One of my barriers to trail riding is actually ME. I'm the one who gets anxious. My horse is more experienced than I am. The fifty foot trail ride will benefit me as much as it benefits her... probably more! I have been trying to get up the nerve to go out alone with her, and can't overcome my own anxiety. But, this example, I can do! Thank you, again, Warwick!!
Thank you. My precious trail buddy had to be retired yesterday due to arthritis. Starting a mare who’s very afraid to go out on her own, doing exactly WHAT is described here. I’ve found my channel! Thank you so so much. Going to START TODAY. 😊
Perfect timing!! I just did a solo with my young guy this morning, took him on a known route that I have hand walked him a few times and that we've done with a steady eddie. He was slow, needed to stop and look and think so I waited until he took a big breath and we'd carry on. He was slow but good.
I've seen him ride with spurs occasionally in past videos, but yes I agree, they aren't necessary. People who always think they need to use spurs don't understand how to get their horses responding to soft aids.
@@victoriaolender6289 I think spurs are meant to be a soft aid and they are just miss used ( they are meant to obtain a higher level of communication and meant to make your horse go sideways not forward ) just got misused in time I think .. x
Love this...I am definitely finding that the answer always seems to be in getting the horse to relax in "humansville" and in answering their question "am I safe?" Thank you for the work you are doing!
I've had horses that jig all the way home, it makes it so tense and scary for me. I would go ahead and keep riding once we got home and after a few times they settled down and were not in such a hurry to get home but this, this is genius! Thank you for the great lesson!
“I don’t want to do this crap!” This made me laugh so hard maybe because it’s so true. When you change your mind about the “crap” all of a sudden anything is possible and you’re having a great time. Change your mind and change everything. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. This is just one great tip among many I have found on your free videos.
I had to do this exact training as you Warwick with my newbie last year, she would rear, spin at the end of my drive, eventually the trust came where we could do short hacks but only just round the corner and back, she also did a lot of jogging back home the further we went out but only on return.....now she's a different horse all together, some days it's a jog going out, but I've never had a rear or spin when leaving the drive! (She not perfect by all means and I'm working her through all the issues slowly)
Love this,, makes so much sense!! I’m an ahem...older lady and have been nervous to ride out on my own...but this is so doable as much for me as my horse.
Sometimes my horses anxiety cup is a shot glass, sometimes a big gulp... I usually assess his level before heading out, then try not to make his anxiety cup run over... We have a half mile private road outside our property, up to a public road, that is gradually getting busier. I have been riding him up to the busier road, and the empty lot that runs beside it, so he can get used to traffic coming and going past him. Some days he is just excited to be out, other times his adrenaline is up in a more anxious way, and we just make the trip up and back, we do not hang about. When he is enjoying the experience we walk the empty lot, and cross the road to the dirt track on the other side - where there are dogs, and dumpsters, and flags flapping... Some days he deals better than others, fortunately, he is brave and, wants to experience new things. But the repitition of our half mile part of the road can now be accomplished with no jogging or stopping or spooking, in fact I have been working on relaxing my seat and giving more reign to him, so my relaxation is just as important to his reaction as the stimulus around us. I really like your 50 ft trail ride... I don't feel bad now, on the times when we only feel up to going to the road then coming back - not over flowing that anxiety cup. 😊
Love this video. I shave done trail riding for years and have had very interesting/ scary incidents that come from nowhere. Have a friend that does Warwick training with me and she asked me to watch this video to help her with her TB. By watching her boy go from relaxed to anxious within a few steps on the trail, we found his limit. This video showed us how to build his confidence and that when I found my mare did the same just further out. Never noticed this before and now have a tool to manage it. Huge thanks to Warwick and love his training. #journeyon20
Thanks Saved to my horse training playlist. I will do this on the ground with my mustang. She is only 3 weeks with me and is fine going outside the barn until something disturbs her. I am doing this tomorrow. It makes absolutely sense to me.
Great video on a topic that is a challenge for many people and horses. This is a great “building block” approach to preparing horse and rider for trail riding. Many people ride alone and do not have someone to ride with often, and it can be a conundrum how to school a horse to trail ride solo. Letting them eat a little grass when “out there” is also a great way to give the horse a bit of pleasure and reward for “going out there.” A veterinarian I know starves his horses of water for a few hours and takes them to a place where they can drink water that is a mile from home. I like how you break it down into a shorter, incremental approach - very wise - safer for everyone and should be fun and rewarding too. Many thanks for sharing your ideas about this.
I can do this! Thank you as that anxiety with the rush home does not help my horse. Also, my thinking should not be mirroring his- "can't wait to get home" appreciate the comments about being in the moment on the trail ride!
Here’re I go again! Great wisdom filled advice! Can’t wait to exercise this well and realistic proven advice! Thank you again, for being realistic! 👍🏻⭐️👌💕
Thanks. Been watching your excellent stuff for a while now. Had the "usual" issues with the loan ponies I regularly ride, but used your tips and techniques and now they will happily hack (trail ride) out of the farm, past their home field, out (for hours, sometimes) and back without stress. I think you also touched on what's just as important as your horse - you - (or us!) So as well as needing to learn about the horses threshold and appreciate it to work with it, we also need to learn and appreciate that when we get stressed then horsey will pick that up and it can quickly (IME) end up in a "spiral-death-trap" where it just gets worse and worse, so then it's time to call it a day, go home, relax and come back another day because we do this for fun, enjoyment and exercise. (at least I do)
I had a tb who was given to me because he was considered unrideable. He was so tough, but the trail ride calmed him because he saw the trail boundaries as calming and then this calm was able to transform to the ring.
Warwick, I am so grateful and thankful for your videos - they give so much information and give confidence to all of us who have individual issues, horses, and environment. This one applies to me at the mo, as my horse bolted - twice - when I tried to get off in the field. I am now mouting, dismounting, and walking to the road and back. Doing little chunks of work, which is also suiting my horse who we now realise because he may be coming out of "shut down." You approach is sinking in to my old brain. Thanks.
Brilliant! I love the change in attitude. When I set out to train, rather than get results, it takes the pressure off me as a rider and makes the whole experience relaxing and rewarding.
