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Paso llano, Overreach, Sobreandando, Lift,
Huachano, Termino, Paso Trote, Paso Fino,
Trocha, Paso Largo, Pisos, Paso Corto, Thread
Session #2 Horse Handling-Horse Sense™ -- The Basic Building
Blocks of Horsemanship.
Setting Training Goals and Objectives:
“Don’t play "not to lose" — play to win; know
your outcome before you begin!”
Don
West
1. Create a vision. 2. Formulate a plan.
3.Take it step by step, one step at a time.
Start with first things first. Evaluate your progress
as you go.
If something isn't working — back up a few steps and try something else.
" It’s better to do too little than too
much! Always quit while you are ahead. End each session on a good note.
Celebrate your successes. Contemplate your failures.” Don
West
Don’s Seven C's of Horsemanship:
1.Comfort, 2.Capitulation, 3.Confidence, 4.Cooperation,
5.Coordination, 6.Conditioning, 7.Collection
A comfortable horse is a happy horse,
and a happy horse makes for a happy rider!” Don
West
Session #3: Catching, haltering, and grooming
“Every time you touch your horse — you teach your horse.”
Don West
Catching and haltering
Tying up your horse.
Grooming: "No hoof...no horse! Start from the
ground up!
Hoof handling and examination: Cleaning, Trimming,
Shoeing
Daily grooming
Clipper work
Back Palpation and Evaluation
Horse Health Basics: things
every horse owner should know how to do
Pulse and respiration, Taking Temperature,
Giving shots, Worming,
Record keeping
Session #4
Halter work and Ground training: learners
get your horses!
"Learn to use finesse — instead of force...
patience and perseverance — instead of pain and punishment.”
Don West
Learning the technique of "take, tug, and
release" on the lead line.
Getting started with young horses
Working along the rail: (Putting a WHOA! on your
horse). Have them work at your shoulder
Lounging and working on the pole
Respect and presentation
Conformation
Session #5:
Handling the Reins — Hands On Learning
"If your a rider, your a trainer. Every time you rein
your horse — you train your horse." Don
West
Using the "take, tug, and release" technique
in bosal, four reins, and "straight up"
in the bit.
Session #6 Saddle Fit Clinic
“At the heart of every good saddle is a good fitting
saddle tree. A comfortable saddle makes for a comfortable horse. A
comfortable horse is a happy horse, and a happy horse makes for a happy
rider" D.W.
How should a saddle fit?
How does saddle fit effect equitation?
How about: South American saddles?
McClellan, Western, English, Australian?
What’s the right saddle for today’s naturally
gaited pleasure-trail horse and rider?
Tack:
"To ride a horse well you have to have good
tack (and tact)". D.W.
Halters and lead ropes
Bosal: What kind? Why? How long do I use it?
Head stalls (or bridles) and reins
Cinches and breast collars
Cruppers
Four reins: How? Why? For how long?
In the bit: Is all this stuff really necessary? You
bet!
Session #7:
"Horse Handling-Horse Sense"™—
and "Synergistic, Synchronistic Riding".
Saddle Up! Let’s
Ride!
Saddling your horse
Have your horse stand still as you mount.
Whole body riding:
How to: Stop, Go,
Speedup, Slowdown, Backup,
Turn on forehand
Turn on hindquarters, Side pass,
Lock in gait, Control speed
Develop thread, Changing speed at
walk and at gait, Changing leads
Achieve collection
"Your job isn't to make each horse the
best,... it's to
make the best of each horse." Don
West
Riding in balance and harmony, with touch
and timing.
"A horse is always getting heavier or lighter.
The
light horse is the right horse. Light hands make a light/right horse"
Don
West
Reins (fingers, hands, shoulders, elbows),
Seat, Balance, Weight change
Leg aids, Setting the gait
(GO SLOW...it's time well spent!)
Bosal horses: (Starting young horses under
saddle)
“Reward good behavior — ignore bad behavior!”
Don West
Riding precise patterns to improve the
natural gait and collection
Four reins: (An easy transition)
In the bit: (Developing the fine-tuned
horse)
Remember a horse is always getting lighter
or heavier.
The light horse is the right horse! Go
Right - Go Light
“Luxury-Pleasure” riding (The Rolls
Royce of Riding Horses).
An Easy-Rider on an Easy-Riding Horse; one that's
“beautiful to behold, smooth to
ride, & easy to handle.” Don
West
Individual riding evaluations
Follow me! Games on Horseback.
