# natural horsemanship exercises to improve your bond:



## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

Neigh there horsey people!!

My beautiful pony and I have been dramtically improving our bond with natural horsemanship 


At the age of only 13 I have already helped heal horses who have been abused, made a pony who wouldn't get on a float, horses that refuse to be caught and many many more things.

In this entry I would like to tell you just a simple way to improve your bond with your equine friends 

*THE GAME:*

This will improve the bond with you pony/ horse.

Walk infront of your pony on a loose line with him trailing behind you. 
He should be completley foccused on you.
Stop suddenly at a random time and if he keeps walking throw yours arms in the air and wave them around (don't do it with people watching because they might mistake you as a lunatic lol) until your horse steps back.
Praise him and try again walking forward and stopping suddenly. He should stop the second you stop; if he doesn't try again with the arms.

Once he understands try in a trot.

Once practicing for a little bit everyday (or when ever possible) you should be able to do it without any equiptment (halter, lead)


HINT: Don't use food treats as praise but instead give him a small rub on the forehead (horses LOVE that!!)



If you have any questions or have a trouble pony etc you need help with please post a comment and I'll get back to you 

thankyou


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## lacyloo (Jul 1, 2008)

:think: All horses should be taught to stop when the handler stops period. More so _respecting my space_ than bond but hey if thats what they call it nowadays... Then I hope everyone bonds with their horses.


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## HowClever (Feb 16, 2010)

Curious question. How many problem horses have you actually worked with at 13 years old?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Marlea, this might have worked for you so far, but I am not sure it is the best advise. Having a horse behind you on a loose lead when it is a horse with no manners could have you walked on. When you wave your arms around like that, the horse could spook and run off, dragging you with it, or pulling the lead rope from your hands. 

I am glad it has worked for you so far, but I am not certain it always will. My former horse would have trampled you in a second.


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

ok... not the responces i was hoping for (lol)

howclever- I have rescued 4 saleyard horses and have brought them back up to full potential again, trained my friends terror of a horse to float, joined up with several horses and heaps more things. Age has no boundries.


AlexS- You can simply shake the lead or push him back or use a slight manouver of your hands


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

My former horse would rear and take your head off, if you did not move in time, if you shook the lead rope at her. It meant nothing to her and just annoyed her. 

If you can shake a lead and get results, I think the horses you have had were better trained than you thought they were.


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

ok fine... scrap and stuff that idea then

*HEAD TO TAIL*

*A flexing exercise*

Take your horses tail and put it towards his head at the same time push his nose to the tail so he's touching it... i can't explain this very well so heres a rough picture i found on the internet. When you have yours horses neck like this get his tail and make him sniff it (haha)
now do the other way
WARNING: this wont work with buckers, but I can give you advise to stop bucking too if you want


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## horseloverd2 (Jan 23, 2009)

AlexS said:


> Marlea, this might have worked for you so far, but I am not sure it is the best advise. Having a horse behind you on a loose lead when it is a horse with no manners could have you walked on. When you wave your arms around like that, the horse could spook and run off, dragging you with it, or pulling the lead rope from your hands.
> 
> I am glad it has worked for you so far, but I am not certain it always will. My former horse would have trampled you in a second.


Sorry, I have to agree with this post. And age does have some limitations. Experience being the main one. I think you know most when you realize how much you have left to learn.

Anyway, great job so far in retraining the horses! But please remember some horses won't respond the same way and it can be very dangerous...


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Why won't the flexing exercise work with buckers?

Just curious.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

That flexing exercise seems like it would over flex the horse? I thought you were only supposed to bring their head to your boot, or your shoulder.... or am I mistaken?


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Marlea,

It would be fun to see some videos of you working with Marlea. I know that you only want to share what has worked for you, and that is no more nor less than any other member of this forum. You mustn't take offense if people are a bit hesitant to put a lot of credence in your claims of knowing a lot about Natural horsemanship. You will just have to kind of suck it up and realize that when you are young, you don't have "proof" to back things up yet. It takes time for that. I bet that you have done wonderful things with your pony and your friend's horses and such. And you could demonstrate some of that in video if you had a way to do that. It is just that you may have to wait a bit before you will actually have enough experience under your belt to offer advice that will be readily taken. Doesnt' seem fair, but as you know, it is pretty typical. 
Hang in their, offer examples of what you have done and let people take it if they like or pass it aside. If they write you off totally due to your age, then it is their loss not yours.
I do have to say, with regard to your post on leading your mare and creating a better bond, I would not want to do the "lunatic" arms every time. If you suddenly and randomly stop and then if you horse doesnt' quiickly stop you lunatic wave , and do this a lot, you would actually create a nervous horse who isn't sure what to expect when.