Just such calm non violent advice - so much better than "just give him a good smack"... it just takes time and - the thing people stuggle with - change the way they think about things. People that have been around horses all their lives do not necessarily have the best advice. Go looking for answers that feel right in your heart rather and the horse tells you are right. Look at this horse, he couldn't be happier to do what Warwick is asking.
This is SUCH an amazing idea, Warwick, thank you!!! My little girl definitely spins and balks when I ask her to walk away from home...it’s gotten quite dangerous. Im going to try this with her!
This is great! I’m going to be breaking only my second colt to be a trail horse and want to make sure he has a good foundation. Thank you for sharing your tips!
That is a very good idea ! I am having problems with my new horse who won't go out alone and I had thought of doing that but was unsure about teaching him to keep coming back , but I'll give it a go - thank you !
Change the way you think about it, as Warwick also says. It's not 'teaching him to keep coming back'. It's about showing him you will never ask more from him that he can handle. Eat the elephant one bite at a time!
Thank you, I did this too. But your so right, we feel so much like we should go far from the stable, but you know, its because of the way people look at you , when your doing that kind of exercice, They think like its not normal to take the time, for an older horse, but I really think it is. We should always start like that. The exemple I use to explain, and you can take it from myself if you want, is when its been a year you didn't do rollerblade, you will need to do back and forth near from home, before engaging in a long 3 hours run. You'll need to get confidence in yourself and take the time so that you will get more at ease. Its the same for the horse, and I dont like the mentality of 'pushing the horse through until he has no choice but surrender. I explain to people, its like when you show your young child how to bicycle; Will you push them during many hours if they are a little bit nervous? Not at all, you will encourage and celebrate every little victory near home. I just dont know why people push or even kick their horses to go on the trail at every cost and now. It makes me sick, honestly. Thank you for sharing, youll help change the mentalities.
@@WarwickSchiller Yeah youre right, I dont care so much about them in fact! Anyway I always look different, being the only one doing liberty training and in hand training, in all the differents barns I've been since many years. I still found its too bad that the techniques of flooding the horse, is still so prevalent today.
Thanks for this Warwick. My OTTB doesn’t care to go very far from the pasture and gets extremely nervous even just leading him around. I’ll work on this
warwick youre fabulous!!! My horse is very nervous and you're information is inspiratonal and I can't thank you enough!! I'd love to meet you and you meet my boy xxx
So I did the thing where I was trail riding my horse and I would let him stop and eat some nice grass at the far end of our ride and then come home thinking I would give him a reason to go out and be happy about it. And he did well with it. So one day we are riding with friends and we get to our spot and he takes off bucking with me when I indicated that we were going to walk past it. So I guess moral is don't always let them eat at the same spot? Little stinker
I think this incident could be solved with the principles of training from warwick schiller and I think the best is "Don't go to bed angry." is your solution. Going out there to eat grass at the same spot maybe was barely his threshold to be calm. He did everything he did you ask for him but maybe you didn't see that he was worried. It is like to ask you wife if she is fine and she answeres in an angry tone "I AM FINE!". She said she is fine but she wasn't and i think that is what happened with you and your bucking horse.
I love this. My horse goes away from the barn but sometimes he sees things that will scare him and I understand that since he is a prey animal but I wonder if I can use this practice then? Also, I always thought it was okay to let my horse have a munch of grass because it seems to soothe him, but I am told by my instructor (and a lot of other people) to never let him eat while he's tacked up and I'm on his back.
What I do is have a halter on under my mare's bridle. So I stop, take the bridle off and let her munch grass for about 5 minutes. Then when I put the bridle back on she's not allowed to eat with the bridle on
I counted to 3, my horse started to lift her head at 2.. Then we walked a bit, before I said ok, and let her eat again.. Same process over and over, first in hand, then from the back. But if you feed them before going out, you won't have a problem with them wanting to eat all the time.. Horses should have a little food in their stomach before exercising, as they produce acid continuously, and working on an empty stomach, means the fluid will move around and cause ulcers..
I bred ponies and always had a rule not to let them eat while I was on them, with small children in mind, as they can reef them right off going for the grass. I lead to grass with a halter and brush, clean the horse up, go back tack up, then when we get back after the ride, scratch with the dandy brush while they have a bit more pick. Bosal or halter or hackamore is fine to pull up and eat, if you know your horse and aren't training for children, and out droving (Australia) with my hackamore pony, she learned to graze along. The reason they snap and fight for grass is because of the need for it, and its always fresher outside the paddock, manure sours the grass, they'll eat it, but the grass in the lanes is sweet. With a good chomp of fresh before you go, they go better, specially if they're held up in stables or small places, and hard fed. Plus, bear in mind that a bellyful of fresh green grass is as good as a drink, and lasts them a long time, just don't do any fast work for about half an hour.
It's your horse you decide. What is important is that YOU decide when to let your horse eat and not the horse just stopping or grabbing at the grass without your permission/guidance. As for trainers, instructors and other people - well everyone has an opinion. That's all it is. Obviously this trainer (Warwick) has a different opinion. As do I. You get to have your own.
I When I started my horse I did it in a very similar way but recently I ran into a minor problem. A halflinger mare and gelding had come to stay while they lived out their last years. The gelding died before I started riding again just before spring and the mare became attached to my stallion who lives next to her. During our first ride this year she started calling out frantically as soon as we got out of sight and although my horse continued to behave well I could see and feel that he was anxious. I ride him tackless so I slid off and turned him loose while I sat and waited. Within minutes he returned, eager to resume our ride as usual. He enjoys exploring our surrounding area at least as much as I enjoy riding a horse who is relaxed and eager to go down a trail.
@@hoeass8808 The mare doesn't belong to me. I have no right to take her along. I have no idea what a saddle has to do with anything. I ride tackless with friends who ride mares although I do attach reins to his halter if there is another stallion in the group just in case I need to avoid a fight between them.
This video is probably one of the most helpful I’ve seen!! I’ve got an ex jump racer who is very insecure when away from the herd and we’ve done this one way off the yard but the other way is the road with access to more routes. Do you extend the distance on the same ride if the horse has stayed under the threshold or repeat the same distance a couple of times or would you leave it there and repeat/extend next time?
