Training Feature
Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge Accepting Applications
The Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge, a competition in which volunteer fos-
ter homes and professional trainers work with a Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society foster horse for three months (starting in mid-July), and then compete for awards as they demonstrate their rescue horse’s abilities and training progress. All this happens on October 20 as the Chal- lenge kicks off during the annual Bluebonnet Horse Expo. The goals of the Challenge are to: •
Introduce the public to talented rescue horses
• Showcase the training abilities of Bluebonnet foster homes • Produce horses who are ready to go to work for their adopters The competition is open to any BEHS member who applies to foster and is approved, as well
as professional trainers whose property is inspected and approved. The competition has four categories: professional trainer, foster horse under saddle, foster horse in hand, and youth. Mon- etary prizes are awarded in each category. If you are interested in participating in the 2012 Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Chal- lenge or want additional information visit
www.bluebonnethorseexpo.com/blog/challenge. w
Long Rides, Wet Saddle Pads And Concentrated Training Contributed by Clinton Anderson, Downunder Horsemanship When I was starting colts and working with
problem horses during my apprenticeship with my Australian mentor, Gordon McKinlay, he told me that there are three things that make great horses – long rides, wet saddle pads, and concentrated train- ing. Those three things in equal doses make great horses regardless of your discipline.
Long Rides You can’t expect your horse to get broke by rid-
ing him for twenty minutes at a time. You have to put some miles under his feet. Once or twice a week, take him on a two or three hour trail ride. The best place to ride your horse is on a wide, dirt road that goes for miles because it gives him plenty of room to move his feet. Horses can go sour very quickly if you only ride them in small enclosed spaces like roundpens or arenas. The smaller the area, the more it shuts them down mentally and physically. Get your horse out on some long trails, dirt roads or pastures, even if you have to trailer him there.
While you’re riding your horse out on the trail,
do some concentrated training and bring him back with a wet saddle pad. All the long rides in the world are useless if you never ask the horse to move his feet and soften to pressure.
Wet Saddle Pads Most horses are overfed and underworked.
Don’t get on your horse and just walk for an hour – get his feet moving. Give him a job to do. I canter my horses for ten to twenty minutes every single day, and they always come back sweaty. I have a saying that I like to use “A tired horse is a good
horse.” I’ve never seen a tired horse give anybody any problems. However, I have seen plenty of fresh, overfed and under- worked horses give people problems all the time. A lot of people ask me how I get my horses to lope so slowly. Here’s the secret – I lope them, and lope them and then I lope them some more. I lope them so much that they learn to conserve their energy and lope slowly. A lot of race horses get wet saddle
pads. When they come back off the track, those saddle pads are covered in sweat and full of moisture. But race
Continued on Page 17 July 2012 SouthWest Horse Trader 11
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