You idea is good, but the whole point with such large signalling it to make a big impression, ONCE , so that the next time you only need to make a very small signal.
When I am leading and I want to stop, I try to give my horse a very small PRE stop signal; I shift my upper body backward, THEN come to a firm stop. The horse gets a preperation signal, before being asked to come to a cquick stop. If I give no warning, then it's not surprising that he might stop "late". He cannot read my mind, only my body. If he then chose to ignore the prestop and the stop! signal, then I would make my signal BIG, like you were explaining. And the next time, I would go back to small presignal and small signal and see if I can get what I want with that. I don't want to scare him , just get his attention.
Does this sound about like what you have been doing? Might be just the difference in how we explain things. I am , and alwyas have been, a long winded person.

Dont' be scared to offer advice on the forum. just remember that all will not agree. It's the price of going public. You dont' need to answer them, just as tehy don't need to respond to you. But since we do, it makes HF more fun!


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

sunny- im just being caucious... 
Im saying maybe some horses won't like their tails being touched.


palaminolover- No, it does not overflex them at all. You just do it for half a second basically on both sides.

tinyliny- I wish so much i could post a video but i don't have a youtube account and my parents wont let me have one.


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

Bucking and not liking their tails touched are irrelevant to one another. I figured that was your reasoning, which is why I asked.
I dealt with a horrible bucker a while back, but he had no issues with having his tail touched. It also goes vice versa.


I like the flexing exercise, minus the tail holding. I just didn't understand the "bucking" part.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

sorry.

i just thought because of my replies from my first exercise i thought i had to be causious


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## Sunny (Mar 26, 2010)

No reason to apologize!

And you're right- it's always good to be cautious.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

hmm.. okay, but why would you need to pull their tail towards you? I'm not trying to argue, just sayin' =/


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

so you can flex more, you stnd near his head


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## palominolover (Apr 28, 2010)

not gonna state the over flexing part again =) But anywho good job if it works for your horses that's great.


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## Scoope (Oct 19, 2010)

... I can see the benefits of flex exercises , don't really see how "natural horsemanship" makes them any different than "regular" , but if you were to pull at one of my boys tails like that you'd get a quick kick.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I think it very much depends on the horse, you could pull on Lucas's tail all day and he would not do anything, however even think of it with my former mare and her goal would be to take out your brain with her feet. 

Depends on the horse. 
And Tiny, my opinions are not based on age, I am very much in support of Marlea's journey.


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## horseloverd2 (Jan 23, 2009)

Going back to the OP's first post (not sure where to post this) what is a float? I've heard it before by Aussies especially but living in America my whole life, I have no idea what it is. lol. I first assumed it was water of some sort, like the shore/waves or something, now I'm thinking more along the lines of a horse trailer. 

Sorry that was totally random, but I've been curious about it for awhile.


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## apachewhitesox (Dec 9, 2010)

Haha yes it is what you would call a horse trailer ^^^


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

AlexS said:


> I think it very much depends on the horse, you could pull on Lucas's tail all day and he would not do anything, however even think of it with my former mare and her goal would be to take out your brain with her feet.
> 
> Depends on the horse.
> And Tiny, my opinions are not based on age, I am very much in support of Marlea's journey.


 
_You are one who doesnt, but there are plenty who do. I will take what a youngster says within the context of their age and experience. Dont we all have a bit different ears when listening to a very young person than a markedly older one?_


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

I have some more exercises if anyone wants to know them.


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## RED CHECKERS (Jun 5, 2011)

sure! i'm very curious about these excercises.


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

thanks 

Can't remember if i have posted this before but get the lead and flip it over your horses ears, then back, then ver the ears the other way... also try making a 'skipping rope' by flinging it in circular motions infront of their nose


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## tbstorm (Dec 16, 2010)

marlea i think its cool that you've worked and trained with so many horses at the age of 13! all our horses are ranch horses and you dont really bond with them, i've only bonded and sort of trained with 3 horses! i think if your methoids are working for you they must do something so maybe someday i'll give them a try! 

have you ever trained a horse to do any tricks? i would love to train some tricks to our horse Tia... but shes blind would that make a difference?


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## RED CHECKERS (Jun 5, 2011)

can i ask what happens if my horse totally flips at this? he hates things being flung in his face. ;_;


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## Marlea Warlea (Apr 27, 2010)

Tbstorm: thanks, its awesome to know im not being judged on my age and that people that are older are actually listening to my training techniques. I have taught marlea too smile and stand on a platform but i have never worked with a blind horse, give it a try though  Red: take it slow, do some other things first to gain his trust


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## tbstorm (Dec 16, 2010)

i love to see young girls working with horses! some people may judge you because you dont have the experience but how else will you be able to gain that experience? keep it up girly


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