Horse
Problem - Kids & Horses - What's the best way to get kids off
to a good start with new horse?
REPLY: Thanks for writing. Congratulations! How exciting
for your daughter and for you, too! I really enjoyed sharing that
journey with my own daughter, Alisha, when she was around
that age (she's grown now - time flies!). You are creating memories there that will
last a lifetime, so your focus is going to want to be on making
them the most positive memories you can - and keep her
the safest she can be in the process.
My
daughter Alisha
(at 10) & her
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- I just wanted to share the above photos of my daughter having fun with her horse, and mine, as a youngster, right around your daughter's age. I've got some ideas that I feel will get your daughter - and you - started on the right track there with her new first horse. I would suggest applying horse whispering/natural horsemanship training techniques in a very clear step by step program, which you can learn more about in my DVD set, the Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System, and you can order that here: CLICK HERE
- After watching the videos, and after learning and applying the methods, you, as the horse's primary teacher will have taught the horse:
- How to be bonded to you more deeply so that he trusts you to the max and he will be far more willing to do whatever you ask, even when he is in doubt;
- That you both have a "bonding place" (a "safety zone") to come back to always, from then on, if he's ever upset or afraid, on the ground (or later, in the saddle); we plant a one-rein stop in the foundation of every horse, on the ground first, so that in the saddle, it is automatic. This keeps you safer and the horse more rational, and feeling supported, bonded, connected more deeply emotionally to you.
- How to relax him when he is tense about something before he is called upon to react negatively.
- How to have him yield easily, in any direction when asked -- he'll learn how to yield properly to pressure to receive the release of pressure. All horses learn from the release of pressure what it is you want, not from the pressure itself;
- How to progress bonding to even deeper levels to the point of downright intimacy; makes a horse feel like he never had it so good being with his owner!
- How to move him from the rear, and him learning to do that rationally, which is so important to teach a horse to do before you ever ride them, and which you'll be using for a lot of other things like trailer loading, going in and out of a gate, into a stall, and so many other places/situations; this also teaches a horse that you are in charge of their feet.
- How to address effectively any fears (and his reactions to them) that you flush out in his behavior at any given time; my program focuses greatly on finding the fears before they find you and fixing them -- safely on the ground first! Even lay folks can do this. It's all about: safety. This then builds a far more rational, confident, happy horse, because, in essence, you have effectively raised his "fear/anxiety bar." And you will have taught him simultaneously in the process, how to turn to you for nurturance support when/if he is ever afraid or upset.
- How to do all this first on the ground, then later in the saddle, in that order.
- How to keep you safe and the horse safe at all times, throughout all of this --- always my biggest training focus.
This video set will help you to lay down an even stronger, more solid and trusting foundation under your horse there that will then serve you well, tremendously, actually, when you do step up into the saddle. By the time you complete the steps, you will have a transformed horse. The final steps are in the saddle and those exercises will more deeply plant into your horse's foundation the one-rein stop/the "safety zone," and more, that will turn him into a far, far more rational, trusting, happier -- and safer -- horse in saddle as well.- And you can do this yourself if you just back up and learn a few things yourself there. This video set will get you there the fastest with your horse, which is why I'm recommending this route. It's designed for anyone on any level, horse or human, to get professional trainer-like results.
- And incidentally...my Whispering Way Complete Training Package contains all my videos and training tools that you need to train or retrain your horse yourself the natural horsemanship Whispering Way. You can check out/order the Whispering Way Complete Training Package on my web site here: CLICK HERE
- I'm a very strong believer that every horse owner is their horse's primary teacher/trainer whether they realize it or not. Every time you are with your horse, he is learning something. You just want to make sure he's learning what you want him to learn, not what you don't want him to learn! Natural horsemanship training techniques are gentle, effective, and powerful. Works with every horse every time!
- But it's real important to back up and break down all teaching steps in a way that you are releasing baby-gives, allowing the horse to feel the release for the right answers incrementally, so that they learn that's really what you want.
- I just wanted to share the above photos of my daughter having fun with her horse, and mine, as a youngster, right around your daughter's age. I've got some ideas that I feel will get your daughter - and you - started on the right track there with her new first horse. I would suggest applying horse whispering/natural horsemanship training techniques in a very clear step by step program, which you can learn more about in my DVD set, the Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System, and you can order that here: CLICK HERE
There are a few videos that I also think your daughter (and even you) might enjoy, because they're catered to children (but enjoyable even to adults) who are new to the world of horses. These I think she will like -- some were my daughter's favorites at that age (click for more information/ordering)
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I also have compiled a comprehensive list of "Horse Books for Kids" and have that up on my web site here if you'd like to check that out:
http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingBooksChildrensBooks.html
Another section you might check out on my site is my list of "General Horse Care" books:
http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingBooksGen.HorseCare.html
One last link on my site that I think might help you both there -- to learn a little more about natural horsemanship and prey animal (horse) psychology in general -- my "What is Natural Horsemanship?" link here:
http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/WhatIsNH.html
There's a printer-friendly pdf version at the top of that "What is NH?" section, if you want to print it out and read it together as an introduction to Natural Horsemanship. Maybe make a craft project and let your daughter make her own little book from that - feel free!
I hope all this helps, and let me know if I can be of any further help to you there. Good luck to you guys! Have fun! Stay safe! And thanks again for writing.
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