# Best book to read for training?



## CrimsonVixen (Jan 24, 2015)

Well, although it was good that you were able to get on her, you should not be worrying about that now.With such manners, you should focused on ground work. Yes, ground work *does* include getting on, but that is for later.

What are you trying to do? I couldn't really tell from just the above post.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

perhaps you should pick one thing and just work on that, and only that, until it's really good. like, 

let me handle your head. let me move your head, right and left, and let me lower your head, and you keep it there.


now. letting me put your head here, and you staying calm, let me put this bridle up and on your nose. now let me put it up toward your ears. (wiht bit hanging down UNDER the jaw) now let me put the browband over your ears (bit still under jaw, not in mouth), now let me take it off. now on, now off, on, off. 

then same as above, but start asking her to put it in. if a problem, go back to getting her to allow you to put the leadrope in her mouth, as it it were a bit. or, a finger (on hthe side so she cant bite you).

when she accepts with little fuss, let her wear it for awhile. you can disconnect the reins and just let her walk around the round pen with the bridle on.


when that is really good, quit. head/bridle issue work done.


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## Serendepity (May 16, 2014)

I have 3-5 days a week where I can work with her due to my work schedule. I am trying to find a better starting point and more guidance on where to begin, how long something should take. 
I should have been more specific. When I first acquired her I was told that she is saddle ready and easy to ride. I am not so gung ho that I'd just jump on a horse I don't know and ride out. I wanted to see how she was in a round pen. It was then I discovered she has little to no training and doesn't understand hardly any kind of rein, leg or heel commands. At that point I knew that it is back to basics, and the need to work with her so we can learn each other.
Currently the most important things to work with on IMO is; handling feet, and working on staying calm with her face. 
I am really looking for a good starting point and guidance on moving forward, when to move onto the next step on groundwork, when do I know to take it up a notch, how long or what I can expect from particular manners and groundwork etc.


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## dlady (Apr 13, 2013)

This book is a good place to start. Clinton Anderson's Downunder Horsemanship: Establishing Respect and Control for English and Western Riders: Clinton Anderson, Ami Hendrickson: 9781570762840: Amazon.com: Books

Once you take her through the exercises in this book you will probably find that most of the problems you are having has worked themselves out. Work on desensitizing to your training tools to make sure she is comfortable with them. Rope halter and lead, training stick ect.

Work on flexing the head and neck. You need good timing for anything you are teaching her. Horses learn from pressure and release. Once she gives, release the pressure. Ask as soft as possible, but be as firm as necessary. Don't over flex. Once she is good at it move on to yielding the hindquarters. Then yielding the forequarters. Everything is explained in the book mentioned above. Just follow the steps.

Clinton Anderson is one of my favorite because I understand him. He keeps thing simple.

There's several that I like. I use to be a member of Dennis Reise No dust Club but dropped it after a year. Dennis is good at what he does, but IMO, his method is not for a beginner. I had to go look up Clinton Anderson or others just so I could understand what he was talking about.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

It takes as long as it takes. Could take 5 minutes or 5 days. Horses don't wear watches. Do it until it is done right and solid. That is the point of "foundation" work it has to be built solid or everything else you build upon it is unsteady.


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## Serendepity (May 16, 2014)

Thank you very much!! The book is ordered and on it's way.


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## dlady (Apr 13, 2013)

You can go to youtube and look up gaining respect and control on the ground and find video that you can watch that show you how each one of these steps are done. There's also dvds on this that can sometimes be purchased for a good price on ebay or amazon.


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## dlady (Apr 13, 2013)

Clinton Anderson Gaining Respect and Control on The Ground Series 1 3 All 13DVDS | eBay


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## Serendepity (May 16, 2014)

Very much appreciated!! I am excited to read through and apply his techniques. I got to read a sample of the book on Amazon, I like his style already.


