Natural Horse Company

Clicker train shoulder-in

This video is another excerpt from a clicker training demo I did, showing the progression of shoulder-in from teaching it in-hand in walk and trot to performing it ridden. Clicker training creates a horse that is amazingly soft and light, while moving forward correctly and willingly.

Toby is 20 years old and for him to be moving this way is incredible! For the first time in our 13 years together he is truly moving properly, with the back lifted and free, soft through his head and neck without tension in his body. Teaching this with the clicker has helped him hugely, as he has long term physical problems causing stiffness and unevenness in his hind quarters. Not any more!

This is also supported by the work I've been doing with James Shaw, ensuring that I am balanced and free in my back so Toby can continue moving in this way while ridden, without being blocked by the rider. 

This means Toby and I have years left of riding together, which is great! At least I think it is. Toby is naturally inclined to do very little, so would quite like to retire to mind his herd, I think! The clicker training and Tai Chi riding have meant he is much more eager than ever before to work, though, and he has been thoroughly enjoying his gymnastic jumping workshops recently!

Hannah

Backing a young horse with Clicker Training

This video, from the demo at Jodhpurs riding school, shows saddling and mounting a young horse using clicker training. The clicker demos last week went really well and Toby and India were both brilliant. Thank you to everybody who attended them!

India is my 3yo warmblood and I've taught her everything with clicker training, from leading nicely, standing for the hoof trimmer to stopping her spooking and being great loading and saddling. This was only her fourth outing, and I put it down to clicker training that she is so calm and able to cope in new situations. For those of you who attended the demo at Stannington, which was the first demo we did, she kept herself calm despite the newness of the situation. She was full to the brim of new experiences but she didn't spook or misbehave at all which, at 3, is all I can ask of her. 

By the time we went to Jodhpurs, she was thoroughly enjoying herself, marching straight into the horse box the moment I opened it and saying hello to everyone during the interval (She doesn't like chocolate but is quite interested in tea). She also met herself in a mirror for the first time which was lovely to watch, especially when she pranced back to me with her tail in the air!

Toby was super too, watch this space for an excerpt of his beautiful performance, showing lift and collection, shoulder-in ridden and in-hand, collected and extended trot at liberty and more. All using positive reinforcement only!

Hannah

White christmas and an equine ski lift!

The snow here at Masham has been a mixed blessing. We had a lovely white christmas and have been thoroughly enjoying playing in it, skiing and sledging down the yard on boxing day, making snowmen, feeding horses and riding when we can. 

Take a look at this video to see Toby acting as an equine ski lift while I went snowboarding down our field! I wasn't going any where fast but it was a lot of fun anyway!

I've also had the time to get some clicker training in and taken some gorgeous photos of the horses and dogs in the snow as well as the gingerbread house I created for christmas! Check them out here.

The only problem with the snow has been getting in and out. The roads to the farm haven't been gritted at all and are very hilly so we've not been able to get the big van out or the small van to within about a mile of the farm. This has obviously affected feed deliveries but we're doing our best to get feed out now that the snow is starting to melt a little. Just give us a ring if you have any queries.

Hannah

Clicker Training and Equine Touch in Portugal

I've just returned from a week in sunny Portugal where I was working as an Equine Touch Practitioner and teaching clicker training.

A big thank you to Sophie who organised my trip and for putting me up in her wonderful yurt at her lovely organic smallholding, www.portugalsmallholding.org. She also organised an Equine Touch demo and took me to visit various equines in need of some healing, including one horse who had fallen through a wooden floor, a lovely rescued mule and a lusitano stallion with a bad back. Everybody was very friendly and enthusiastic, and now want to learn some Equine Touch for themselves, bringing ET to portugal.

Sandra was my host in Lisbon, based at her livery yard and riding school, www.centrohipico.pt. The clicker training workshop went really well, leaving them inspired to teach their horses new things in a postive and fun way. Equine Touch meant I met more wonderful horses there, my favourite being Anke, a lovely dressage mare.

Click here to see the photos!

Hannah