I agree with you on everything ! I taught my horse to be respectful and I spend a lot of time with him. I do not feed treats, But give him affection and hugs. He runs to me most of thee time when I come to his pen and nickers Whenever I come out to see him. He is now very loving. He is a totally different horse than when I got him!!
I really liked that you stressed that even though you’re enjoying your horse that you’re still in training mode. A lot of people don’t realize that spending quality time doesn’t mean the horse gets to walk all over you! It is important to have space and respect between you and the horse! Thanks for stressing that!!!
Hi Barbara! Thanks for watching and subscribing. If you want help getting your position in the strongest shape to execute your dressage aids, come to my FREE webinar on Rider Position and Biomechanics on June 5th. bit.ly/3sJTa5R You can sign up to get my weekly dressage tips here! bit.ly/3FE0y8c I’m also on FB and IG bit.ly/3M9JCcc & bit.ly/3L8gP6g Also, and this is super helpful too, join Amelia’s Dressage Club on Facebook, it’s a really active and engaged community of riders and no question goes unanswered! bit.ly/38ljQ64 Also, if you love my content, I’d love if you left me a review on google! g.page/r/CYIGmCINXFOQEAo/review And finally, there’s my website! bit.ly/3w6rABY Ok that’s the lot I promise. Have an awesome day! 🐴
Bonding is the best part! It makes riding and training that much better. You don't have to fight them, they trust that you know what you're doing and that you're not going to hurt them. Trust takes time to build, but once it's there and you're consistent then your horse will try new things more readily. I love grooming! On Monday my guy was interested in the dirt road where he's boarded so we went for a walk (on long lines) down the road. He is such a good horse he just looked at a passing car like "oh, that thing" and didn't care! 🥰
Great safety tips we don't always keep in mind. We get distracted both horse and rider. Sometimes getting to comfortable can get us into trouble with our horses. Thanks Amelia
We do all of that but now We do some tricks too. We have a few balls in the yard & I taught him to pick it up & now carry it.. I also use the cones for tricks. i have rings i taught him to take it hole it & drop it on the cone...Its been good bonding with him, bc he doesnt have a good place to scratch. Why i dont know...🤣
It’s so funny how they each have their favorite grooming spots. You mentioned Kensington and others likes to have their chest groomed. You can find a “good spot” just about anywhere on my horse, EXCEPT his chest. He gets visibly irritated and nippy when you do anything on his chest. He’ll put up with having to groom him there (as briefly as possible), but I get the stink eye and head-bobbing every time. I also enjoy picking his paddock. I board and am not required to do it, I just like spending time near him - especially when he comes over to say hello and/or supervise my work!🥰
I love walking with my horse. He enjoys it as well and walks totally relaxed next to me. I groom him first and sometimes we do ground work. He is well behaved and loves all that attention. I think bonding with your horses is very important. I used to ride a very dominant mare. Ground work did the trick and we now have a very special bond. She is 28 and loves ground work.
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage my horse seems to not enjoy grooming as much as other activities and doesn't have a favorite spot to be itched. It's slightly a bummer because those are like my two favorite things but he loves treat tasting. I mean, what horse doesn't?
Perfect timing. I enjoy bonding time as much as riding. We are having 3 days of 90 degree weather plus humidity. No work for us. Yesterday, we had a cool shower, then hand grazing to dry off, then grooming, braiding up his mane to keep cool, and a message. Looks like my plan for the next two days! Those jelly curries are the best, aren't they?
thank you for the ideas - I actually allow my horses to walk around in a safe area - round pen / arena with the halther on so they learn to stand on the lead rope - then any time they do this accidently they don't panic - and just pick up there feet and move off it - they get very relaxed about it.
Amelia your last phrase about clear boundaries very good. When I show good boundaries my chestnut mare is more relaxed. When I am not attentive a sloppy accidents happen.