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## Rozene (Jan 28, 2015)

I am in a very similar situation and needed to refresh my skills. I am reading 'hat Every Horse Should Know by Cherry Hill and finding it very helpful.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I would try bridling the horse as tho we've done it a hundred time. The moment it objects, I'd immediately send it around the pen at a brisk trot with a turn back or two for no more than 2 minutes then bridle again. You may have to repeat the exercise three or four times but usually they catch on by the third time that their behaviour results in work. While doing this, don't talk to her or pet her. When she allows you to bridle her, step back a few steps and turn your back to her for a few minutes. This takes the pressure off her and allows her to relax. I can promise you she will be licking. Despite common perceptions, this is not a sign of a horse absorbing what they've just learned. It's the same as when we humans say "whew, glad that's over". After your break, remove the bridle and walk to the rail for a minute, back to her, then approach with the bridle again. Repeat the exercise if you have to as many times as it takes, altho usually the second session is much shorter. When you approach her to bridle her, come in closer to her shoulder, rub her shoulder, then her neck then slip the reins over her neck in front of the withers, then bridle her. Don't even think that it's been a problem in the past. Do it with confidence.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Maybe she's only been pulled out, hopped on & ridden. If she knows that then that's where I would start. She what she already knows.
Did you see anyone else actually ride her?


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

What was she like when you went to see her?
Some horses don't appreciate a lot of messing around and repetition of doing things they're used to doing, they get bored and inventive
If one of my horses decides to turn its face away from me when I go in to put its headcollar on I just pull its face around, I wouldn't have time to run it about in a roundpen every time it did it - besides it wouldn't be able to connect the dots on that anyway
Maybe you just need to be a little or even a lot firmer in the way you're handling her?


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## Serendepity (May 16, 2014)

She handles well ONCE she is haltered, bridled, etc. I was aware she was a project horse when I was given her. I did not see anyone ride her at all. 
What I was not prepared for is her lack of understanding of ground manners and riding signals. I have "ridden" her twice, but that was only to find out what she knows and where to start. She needs to trust and understand me and I need to learn how communicate that to her in her language. I think the best way to do that is start from ground zero. 
My goal is to use natural methods to teach her better ground manners, desensitized to face touching, letting someone pick her feet, moving out, and then finally rider signals.
I have been working with face and head; touching with one hand, touching with two hands, pressure from my hands, touching in the motion a bridle will be put on, rubbing her face with the bridle, haltering and repeat. 
Today was a HUGE success. There was a little bit of head nodding but ultimately the hackamore bridle was on, twice!


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## Hackamore (Mar 28, 2014)

If it’s an option you might get more from some one on one horsemanship instruction with a local trainer. Nothing wrong with books, but most people learn quicker from hands on instruction along with observing someone experienced.


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

Agree with Hackamore that for me, the best was working with an in-person trainer. However books are great resources too! The some I've used are

*True Horsemanship Through Feel* by Bill Dorrance/Leslie Desmond
_*Ride the Journey*_ by Chris Cox

You might also check out Richard Winters' videos on YouTube.

Alot of people also like Bringing Up Baby by John Lyons.


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

The Revolution in Horsemanship; And what it means to mankind (Robert Miller, Rick Lamb)

Evidence Based Horsemanship (Dr. Steven Peters and Martin Black)

Both books come at Horsemanship and training from different perspectives on a shared subject. The first is more philosophical, the second more clinical. 

The more perspectives you can gain, the more options you have in your tool box to draw from.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Serendepity said:


> She handles well ONCE she is haltered, bridled, etc. I was aware she was a project horse when I was given her. I did not see anyone ride her at all.
> What I was not prepared for is her lack of understanding of ground manners and riding signals. I have "ridden" her twice, but that was only to find out what she knows and where to start. She needs to trust and understand me and I need to learn how communicate that to her in her language. I think the best way to do that is start from ground zero.
> My goal is to use natural methods to teach her better ground manners, desensitized to face touching, letting someone pick her feet, moving out, and then finally rider signals.
> I have been working with face and head; touching with one hand, touching with two hands, pressure from my hands, touching in the motion a bridle will be put on, rubbing her face with the bridle, haltering and repeat.
> Today was a HUGE success. There was a little bit of head nodding but ultimately the hackamore bridle was on, twice!


Your description of her makes me wonder if she ever was ridden - or if they sedated her to make her look quiet
NH uses a horses natural instincts to help humans understand 'what makes them tick' and then harness that understanding for our own use and then combine it with our own verbal cues and body language - because horses have nothing in their vocabulary that's going to adapt to the signals you're going to need to use once you're in the saddle


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## kewpalace (Jul 17, 2013)

Reiningcatsanddogs said:


> Evidence Based Horsemanship (Dr. Steven Peters and Martin Black)


 Love Martin Black; been meaning to get this book.



Reiningcatsanddogs said:


> The more perspectives you can gain, the more options you have in your tool box to draw from.


Amen!!


