Articles with the Tag Familiarisation

Spirit – Training Video 1

Spirit - Training Video's
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Training Video 1 – Basic Familiarisation & Feel games

Familiarisation = getting Spirit used to things, energy, motion, noise using approach and retreat and not over facing him with stimuli. I want him to be able to become familiar with things and not be frightened or shut down. I’m looking for relaxation when doing this so I will go as gently as he needs but progress when he’s okay about it. This game is the most important one and as relaxation is the goal I will be able can return to it often to reassure Spirit to find that sweet spot regularly when he needs it.

Feel = This is where I ask for specific moves by touching the horse. I work on these to help him understand my riding aids and I want to make sure those are good before I ride him, more so because he will be going bitless so working on a feel from the halter/lead rope is paramount to a good bitless start. These moves are done by pulsing cues between halter/rope and hand on body and I’m looking to move all 4 feet in all 4 directions with equal understanding, lightness and purity as we go along…for now, just one step is good but I will make sure that one step is done well before releasing/rewarding so that Spirit understands.

Process = Play for 7 days in a row to ensure lessons are understood well. Just one step and reward after by a big breath out, release hands on lead rope and horses body to cause a stop, some scratches at his withers which he loves or even just resting next to him. I will give him a BIG reward at the end of each session with some of his favourite pony nuts on the ground just before I rub him and walk off showing the end of the session clearly.

Progress = After working on asking for one step for 7 days I will start to introduce more steps slowly, making sure I use my ‘pulsing cues’, this makes sure I end up with smooth moves and no brace in the horse  (physically, mentally or emotionally / neck,head, body, legs, mind). I will show this progress as we go 🙂

For more on my training you can buy my instructional dvd’s here: https://horsesavvy.co.uk/index.php/shop/

 

Lesson 1 video UPDATE & PROGRESS after working on the basic ABC’s of horsemanship communication.

 

Hope you can see how much Spirit has progressed on the first steps of his journey. Lesson 2 is coming shortly 😉

  • Shelley – HorseSavvy

 

 

Training Tip Video’s: “Inner Core Energy – On/Off”

Training Tip Video's
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Working on the concept that our ‘inner energy’ can connect with our horse, then testing it can be interesting.
 
To be able to use our inner energy to create movement but to then be able to take that away and only have our ‘outer energy’ or movement working and not have movement…how is this possible?
 
For the most part, if the ‘inner and outer energy’ isn’t separated and the horse/human connection isn’t refined and trusting enough, movement of anything to a horse can mean ‘go’. This is because firstly our horses work on learned behaviours and a predator with energy usually means go AND we also haven’t learned to go inside ourselves and learn how to separate our inner intent/focus/energy from our body movements. This can take time but horses understand it very well once they trust that we, as predators, can do it.
 
Being able to switch our ‘inner’ core energy on/off is so integral to being connected to our horse, when on the ground and more importantly when riding.
 
No matter what our body is doing can we ‘switch’ our energy off to create a halt and then bring it back on to create movement?
 

Hope you find this video intersting….can you see how much focus Stormy has on me? he’s watching my ‘inner focus energy’ to see when it comes and goes even though my body is moving the whole time!!

  • Shelley – HorseSavvy

 

 

Training Tip Video: ‘Clipping/Massager Familiarisation’

Training Tip Video's
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Another show of my ‘approach/retreat’ method of familiarising your horse to something that may worry him. The sound of the massager I use is very similar to battery operated clippers although the wind blowing in the clip doesn’t allow you to hear it well. With all familiarisation tasks take the time your horse needs, reward and release for any relaxation (turn off machine, turn away or even reward with treats if you’re working on treat training) and build the amount of time you work slowly. You’re looking for your horse to change from being ‘worried’ to ‘positive tolerance’ and then to ‘acceptance’ if possible.

  • Shelley – HorseSavvy