Can anyone recommend any good resources for info on horse training?

[Cara]

I understand your point verthandi. The 4 yr old is basically dangerous for me to handle and is doing nothing for my confidence. From the start he would bite and shove me around, and my husband didn't have the time to help work with him daily so we sent him to a trainer. Before we sent him he could not be caught without being penned then roped, and then would not let you touch him. He was gone for just over 2 months, and he still cannot be caught. He is extremely flighty on the ground, and snorts at pretty much anything he sees. I will not get on him because I don't believe in trying to ride a horse that isn't calm on the ground. My husband is too big to ride him (the horse is 14.1hh and my husband is 6'4, 300lbs) and has a back injury. I've seen him ridden and he will throw his head and run off if you try to stop him even in a snaffle. He's lazy when ridden though. The biggest difficulty is that the horse has no interest in humans, and waits at the end of the pen when fed until you leave. I believe that he spent too long turned out at a stage when he needed human socialization, especially since his sire and siblings have the same tendency but to a lesser extent. As it is right now, I don't want to spend any more money on training, and the only thing that will get him over this is daily work with someone who isn't afraid of him. We're looking carefully for the right home with him where he can fulfill his potential, but he is too much horse for me and won't be any use to my husband.

I agree with participating with a professional trainer. The techniques recommended to me by the trainer we used were not anything I would ever do to a horse though. Hopefully I can get more achieved with the filly as she is much younger, smaller and more social, before resorting to another trainer.

 

[verthandi]

Cara, Two excellent books by Cherry Hill are "The Formative Years" and "Making Not Breaking". She also has a website that has a good training and question and answer section.

I also have a set of John Lyon's magazines. They are for the entire year of 2000. You are welcome to them if they are anything that you might want. Just IM or e-mail me.

 

[Cara]

Thanks, i'd greatly appreciate that. I'll PM you.

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Cara, if you have the RFD channel (I get it with directv) they have some great programs with trainers using natural horsemanship techniques. I like to watch Downunder Horsemanship with Clinton Anderson ( i really love his accent as well

) and Parelli Natural Horsemanship. You can get some great tips and it's definitely cheaper then paying for a trainer.

Good luck!!

 

[Cara]

Funnily enough, we tried to get the 4yr old signed up as a demo horse for a Clinton Anderson clinic, but they won't take horses that exhibit dangerous behaviours. That's how the poor guy ended up with the other trainer.

I like watching those shows. We don't get RFD in our package but my father-in-law does.