I'd be really interested in your opinion about going on a "Trail ride" without the "ride." I like to walk around with them outside and do what you did - so as soon as I'm on them one or two weeks later, that's the only thing that changes for them while going outside. :)
I know you didn't ask me but I thought I'd share. I walk around with my horse a lot while not riding. My instructor and I call it "dog walking." Maybe it's all in my head but he seems to do better after doing this. I like to think of it as a connection. I know that I can't do it all the time, what I mean is, sometimes I just have to get on and head him out. He's a good boy but he's still just a horse and based on that principle I like to establish some kind of connection with ground work. I'd be interested to see what Warwick has to say.
Yes! I walk my colts like dogs all the time. I also teach them to ground drive to teach them to 'go first' down the trail. I'm no bronc rider so I like my colts good and calm before I ever step on, and walking them or driving them or ponying them is great for getting their confidence up on the trail. Just my experience/opinion.
I hand walk my guy around the outside of our winter pastures ( we call it going around the block) and I use it as part of our ground work. We've done a couple rides around with a good steady trail horse and today I rode him around the block on my own, he was slow, stopped to look and process but was just fine.
I actually just dealt with this exact problem. Last year I was trail riding all the time, but the trails were shut down for the winter (Canada) and this spring. My horse gets SUPER anxious going into the trails. I don't know what changed, but we've had all those things you mentioned at the beginning. I've been walking him on his lead through the trails to show they aren't scary. Yesterday I saddled him up and we put my niece on him as I lead him. I think I'll try this technique next with me in saddle and see how we do!
Thank you - I was hacking last week and found myself having to get through a herd of cows which worried me. I actually got off and led my horse through them - I know this is probably the worst thing to do but he followed me and we did it. How do you tackle that - they were dairy cows and quite sedate but I was scared. Friends tell me they just ride through them - any tips as my anxiety made my horse nap? Also what make hoof boots do you use please? Thank you
Shev, in my opinion, getting off is never a bad thing. As long as you work your horse when you step down, they don't associate spooking with "getting away" with anything. I break out colts from time to time, and I have a "get off whenever" policy. If I don't feel I can redirect my horse's attention from a spooky situation, I get off and lunge or walk or just stop and chill by the scary situation. I'm too old to be getting bucked off, so I step off if I'm not comfortable. It's never a bad thing and doesn't teach the horse anything bad if you handle it correctly,. Safety first. Happy trails!
@@NoblePeril Same! I'm so glad to see someone sending out this message of calm and reasonable response. My friends always want me to "cowboy out" things, and "show them who's boss". I prefer to just tell my horses, "Follow me. I'll show you how to get through this."
@@moonharp Yes! If staying on the horse means YOUR anxiety goes up, how do you expect the horse to remain calm? Get off, both of you stay calm and safe, and the horse learns to trust you to take care of things, as you say. Next time it will easier.
I'm curious about the hoof boots. Hard to tell but they look like Scoot Boots. I'd never seen them until recently, and they look like they're easier to deal with than Renegades (what I have) with the cables and the velcro, but it seems like they might rub the heel bulbs. And I believe they aren't as thick over the sole area as the Renegades. Thoughts?
I use Cavallo boots and find them super easy to put on, they just close with Velcro. They are a bit chunky though so not a fan of them for anything other than trail riding but they do fulfil their intended purpose which is to protect the hooves and my horse is much happier on hard and stony ground with them. I have ridden through a river with them too and they stayed on great 😊 so far I haven't noticed any rubbing and the bulb area is nice and soft. I usually trail ride for up to an hour and a half with no issues
My mare starts jigging and gets really anxious when we reach half the way around our trail and I've been trying to figure out how to work with this. I really want to try what you're showing us in this video, but how will I know when I've reached her threshold to not make this uncomfortable for her? She looks over her shoulder on our way out, wanting to go home again. Do I turn when she wants to go home while doing this exercise or do I choose when to go home?
Haha i just found this video and i have done 50 foot trail rides for a month or two. My horse wants to be with her friends and i do not take her to the stable because i feel unsure. So everyday i saddle her up and make theese trail rides for 30-60 minutes. Stable mates probably think i am a coward.
My problem with my 4yo mare is she is excited and on her toes, I work with her a lot on the trail to have her focusing on me and relax rather than searching for danger. But sometimes when she's on a loose rein something freaks her out and she has such strong FLIGHT!-instincts, and she reacts so fast. When I do notice this comming I drive her around in a small circle to get her focus and thinking back, but is there anything else I can do? Feels like I punish her for getting freaked.
How would you do this if horse has history of bad napping if going home same route, is really buddy sour. But had no previous issues with trail riding at previous yards. I was going to take her out to her threshold then allow her to go back to her comfort zone, work her there then release pressure when going out again but now im wondering if this would be better? Advice please. Shes a very opinionated mare. Thanks
Hi, I tried to do this with my mare but was unable to stay below her threshold because she kept stopping closer and closer to home as we did this…at first she was quite happy to walk some 30 meters and happy to go home as I turned her around, but after a while she wouldn’t leave the yard…I don’t know now how to proceed?
So back to going out 3 meters, and don’t make too big of a change. So do 30 trips of 3 meters, then 30 trips of 4 , then 30 trips of 5 etc. Now that you know your horses threshold , stay below it
@@WarwickSchiller Thanks for answering! Some background: she is 14 and has been trail riding many years. In her previous home she was trail riding solo as well. She has been living in her current home for three years now and has been trail riding here as well but always with other horses. This used to go fine, she was sometimes a little tense but usually ok. This summer she started stopping on the trails and would not go forward even when the other horses continued ahead. Sometimes I didn’t have any other choice than to come down and lead her, then she would move and a little later could be mounted and ridden normally again. Sometimes she would stop only once in an hour, sometimes a few times. This was a new behavior to her and I thought that maybe she is starting to show her insecurities this way since I have started to listen to her worries more otherwise as well. She has been checked in case there’s any physical pain and there seems not to be. But now I am worried that maybe she has simply learned that if she stops she gets a reward (I have to come down), because since this started it has gotten worse pretty quickly and now as I said she even stops in the yard which she never used to do before (at first her first stop was usually about 500-1000 meters from home). Is it sensible to keep trying this exercise (because her stopping seems to be “random” she may come to a stop before I can turn her for home, and then she will get that reward for stopping all over again), or should I think of something else…?
