Horse Training Program

The Science of Equine Communication

This class taught by national and internationally known professional horse trainer. This is a class that every responsible horse owner and trainer should have in order to put the best foundation on every horse. This type of horse training is the most humane and gentle in the equine industry and takes no back seat to any other training method in the world today.  

In today’s world of the equine industry it is common to find many different trainers with a wide variety of ideas. This course teaches students the importance of communication with the horse and using the horses instinctual behavior, establishing a pecking order and promotes a better and faster way to train the horse. This course also teaches the humane and gentle way of starting and training horses making many of the old training techniques obsolete and out dated.

These classes come highly recommended for those who desire to understand the horse's mind and how to tap into their instinctual behaviors and communications.  Students will learn how to gain trust with equines, an invaluable tool that every equine enthusiast must understand; from the pleasure rider and trainer to the ground handler and stable groom.

 OBJECTIVES
The objective of these courses is to teach students how to start green horses and solve problem horse issues. Although all students will be expected to demonstrate basic skills and training techniques, their assigned mount may determine their maneuver excellence. Students will develop an understanding of the motivation and reaction to stimuli with horse's natural communication, present a realistic basic training approach in which the student learns training aids and techniques, and make the student aware of the bad habits and vices horses can develop, and how to deal with or prevent these habits.

Expected Student Outcomes
Students will be able to:

1. Communicate with horses in their language, verbal and non-verbal
2. Discuss the purpose of the round pen and its importance in training
3. Know the natural instinctual behavior patterns and movements of the horse
4. Establish a pecking order with the horse
5. Build trust and program the horses brain
6. Know if a horse is right handed or left handed
7. Introduce the horse to the bit.
8. Know how to set the horse’s head
9. Know how to sensitize the horse’s mouth for better control
10. Introduce the saddle pad
11. Introduce the saddle
12. Know techniques on how to spook proof the horse
13. Ride the horse for the first time
14. Use riders aids such as legs, hands, crops and spurs
15. Move the horse forward
16. Introduce the horse to other environments

COURSE CONTENT PLAN
Major Topics/Units:

I. Communicating with the horse.
Learn the vocal and sign language of the horse and what they mean. Learn how to communicate back to the horse in their language. Learn how to use these communicating skills while training the horse.

II. Understanding the round pen.
Learn the purpose of the round pen and its importance in training;  the history of the round pen and how they were made and what they were made of.

III. Establishing a pecking order with the horse.
The importance of establishing a pecking order before starting to training the horse. Learn the natural instinctual behavior patterns and movements of the horse. Using the communicating skills and the horses language in establishing the pecking order. Learn how to establishing a pecking the horses way. So easy, even a child can do it!

  IV. Building Trust and Programming the horses brain.
Learn when and where to touch the horse during training by using the horse's natural instinctual behavior to build trust the horse's way. Learn how to program the horse's brain making the training session move more quickly. Work the horse's brain like a computer.

V. Learn if a horse is right handed or left handed.
How to tell if a horse is right handed or left handed in order to balance the horse in the training sessions and for future events.

VI. Introducing the horse to the bit.
Learn about the horses mouth and setting the proper bit. Learn how to put power steering and power brakes on the horse.

VII. Proper head set of the horse.
Learn the proper head set in many disciplines and how to set the horse’s head his way. Learn how to sensitize the horse’s mouth for better control.

VIII. Introducing the pad.
Learn the importance of the pad and the difference in pads. Programming the horse with the pad.

IX. Introducing the saddle.
Programming the saddle to the horse. Learn the proper placement of the saddle and how to keep the horse from spooking or bucking.

X. Kid proofing the horse.
Learn techniques on how to spook proof the horse.

XI. Riding the horse for the first time.
Programming the horse to several different riders. How to ride the horse safely for horse and rider.

XII. Riders aids.
Learn to use riders aids such as legs, hands, crops and spurs.

XIII. Moving the horse forward.
Using the rider's aids to move the horse from the walk into the trot and canter. Learn to move the horse on proper lead.

XIV. Introducing the horse to other environments.
Learn how to work the horse in other arenas, woods, crossing water, work cattle and on city streets.

120 Training Seminar- In this course, students will learn the principles and techniques used in the "Soft Hands" method of training, a system for developing communication and trust between horse and human. Students will shadow an experienced trainer as he takes green horses through basic groundwork, starting under saddle and basic training as calm willing riding horses.

121 Training I- Starting The Horse- This course allows students an opportunity to apply the "Soft Hands" training method with horses that have never been ridden. Students can provide their own untrained horses or work with horses supplied by Forest Hill Farms. (subject to availability) Students will do basic groundwork and round pen work with their horses and start them under saddle. By the end of the course, the horse and rider combination should be able to perform basic arena work at the walk, trot and canter.

Prerequisite: 120 Training Seminar, and completion of 105 Basic Horsemanship and, completion of 106 General Horsemanship and Equitation, simultaneous enrollment in 107 Horsemanship and Equitation or permission of instructor.

122 Training II- Mounted Work- In this course, students learn how to apply the principles of the "Soft Hands" training method to help inexperienced horses become quiet, useful riding horses. Students will learn how to train horses to accept and respond to a variety of rider aids, and how to work horses through adjustments to new and changing environments. Students may work with their own horses or with horses supplied by Forest Hill Farms (subject to availability).

Prerequisite: 121 Training I or 120 Training Seminar and permission of course instructor.

123 Training III- Problem Solving- This course addresses the causes, nature and solutions to common horse training problems. These problems may include, but are not limited to, trouble loading, biting, kicking, poor ground habits, bucking, shying, bolting and refusal to move forward. Students will observe an experienced "Soft Hands" trainer work through problems with horses, design training strategies that could be used to solve such problems, and when safe and available, students work through some of these problems themselves. Students may work with their own horse or with horses provided by Forest Hill Farms (subject to availability). When possible, students in this course may also be able to study training techniques that apply to other equine-species.

Prerequisite: Training II or permission of course instructor.

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Horse Training
The Science of Equine Communication
Horse Training College