| > | | | | figure eights around the hay stacks. So every |
| It’s been weeks since you went riding. | | | | time she’d go back I would make her |
| Now you have time to ride this afternoon and | | | | work, and work, and work at running figure eights |
| there ain’t no one gonna stop you. Excited, | | | | around those hay stacks. Then I would test her |
| you saddle up your horse and get on him. You | | | | to see if she had enough and would leave the |
| get about 50 feet from the barn and your horse | | | | area. |
| turns around and goes back — and you | | | | The first seven times she ran back. Each time we |
| can’t stop him. Why? You have a barn | | | | came back to the barn we’d run more |
| spoiled horse. This is a common scenario for | | | | laps around the hay stacks. I could tell she was |
| novice horse owners. | | | | getting tired. But the eighth time I walked her |
| Here are the top three tricks to solve the barn | | | | away from the hay stacks I noticed she went |
| sour problem. | | | | quite a ways before turning to go back. |
| Teach your horse that you have control over him. | | | | When we went back again we ran more figure |
| Once your horse gets it in his mind that you can | | | | eights. Only this time I could tell we didn’t |
| make him do what you want him to do, you | | | | have to do too many. I walked her out and away |
| have control over him and can thus make him | | | | from doing the figure eights and I suddenly had a |
| leave the barn. One way to get control over him | | | | horse who decided that it was sooo much nicer |
| is to use a training technique called doubling. When | | | | going for a walk away from the barn rather than |
| you double your horse you teach him you can | | | | doing a bunch of crummy ol’ figure eights. |
| control him. | | | | We had a nice ride that day and she was in no |
| It doesn’t take long before your horse will | | | | hurry to get home. |
| know you can control him. Be careful when | | | | The last thing to do is this: Ride. Ride a lot. |
| doubling though. If you do it too much at a time | | | | Don’t wait for weeks or months in |
| you can over do it. Your horse could get so | | | | between riding. Try to ride at least once per |
| sensitive to you doing it that he may try to | | | | week for three or four hours. Preferably, try to |
| anticipate it. If he sees your hands making the | | | | ride at least twice a week for a few hours at a |
| slightest movement that looks like you’re | | | | time. (Ideally, you should ride everyday. But |
| about to double him, he may double himself. Thus, | | | | that’s hard to do with today’s time |
| just double him four to six times a day on both | | | | constraints) Doing that your horse will get in his |
| sides. He’ll quickly learn you have control. | | | | brain that you’re going to ride and |
| The next thing you can try is this: Make it dang | | | | he’s going to leave the barn and there will |
| hard to do the wrong thing — and make it | | | | be no argument. In fact, if you want to have a |
| real easy to do the right thing. Here’s what | | | | great horse the biggest secret is this: Ride the |
| I mean. A while back my horse didn’t want | | | | heck out him! |
| to leave her buddies or the barn. We’d get | | | | So if your horse is barn spoiled you can try |
| about 100 feet away and she’d turn | | | | doubling him to show you are in control. The next |
| around and bolt back. She’d stop in front | | | | thing you can try is making the wrong thing |
| of the barn expecting me to get off, remove the | | | | difficult and the right thing easy. Make it dang hard |
| saddle and tack, and put her back into the corrals. | | | | for him to go the wrong thing and very pleasant |
| By my barn is two hay stacks. There is a space | | | | to do the right thing. And lastly, ride your horse |
| between them big enough to go through and do | | | | often. Two to three times a week if possible. |