I have a question about connection. So I did your methods and it worked perfectly well after 8-10 sessions of doing that, and mare finally was comfortable just being next to me and following me. It worked like magic. However, when I started working with her on ground work and especially teaching flexion like you explained, I let her loose to eat hay and and relax, but she never came back to me, just circled back to her buddies. And before she would stay with me even after work when I turned her loose. Maybe I'm just panicking for no reason. But I wanted to see your opinion.
It just means that she knows she got a voice now. It means that before, she stood by you because she didn't think she was allowed to do anything else. Now she knows she can choose, which means that you need to work harder, but the results will be better.. My mare never came to me when I entered the paddock, but she never had a problem following me as I got to her.. And she actually chose to stay with me on the walk home, even though she could smell and see her friend, and she was loose and in front of me. But she decided to wait for me to catch up. That feeling, that's amazing..
@@Galemor1 That's amazing! But what do you mean by saying I need to work harder? With her training or trying to connect with her all over again the same way I did before? I'm a bit confused.
@@ninabasta5111 Like toddlers, when horses realize that they have a voice, they will start saying no.. So you will need to change accordingly, instead of the fact that they have too, you must be able to make them want it.. Like my horses loved getting out on the trail, but she didn't like me getting on with the stirrups, so when I presented her with the choice of me getting on from the fence, without having to use the stirrups, she gladly took that.. She didn't have a problem with me riding her, so by presenting that option, she was more than willing to wait for me to get on. While when I used the stirrups, she pinned her ears, and didn't really stand still. I had to deal with more and more "issues" as she understood that I was listening. She told me when she didn't want the blanket, she told me when there was something wrong with the saddle, she told me more and more about herself.. But she also gave more, like she tried harder to please me, like I said, she didn't come running when she saw me, but when working with her, on or of the ground, she tried harder.. (she's an Arabian) So be prepared for things like your horse looking at you, asking why? Saying no. And you having to change how you work..
We encountered some donkeys the other day out on the road and my horse freaked out because they caught him by suprise and wouldn't go any further past them. Would this work for that? It's not that close to home but if I went back down the lane a little bit and back towards the donkeys again would that eventually work?
No, this is about them being confident about going out away from home, thats a separate issue. BUT, if you forced your horse to go away from home, and they encounter some donkeys, they would already be uptight before they see the donkeys, and their reaction will be worse than if they were relaxed and confident before the donkeys.
@@WarwickSchiller okay, thank you! He can definitely get a little bit nappy on his own when out and about so I will try this first, and then maybe he will be more relaxed about them. When he's with other horses they don't bother him in the slightest so definitely a bit of a separation issue
Tried this yesterday. We didn't get very far but did eventually get past the place he originally didn't want to go past and I stopped him and let him eat there and we called it a day so small amount of progress! He's an older horse so probably would take longer than a younger more impressionable as he is more set in his ways. He's not super bad about it but he'll stop and refuse to go forward and try and turn around or start walking backwards. Going to try it again today. Will do it every time I ride and hopefully he will start going out without hesitation.
What if the horse already stops walking when you are out of the gate? After 1 turn he thinks hell no and isn’t getting forward only if I am dismounting ;)
Soooo my horse neither freezes nor rushes home...what he does is worse! Because it's unpredictable..sometimes, when other horses pass him on the trail, he COMPLETELY LOSES It. like completely. He doesn't live in a herd, nor is he buddy bound to his neighbors. We'll be having a delightful and magical ride, but once the horses he meets on the trail are out of sight, he starts screaming...not neighing, but SCREAMING. then he bunches himself up like he's about to explode, jigs and race walks...EVEN IF he's going away from the direction of home. getting of and working in hand doesn't help, heading home doesn't help, walking calmly next to him doesn't help...I am so so frustrated and ready to sell him because I bought him as a trail prospect being that he was a pack horse for three years and was sold as a good trail horse. He had been abused so maybe was just shut down? I am gentle and consistent with him and give him time to think and respect his time frame and communication....but this always comes out of the blue with no warning. help please!!!
Something ive learned with horses is the hardest problems tend to have the simplest solutions
I've learned it's always me, not them.
One of my barriers to trail riding is actually ME. I'm the one who gets anxious. My horse is more experienced than I am. The fifty foot trail ride will benefit me as much as it benefits her... probably more! I have been trying to get up the nerve to go out alone with her, and can't overcome my own anxiety. But, this example, I can do! Thank you, again, Warwick!!
Yes, Barbara!! Go girl!!
Yes, me too! This is so doable for me!
Life is not an A to B. It's the journey in between. Good teaching.
Trail riding alone has always seemed so out of reach, but this is so simple. I'll practice this at the end of every ride.
I use this after a baby sat ride w my young one. It tags onto another good experience and our world is getting bigger as he learns to ride by himself!
I believe you should begin your trail ride with this exercise. Watch the video again and see if it doesn’t make sense.
@@susanlumen4489 I think she probably means after she has finished riding in the arena
‘Going beyond threshold’...such a simple, effective concept. Love your approach🥰
Thank you. My precious trail buddy had to be retired yesterday due to arthritis. Starting a mare who’s very afraid to go out on her own, doing exactly WHAT is described here. I’ve found my channel! Thank you so so much. Going to START TODAY. 😊
Perfect timing!! I just did a solo with my young guy this morning, took him on a known route that I have hand walked him a few times and that we've done with a steady eddie. He was slow, needed to stop and look and think so I waited until he took a big breath and we'd carry on. He was slow but good.
I LOVE that Warwick rides without spurs. He has taught his horses to listen to soft cues.
Who rides with spurs?
I've seen him ride with spurs occasionally in past videos, but yes I agree, they aren't necessary. People who always think they need to use spurs don't understand how to get their horses responding to soft aids.
@@victoriaolender6289 I think spurs are meant to be a soft aid and they are just miss used ( they are meant to obtain a higher level of communication and meant to make your horse go sideways not forward ) just got misused in time I think .. x
Love this...I am definitely finding that the answer always seems to be in getting the horse to relax in "humansville" and in answering their question "am I safe?" Thank you for the work you are doing!
Wow! Everything you come up with is better than the last. How perfectly obvious but I've never done it like that. Amazing, thank you.
I've had horses that jig all the way home, it makes it so tense and scary for me. I would go ahead and keep riding once we got home and after a few times they settled down and were not in such a hurry to get home but this, this is genius! Thank you for the great lesson!
If you do this right, your horse will not be jigging on the way home.