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## Fort fireman (Mar 5, 2011)

You may also try some videos from trainers you like. Tgen you can see what is going on as it happens. I've heard good things about giddy up flix Com. You can rent a video in something that interests you. Then if you like it you can go and buy it. It would save you a little bit of money. The videos are usually kind of pricey.


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## paintmeaheart12 (Apr 22, 2015)

I just ordered this book (should be here in a few days) how do you like it so far in terms of how it is helping your training?


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

Serendepity said:


> yesterday for instance it took 1/2 hour to clip a lead rope to her head stall. Now we have reverted to "it's a good day because I was able to rub a bridle on her face and eventually get it on" (it takes a while to do this).


I am a fan of Clinton Anderson (see my review of his book on Amazon) but for this particular problem I would recommend _You Can Train Your Horse to Do Anything_ by Shawna Karrasch. It's about positive reinforcement (clicker-training) and it will solve a bridling problem faster than any technique I've heard of.

A couple of other books I've found especially helpful are _Building Your Dream Horse_ by Charles Wilhelm and _Considering the Horse_ by Mark Rashid.

You will get a lot more out of Clinton Anderson's book if you go to his web site and watch episodes from his RFD TV series. Some things are really hard to get from a book.

Also check at your local library to see what DVDs are available on the library's consortium. I've watched DVD series that would have cost more than a thousand dollars by borrowing them from the library. And I recently bought a set of used Shawna Karrasch DVDs from a vendor on Amazon for half the new price. And a lot of trainers have stuff out on Youtube now.


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## Idaho Gal (May 28, 2015)

Hi, Serendipity. I'm new to this forum, but a long-time horse person. Great discussions here. 

I've been very blessed in my life to have been around some of the greatest clinicians in the world. Been riding, showing and working with horses for over 60 years. What's the old adage that you don't always get the horse you want . . . but the horse you need! The learning experience never ends.

A few years ago I was "blessed" with a horse that I just could not seem to help and to fix. She really internalized worry, wouldn't let it go, and at a point, she'd just blow, and blow big, no matter what I tried. That set me off on a major research project. I was going to find an answer. 

I had come across some really interesting articles written in various horse-related magazines by a man named Tom Moates. I really was drawn to his uncanny ability to get down in written form these struggles we sometimes have with our horses and how we can solve them . . . both for the horse's benefit and ours. 

That led me to Tom's books, starting with "A Horse's Thoughts." Hmmmm! A horse's thoughts. I thought, now that is a different way of looking at things.

Tom, after attending many clinics with various clinicins in his own search for better horsemanship and resolving some issues he was having with his horse, ultimately found Harry Whitney. The rest is history, so to speak. Tom has written a series of 5 books (so far) on his journey learning from Harry. (Here's a link: Tom Moates: Equestrian Journalist and Author: Books) I cannot recommend these books enough to give you a whole new perspective of your relationship with your horse and how to make it immeasurably better.

That first book, "A Horse's Thought," led me and my horse to my first Harry Whitney clinic 5 years ago, and there's been no turning back. A whole new world and a whole new relationship with all my horses has followed. Believe me when I say, it's a whole different dimension. 

As Harry says, "The most important thing you'll ever teach your horse is to leave a thought." Your horse, it seems, is "stuck on a thought."


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

I work with a trainer who is a Harry Whitney student of many years. too bad, or perhaps too good, that HW has not written a book, nor fimed dvd's.


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## Idaho Gal (May 28, 2015)

Hi, Tinyliny,

In reply to your comment about Harry not writing any books or doing any videos, as Tom Moates so aptly says in his book "The Horse's Thought," which hits the nail on the head I think: 

"There may be several reasons for his decision [not to write a book or do a video]. One I know for sure is that horsemanship is such a difficult, nebulous, and vast area to discuss, that no static answers exist to questions so many people have about their horses -- so Harry wonders how could he publish anything that's bound to be misinterpreted or that he might himself feel differently about in a little while after he's learned something new?"

I heard Tom Dorrance say one time, when asked about any books he may have read to help him in his horsemanship journey, that he hadn't read any such books, except "Kinship With All Life," which is not about horse training. Tom said that it was what happened "between the lines" that was the most important thing to the horse.

I guess that's why I've enjoyed reading Tom Moates' books so much. It's about his journey and what he's learned and how he's learned it, with the help of his great mentor, Harry Whitney. As for Harry, wow! If you attend one of his clinics, you'll see that it's all about learning and getting better, you and your horse, together. His clinics are small and VERY intense. Lots of one-on-one and lots of discussion time. An incredible learning experience.


