Open Minds Horsemanship in Goulburn, New South Wales | Sport & recreation

Open Minds Horsemanship

Locality: Goulburn, New South Wales

Phone: +61 406 905 178

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• Horse trainer

21.01.2022 Lunge: I steer away from rollers or side checking a horse.(whatever you wish to call it) The only mechanical aid I use is headstall and rope .. Teach them to be light and responsive naturally is pretty much common sense when approached correctly. I also don’t use lunging to just have the horse go around in circles..... I use it for judging control, resistance and communication.. Though that is a pretty simplified statement in what I say.. it’s about engaging and seeing how well they are working with me and understanding or resisting and not... See more

21.01.2022 Releasing Anxiety: Every time I work with a horse, I’m continuously watching their anxiety or unease.. When I see their headset become high or higher than a simple attentive state, I won’t ignore it.. I’ll reassure them and have them relax.. A simple exercise and one to consciously incorporate into your interaction or training is as in this example.... Facing at the shoulder place both hands with firm palm contact and move outwards and back to shoulder.. The moment they tip or lowers in the slightest, stop and pause a few seconds 3-4.. then repeat the process again or until they relax or lower their head position.. Be attentive to ensure you don’t miss their releasing or slightest movement lowering.. always accepting less or the slightest with anything will always be more in the bigger picture. I will sometimes just use one hand from the shoulder to the Poll when they respond well to this calming or reassurance.. I’ll talk about the benefit of asking your horse to set their head low and relax in another Open Minds Horsemanship tip..

20.01.2022 David’s analogy here, is a good way to think about when we start out with our horses .. Majority of conversation at some point always comes down to this fact. It’s messy at the start, there’s going to be moments of feeling like you’re making mistakes. And it’s going to be judged by those that can’t see the bigger picture or have knowledge to comment.. ... That bigger picture, being the cake at the end of the process for David’s analogy, for you (us) it’s the foundation and preparation in making a well grounded horse. Bad days are just a part of the process, they’re always going to be there .. it’s how you (we) see the bigger picture and know from bad days come the better ones. Each day and every cake (Horse), we start get better and easier.. It’s the knowing that which will be seen at the end, that makes a point without words.

13.01.2022 Flexion and contact: When i ask how well and light does their horse flex to contact on lead or rein, i tend to find that for the majority they flex or bend with a fair amount of weight. Meaning they bend from pulled around to flex or bend.... The heavier to contact the heavier and more resistance there is with rein. There’s no such thing as hard mouths, just heavy hands. The heavier they become the more they get on their front and cannot use their body correctly. This short clip shows Spiders, first session learning to follow contact and flex/bend. Though the angle doesn’t show it clearly, i don’t bring my hand straight back, my hand goes out and to allow Spider flex his head or bend naturally. Like with anything when you start, always accept the slightest movement or give to pressure and release immediately and build on it. This is where patience is needed, if you don’t want to take your time then your only wasting your time. Remember the turtle wasn’t ever going to win being the fastest. Slow and Steady.. Simple not complicated I could possibly have shortened a little on the length of lead, but I was seeking to demonstrate how light contact or feel should be. And come not from pulling Spiders head around, but feeling the slight shift or movement in the lead rope. This would come through the shift of the lead clip at the headstall. Something for you to ponder is not only how light is your horse, but how much weight or resistance is their in your rein, and then think what pressure or discomfort is the bit causing on their teeth? Light hands make light horses, light horses mean better minds.

02.01.2022 Headset: In the near future I’ll put together a short educational video of how to request your horse to lower their head to halter or bridle. The images you see here are of Spider, a young 2yo Warmblood gelding that had had minimal handling and a defensive high headset default when attempting to halter.. A characteristic which is seen with many horses.... Here you see what consistent, patient training and good communication achieves. It’s not only practical, but the lower their head the more trusting they have to be to do so.. The lower their head the more relaxed they are.. At the end of any session or work you with your horse, always spend the time with their head set low and have them switch off and relax.. Open communication and build your connection.. Open your Mind to the reality they are more than just an animal called Horse