“I don’t want to do this crap!” This made me laugh so hard maybe because it’s so true. When you change your mind about the “crap” all of a sudden anything is possible and you’re having a great time. Change your mind and change everything. Thanks for sharing your wisdom. This is just one great tip among many I have found on your free videos.
I had to do this exact training as you Warwick with my newbie last year, she would rear, spin at the end of my drive, eventually the trust came where we could do short hacks but only just round the corner and back, she also did a lot of jogging back home the further we went out but only on return.....now she's a different horse all together, some days it's a jog going out, but I've never had a rear or spin when leaving the drive! (She not perfect by all means and I'm working her through all the issues slowly)
Love the emphasis on the power of a “here, now” mindset. So true!
Love this,, makes so much sense!! I’m an ahem...older lady and have been nervous to ride out on my own...but this is so doable as much for me as my horse.
Sometimes my horses anxiety cup is a shot glass, sometimes a big gulp...
I usually assess his level before heading out, then try not to make his anxiety cup run over...
We have a half mile private road outside our property, up to a public road, that is gradually getting busier.
I have been riding him up to the busier road, and the empty lot that runs beside it, so he can get used to traffic coming and going past him.
Some days he is just excited to be out, other times his adrenaline is up in a more anxious way, and we just make the trip up and back, we do not hang about.
When he is enjoying the experience we walk the empty lot, and cross the road to the dirt track on the other side - where there are dogs, and dumpsters, and flags flapping...
Some days he deals better than others, fortunately, he is brave and, wants to experience new things.
But the repitition of our half mile part of the road can now be accomplished with no jogging or stopping or spooking, in fact I have been working on relaxing my seat and giving more reign to him, so my relaxation is just as important to his reaction as the stimulus around us.
I really like your 50 ft trail ride... I don't feel bad now, on the times when we only feel up to going to the road then coming back - not over flowing that anxiety cup. 😊
Thank you❤. I really can't wait for trail rides.
Completely sensible. Thank you, Warwick!
This is how I started and taught my youngster, thanks to Warwick videos, never had any issues 💕
You are simply brilliant. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
As simple as can be!!! Briliant!
I'm starting this today! I feel like I've been handed just the tool I was looking for. Thank you.
Just noticed the hoof boots! Love it! I also keep my horse barefoot and use boots for trail riding
Thank God in heaven for you and horses and the info you put out there on RUclips.
Again Thank you! Has prepared me for my next positive trail ride! Thank you again, for breaking it down! 👌⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🐴✝️
This-is perfect for my situation! Thank you so much! I feel this states the fact, the slower I go, and break it down, eventually we will get there!
I just love Bundy. He's such a cutie and a good boy.
Love this video. I shave done trail riding for years and have had very interesting/ scary incidents that come from nowhere. Have a friend that does Warwick training with me and she asked me to watch this video to help her with her TB. By watching her boy go from relaxed to anxious within a few steps on the trail, we found his limit. This video showed us how to build his confidence and that when I found my mare did the same just further out. Never noticed this before and now have a tool to manage it. Huge thanks to Warwick and love his training. #journeyon20
"Leaders ask yes questions"...There's a lot behind that phrase to think about
I have my horse for 8 years and this is the best advice I've ever got. Thank you!💗
Such a champ! I’ll be working on this tomorrow.
Thanks
Saved to my horse training playlist.
I will do this on the ground with my mustang. She is only 3 weeks with me and is fine going outside the barn until something disturbs her.
I am doing this tomorrow. It makes absolutely sense to me.
Thank you Warwick. This makes alot of sense. I thought about doing this myself before. I will start this now.
Great video on a topic that is a challenge for many people and horses. This is a great “building block” approach to preparing horse and rider for trail riding. Many people ride alone and do not have someone to ride with often, and it can be a conundrum how to school a horse to trail ride solo. Letting them eat a little grass when “out there” is also a great way to give the horse a bit of pleasure and reward for “going out there.” A veterinarian I know starves his horses of water for a few hours and takes them to a place where they can drink water that is a mile from home. I like how you break it down into a shorter, incremental approach - very wise - safer for everyone and should be fun and rewarding too. Many thanks for sharing your ideas about this.
Warwick gets it.
I like that this is about changing your horse's frame of mind as a byproduct of changing your own. Very smart.
I can do this! Thank you as that anxiety with the rush home does not help my horse. Also, my thinking should not be mirroring his- "can't wait to get home" appreciate the comments about being in the moment on the trail ride!
Here’re I go again! Great wisdom filled advice! Can’t wait to exercise this well and realistic proven advice! Thank you again, for being realistic! 👍🏻⭐️👌💕
Thanks. Been watching your excellent stuff for a while now. Had the "usual" issues with the loan ponies I regularly ride, but used your tips and techniques and now they will happily hack (trail ride) out of the farm, past their home field, out (for hours, sometimes) and back without stress.
I think you also touched on what's just as important as your horse - you - (or us!) So as well as needing to learn about the horses threshold and appreciate it to work with it, we also need to learn and appreciate that when we get stressed then horsey will pick that up and it can quickly (IME) end up in a "spiral-death-trap" where it just gets worse and worse, so then it's time to call it a day, go home, relax and come back another day because we do this for fun, enjoyment and exercise. (at least I do)
I had a tb who was given to me because he was considered unrideable. He was so tough, but the trail ride calmed him because he saw the trail boundaries as calming and then this calm was able to transform to the ring.
Good exercise for both horse and rider. Thank you for the lesson to become a better rider.
Warwick, I am so grateful and thankful for your videos - they give so much information and give confidence to all of us who have individual issues, horses, and environment. This one applies to me at the mo, as my horse bolted - twice - when I tried to get off in the field. I am now mouting, dismounting, and walking to the road and back. Doing little chunks of work, which is also suiting my horse who we now realise because he may be coming out of "shut down." You approach is sinking in to my old brain. Thanks.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one that does this. I also go jogging with my thoroughbred -- great exercise for us both.
Brilliant! I love the change in attitude. When I set out to train, rather than get results, it takes the pressure off me as a rider and makes the whole experience relaxing and rewarding.
You’ve become one of the best yoga teachers I’ve ever seen : ) unintended i imagine, but you are.