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## Chico (Jul 5, 2015)

Hello New Friends
I have worked dogs in Schutzhund for 12 yrs. I have had horses of and on all my life. I have looked over several of the trainers information and articles. One of the trainers that I saw work horses was John Lyons. I had been heavy into working dogs and found his training made a lot of sense. I have since watched a lot of other trainers. I have found that they never learn to release the animal. Through their training you never seem to acquire the desire of the horse to pay attention to you. They seem to use the lead rope to get the horse to face you. There is a subtlety to how he shows what he wants. I fist time I saw him work, I commented to those there with me, "Look he is talking to the horse". Their response to me was "No he is training it". Well I still believe he was talking to the horse, that would be body language. Most people do not know what it is and will never learn what it is. I use it a lot in working dogs. So I feel that John Lyons information is very appropriate.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Idahogal, you're describing my TWH. He continually zoned out then exploded when returning to reality. My success came when I studied Carolyn Resnick and began with the horse at liberty in a 10 acre pasture with his buddy. When I entered the pasture he'd run white-eyed scared for the far reaches. He'd come back because his buddy chose to stay with me. Carolyn predicted we'd have a major breakthro and there'd be a new horse in my pasture. She was right, it happened one evening and I was able to witness the transformation, it was weird yet I felt nothing but joy. The next morning he was the new horse she spoke of. Guess who was at the gate calling when I stepped out of the house. We went on from there, at liberty in the pasture.


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## Dusty Rock RN (Aug 2, 2015)

*A True Treaure - The Honest Horsemanship Series by Tom Moates*

I have discovered a true treasure in Tom Moates' books on Honest Horsemanship! I have recently read four of his books - 3 in the Honest Horsemanship Series and his first book "Discovering Natural Horsemanship". All of Tom's books are easy reads and full of insight into becoming a partner with your horse and not just a dictator. 

I have the extreme good fortune to also have Tom's advice/direction in person as he is helping in the training of my horse, Star, and myself. He is also helping with my duaghter-in-law and her horse, Tuesday! We get to apply first-hand what we have read in the books in Tom's presence. What a difference his instruction has made with us!

I highly recommend to any and all, Tom's books - "A Horse's Thought", "Between the Reins", "Further Along the Trail", "Going Somewhere" and "Passing It On". Tom's style is not preachy, just instructive, giving his personal experiences with owners and their horses he has workied with.

I have made the Honest Horsemanship Series a part of my library and suggest that you give them a look! I honestly believe Tom's method of horsemanship is the best I have ever read about, seen, or tried! Simply the VERY BEST!!!!!


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## SueC (Feb 22, 2014)

Head shyness/difficulty haltering or bridling is usually due to unpleasant experiences being handled about the head in the past, in which case the job of the handler is to show the horse that things are not going to be unpleasant this time around.

I wouldn't be an Aussie without recommending a wonderful series of books on horse training written by our Tom Roberts, which were just superb references for my last 30 years of educating horses (to harness and saddle). Here's a taster; if it intrigues you then I think you can still find those books online.

This is from the beginning of “_Horse Control – The Young Horse_” (Griffin Press, Netley, South Australia, 1974):


*TRAINING PROCEDURES:*


“_That will profit you” - “That will profit you not”_
“_Quiet persistence”_
“_End-of-Lesson”, what it means_
“_Old Hat”_
_Use of voice in training_


Few people who set out to train and educate a young horse give any thought to the great difficulties that face the horse.

How many of us setting out to teach him have given serious thought or study of HOW to teach him: how to establish a system of signals or aids that most riders grow up with and accept as being natural, but of which the horse has no knowledge whatsoever?

I am going to ask you a question, and before you read on I would like you to answer it clearly – to yourself.

_Question_: “Why does a horse stop or go slower if you pull on the reins?” If you answer, “Because it hurts the mouth,” I am sorry to have to break the news to you – you have failed.

But no, I'll give you another chance: “Why do you jump up instantly if you sit on an upturned tack or drawing pin?”

If you answer again: “Because it hurts” - you really do need to read every word in this book!


_The horse stops – and you jump up – not just because it hurts, but to stop it hurting. By no means the same thing._​ ​ And there isn't any doubt: if jumping up didn't stop the pain, _you_ would try doing something else. So, too, eventually, does the horse. _These are not trick questions._ If you really believe in and act on the answer you gave to the first, then you think that all you have to do is to hurt your horse's mouth and he will stop.