I’m so glad That I’m doing everything correctly as shown in Amelia’s video .I regularly ask for a nice square Halt sometimes I make a verbal request and sometimes I just stop walking to see if they stay with me.I love to graze my boys in hand but they must not snatch grass before I invite them and need to learn to walk on when asked .Amelia has taught Harvey perfect manners there; I must admit I have two horses who will try and continue eating when I call time but one is on box rest for injury .I guess I will carry on training - Thanks for the video it was great to see you off a horse for a change!
I totally understand your horse should pay attention to you, but why wouldn’t you allow your horse to look around at his surroundings for a few moments. I understand they can spook at things when they are distracted, but it also allows the handler to show the horse that there is nothing to be afraid of, doesn’t it also allow a horse to gain confidence and allow them to think things through? Thanks for any input. 😉
Agree, why can’t my horse look at something in the other direction? Why does he/ she always have to face me? My horses love snacking on the leaves of my trees as I no longer have grass, after my rides! So we relax together in the shade, and trees,they get a change of scenery even tho I have a small place! They do hate to leave tho, so I have to bribe them with a fistful of leaves to go back to their area!
I noticed in many of your videos that you click frequently. I know lots of hunter jumper trainers that CV lick a lot but they're allowed to do that in competition. Every dressage trainer I've worked with warns against clicking to the horse. I'm wondering what your philosophy is on this. I absolutely loved and learned from the rider position challenge @askamelia, even though my 20 yr old horse, Autumn, has had some hoof issues. She was finally 100% sound and is giving me the most beautiful movement again. I credit her therapeutic farrier team Amelia, and the 30 day challenge. I joined Strides to keep going. Thank you all for this wonderful learning option❣
It is a specific click (like clicker training) I have taught my horses as a marker that the behavior they're offering is correct. It is like a reward. It is not for impulsion.
My horses chiropractor gave me a routine of bending before I ride. He made a point of using a cookie as an incentive, but never give the horse the cookie, or you will create a cookie monster. The reward is the stretch and release. True that. (I do indulge him when he's done through, which would have been to the chiropractor's disdain) 😁
Since different people bring different psychological / emotional histories to their relationships with horses it would be interesting to hear more about how this affects bonding.
Two things: 1) how do you PREVENT him from leading you to the grass, 2) once they are on the grass, how do you get them off - mine is very strong and keeps eating. I have to get very forceful, and it seems like I'm not getting my message across.
Very helpful, especially the idea that even though you are bonding, you are also training. I would like to know what to do when your horse does not stop when you stop. How do you correct that? Thanks
I recently made the mistake of walking too close to the horse when leading and he accidentally stepped on my foot, ouch! Totally highlighted again that 99% of the time when the horse does something undesirable it's your own fault lol.
Ooooh! That's so sore! You poor thing! Steel to boots are great for around the yard! Thanks for watching, and don’t forget to subscribe to get notified of my new weekly content!
Also, if you want help getting your position in the strongest shape to execute your dressage aids, come to my FREE webinar on Rider Position and Biomechanics on June 5th. bit.ly/3sJTa5R
I love just spending time with my horse! I am having a problem getting him to stop grazing when I am walking him or when I think it is time to stop. How do I get him to stop grazing? I use a rope halter and bump him with the lead rope - that doesn't work for me. I am considering getting him a muzzle so he can't graze while walking. Thanks Amelia!
Hi Lisa, great question. I'd like to answer it in my upcoming Q&A Livestream as I think other people will appreciate it. Be sure to tune in, it's thursdays at 6pm PST.
Loved your video; very helpful! My new horse is spooked by his new environment, so I am working on some of these kinds of activities. One question - I see you have a rope halter when you are walking him. Is this for better control? Hope to send a video soon and thank you for this!
Hi Sara, Good question. I use a rope halter because it's easier to give clearier cues than with a leather or nylon halter. It's also usually a closer/better fit to their face.
The time preparing the horse for a ride can be used as ground work, lots of room for bonding there - also room for mistakes not being mindful. As Amelia said, You're always training your horse. The horse is always listening to you no matter if you think that you are "speaking". Matching steps while walking with a horse can be interesting too, some horses notice that immediately and give a positive response. Perhaps that's herd behavior?
