There are a lot of details when it comes to buying and selling horses. Horses are not machines and there are many variables that can change a horse’s behavior. I’m talking about some of the main things to think about when buying and selling horses. Hopefully with these tips both experiences go smoothly for you and especially the horses.

I’ll cover how to train your horse to pick you up from the mounting block using both positive and negative reinforcement. I’ll talk about how to teach your horse to side pass toward you using R-. And talk about asking the horse to come up to the block using R+. Having your horse come to the mounting block is very handy and will give you an idea of how your horse is feeling about riding that day.

There can be many behaviors horses show us that they are uncomfortable being mounted and ridden. Walking off while you are getting on is one of the most common. I’ll talk about this behavior and others, why they are happening and how to fix them.

Hobbling is one of those things that can go wrong very quickly. It’s important to teach the horse how to give to rope pressure on each of his legs first. I’ll talk about some other steps to take in order to set your horse up for success. But also consider the cost v.s. benefit of teaching this lesson.

I’ll explain a few ways to load your horse into a trailer using negative reinforcement (R-). You can use different tools to load the horse, but the application and release of pressure will still be the same. I’ll talk about some ways that I use to load that are the least aversive to the horse.

Horses that rush through gates or stall doors can be frustrating and dangerous. I’ll cover some of the reasons why horses feel the need to rush through tight spaces. I’ll also talk about some ways we can retrain this behavior.

A horse that pulls on you while leading to graze can be frustrating and if the horse makes a habit of pulling it can get worse. I’ll talk about some ways to get the horse to stop grazing when you ask. But most importantly we need to get to the root of the problem and make sure that your horse’s needs are met so he doesn’t feel the need to be as desperate for grass.

There are two root causes why a horse would not want his ears touched or handled. Either he is afraid or in pain. I’ll cover some training tips to fix both types of horses.

I recently saw a video of a horse eating hay out of a hay bag that was attached to the saddle horn. This was a funny way of “teaching” a horse to bend and be softer on his stiff side. This made me want to explain how to actually teach your horse how to be soft. I’ll cover how to get a stiff horse to be responsive in the bridle and some reasons why he his is stiff in the first place.

I’ll explain what negative reinforcement is, how it is different from positive reinforcement, and what roll they both play in horse training.