On the contrary, the important thing is to let him know – to teach him – how, by doing what you want of him, he can _avoid_ any pain, irritation, inconvenience and discomfort the bit (or whip or spur) might otherwise cause. Good trainers do everything they possibly can to avoid hurting the horse or even letting him hurt himself. Our real goal should be never to have to hurt our horse.

_Reward and punishment _is often cited as the secret of successful horse training and undoubtedly both rewards and punishments have their place. But – we should seldom, if ever, resort to punishment when teaching our horse anything new. 

Punishment, when we use it, should be reserved for exceptional occasions. Don't think “Reward and Punishment.”

_Encourage and discourage_ is a better guide, as it drops the term “punishment.” When riding a young horse we alternate from encourage to discourage very frequently and quite often change from discourage to encourage several times in a matter of seconds.

But the term “discourage” still has the drawback that it _can_ include punishment; and we should discard any term that could include punishment as a normal training procedure. Punishment and teaching are “divorced.”

It is to avoid using any expression that could possibly include punishment as a normal teaching procedure that I suggest you think in the terms:


“_*That will profit you – that will profit you not.”*_​ 

These terms mean exactly – _exactly_ – what they say.

“_To Profit”_ is to benefit or gain: to be better off. The profit to the horse can be any reward or encouragement the trainer may think his pupil should receive – and it must, of course, be available to give.

“_To Profit Not”_ means that the horse will gain or benefit not at all. Just that. It certainly does not mean that he will suffer a loss or be worse off – as he would be if he were punished.

This is what is so important about these expressions – and why I use them. By no stretch of the imagination can “Profit you not” be construed as punishment.
_

It consists of withholding any gain, reward, encouragement and profit. That, and only that._ 



_*Quiet Persistence*_

“It will profit you not” means that the horse will not be encouraged to follow a line of conduct other than what we have in mind for him. We withhold any gain – which means we quietly continue with our demands, whatever they may be.


_We persist. We quietly persist with our demands._​ 

This gentle discouragement of “quiet persistence” is something that horse seem to find irresistible. Whenever you are in doubt as to what course to follow, mounted or dismounted, revert to “Quiet Persistence.” Your quiet persistence is the real “That will profit you not.” It discourages the horse _without punishing him_.

Punishment does have its place in the training scheme, with some horses more clearly than with others – but even then it should be used only occasionally. Do not revert to punishment when you are trying to teach the horse something new. It upsets the horse and destroys the calmness so essential to his taking-in a new lesson. So punishments are “out” when teaching any new lesson.


_*End of Lesson*_


_End of Lesson is the best, most effective and most convenient of all rewards and encouragements._​ 

What End of Lesson means:

When teaching a horse almost anything at all – no matter what it is, “End of Lesson” means a pause, a break, a rest for a while – or even, on some occasions, completely finishing the work for the day _at the moment_ the horse has made or is making progress in a lesson.

_At the very instant_ of the action that constitutes progress, the teacher ends the lesson – for a while, at least.

Ending a lesson constitutes a reward, an encouragement, an incentive to the horse to try to follow and understand what is being taught to him.


_*The End-of-Lesson procedure is probably the most important procedure in the scheme of horse training.*_​ ​ 
We use the End-of-Lesson technique from the first day our young horse is yarded and continue using it to the last day of his schooling.

_End-of-Lesson_ is always available for use.

Because it is easy for the horse to understand, it keeps him calm and so leads to the greatest progress. When the horse is calm, the most permanent impressions are made on his mind.

End-of-Lesson is of equal value to the trainer. It keeps him looking for and recognising progress as the horse tries first one thing and then another. He looks for progress to encourage – rather than “stupidity” to punish.


“_*Old Hat”*_

“Old Hat” is another expression I will repeatedly use to indicate the horse's attitude to a previous experience. He (I pretend) says: “Old Hat!” whenever he is asked to do, again, something he has already proved to be not objectionable.

The “Old Hat” technique is literally used in hundreds of ways – as you will read later on. It means we do something (or get the horse to do something) new – and then before anything can go wrong or he becomes upset, we “End-the-Lesson.”

Next time he is in a similar position, he remembers nothing unpleasant resulted from the first occasion, and he remains calm. A few repetitions and he accepts it (whatever it is) as “Old Hat.”

