true to your horse horsemanship

The reason behind flexing the neck.

DL — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:55:18 +0200

This something I had a conversation on the other night on the phone.It came about because I went to look at a horse sure it bend when asked but it truly wasnt soft.The reason I say that is because as soon as I let him have his head he jerked back straight.
When I bend my horses I want them to get to the point when I bend them they keep it even if I am not holding there mouth. If they do that it tells me the horse I am on is truly relaxed. I am not teaching them to turn by doing so, I want the think that when I touch their mouth it is a clue for them to relaxed.
What people dont realize we steer our horse with their shoulders. Not the nose, heck they can bend their neck and still go straight but if you get them to follow their shoulder they have to go that way.
With alot of the stuff that is getting shown something is getting lost. Well in reality not even said , I have listen and I have yet to hear some one say that the bending exercise's will teach a horse to relax and really get into the theory behind it
If you get a horse to truly relax thru the neck the rest of them will be also.I have shown it time and time again.
The bottom line if you are doing the bending exercise follow thru with it until the hold it until told different.

Theory's about horses

DL — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 11:30:40 +0100

There is so many theory's out there, which sould be addressed.
One is the a horses brain isnt connected from one side to the other. Well that is where people should do more checking. There is a number of studys out there now that shows that is not so. This what I notice thru the years and handling a lot of horses. Yes it seems that when you go to teach a horse from the other side it seems you have to teach it all over again. But I notice it never takes as long on the other side ,so that is telling me something is getting thru the over side of the brain. The best way to explain it like this, you write right handed ok if you try to write left you cant do it. But you still know how to so the knowledge is there.
Number two horses dont see in color, well with the new studies out they do see certain colors.They see colors about llike a person who is colored blind does.
Number three, The saying no such thing as a bad horse just bad handling. Well I beg to differ on that, ok that is like saying there are no bad people out there. Some horses are just born mean and it doesnt have anything to do with how they are handle. Now yes we can get them where we can handle them . But are never safe,in the old days they would be put down . But now with it being called in humane , people have the mind set well they look good and they are good on the track or the show ring so we just breed them. So you end up passing that trait on ,there is one certain blood line of TB's out there who is prone to be mean...I wont even allow them on the properity any more. Yes I can get them where I can handle them but you a,lways have to be on your toes.
The bottom line is that just because some says what you want to hear doesnt make it so.Plus just because someone has national attention doesnt make everything they say right. Just remember there is a lot of info out there but like eveything some is good and some is just to sell a book .

Round pens

DL — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 19:13:03 +0100

I have been in horses for over forty years now. Remember a time where we didnt know what a round pen was. Started a many horses with out the use of one. Now we might of used a small pen but I cant recall a round one.
It seems at the start of people using them or should I say over use them. It was like a whole new idea when in reality it isnt. I was reading a book that was put in print in the early nineteen hundreds. Well they suggested if you had a problem horse put them in the corn crip and run the horse around until it was so tired it lowered it head. First off notice the term ,they didnt say until you joined up with it and hit lowered its head they said tired it out....Which is more of the truth behind the matter.
What I have notice is that people are relying on them to much. They get a horse to the point they have to run them around before riding.Their excuse they want to make sure they get the buck out.Well people if you have a good foundation from day one you dont have to let them run around and play first.Heck you are teaching them they can play first then go to work. When it should be the other way around,play after work and yes my horses do get to play and be a horse.
I use a round pen more for safety than any thing or might run a horse around when I am getting it use to the saddle and things hitting them on the sides. BUT I will not do it to get the buck out, you are teaching a horse it gets buck first.
Also with some horses you will teach them that they get to run around before being caught or if a horse is nervouse I have seen running around can make the problem worse.
Had to trim one my horses the other day and it has been a real long time since I rode it. When I say long I mean long time, trimmed her up and saddle her and went to work no buck no nothing and this was a Arab. Have a young girl named Emi who is studiing under me and she was saying from the start how calm the horse is. Like I said this is a Arab who is to comman believe should be hot. But like everything else it goes back to foundation and breeding.
Like I said I just climbed on her and went to work and it was like it was yesterday that I rode her instead of a long time.No I doesnt have a lot of saddle miles on her either.The way I start my personal horses I put a few rides on them a two or three year old and turn them back out. They get older I finish them off and when I start them again I just climb on them and get right back to work.
So personaly if you have to let your horse buck before riding it isnt a horse problem it is more a person problem that created a horse problem. Plus it isnt be fair to the horse ,where is the true leadership in that . It all goes back to be true to the horse and yourself.