Just such calm non violent advice - so much better than "just give him a good smack"... it just takes time and - the thing people stuggle with - change the way they think about things. People that have been around horses all their lives do not necessarily have the best advice. Go looking for answers that feel right in your heart rather and the horse tells you are right. Look at this horse, he couldn't be happier to do what Warwick is asking.
This is SUCH an amazing idea, Warwick, thank you!!! My little girl definitely spins and balks when I ask her to walk away from home...it’s gotten quite dangerous. Im going to try this with her!
My horse does this! Thanks for the info!
This is VERY helpful, and a great explanation with easy steps to follow. Thank you!
Thank you so much, this is exactly what my great nieces & nephews need, Ive been trying to get them to understand . Thank you ThanK you thank you!!!!
This is great! I’m going to be breaking only my second colt to be a trail horse and want to make sure he has a good foundation. Thank you for sharing your tips!
So simple and effective ....
Killer looking horse! Thanks for the video
That is a very good idea ! I am having problems with my new horse who won't go out alone and I had thought of doing that but was unsure about teaching him to keep coming back , but I'll give it a go - thank you !
Change the way you think about it, as Warwick also says. It's not 'teaching him to keep coming back'. It's about showing him you will never ask more from him that he can handle. Eat the elephant one bite at a time!
GDAY I love your videos! thanks for all the hints and tips 🙂
Thank you, I did this too. But your so right, we feel so much like we should go far from the stable, but you know, its because of the way people look at you , when your doing that kind of exercice, They think like its not normal to take the time, for an older horse, but I really think it is. We should always start like that. The exemple I use to explain, and you can take it from myself if you want, is when its been a year you didn't do rollerblade, you will need to do back and forth near from home, before engaging in a long 3 hours run. You'll need to get confidence in yourself and take the time so that you will get more at ease. Its the same for the horse, and I dont like the mentality of 'pushing the horse through until he has no choice but surrender. I explain to people, its like when you show your young child how to bicycle; Will you push them during many hours if they are a little bit nervous? Not at all, you will encourage and celebrate every little victory near home. I just dont know why people push or even kick their horses to go on the trail at every cost and now. It makes me sick, honestly. Thank you for sharing, youll help change the mentalities.
"but you know, its because of the way people look at you"
Thats their problem, not yours.
@@WarwickSchiller Yeah youre right, I dont care so much about them in fact! Anyway I always look different, being the only one doing liberty training and in hand training, in all the differents barns I've been since many years. I still found its too bad that the techniques of flooding the horse, is still so prevalent today.
Thanks for this Warwick. My OTTB doesn’t care to go very far from the pasture and gets extremely nervous even just leading him around. I’ll work on this
warwick youre fabulous!!! My horse is very nervous and you're information is inspiratonal and I can't thank you enough!! I'd love to meet you and you meet my boy xxx
So I did the thing where I was trail riding my horse and I would let him stop and eat some nice grass at the far end of our ride and then come home thinking I would give him a reason to go out and be happy about it. And he did well with it. So one day we are riding with friends and we get to our spot and he takes off bucking with me when I indicated that we were going to walk past it. So I guess moral is don't always let them eat at the same spot? Little stinker
I think this incident could be solved with the principles of training from warwick schiller and I think the best is "Don't go to bed angry." is your solution. Going out there to eat grass at the same spot maybe was barely his threshold to be calm. He did everything he did you ask for him but maybe you didn't see that he was worried. It is like to ask you wife if she is fine and she answeres in an angry tone "I AM FINE!". She said she is fine but she wasn't and i think that is what happened with you and your bucking horse.
I love this. My horse goes away from the barn but sometimes he sees things that will scare him and I understand that since he is a prey animal but I wonder if I can use this practice then? Also, I always thought it was okay to let my horse have a munch of grass because it seems to soothe him, but I am told by my instructor (and a lot of other people) to never let him eat while he's tacked up and I'm on his back.
What I do is have a halter on under my mare's bridle. So I stop, take the bridle off and let her munch grass for about 5 minutes. Then when I put the bridle back on she's not allowed to eat with the bridle on
I counted to 3, my horse started to lift her head at 2.. Then we walked a bit, before I said ok, and let her eat again.. Same process over and over, first in hand, then from the back.
But if you feed them before going out, you won't have a problem with them wanting to eat all the time..
Horses should have a little food in their stomach before exercising, as they produce acid continuously, and working on an empty stomach, means the fluid will move around and cause ulcers..
I bred ponies and always had a rule not to let them eat while I was on them, with small children in mind, as they can reef them right off going for the grass. I lead to grass with a halter and brush, clean the horse up, go back tack up, then when we get back after the ride, scratch with the dandy brush while they have a bit more pick. Bosal or halter or hackamore is fine to pull up and eat, if you know your horse and aren't training for children, and out droving (Australia) with my hackamore pony, she learned to graze along. The reason they snap and fight for grass is because of the need for it, and its always fresher outside the paddock, manure sours the grass, they'll eat it, but the grass in the lanes is sweet. With a good chomp of fresh before you go, they go better, specially if they're held up in stables or small places, and hard fed. Plus, bear in mind that a bellyful of fresh green grass is as good as a drink, and lasts them a long time, just don't do any fast work for about half an hour.
It's your horse you decide. What is important is that YOU decide when to let your horse eat and not the horse just stopping or grabbing at the grass without your permission/guidance. As for trainers, instructors and other people - well everyone has an opinion. That's all it is. Obviously this trainer (Warwick) has a different opinion. As do I. You get to have your own.
Really helpful and I look forward to try this new attitude and technique on my next trail ride, thanks!
Good advice
Amazing.
Love this approach
I’m going to give this a try since mine tend to get very tense on the way back to the barn!
This. Is. Brilliant.
Thanks..all the things I ever thought you confirm...and I learn a lot aswell !!
Love it
I
When I started my horse I did it in a very similar way but recently I ran into a minor problem. A halflinger mare and gelding had come to stay while they lived out their last years. The gelding died before I started riding again just before spring and the mare became attached to my stallion who lives next to her. During our first ride this year she started calling out frantically as soon as we got out of sight and although my horse continued to behave well I could see and feel that he was anxious. I ride him tackless so I slid off and turned him loose while I sat and waited. Within minutes he returned, eager to resume our ride as usual. He enjoys exploring our surrounding area at least as much as I enjoy riding a horse who is relaxed and eager to go down a trail.