An instance: we separate a foal from its dam for a few moments. Before the foal has time to become very excited at finding itself alone, we put them together again. Tomorrow or on some other occasion, we separate them again and once more put them together after a short period. We do this several times and after a while the foal ceases to worry. “It's 'Old Hat' - nothing to worry about, we'll get together again later on!” seems to be the reaction.

_This is a characteristic of the horse._ Recognise it and keep it in mind. From it we learn _*to repeat lessons rather than to prolong*_ them – particularly if what we are doing or getting the horse to do is exciting or frightening to him.



_*Use of the Voice in Teaching *_*(excerpt)*

The use of the voice can be very useful at times to let the horse know when he is on the right track, particularly in the early dismounted work. There are scores of things you do not want him to do on any occasion and he may try quite a number of them. To each attempt you gently say “No,” “No,” and you quietly and gently persist with your demands.

Think and act gently and kindly – for he is trying. Say , “No,” “No,” gently and quietly, but in a manner he could not possibly confuse with your “Purring” (pleasant tone of voice for reinforcing correct behaviour, “That's _right_, _clever_ boy...” etc).

The voice can convey to him “Approved” or “Not Approved” almost simultaneously with his action, and under all circumstances – mounted or dismounted.

There's no end to the number of things you do NOT want him to do and he may try out a few of them or all of them. To each attempt you should gently indicate to him: “Not that,” “Not that.” Or better still, think, “Not that, Boy;” think gently, think kindly; he is trying.

Most important of all, when he does show the slightest tendency to do the ONE thing you _do_ want, you must instantly change your “tune” and substitute, “That's right,” or “That's better, clever Boy...clever Boy.” Then “End of Lesson” - have a rest.


_The really important thing is your ability to show approval or disapproval instantly._​ 

Two seconds later will be too late. Sometimes the youngster will have tried so many things that if your approval is late he will have difficulty in knowing what _did_ please you.

If you use the same purring tone always – and instantly – and only to show approval, you will find he relaxes the instant you begin to use it. When mounted you can FEEL him relax under you, and you'll be able to imagine him thinking: “That's good! Struck it at last. Now, exactly what DID I do to please the man?”



*A LESSON IS ANYTHING YOU TEACH YOUR HORSE – GOOD OR BAD*

Every experience the young horse has becomes a lesson. If what he learns is useful to us, we like to call it “training”or “education.” But if what he learns is a nuisance or dangerous, we often brand it a “vice.”

(Roberts goes on to describe how people unwittingly form vices in horses by letting up - “Ending-the-Lesson” - at the wrong moment, by creating situations where that can easily occur, by punishing horses, by ill-fitting and painful gear, by expecting instant perfection rather than immediately encouraging _small progress in the right direction_, thereby confusing the horse, etc.- and what to do about it when this has already happened. And that's only the start of the book – some basics, before meticulously covering safety of horse and handler, age at education, groundwork, lunging, early ridden training, teaching basic dressage, light hand-light mouth, impulsion, traffic, shying, spookiness, and teaching to trailer. More advanced training – higher-level dressage, jumping, etc is covered in the sequel.)



Tom Roberts wrote his books in his 70s, when he was too plagued by knee problems to stand in the ring educating riders or to work with horses himself any longer. Originally British, he had spent his lifetime training horses and riders on several continents, starting with the British army, where he became their youngest ever certified riding instructor aged 16 and worked with many “problem horses”. During the Depression he joined the South Australian Mounted Police and became their chief instructor. He also conducted schools of equitation Australia-wide, judged at the Royal Shows, competed in polo, jumping, dressage, campdrafting etc, and hunted. In 1950 he formed the Dressage Club of South Australia, and he wrote for and edited horse magazines.

Consequently, his books are a treasure trove of a resource for any amateur or professional horse trainer. The 202 pages of systematic training advice go through the vast majority of things we may wish to teach young horses, and trouble-shooting problems; and following this advice results in calm, cooperative, teachable horses who enjoy their work. No short post on a forum is a substitute for this sort of substantial reading. In over 30 years of training horses, we have yet to come across a “problem” horse who is not vastly improved by the methods espoused in this book (and relieved to be rid of its troubles). Roberts is by no means the only person who has written wonderful books to further understanding of animal training – but he is certainly one of the best who ever wrote in Australia.