Grand finale: “The Champagne Class"
followed by a
Champagne Party!!!
Books autographed by Don West
Adios amigos and Happy Trails!
How
To Host A Weekend Workshop
Most people interested in being
a workshop host are asking me:
-
How does it work?
-
What does it cost?
First, the workshop host lines up eight to
twelve rider/learners, and arranges for a facility. I usually fly in
on a Thursday, and spend Friday getting acquainted with the facility.
Sometimes I do a Friday evening demonstration/clinic called An Evening With
Don West, Training For Trail Riding, the Basic Building Blocks of
"Horse Handling- Horse Sense". This is a one and a half to two
hour performance, open to the general public.
We start each day's workshop
around 9:00 am. We take about an
hour and a half off for lunch, and end up around 4:30. We sometimes do a trail ride on Sunday
morning, instead of a workshop session, to accommodate those who want to
attend church. Unless I'm booked for private or semi-private
sessions on Monday,
I usually fly home on Sunday night. I make the
arrangements privately with the host for my fee payment, plus room,
board, and transportation. The host secures and pays for the facility,
and collects the amount being charged to the
participants and the auditors.
I
require a non-refundable deposit of $500.00 to
book a date. I'll bring some samples of my Have Saddle-Will Travel products
(see my web site www.havesaddlewilltravel.com).
The host gets 10% commission on everything that sells
during the Weekend Workshop.
If you are interested in being
a sponsor/organizer/
host for one of my Evening With Don West seminars
and/or an Easy Rider Paso and Gaited Horse Weekend
Workshop, e-mail
donwest@wic.net
or maria@wic.net
or call me personally at 970-858-7739.
Happy trails, Don West
Dear Weekend Workshop participants,
A heart felt “howdy”
from wild and wonderful Western Colorado. First and foremost let me
thank you once again for attending one of my Training for
Trail Riding, Paso and Naturally Gaited Horse, Easy Rider
Weekend Workshops. I also want to give a tip of my big
black sombrero to my hosts and hostess', for having the
get-up and gumption to pull the clinics (and you) all
together. I sincerely hope that as you look back on the
time we spent together you’ll find that you took away a
few key concepts and training tips that will help you
build a synergistic-synchronistic relationship with your
horse; one in which you and your horse are working in
balance and harmony, and where you are the benevolent
master, and your horse is your willing servant. May you
dance down the trail to the syncopated rhythm of those
paca paca hoof beats… totally tuned in, together!
Remember, a comfortable horse is a
happy horse, and a happy horse makes for a happy rider.
Knowing its place in the pecking order makes a
horse comfortable. Not
knowing who is in charge makes a horse uncomfortable.
Therefore, you must establish, and maintain, a
relationship in which the horse recognizes you as above it
on the pecking order…in other words, in charge.
Still, you want the horse to be your friend, so,
whenever possible, use finesse instead of force and
patience and perseverance instead of pain and punishment
while working your Horse Handling- Horse Sense magic.
Remember, if you’re a rider,
you’re a trainer. Every time you touch your horse –
you teach your horse. Every time you rein your horse –
you train your horse.
With horses, repetition is the mother of skill, but
only if it is right repetition. You are (supposed to be)
the brains. Your
horse is the brawn. You can learn to think like a horse,
but a horse can’t learn to think like you. Your job (as
a rider-trainer) isn’t to make your horse the best –
it’s to make the best of your horse.
The right horse is the light horse.
Light hands make a light horse. Start with whatever force
it takes to get the horse to give to your aids: your
hands, seat, legs, balance (weight), and voice. Then, as
the horse responds, back
off, and use less and less pressure. That is the horse's
reward for good behavior! Neither you nor your horse can learn when you are scared,
nervous, or angry. So, keep your horse comfortable. As
much as possible, reward
good behavior – ignore “bad” behavior. Keep your
training sessions short. It’s better to do too little
than too much. Never get into a fight with your horse that
you can’t win. And always end each session on a good
note!
If you will follow these
few simple rules you will become a "horseman". Remember my definition of success:
" You don’t get hurt, your horse doesn’t get hurt,
and you’re having fun!" The real joy of riding comes when your
having fun, and your horse is having fun too! So, don’t forget that. Be
careful out there, but don’t be
too serious. May you always ride a good horse –
and may you always ride him (or her) well. Saddle Up – Let’s Ride!
Happy trails, Don West
Last Updated: March, 2008

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