ARABIAN HORSES

Compared to other breeds; Arabian horses have a very low tolerance for rough handling - that one day you had a fight with them or you mistreated them, they’ll remember it. They’re not a horse you can miss a step in the training process and do not try to scare them!  The purebreds, especially, are very smart and highly inquisitive. They’re personable and always interested in what you’re up to. They’re bright, happy horses, totally tuned in to people and eager to please” if handled, trained and ridden properly.  Their sensitivity and hotter temperament do require intelligent handling, people get into trouble with Arabians when they interpret the horses’ reactions as not learning as well as, say, a Quarter Horse.  In a lot of cases, it’s true Arabians may take a little longer to train particularly desensitizing to strange objects and sensitizing not to move their feet including speed control.  Most amateurs accustomed to stock breeds may find a Half-Arabian easier to ride in the beginning. Purebreds, often hotter, are a little trickier, as they’re so sensitive to whatever you have going on really it comes down to treating every horse as an individual and finding the approach that works best for each.  

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Where should we Begin?  With an [click to read more] Evaluation! 

Proven experience tells me a proper evaluation with written diagnostic reports is a great method to use whether; starting, doing a refresher, fixing behavior problem, selling or purchasing a horse.  It is differently the best way to get your training off on the right foot or on track immediately.  These are practical reasons for doing the evaluation; however, there are other reasons such as:

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• Proven experience tells me that one generic training plan does not work because general every horse is different.

• Identifying; who the horse is, what it knows, what it offers willingly and what it needs

• The information gathered enables us to develop m [click to read more] Horse Specific Flexible Foundation of Ground/Mounted Training and implementation Plans 

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Training Levels:

• Basic Level 1 - Prepare your horse; Emotionally, Mentally & Physically for work in the saddle.  Learn who your horse is, what it needs, how s/he thinks, learns and how best to communicate with your horse. Gaining some control of your horses five body parts & it’s feet; the head, neck, front shoulders ribcage and hindquarters.  The Foundation of Groundwork and riding exercises give you the confidence to establish the foundation for a safe, respectful and relationship with your horse.

• Intermediate Level 2 – Gaining Respect & Control - Focus on gaining more control of your horse’s body parts & it’s feet on the ground and achieving true lightness, suppleness and collection in the saddle. Learn to soften and supple the horse’s five body parts for improved performance under saddle.

• Advanced Level 3 - Develop timing further and learn to cue your horse to do advanced maneuvers on the ground and under saddle with a light feel and softness.

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Benefits of Foundation of Ground Training

During the Foundation of Ground Training, we join our minds and our horses mind to exercises, maneuvers and cues.  When we transfer what our horse has learned into the saddle, we link our minds and to our horse’s mind using similar exercises, maneuvers and cues.  During the Foundation of Mounted Training, you are going to ask your horse to do the same or similar exercise you taught on the ground and transferring the dues while mounted.  The following are some tips that may help you feel comfortable owning and working with your Arabian or any horse for that matter:

 

Tips owning and working with your horse

• Know how to calm your horse - Calmness is required because a nervous, anxious, or stressed horse cannot perform properly and shows low learning performance. Moreover, in stressful contexts horses may show flight reactions that may damage both horses and riders; conversely, calm subjects can conversely, calm subjects can even calm down other fearful horses with their presence. Also, a calm horse is more open to the relationship with humans.  These findings also seem to suggest that a calm horse could be more open to the relationship with humans.

• Know Who your horse IS, What it knows, What it offers willingly & What it needs - Do a proper evaluation before you start any training. 

• Earn your leadership: Earn your leadership through Trust; do not try to dominate the Arabian.  Learn how to communicate - At the basic level, training is just a matter of finding a common-sense way of explaining to our horse what we want and conditioning them to do it. 

• Learn how horses Learn – Arabian horses are very intelligent and there are a variety of methods and modes of learning. Horses are born to learn, and learn from their first breath to their last. Whenever horses are around humans, they are learning.

• Learn Body Control & being light

• A mundane, repetitive training routine creates boredom so give them lots of variety

• Use reward training such as praise for a job well done provides positive results while punishment does not inspire brilliant performances.  The horse will only do as much as s/he needs to in order to escape the punishment.  

• Teach your horse proper Cues Step by Step - Ask for a try, for a greater try and then ask for more.   Develop proper foundation training plans on the ground and mounted.

• Learn how they communicate because Clear Communication is Key. You need to think about what you're asking them and have clarity in your request-in other words, you need to be a little smarter than your horse!

• Ensure they understand the rules and they are enforced 100% of the time.

• Be confident in your body language. You must be incredibly aware of your body language when working on the ground and/or riding. Arabian horses will sense the smallest of movements so be very clear with your instructions as well a body language 

• Do not micro manage them.  Allow them to make a mistake and then correct them.  If you are going to correct something, make it fast and fair then be done with it.

• Develop and use horse specific training & implementation plans! 

• Be consistent and do not skip any steps in the training

• Establish ground manners for control, safety & respect

• Do not argue with them rather redirect them into an exercise they know and do well

• Never force them to do anything.

• Focus on speed control because they are the "Energizer bunnies" of the equine world

• Don’t scare them

• Do not dominate rather be firm but fair

• Keep their mind active; my experience is they do get bored easily and you

• Keep them focussed especially on you and the exercise; use a variety of exercises to keep it interesting.

• Don’t bore them out of their minds by repeating the same exercise because they will sour quickly and ignore you

• Hang out with them by spending Bonding time such as take them for long walks

• Having an Arabian horse is a big commitment. They need lots of exercise, bonding time and groomed regularly.