Natural Horsemanship

Jonathan Field, horse riding sideways, horse yoga, lateral equine exercises, half pass at trot, lateral equine exercises along fence, lateral equine exercises without fence, lateral equine exercises touching ribs, Jonathan Field Horsemanship

One of the first things I teach all of my horses is to move sideways willingly from the ground and while riding. These lateral exercises are beneficial for every discipline as they teach your horse to become flexible through the hindquarters and shoulders, and more balanced and athletic. Sideways will stretch and strengthen the horse in ways that moving straight will not. It is like yoga for horses!

This article focuses on the very basics of daily care and handling. These are daily rituals that will change the way your horse looks at you and, more importantly, change the way you look at your horse. I picked these specific exercises because they are things that are done every single day.

equitation science, how to horses learn, learning theory horses, tania millen, international society for equine science ises

What is it and how can it help horses and riders? Riders train horses to act in ways they deem positive, whether it’s jumping a jump, walking down a trail, or performing movements in an arena. But to train horses effectively and safely, riders, trainers, and coaches must understand how they learn and react. Over the past 15 years, equine scientists have researched the learning theory of horses — how horses process, retain knowledge, and learn. Equitation science applies this evidence-based learning theory of horses to horse training, and explains horse behaviour based on horses being horses – without attributing human emotions, ways of thinking, or behaviour, to them. It’s a burgeoning field that is changing the way many riders and trainers think and act.

outgrowing your horse, finding perfect horse, Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Pat Parelli, horse buying tips, perfect equine partner

Everyone who owns a horse starts off with a dream of riding off into the sunset with their best friend. A lot of times, we pick our perfect partner, and that dream becomes a reality. Other times, however, we end up picking our perfect poison. The purpose of this article is to help people pick their perfect partner and to provide suggestions for what to do when you outgrow him.

Equine Drive Line, horse drive line, Jonathan Field, anatomy of horse round pen, round pen liberty lesson tips, natural horsemanship

What is the drive line? In this excerpt from my book, I will explore the drive line and how important it is for you to understand where it is on the horse’s anatomy and how the horse responds to it when working at liberty, or when the horse is loose in the round pen.

Build Your Horse’s Confidence with jonathan field, natural horsemanship, exercises with horses, jonathan field dragging a log, horse confidence

Build Your Horse's Confidence - In the previous article Build Your Horse's Confidence Part 1, I demonstrated how to build confidence around a horse’s personal space bubble by dragging a post with my new seven-year-old Canadian Warmblood named Bellagio, or “Geo.”

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Dragging a Log - Helping horses build their confidence in unique ways can prepare them for the unexpected. At any age or with any discipline, I encourage riders to find ways to challenge themselves and their horses by trying new things and teaching them that they can trust you when they feel worried. I see so many horses that are incredibly sheltered by their owners and, as a result, become so fragile that any little thing causes them too much anxiety.

Jonathan Field, comfortable canter, training horse canter, canter length, natural horsemanship

Have you ever watched someone riding along on a nice, relaxed, rocking-horse canter and dreamed of one day having your horse canter like that? It’s happened to me. The image of seeing this “dream canter” for the first time remains clear in my mind to this day.

jonathan field, one rein riding for horses, bridleless, halter riding for horses, natural horsemanship, horse obstacle, bridleless canter for horses, bridleless trot for horses, bridleless walk for horses

One rein riding is simply riding your horse without a bridle, using instead a regular halter and lead, with the lead as your single rein. It’s a simple tack change, but a great way to brush up on the basics with all levels of horses. It will very quickly reveal to you how well started your horse really is.

Jonathan Field, herd bound horse, horse training, natural horsemanship, actively helping your horse become calm and relaxed

There are some important concepts to understand when actively helping your horse to become calm and relaxed under your leadership. To actively change behaviour in your horse is to be a part of the process and requires all of your attention with an attitude of empathy towards what your horse is going through.

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