Franz Mairinger, erstwhile trainer of the Australian Olympic Equestrian Team and Senior Rider of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, and highly successful jumping rider in A-grade competition, wrote this to Roberts after reading his manuscript: _“You combine thorough knowledge and vast experience with your searching mind to produce a highly interesting and readable book: __but more than that, you give really sound advice based on the lines of classical teaching. Your advice, with the given examples of how it works, combined with your stress on patience and understanding, makes it a valuable help for any beginner. I am sure, too, that even the experts will find something they have not thought of before. To all those who do not think that they know it all, I warmly recommend this book.”

_
You may also like this wonderful horse blog of a mustang being trained with positive reinforcement methods only. It is by a classically-trained person and HF member training a mustang with a no-coercion approach, and they are doing brilliantly:

http://augustusthemustang.wordpress.com/

Training with an emphasis on rewarding the positive (as opposed to some currently fashionable methods which advise dominating the horse) results in reliable, cooperative horses, and I think it results in a better _relationship_ between horse and human - having seen for myself the respective outcomes of those different philosophies for over three decades.

Hope you find those useful, and best wishes for your horse training!


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## Kay Armstrong (Jun 28, 2015)

Thank you SueC...ordered and can't wait for it to get here.


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## hollysjubilee (Nov 2, 2012)

Have heard only good things about Harry Whitney over the years . . . but have never met him in person or seen him at a clinic. I didn't know about Tom Moates and am very interested in reading the books he's written re: Harry's training, so have ordered them and look forward to expanding my understanding of horses, and hopefully, it will result in horses' better understanding of me  Don't we all really want to be understood?

Relationships are all about understanding through communication . . . and the telling and listening go both directions.


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## KAB (Mar 12, 2011)

I just ordered the Tom Moates books too.I got five of them and can't wait to read them.


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## Idaho Gal (May 28, 2015)

*Harry Whitney and Tom Moates*

I attended a Harry Whitney clinic in Montana the first week of August. This is my 5th year attending that clinic with one or another of my horses. By way of background, I'm no spring chicken, have been around horses since I was a kid, did quite a bit of showing, and then found "natural horsemanship." I became a "clinic junkie," attending many, many clinics with, IMHO, the finest clinicians out there. Then, along came Lily, a horse I just couldn't get through to. I needed help. When I started reading Tom Moates' articles and then his books and found out about this Harry guy, well, I just had to go and check him out. My life -- and Lily's -- has changed forever! Harry is in a whole different world, and it is an incredible place to visit! I will forever be so thankful to Tom Moates for opening that door to me through his wonderful books and articles.

I had some HUGE epiphanies while working with Harry this time, again! The layers to this onion, I have to tell you, are never-ending. I LOVE this stuff! I have so much stuff to work on.

If you really, really want to get inside your horse AND YOURSELF and form a real "partnership," I cannot recommend highly enough Tom's books and finding a way to get to a Harry Whitney clinic.

Okay, I'll shut up now.







Just had to get that off my chest. Harry and Tom are just the most amazing humans I've ever had the honor to know!


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## hollysjubilee (Nov 2, 2012)

Idaho Gal said:


> I attended a Harry Whitney clinic in Montana the first week of August. This is my 5th year attending that clinic with one or another of my horses. By way of background, I'm no spring chicken, have been around horses since I was a kid, did quite a bit of showing, and then found "natural horsemanship." I became a "clinic junkie," attending many, many clinics with, IMHO, the finest clinicians out there. Then, along came Lily, a horse I just couldn't get through to. I needed help. When I started reading Tom Moates' articles and then his books and found out about this Harry guy, well, I just had to go and check him out. My life -- and Lily's -- has changed forever! Harry is in a whole different world, and it is an incredible place to visit! I will forever be so thankful to Tom Moates for opening that door to me through his wonderful books and articles.
> 
> I had some HUGE epiphanies while working with Harry this time, again! The layers to this onion, I have to tell you, are never-ending. I LOVE this stuff! I have so much stuff to work on.
> 
> ...


Thank you! So very encouraging to hear. I got six of Tom's books and am almost half way through the first one that tells about his own learning as a beginning adult. I look forward to reading the Tom/Harry books. Where does Harry hold his clinics? I mean, are they always out west or does he travel?


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

hollysjubilee said:


> I got six of Tom's books and am almost half way through the first one that tells about his own learning as a beginning adult.