Thanks! I like your videos and your horse too 😄. The chest spot you mentioned, it's interesting that some people say that spot is sexually sensitive areas and could make him hot, is that right?😅😂
Keeping your older horse active for as long as possible will definitely help them stay fit and healthy into their later years. I would stay in touch with your vet as to how much and what types of exercises are okay for your horse to be doing. Here is a video with a few walk exercises that might help: amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/walk-exercises-you-can-do/
Have you got any advice for beginners? I grew up around horses, but I don’t have much experience riding/leading, or even more on the bonding side. I want to get more familiar with horses, though.
That's unfortunate to hear, grooming is a natural behavior for horses with herd mates. Perhaps there is an underlining problem like ulcers or saddle pain. Hope you can find other ways to enjoy time and bond with your horse!
First at all thanks you so much for many of yours videos. I have a question for you. My Morgan like to eat grass. Sometimes she drag me. Now when I wake with her I make her stop and I tell her OK and at the same time I direct the leash toward the ground . Is it Ok ? Another question : when she drag me to the grass, even if I sake the leash she ignore me. Is it a good idea to use me steak by hitting the ground to get her attention?
Hi Suzanne, Great question. It's all about setting boundaries and keeping them. So as long as you're consistant, she'll have an easier time understanding you. Hope that helps a little :)
Hi Amelia. Kevin Ann here. Just watched this three times. I do these activties with my horse Stormy. But he is very food driven and still pretty green. Once he sees grass or hay he just goes there. He is quite large and I cannot figure out how to stop this behavior. I now sweep the cross tie areas before I bring him there as if he sees hay he just takes over. And if he sees grass he drags me to grass. I have gotten to the point where when I am leading him back to pasture I constantly tell him no and click at him so he does not try and go for the grass along the way. But the other day he saw hay by his cross ties and dragged me over there. I had to wait till he stopped eating which is obviously not correct. Should I start to take a whip with me, he responds to that more than my lead rope? Thanks.
Hey Kevin, sorry to hear that you're having difficulty. I go into detail about this in my groundwork course, but essentially you need to train the halt or stop cue in a more controlled environment first and then introduce a grazing 'cue' to prevent him from having confusion of when it's time to graze or not!
Malcom, I give a gentle tug downward, and as soon as he responds, I release. Repeat until they understand. Don't overdo it, just practice a little every day. My horse is 17.2 and this was his favorite method to avoid bits, brushes, ears, etc., because apparently it worked for him before I got him. Now, it only takes a gentle tug and down he goes. Good luck!
Bobbi said it well. You can also place a hand on their poll and apply gentle pressure and release at the slighest give down. The most important thing is that you keep your head out of the way, and always release the pressure at the slightest try.
That's a very good question, but it kind of goes into more detail than I can answer in a reply. I'm doing a free rider position webinar coming up, I think you would enjoy that: bit.ly/3LqMFLX
Join our Facebook Group!
I agree with you on everything ! I taught my horse to be respectful and I spend a lot of time with him. I do not feed treats, But give him affection and hugs. He runs to me most of thee time when I come to his pen and nickers Whenever I come out to see him. He is now very loving. He is a totally different horse than when I got him!!
I really liked that you stressed that even though you’re enjoying your horse that you’re still in training mode. A lot of people don’t realize that spending quality time doesn’t mean the horse gets to walk all over you! It is important to have space and respect between you and the horse! Thanks for stressing that!!!
Hi Barbara! Thanks for watching and subscribing. If you want help getting your position in the strongest shape to execute your dressage aids, come to my FREE webinar on Rider Position and Biomechanics on June 5th.
bit.ly/3sJTa5R
You can sign up to get my weekly dressage tips here!
bit.ly/3FE0y8c
I’m also on FB and IG
bit.ly/3M9JCcc
& bit.ly/3L8gP6g
Also, and this is super helpful too, join Amelia’s Dressage Club on Facebook, it’s a really active and engaged community of riders and no question goes unanswered!
bit.ly/38ljQ64
Also, if you love my content, I’d love if you left me a review on google!
g.page/r/CYIGmCINXFOQEAo/review
And finally, there’s my website!
bit.ly/3w6rABY
Ok that’s the lot I promise. Have an awesome day! 🐴
Bonding is the best part! It makes riding and training that much better. You don't have to fight them, they trust that you know what you're doing and that you're not going to hurt them. Trust takes time to build, but once it's there and you're consistent then your horse will try new things more readily.