Maybe take your horse with a saddle and let the other one follow beging like ur horse is teaching the other
@@hoeass8808 The mare doesn't belong to me. I have no right to take her along. I have no idea what a saddle has to do with anything. I ride tackless with friends who ride mares although I do attach reins to his halter if there is another stallion in the group just in case I need to avoid a fight between them.
Great idea! Love it
This video is probably one of the most helpful I’ve seen!! I’ve got an ex jump racer who is very insecure when away from the herd and we’ve done this one way off the yard but the other way is the road with access to more routes. Do you extend the distance on the same ride if the horse has stayed under the threshold or repeat the same distance a couple of times or would you leave it there and repeat/extend next time?
Thank you very much!
And at my age just going to the edge of driveway to mailbox is exciting 🤣
When are you ready to take your horse somewhere with a trailer? And how do you make the first trail ride in a new place a positive experience?
Love this! Genius💝
Looks very effective
Super helpful 👏👌👍👏👍👍👏👍👍👌
I'd be really interested in your opinion about going on a "Trail ride" without the "ride." I like to walk around with them outside and do what you did - so as soon as I'm on them one or two weeks later, that's the only thing that changes for them while going outside. :)
I know you didn't ask me but I thought I'd share. I walk around with my horse a lot while not riding. My instructor and I call it "dog walking." Maybe it's all in my head but he seems to do better after doing this. I like to think of it as a connection. I know that I can't do it all the time, what I mean is, sometimes I just have to get on and head him out. He's a good boy but he's still just a horse and based on that principle I like to establish some kind of connection with ground work. I'd be interested to see what Warwick has to say.
Yes! I walk my colts like dogs all the time. I also teach them to ground drive to teach them to 'go first' down the trail. I'm no bronc rider so I like my colts good and calm before I ever step on, and walking them or driving them or ponying them is great for getting their confidence up on the trail. Just my experience/opinion.
I hand walk my guy around the outside of our winter pastures ( we call it going around the block) and I use it as part of our ground work. We've done a couple rides around with a good steady trail horse and today I rode him around the block on my own, he was slow, stopped to look and process but was just fine.
I actually just dealt with this exact problem. Last year I was trail riding all the time, but the trails were shut down for the winter (Canada) and this spring. My horse gets SUPER anxious going into the trails. I don't know what changed, but we've had all those things you mentioned at the beginning. I've been walking him on his lead through the trails to show they aren't scary. Yesterday I saddled him up and we put my niece on him as I lead him. I think I'll try this technique next with me in saddle and see how we do!
Yeah Bundy. 💕💕💕
I’ve got the exact opposite problem - my horse is super keen to go but then will plod on the home stretch.
Thank you - I was hacking last week and found myself having to get through a herd of cows which worried me. I actually got off and led my horse through them - I know this is probably the worst thing to do but he followed me and we did it. How do you tackle that - they were dairy cows and quite sedate but I was scared. Friends tell me they just ride through them - any tips as my anxiety made my horse nap? Also what make hoof boots do you use please? Thank you
Shev, in my opinion, getting off is never a bad thing. As long as you work your horse when you step down, they don't associate spooking with "getting away" with anything. I break out colts from time to time, and I have a "get off whenever" policy. If I don't feel I can redirect my horse's attention from a spooky situation, I get off and lunge or walk or just stop and chill by the scary situation. I'm too old to be getting bucked off, so I step off if I'm not comfortable. It's never a bad thing and doesn't teach the horse anything bad if you handle it correctly,. Safety first. Happy trails!
Brittany Kopman thank you for your kind and encouraging words. That makes total sense and I shall remember that when facing any future bovine barriers
@@NoblePeril Same! I'm so glad to see someone sending out this message of calm and reasonable response. My friends always want me to "cowboy out" things, and "show them who's boss". I prefer to just tell my horses, "Follow me. I'll show you how to get through this."
@@moonharp Yes! If staying on the horse means YOUR anxiety goes up, how do you expect the horse to remain calm? Get off, both of you stay calm and safe, and the horse learns to trust you to take care of things, as you say. Next time it will easier.
Really helpful as my older horse used to be very nappy now rides out like a dream #journeyon20
I'm curious about the hoof boots. Hard to tell but they look like Scoot Boots. I'd never seen them until recently, and they look like they're easier to deal with than Renegades (what I have) with the cables and the velcro, but it seems like they might rub the heel bulbs. And I believe they aren't as thick over the sole area as the Renegades. Thoughts?
I havent tried the others so I cant compare, sorry.
I use Cavallo boots and find them super easy to put on, they just close with Velcro. They are a bit chunky though so not a fan of them for anything other than trail riding but they do fulfil their intended purpose which is to protect the hooves and my horse is much happier on hard and stony ground with them. I have ridden through a river with them too and they stayed on great 😊 so far I haven't noticed any rubbing and the bulb area is nice and soft. I usually trail ride for up to an hour and a half with no issues
My mare starts jigging and gets really anxious when we reach half the way around our trail and I've been trying to figure out how to work with this. I really want to try what you're showing us in this video, but how will I know when I've reached her threshold to not make this uncomfortable for her? She looks over her shoulder on our way out, wanting to go home again. Do I turn when she wants to go home while doing this exercise or do I choose when to go home?
Haha i just found this video and i have done 50 foot trail rides for a month or two. My horse wants to be with her friends and i do not take her to the stable because i feel unsure. So everyday i saddle her up and make theese trail rides for 30-60 minutes. Stable mates probably think i am a coward.
Great Video again! But what do I do with a horse that tries to eat all the time?
Have you researched the library of videos?
ruclips.net/video/LKIc9Ew0UAw/видео.html
My problem with my 4yo mare is she is excited and on her toes, I work with her a lot on the trail to have her focusing on me and relax rather than searching for danger. But sometimes when she's on a loose rein something freaks her out and she has such strong FLIGHT!-instincts, and she reacts so fast. When I do notice this comming I drive her around in a small circle to get her focus and thinking back, but is there anything else I can do? Feels like I punish her for getting freaked.
How would you do this if horse has history of bad napping if going home same route, is really buddy sour. But had no previous issues with trail riding at previous yards. I was going to take her out to her threshold then allow her to go back to her comfort zone, work her there then release pressure when going out again but now im wondering if this would be better? Advice please. Shes a very opinionated mare. Thanks
First Id work on all the destination addiction work, and get it solid , befoe trying to leave home.