Round pens

DL — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 19:12:32 +0100

I have been in horses for over forty years now. Remember a time where we didnt know what a round pen was. Started a many horses with out the use of one. Now we might of used a small pen but I cant recall a round one.
It seems at the start of people using them or should I say over use them. It was like a whole new idea when in reality it isnt. I was reading a book that was put in print in the early nineteen hundreds. Well they suggested if you hard a problem horse put in the corn crip and run it around until it was so tired it lowered it head. First off notice the term ,they didnt say until you joined up with it and hit lowered its head they said tired it out....Which is more of the truth behind the matter.
What I have notice is that people are relying on them to much. They get a horse to the point they have to run them around before riding.Their excuse they want to make sure they get the buck out.Well people if you have a good foundation from day one you dont have to let them run around and play first.Heck you are teaching them they can play first then go to work. When it should be the other way around,play after work and yes my horses do get to play and be a horse.
I use a round pen more for safety than any thing or might run a horse around when I am getting it use to the saddle and things hitting them on the sides. BUT I will not do it to get the buck out, you are teaching a horse it gets buck first.
Also with some horses you will teach them that they get to run around before being caught or if a horse is nervouse I have seen running around can make the problem worse.
Had to trim one my horses the other day and it has been a real long time since I rode it. When I say long I mean long, trimmed her up and saddle her up and went to work no buck no nothing and this was a Arab. Have a young girl named Emi who is studiing under me and she was saying from the start how calm the horse is. Like I said this is a Arab who is to comman believe should be hot. But like everything else it goes back to foundation and breeding.
Like I said I just climbed on her and went to work and it was like it was yesterday that I rode her instead of a long time.No I doesnt have a lot of saddle miles on her either.The way I start my personal horses I put a few rides on them a two or three year old and turn them back out. They get older I finish them off and when I start them again I just climb on them and get right back to work.
So personaly if you have to let your horse buck before riding it isnt a horse problem it is more a person problem that created a horse problem. Plus it isnt be fair to the horse ,where is the true leadership in that . It all goes back to be true to the horse and yourself.

Foundation

DL — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:42:32 +0100

I was thinking today about foundation on horses. As
we all know you have to have a good foundation on a
horse to have a safe horse for one and a well trained
horse.
Here is a example you work on a stop one day and the
horse seems to get it so you dont work on it any more
well one day you will be on a trail and have to stop
your horse and it doesnt stop.You think to yourself
well what happened it stopped that one day.Well there
was no foundation on it.
Live is the same you have to have a foundation on
everything,your kids,job and even relationships.
If you dont it all will fall apart one day . That is
the long and short of it.But in all things it seems
everyone is in a hurry.
A good example had a horse here that had tons of
problems now this horse need heavy six months of
training to get past them .Of course the owner didnt
want to spend that kind of money and I understand
that. So I showed him what to do of course I am sure
he didnt go like I told him and got in a hurry when he
got the horse home.
But with horse the foundation wasnt good at the
beginning some one hurried him.
So instead of getting a hurry just slow down . Build
that foundation and live will be so much better
. So that is my thought for tonight
take care
David Lee Archer
www. davidleearcher.com

Bracey horses

DL — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 10:40:05 +0100

I had a experance a while with a horse that was taught to be bracey. The thing is some pretty much messed a horse ,it will take a long time to get him completely over it . I am sure the owner wont finish putting the time in to get him going.
This is how it started from day one someone who started the horse undersaddle but a wire snaffle bit ,draw reins and running martingale on him....... In stead of teaching to give the bit softly ,people dont want to take the time to do that. But in reality does take long at all and the end result you are ahead of the game.
What ends up happening with a horse like this the braceyness shows up in other places. The horse never learned to relax with a person.
I dont even get on a horse until I see there whole body is soft. Then when I do get on them for the first ride all I do is sit there and get them soft to the bit and relax if you want to walk off I let them.The nice thing about doing this way when I do ask the horse to move are have someone else ask him to move . If I have do a one rein stop or something like that they dont panic because they are soft in the neck and know what a bit is.
With so muchi nfo out there now ,there is no need to get a horse that bracey. It just takes a little prep work to get them truly soft in their body and to the bit.
If you dont know how to see the softness horse,there is nothing wrong with getting help .None of us know it all it is a journey all the time.
All of this goes back to "True to your horse horsemanship" . If you approach ever horse and be true to them and talk load and clear to them what you are asking just about any problem will go away in time
take care
David Lee Archer

What is " True to your horse horsemanship

DL — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:52:01 +0200

It is pretty simple really, treat each horse with respect and expect the same from them . The same I do with people, plus it is all with working with a horse relaxed. It isnt about running a horse hard in a round pen,plus get people to be honest with themselves.Know you and your horse limits,if you have a problem dont be afraid to admit you are over your head.
To many times with problem horses people think you can fix the problem fast. That isnt the case sometimes,I have some horses that takes a long time to get over a problem and not just in a few months.
Also with "True to your horsemanship" you dont make a cutter out of a jumper . You try to find the horses true talent ,but the main thing is have fun with your horse and realize we all are going to make mistakes.Plus take responsablity for your horse and dont push it on others.