I love grooming! On Monday my guy was interested in the dirt road where he's boarded so we went for a walk (on long lines) down the road. He is such a good horse he just looked at a passing car like "oh, that thing" and didn't care! 🥰
Great safety tips we don't always keep in mind. We get distracted both horse and rider. Sometimes getting to comfortable can get us into trouble with our horses. Thanks Amelia
Yes! For sure!!
We do all of that but now We do some tricks too. We have a few balls in the yard & I taught him to pick it up & now carry it.. I also use the cones for tricks. i have rings i taught him to take it hole it & drop it on the cone...Its been good bonding with him, bc he doesnt have a good place to scratch. Why i dont know...🤣
I found it important to be clear that the horse should always respect you. 🙂❣👏
It’s so funny how they each have their favorite grooming spots. You mentioned Kensington and others likes to have their chest groomed. You can find a “good spot” just about anywhere on my horse, EXCEPT his chest. He gets visibly irritated and nippy when you do anything on his chest. He’ll put up with having to groom him there (as briefly as possible), but I get the stink eye and head-bobbing every time. I also enjoy picking his paddock. I board and am not required to do it, I just like spending time near him - especially when he comes over to say hello and/or supervise my work!🥰
Ahhhhh, so far I’m doing it correctly. ❤
I love walking with my horse. He enjoys it as well and walks totally relaxed next to me. I groom him first and sometimes we do ground work. He is well behaved and loves all that attention. I think bonding with your horses is very important. I used to ride a very dominant mare. Ground work did the trick and we now have a very special bond. She is 28 and loves ground work.
Hi Dagmar, that's a lovely success story about bonding. Thank you for sharing.
It’s my favorite part of being with my horse! Riding is great but I love grooming and hand walking more❤️
Grooming is so much fun.
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage my horse seems to not enjoy grooming as much as other activities and doesn't have a favorite spot to be itched. It's slightly a bummer because those are like my two favorite things but he loves treat tasting. I mean, what horse doesn't?
Perfect timing. I enjoy bonding time as much as riding. We are having 3 days of 90 degree weather plus humidity. No work for us. Yesterday, we had a cool shower, then hand grazing to dry off, then grooming, braiding up his mane to keep cool, and a message. Looks like my plan for the next two days! Those jelly curries are the best, aren't they?
90 degrees! Nice and hot! And yes- I love the jelly curries too :)
thank you for the ideas - I actually allow my horses to walk around in a safe area - round pen / arena with the halther on so they learn to stand on the lead rope - then any time they do this accidently they don't panic - and just pick up there feet and move off it - they get very relaxed about it.
I’m doing a webinar on Rider Position. Click here to save your seat: www.amelianewcombdressage.com/rider-position-webinar-june-2022
Amelia your last phrase about clear boundaries very good. When I show good boundaries my chestnut mare is more relaxed. When I am not attentive a sloppy accidents happen.
Exactly!!
I’m so glad That I’m doing everything correctly as shown in Amelia’s video .I regularly ask for a nice square Halt sometimes I make a verbal request and sometimes I just stop walking to see if they stay with me.I love to graze my boys in hand but they must not snatch grass before I invite them and need to learn to walk on when asked .Amelia has taught Harvey perfect manners there; I must admit I have two horses who will try and continue eating when I call time but one is on box rest for injury .I guess I will carry on training -
Thanks for the video it was great to see you off a horse for a change!
I'm glad you enjoyed the video and yes- training is a continual progress. For all of us!
