halter breaking and breaking

TheNaturalWay · 08-06-2003, 08:45 AM

hey all, me an dmy friend are breaking in a couple of older foapls, could you give me some tips..x

Open_the_Gait · 08-06-2003, 11:28 AM

hey! i hope to be a horse trainer, and these are the most basic tips i can give you:

when you find a problem of misunderstanding between you and your horse, stop and think the way a horse would. what do they want? probably at first they wont really care an ounce about what you want. i dont like using treats or grain as a reward or bribe. and i believe a horse doesnt understand punishments, but they do understand cause and effect . just apply these ideas and it will help alot in your training

for example if you are just breaking the horse and trying to teach them to turn with a bit but they dont know yet so they toss their head or pull against you. stop and think what the horse wants. (no more pressure on his mouth) so in order to get rid of it he trys a lot of things which to us seem like bad behavior. the horse should already know from leading that if i pull you come, if i push you go and dont push back. (which by the way is the exact opposite of their instincts) so as you sit there (and you can do this on the ground too, not just in the saddle) just keep light steady pressure on the rein, and hold it. maybe the horse will try to pull the other way (dont let go) he will realize "hmm that doesnt help, what else can i try?" eventually he will try giving towards the pressure or even lean his weight in the direction you want. then the important part comes... Dont Ask For More! just let go right away so he thinks "yay! no more pressure!" if you pull more he will think if he tries to turn it just makes it worse and then he wont want to turn. wait a bit and ask again for him to turn he'll think "oh man that wierd new feeling is back how did i get rid of it last time?" hopefully he will try turning sooner than he did before then release the pressure and he will begin to understand "if i turn i dont feel that!"
but dont think it will always go that fast

ok thats just one way to use those ideas.
just remember the basics for every bit of training (catching, trailering and even teaching tricks), and in normal cases it will work well.
Dont take my word for it

horse_crazy · 08-06-2003, 03:18 PM

dont work out of anger..take as much time you need to get the horse responding! do some repetition....but switch exercises! good luck!

RubySlipper · 08-06-2003, 03:58 PM

Horses do understand punishment but there is the "5 second" rule. You have to punish them instantly otherwise they don't understand what you are punishing them for. If a horse tries to bite or kick you especially a young one you better "kill it for 5 seconds" and than its over. this must happen imediatly after the bad behavior other wise the young horse is not going to understand. Also never hit a horse in the face. And when I say "kill" I doen't mean that literally you need to punish the horse.

TheNaturalWay · 08-07-2003, 11:22 AM

tnx guys

horse_crazy · 08-07-2003, 02:59 PM

we use the 3 second rule...not 5! the faster we can correct a horse the better!

Open_the_Gait · 08-07-2003, 08:25 PM

i only meant to say that horses dont understand punishment as a way of training them.
of course if they do something that can become a dangerous habit, they need to know Right Away that that is Not a good idea

BJ · 08-08-2003, 12:14 PM

Your question is way too vague, you should ask something when you have a problem, if you don't know how to ride a horse up, please don't do it then. You need supervision.

ironbark · 08-09-2003, 04:28 AM

I have used punishment when training horses and regreted it only because there are better ways of gaining the outcome. Horses, in my opinion do, better with trust and clear guidance and there is a difference between punishment as a concept and correction of some undesirable behaviour as an act. Horses dont punish each other, small and all as their brains are, they have social constructs that they understand with very subtle inferences. A palm of the hand is as bad as it should get, dont yell. As far as training is concerned I dont do repetitive activity. Two days on two weeks off, for youngsters, they will remember.

