learning every day, from all of you here, a different way to do something, new facts on feed/diseases, new ideas for everything from horse shampoo to leg wounds, to how to come together to help a woman most of us will never meet in person.

[allison finch]

My first dressage coach was when I was six years old. He was an old "master" from Germany, He taught me so much more than how to ride a horse. He taught me how to think and reason like a horse. He taught me how to help a horse WANT to do something, not how to MAKE him do something. He would make me sit and just watch the horses in the field to digest how they interacted. I was so incredibly lucky to have had him in my life! I pass this love on to all my students as a way of paying him back for the gifts he gave me. If I meet a person who "just wants to learn to win....I hand them off to someone else.