I totally understand your horse should pay attention to you, but why wouldn’t you allow your horse to look around at his surroundings for a few moments. I understand they can spook at things when they are distracted, but it also allows the handler to show the horse that there is nothing to be afraid of, doesn’t it also allow a horse to gain confidence and allow them to think things through? Thanks for any input. 😉
Agree, why can’t my horse look at something in the other direction? Why does he/ she always have to face me? My horses love snacking on the leaves of my trees as I no longer have grass, after my rides! So we relax together in the shade, and trees,they get a change of scenery even tho I have a small place! They do hate to leave tho, so I have to bribe them with a fistful of leaves to go back to their area!
This was very helpful. I've been doing fairly well but needed more ways to insure respect in a kind way. Thank you.
I am currently nursing a broken arm and cannot ride for now. I am so happy to see this video. I have been doing this with my mare. It is quality time.
Oh no! I'm sorry to hear that- but I'm glad you enjoyed the video and are getting some quality bonding time with your mare.
I noticed in many of your videos that you click frequently. I know lots of hunter jumper trainers that CV lick a lot but they're allowed to do that in competition.
Every dressage trainer I've worked with warns against clicking to the horse.
I'm wondering what your philosophy is on this.
I absolutely loved and learned from the rider position challenge @askamelia, even though my 20 yr old horse, Autumn, has had some hoof issues.
She was finally 100% sound and is giving me the most beautiful movement again. I credit her therapeutic farrier team Amelia, and the 30 day challenge. I joined Strides to keep going. Thank you all for this wonderful learning option❣
It is a specific click (like clicker training) I have taught my horses as a marker that the behavior they're offering is correct. It is like a reward. It is not for impulsion.
I love this video. Inspiring me to be the best leader I can while loving and caring for my horse. Thank you , Amelia !
That's so kind of you to say. Thank you.
I love to give my horse post work out stretches and massages. It has really strengthened my bond with my younger horse, and he really enjoys it too ♥️
Me too! It's so nice for their muscles.
My horses chiropractor gave me a routine of bending before I ride. He made a point of using a cookie as an incentive, but never give the horse the cookie, or you will create a cookie monster. The reward is the stretch and release. True that. (I do indulge him when he's done through, which would have been to the chiropractor's disdain) 😁
Thanks for sharing!!
Since different people bring different psychological / emotional histories to their relationships with horses it would be interesting to hear more about how this affects bonding.
That's a really good idea!
Two things: 1) how do you PREVENT him from leading you to the grass, 2) once they are on the grass, how do you get them off - mine is very strong and keeps eating. I have to get very forceful, and it seems like I'm not getting my message across.
Try to be quicker and sharper with your corrections. That will help 😀
Your horse is beautiful. What breed is he and how many hands is your four footed friend? Thank you for the great video shares!
Very helpful, especially the idea that even though you are bonding, you are also training. I would like to know what to do when your horse does not stop when you stop. How do you correct that? Thanks
Hi Zoe,
Here is a video that might be helpful: ua-cam.com/video/yf8XdkyG-7k/v-deo.html
Learning exactly what you are sharing and it is very rewarding for me. Thankyou💖
Yay!! Wonderful!
Loved the video! Thanks Amelia 💛
I recently made the mistake of walking too close to the horse when leading and he accidentally stepped on my foot, ouch! Totally highlighted again that 99% of the time when the horse does something undesirable it's your own fault lol.
Ooooh! That's so sore! You poor thing! Steel to boots are great for around the yard! Thanks for watching, and don’t forget to subscribe to get notified of my new weekly content!
Also, if you want help getting your position in the strongest shape to execute your dressage aids, come to my FREE webinar on Rider Position and Biomechanics on June 5th.
bit.ly/3sJTa5R
@@AmeliaNewcombDressage self promotion to a non-question genius 😂
I aspire to have my horses' toplines look like Kensington's!
I love just spending time with my horse! I am having a problem getting him to stop grazing when I am walking him or when I think it is time to stop. How do I get him to stop grazing? I use a rope halter and bump him with the lead rope - that doesn't work for me. I am considering getting him a muzzle so he can't graze while walking. Thanks Amelia!
Hi Lisa, great question. I'd like to answer it in my upcoming Q&A Livestream as I think other people will appreciate it. Be sure to tune in, it's thursdays at 6pm PST.