As you read Tom's first book, be sure and count the number of wrecks he had. I don't think I'd have kept going through that much pain.

http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-N...TF8&qid=1439945624&sr=1-5&keywords=tom+moates


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## hollysjubilee (Nov 2, 2012)

Joel Reiter said:


> As you read Tom's first book, be sure and count the number of wrecks he had. I don't think I'd have kept going through that much pain.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-N...TF8&qid=1439945624&sr=1-5&keywords=tom+moates


Oh, dear . . . well, I think I've read about one of his wrecks, so far, but just read about his foal's eye injury, and that was a bit hairy.

The fact that he _did_ stick with it says that it's not a passing fancy with him, but his love for the Horse if real and lasting . . . 
and most of us here can identify with that!

"Why do you keep working with horses?" they ask.
Good question.
"It's a major part of who I am," I reply, "and I've got to be me." :thumbsup:


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

hollysjubilee said:


> "Why do you keep working with horses?" they ask.
> 
> "It's a major part of who I am," I reply, "and I've got to be me." :thumbsup:


A Minnesotan won the state lottery. When asked what he planned to do with his 1.5 million dollar winnings, he replied, "I guess I'll just keep my horses until it's gone."


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## Noreaster (Sep 6, 2015)

I just got home this afternoon from a Harry Whitney clinic in Virginia!! Harry is not like any other clinician around today. I have been to several of his clinics over the past 3 years and it has changed my perspective of horsemanship. I was a newbie when I started 3 years ago, and I am so thankful that I found Harry when I did! 

I took my VERY fearful rescue Chincoteague pony to the VA clinic. We worked on getting him more confident and helped him let go of some of his fear. By the end of the week, we were working on ground driving!! I NEVER thought this pony would be able to do that. We will continue to work on it, but I now have hope that my little fella will learn to trust. 

Like the other folks mentioned above, Tom Moates does a fantastic job of describing in print what Harry does with a horse. All I can say is buy the books, and find a clinic.


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## PMUlover1989 (Dec 26, 2014)

Anything Pat Parelli!


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## SummerShy (Aug 3, 2014)

I second Clinton Anderson's Downunder Horsemanship book. I actually just started re-reading it last night because I'm going back to basics to refresh my mare now that we're riding again.


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## enh817 (Jun 1, 2012)

Is having a trainer work with you not an option? It seems like the biggest problem you have is not having the feel, timing, and enough intensity to reinforce your horses undesirable behaviors and reinforce the desirable ones. No book can teach you timing and feel. You need a well educated and experienced set of eyes watching you and offering critique in the moment. If learning to train was as easy as reading a book, professional horse trainers would be out of business.


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## dianneandpat (Nov 17, 2015)

*Re: Tom Moates Books*

Tom's books are so insightful, humbling, funny, chockfull of information and are written for anyone to understand.
My Husband and I have been very lucky to have Tom work with our abused mule, Mister Dinky. We contacted Tom because our mule was uncontrollable and we went through many trainers, cowboys and farriers all claiming they could help Dinky but unfortunately they only made matters worse and many were hurt in the process. Dinky's back hooves could not be touched at all! He would kick or bolt or both and no one was able to hold him back. When Tom started to work with Dinky he wasn't even sure Dinky could be helped but he was willing to try. Through Tom's natural horsemanship skills and his extreme patience we started to see some daylight. Today Dinky is able to be trimmed and rarely bolts. If it wasn't for Tom we don't know what we would have done. Tom takes his work very seriously and with persistence accomplished the impossible! My Husband and I owe Tom so much and thank him so much. We have read all of Tom's books and have gained so much insight into natural horsemanship. Dinky is in two of Tom's books, "Going Somewhere" and "Passing it On". Always, our thanks to Tom! Dianne and Pat


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## christy1458 (Jan 15, 2016)

Hi, I am a newcomer to the HorseForum and ran across the thread re: horse training books. I see there are some comments about Tom Moates and I would like to share my two cents...

I, too, am a fan of of Tom Moates and, via Tom, Harry Whitney as well. Tom's books are informative and thought provoking. His experiential narratives help me to feel that I am not alone in my journey to attain partnership with my horse. Tom's conversational writing style is laced with just the right touch of humility and humor which helps me to keep in mind that I need to lighten up on myself so I can, in turn, remain more present and patient with my equine friend.

As luck would have it, I have also been fortunate to have Tom work with us (my Treasure and me) in person. Thanks to Mr. Whitney's sage direction and Tom's dedication to "passing on the word", I feel as if I have been twice blessed-through Tom's written word and through the " flesh and blood audio/visual version"!


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