TheNaturalWay · 08-10-2003, 12:39 PM

well, i do not how to break in a horse, i just wanted some tips..every1 needs tips, no one knows everything about horses

08-06-2003, 08:45 AM	#1
TheNaturalWay Full Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: cornwall Posts: 272	halter breaking and breaking hey all, me an dmy friend are breaking in a couple of older foapls, could you give me some tips..x

08-06-2003, 11:28 AM	#2
Open_the_Gait Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Way Up Nort' Posts: 404	hey! i hope to be a horse trainer, and these are the most basic tips i can give you: when you find a problem of misunderstanding between you and your horse, stop and think the way a horse would. what do they want? probably at first they wont really care an ounce about what you want. i dont like using treats or grain as a reward or bribe. and i believe a horse doesnt understand punishments, but they do understand cause and effect . just apply these ideas and it will help alot in your training for example if you are just breaking the horse and trying to teach them to turn with a bit but they dont know yet so they toss their head or pull against you. stop and think what the horse wants. (no more pressure on his mouth) so in order to get rid of it he trys a lot of things which to us seem like bad behavior. the horse should already know from leading that if i pull you come, if i push you go and dont push back. (which by the way is the exact opposite of their instincts) so as you sit there (and you can do this on the ground too, not just in the saddle) just keep light steady pressure on the rein, and hold it. maybe the horse will try to pull the other way (dont let go) he will realize "hmm that doesnt help, what else can i try?" eventually he will try giving towards the pressure or even lean his weight in the direction you want. then the important part comes... Dont Ask For More! just let go right away so he thinks "yay! no more pressure!" if you pull more he will think if he tries to turn it just makes it worse and then he wont want to turn. wait a bit and ask again for him to turn he'll think "oh man that wierd new feeling is back how did i get rid of it last time?" hopefully he will try turning sooner than he did before then release the pressure and he will begin to understand "if i turn i dont feel that!" but dont think it will always go that fast ok thats just one way to use those ideas. just remember the basics for every bit of training (catching, trailering and even teaching tricks), and in normal cases it will work well. Dont take my word for it __________________ As far as I can tell, there are only two breeds of horse in this world; one of them is the Rocky Mountain!

08-07-2003, 08:25 PM	#7
Open_the_Gait Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Way Up Nort' Posts: 404	i only meant to say that horses dont understand punishment as a way of training them. of course if they do something that can become a dangerous habit, they need to know Right Away that that is Not a good idea __________________ As far as I can tell, there are only two breeds of horse in this world; one of them is the Rocky Mountain!

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08-06-2003, 03:18 PM	#3
horse_crazy Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,067	dont work out of anger..take as much time you need to get the horse responding! do some repetition....but switch exercises! good luck!

08-06-2003, 03:58 PM	#4
RubySlipper Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 566	Horses do understand punishment but there is the "5 second" rule. You have to punish them instantly otherwise they don't understand what you are punishing them for. If a horse tries to bite or kick you especially a young one you better "kill it for 5 seconds" and than its over. this must happen imediatly after the bad behavior other wise the young horse is not going to understand. Also never hit a horse in the face. And when I say "kill" I doen't mean that literally you need to punish the horse.

08-07-2003, 11:22 AM	#5
TheNaturalWay Full Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: cornwall Posts: 272	tnx guys

08-07-2003, 02:59 PM	#6
horse_crazy Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 1,067	we use the 3 second rule...not 5! the faster we can correct a horse the better!

08-08-2003, 12:14 PM	#8
BJ Banned Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 97	Your question is way too vague, you should ask something when you have a problem, if you don't know how to ride a horse up, please don't do it then. You need supervision.

08-09-2003, 04:28 AM	#9
ironbark Full Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: australia Posts: 51	I have used punishment when training horses and regreted it only because there are better ways of gaining the outcome. Horses, in my opinion do, better with trust and clear guidance and there is a difference between punishment as a concept and correction of some undesirable behaviour as an act. Horses dont punish each other, small and all as their brains are, they have social constructs that they understand with very subtle inferences. A palm of the hand is as bad as it should get, dont yell. As far as training is concerned I dont do repetitive activity. Two days on two weeks off, for youngsters, they will remember.

08-10-2003, 12:39 PM	#10
TheNaturalWay Full Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: cornwall Posts: 272	well, i do not how to break in a horse, i just wanted some tips..every1 needs tips, no one knows everything about horses