Written by Martin Black This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.21 Getting a horse to stop isn’t only necessary in most riding disciplines but is also a safety precaution at some point for most all riders if things ever get out of control. If a horse doesn’t understand to stop, it can be difficult […]
Written by Martin Black In general, this is probably the most misidentified problem horsemen on varying levels deal with. The big problem for the horse is, many of the handlers are unaware and want to “discipline” the horse for not performing to their expectations. If the person is open-minded enough to consider where the horse […]
Written by Martin Black People often try to explain a horse’s actions by comparing and rationalizing them to how a person thinks. Though I exclude myself as an expert on horses, I have had the opportunity to observe their behavior and believe there is some definite difference in the characteristics of horses and humans. I […]
This article first appeared in Eclectic Horseman No.20 Think of the big picture and what it is you are trying to achieve and what kind of steps you may take to reach your goals. If every ride could be a positive step in the direction you want and you can keep building on each step, […]
Written by Martin Black This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.17 The horse’s self-preservation instinctively tells him to get away whenever he is unsure of humans. Once he gets confidant that we are not going to jeopardize his well-being he can be drawn to us. At first this will be out of curiosity and […]
Written by Martin Black This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.15 When a horse learns some basic principles, he doesn’t need to be limited to only one discipline of cow work. Like a person learning different games with a ball, the horse can learn to play different games with a cow. Like an all-around […]
Written by Martin Black This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.14 Being able to open a gate from your horse can be very useful and perhaps necessary for some who have trouble getting off and on their horse. For those riders that may have trouble, breaking the exercise down into separate components may […]