Thank you very much. 😊
Is Bundy wearing hoof boots?
Yes, Scoot boots.
Hi, I tried to do this with my mare but was unable to stay below her threshold because she kept stopping closer and closer to home as we did this…at first she was quite happy to walk some 30 meters and happy to go home as I turned her around, but after a while she wouldn’t leave the yard…I don’t know now how to proceed?
So back to going out 3 meters, and don’t make too big of a change. So do 30 trips of 3 meters, then 30 trips of 4 , then 30 trips of 5 etc.
Now that you know your horses threshold , stay below it
@@WarwickSchiller
Thanks for answering!
Some background: she is 14 and has been trail riding many years. In her previous home she was trail riding solo as well. She has been living in her current home for three years now and has been trail riding here as well but always with other horses. This used to go fine, she was sometimes a little tense but usually ok. This summer she started stopping on the trails and would not go forward even when the other horses continued ahead. Sometimes I didn’t have any other choice than to come down and lead her, then she would move and a little later could be mounted and ridden normally again. Sometimes she would stop only once in an hour, sometimes a few times. This was a new behavior to her and I thought that maybe she is starting to show her insecurities this way since I have started to listen to her worries more otherwise as well. She has been checked in case there’s any physical pain and there seems not to be.
But now I am worried that maybe she has simply learned that if she stops she gets a reward (I have to come down), because since this started it has gotten worse pretty quickly and now as I said she even stops in the yard which she never used to do before (at first her first stop was usually about 500-1000 meters from home). Is it sensible to keep trying this exercise (because her stopping seems to be “random” she may come to a stop before I can turn her for home, and then she will get that reward for stopping all over again), or should I think of something else…?
I have a question about connection. So I did your methods and it worked perfectly well after 8-10 sessions of doing that, and mare finally was comfortable just being next to me and following me. It worked like magic. However, when I started working with her on ground work and especially teaching flexion like you explained, I let her loose to eat hay and and relax, but she never came back to me, just circled back to her buddies. And before she would stay with me even after work when I turned her loose. Maybe I'm just panicking for no reason. But I wanted to see your opinion.
It just means that she knows she got a voice now. It means that before, she stood by you because she didn't think she was allowed to do anything else. Now she knows she can choose, which means that you need to work harder, but the results will be better..
My mare never came to me when I entered the paddock, but she never had a problem following me as I got to her.. And she actually chose to stay with me on the walk home, even though she could smell and see her friend, and she was loose and in front of me. But she decided to wait for me to catch up.
That feeling, that's amazing..
Im with Anne, she now has a voice.
@@Galemor1 That's amazing! But what do you mean by saying I need to work harder? With her training or trying to connect with her all over again the same way I did before? I'm a bit confused.
@@ninabasta5111
Like toddlers, when horses realize that they have a voice, they will start saying no..
So you will need to change accordingly, instead of the fact that they have too, you must be able to make them want it..
Like my horses loved getting out on the trail, but she didn't like me getting on with the stirrups, so when I presented her with the choice of me getting on from the fence, without having to use the stirrups, she gladly took that..
She didn't have a problem with me riding her, so by presenting that option, she was more than willing to wait for me to get on. While when I used the stirrups, she pinned her ears, and didn't really stand still.
I had to deal with more and more "issues" as she understood that I was listening. She told me when she didn't want the blanket, she told me when there was something wrong with the saddle, she told me more and more about herself..
But she also gave more, like she tried harder to please me, like I said, she didn't come running when she saw me, but when working with her, on or of the ground, she tried harder..
(she's an Arabian)
So be prepared for things like your horse looking at you, asking why?
Saying no. And you having to change how you work..
@@Galemor1 Thank you. That was beautifully said. I'll try my best.
We encountered some donkeys the other day out on the road and my horse freaked out because they caught him by suprise and wouldn't go any further past them. Would this work for that? It's not that close to home but if I went back down the lane a little bit and back towards the donkeys again would that eventually work?
No, this is about them being confident about going out away from home, thats a separate issue. BUT, if you forced your horse to go away from home, and they encounter some donkeys, they would already be uptight before they see the donkeys, and their reaction will be worse than if they were relaxed and confident before the donkeys.
@@WarwickSchiller okay, thank you! He can definitely get a little bit nappy on his own when out and about so I will try this first, and then maybe he will be more relaxed about them. When he's with other horses they don't bother him in the slightest so definitely a bit of a separation issue
@@TheTeapotte There you have the answer
Tried this yesterday. We didn't get very far but did eventually get past the place he originally didn't want to go past and I stopped him and let him eat there and we called it a day so small amount of progress! He's an older horse so probably would take longer than a younger more impressionable as he is more set in his ways. He's not super bad about it but he'll stop and refuse to go forward and try and turn around or start walking backwards. Going to try it again today. Will do it every time I ride and hopefully he will start going out without hesitation.
What if the horse already stops walking when you are out of the gate? After 1 turn he thinks hell no and isn’t getting forward only if I am dismounting ;)
Then you would do this exercise between where they live, and the gate.
@@WarwickSchiller haha i thought that allready! Going to work on that! Thanks :)
Almost like leaving an infant for the first time. After a while the baby realises you'll always come back.
Soooo my horse neither freezes nor rushes home...what he does is worse! Because it's unpredictable..sometimes, when other horses pass him on the trail, he COMPLETELY LOSES It. like completely. He doesn't live in a herd, nor is he buddy bound to his neighbors. We'll be having a delightful and magical ride, but once the horses he meets on the trail are out of sight, he starts screaming...not neighing, but SCREAMING. then he bunches himself up like he's about to explode, jigs and race walks...EVEN IF he's going away from the direction of home. getting of and working in hand doesn't help, heading home doesn't help, walking calmly next to him doesn't help...I am so so frustrated and ready to sell him because I bought him as a trail prospect being that he was a pack horse for three years and was sold as a good trail horse. He had been abused so maybe was just shut down? I am gentle and consistent with him and give him time to think and respect his time frame and communication....but this always comes out of the blue with no warning. help please!!!
Like any issue, id solve that in a controlled environment, using someone who is there to help you, not just a stranger passsing by
First! Buy a good horse. Take it through the gamut before purchase.
i hope u can show more(?ε?)