Loved your video; very helpful! My new horse is spooked by his new environment, so I am working on some of these kinds of activities. One question - I see you have a rope halter when you are walking him. Is this for better control? Hope to send a video soon and thank you for this!
Hi Sara, Good question. I use a rope halter because it's easier to give clearier cues than with a leather or nylon halter. It's also usually a closer/better fit to their face.
The time preparing the horse for a ride can be used as ground work, lots of room for bonding there - also room for mistakes not being mindful. As Amelia said, You're always training your horse. The horse is always listening to you no matter if you think that you are "speaking". Matching steps while walking with a horse can be interesting too, some horses notice that immediately and give a positive response. Perhaps that's herd behavior?
I'm such an advocate for ground work! I think it provides a great foundation. So many don't know how to listen to their horse's body language.
Thanks! I like your videos and your horse too 😄. The chest spot you mentioned, it's interesting that some people say that spot is sexually sensitive areas and could make him hot, is that right?😅😂
Any tip for keeping the older horse going
Keeping your older horse active for as long as possible will definitely help them stay fit and healthy into their later years. I would stay in touch with your vet as to how much and what types of exercises are okay for your horse to be doing. Here is a video with a few walk exercises that might help: amelianewcombdressage.com/dressage-training/walk-exercises-you-can-do/
Have you got any advice for beginners? I grew up around horses, but I don’t have much experience riding/leading, or even more on the bonding side. I want to get more familiar with horses, though.
Please take a look at my groundwork course! It is important to understand horse's body language to know what they're trying to tell you!
Oh lucky you, my mare hates being groomed.😢
That's unfortunate to hear, grooming is a natural behavior for horses with herd mates. Perhaps there is an underlining problem like ulcers or saddle pain. Hope you can find other ways to enjoy time and bond with your horse!
First at all thanks you so much for many of yours videos. I have a question for you. My Morgan like to eat grass. Sometimes she drag me. Now when I wake with her I make her stop and I tell her OK and at the same time I direct the leash toward the ground . Is it Ok ? Another question : when she drag me to the grass, even if I sake the leash she ignore me. Is it a good idea to use me steak by hitting the ground to get her attention?
Hi Suzanne,
Great question. It's all about setting boundaries and keeping them. So as long as you're consistant, she'll have an easier time understanding you. Hope that helps a little :)
Hi Amelia. Kevin Ann here. Just watched this three times. I do these activties with my horse Stormy. But he is very food driven and still pretty green. Once he sees grass or hay he just goes there. He is quite large and I cannot figure out how to stop this behavior. I now sweep the cross tie areas before I bring him there as if he sees hay he just takes over. And if he sees grass he drags me to grass. I have gotten to the point where when I am leading him back to pasture I constantly tell him no and click at him so he does not try and go for the grass along the way. But the other day he saw hay by his cross ties and dragged me over there. I had to wait till he stopped eating which is obviously not correct.
Should I start to take a whip with me, he responds to that more than my lead rope? Thanks.
Hey Kevin, sorry to hear that you're having difficulty. I go into detail about this in my groundwork course, but essentially you need to train the halt or stop cue in a more controlled environment first and then introduce a grazing 'cue' to prevent him from having confusion of when it's time to graze or not!
How do you encourage them to keep their face down?
Malcom, I give a gentle tug downward, and as soon as he responds, I release. Repeat until they understand. Don't overdo it, just practice a little every day. My horse is 17.2 and this was his favorite method to avoid bits, brushes, ears, etc., because apparently it worked for him before I got him. Now, it only takes a gentle tug and down he goes. Good luck!
Bobbi said it well. You can also place a hand on their poll and apply gentle pressure and release at the slighest give down. The most important thing is that you keep your head out of the way, and always release the pressure at the slightest try.
How to make heels down while posting trot and also not to swing leg while tickling ….
That's a very good question, but it kind of goes into more detail than I can answer in a reply. I'm doing a free rider position webinar coming up, I think you would enjoy that: bit.ly/3LqMFLX
What breed is that horse Kensington?
He's a KWPN :)