Horse refusing to stand at mounting block meets Richard Maxwell | Your Horse

Horse behaviour expert Richard Maxwell demonstrates an exercise to encourage a horse to stand at the mounting block.
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[@shawnamodrich1617]

This is wonderful. I tried this on my gelding. In 2 sessions he had it down. Now all I have to do is give him a verbal cue and he moves to the mounting block. He used to walk off before I could mount. Now he stands and waits. Thank you!!!

[@cindysheets1824]

I can’t wait to try it on my gelding!

[@yusufdustin5038]

instaBlaster.

[@maisiecarter9349]

Don't know how I ended up here, I've never ridden a horse in my life but hey - it was interesting.

[@shaunmcinnis1960]

I always find interesting stuff to watch when I have work to do..That's really really weird

[@cheriecolbath7865]

Maisie Carter you haven't rode before u poor soul

[@Softie47]

LOL, me too! And I agree, it was very interesting. Impressive, beautiful horse.

[@DianeCallahan]

Same here, never owned a 🐴, only rode a few times 35 years ago but love these videos!

[@jordansupport1923]

But if ever you do want to ride, now you know how to get it to stand at the mounting block.

[@stevie56565]

omg the end was amazing how she responded to the applause... What a pretty horse... He corrected a bad habit so fast!

[@veecee3669]

After watching Mr. Maxwell with this mare, even I was calmer. So relaxing to watch; no bullying her, just "annoying her a bit". 😊

[@michaelhoffmann2891]

"Chestnut mare" Me:

[@kilaniobrien4667]

Haha I got a chestnut mare! She pretty devilish 😈

[@birchtreefarm1]

LOL

[@rmjrenee]

😂

[@quietriot7132]

Michael Hoffmann FINALLY SOMEONE WITH GOOD TASTE!! Never compliment a chestnut mare before you dismount.. ever

[@karissakat7931]

*has a chestnut mare* Hm...has never bucked, bit, kicked, pinned her ears, or anything, is an absolute joy to ride, has the smoothest lope. Idk the chestnut mare rumor

[@pjo6789]

The horse’s clippings is so cool, I usually don’t like clippings, but her’s was actually pretty cool.

[@karenwolstenholme8933]

So many keyboard warriors who know better. Richard has been doing this for a very long time and can get a tune out of a lot of reluctant horses. What people have to remember is that this is a 45 minute slot in a large day of demos, he has probably only just met the horse and has to work with what is in front of him. He could very easily have said, "this horse has a slight pain issue so we won't bother today, all of you people who have paid for the demo just take my word for it that the problem can be fixed." Instead he has given a demonstration of HIS way of dealing with unwanted behaviours. The horse has not been ridden or chased round and round, so if there is a pain issue he has hardly exacerbated the problem with hard work. By the look on her face the mare is not going to take negative memories away from the day. Perhaps the "experts" should get off their high horses and be a little bit more open to someone else's way of doing things. Nobody has all the answers no matter how perfect you think you are. Personally, I enjoyed the demo and will take something away from it - remain calm when my anxious mare can't stand still.

[@philvinet4145]

IF the horse had a pain issue ,,,the ethical thing to have done was to put the horse away....period,

[@rebeccacarlson9166]

I think everyone is missing the point of the video. It's not the horse that has the problem, it's the people who don't understand horse behavior, the people who think their horse understands" human behavior" , or the lazy people who won't take the time to work with their horse on basic groundwork. Smart, loving, caring people take the time and use pressure/release techniques to humanely teach their horse what they want & what is safe for the both of them. Example: owner of this mare in the video is a great owner/rider because she's gone to this clinic to figure out what she needs to do for the horse and herself- to be more safe while getting on her horse. You should ALWAYS feel safe & trust the horse before you get in the saddle..

[@csgaiao33]

Clearly he's very talented and knows his way arround horses and what they react to. But there are other ways. Maybe better maybe worse but I rather do it differently.

[@fleetskipper1810]

What a great demonstration of the application and release of pressure at the right time. This is probably the best I’ve ever seen it done.

[@leec2094]

Say what you will, folks. I know this seems a bit counter-intuitive. This method works! I've tried this with my own horse and another friend's horse. Within 20 minutes, they both got it. Yes, you may have to repeat it a few times, but he's right, pretty soon you just cluck at them and around comes the butt! Great approach!

[@squanru1]

I used the same method on my gelding with mounting issues. Guess what? We have a absolutely no issues now! Last night he had an audience of at least 10 people watching us (which I thought might make him less compliant) and he wowed everyone. :) It was a proud moment for both of us.

[@aurorads8847]

love how this man doesn't say " if she doesn't listen then hit her with the crop', but instead taps to annoy and teaches her that standing still when asked to is alot better and stress free :)

[@dunruden9720]

a lot

[@sierrachastant8461]

But wow look how's she a good thinker and takes that type of training very well

[@gemmadavies4997]

Its so nice to get on a horse that stands for you ! And at the end Richard did a bit of de-sentitising work to the applause. A real horseman.

[@jayjaythebuckskin8768]

My horse is trained to move away from pressure. He used to walk away whenever I put my foot in the stirrup. I just started working on patience with him. Every time he started walking away, I pulled him back around and made him stand there for 5 minutes and wait. Then I started moving around to be more annoying and wiggling in the saddle and making lots of noise but he still had to stand there. It's called manners and working with your horse consistently to reinforce good behaviors. My gelding is very forward and very eager to ride. But he knows he has to maintain patience and his manners.

[@keelsmac01]

JayJay the Buckskin this is release of pressure. When she head butts him he keeps pressure on by tapping her. When she moves around to the correct position he’s stops the tapping releasing pressure. Just because she’s going to him, the pressure is from the stick. Not him.

[@juliefranck8510]

After watching this a fee times I taught it to my 14 yr old mare who was so hard to mount! Especially at shows. Now she does it like an angel! This really works and has made my mare (and me) so calm. She will even do it on cue when I catch her in the pasture! It has not confused any of her established riding aids. Thank you so much for this video!

[@rlckwd2]

This was my question? Does it confuse the horse with disengaging the hq away from u?

[@juliefranck8510]

@@rlckwd2 no, It doesn’t, she still does very well with her hq yielding, I made my que very distinct by raising my arm straight up high in the air, and I also say “bring it up, bring it up” and with a certain rhythm and tone always. When first learning If she ever offered to bring it up with out asking I just put the palm of my hand where my calf goes when riding, and she step right over. It has also made her more relaxed to ride! I have no regrets teaching her this!

[@rlckwd2]

@@juliefranck8510 thank you! Will do this!

[@tidalvvaves]

I never heard of him but the way he made the horse turn in circles in the beginning convinced me.

[@julieharris6006]

I have had Richard work with my horses in the past, he is professional, and is amazing at getting a good response quickly. he is amazing

[@TYGR2115]

It's always amazing to bear witness to the intelligence of such a wonderful creature as the horse. Truly stunning!

[@GiantParfait]

"She's had a good little sigh there." Lmaooo this guy is hilarious.

[@ellentraquair3974]

This worked absolutely beautifully. My only tip is ingnore them when they are being stroppy . My gelding gets angry when confused so was mini rearing and kicking at the stick. Keep going and remember to give 1 min ish break when they get it right. Only work for 10mins max when they are stroppy. He is now doing it after 1 week. Big thumbs up from me

[@jamesmellinger8451]

What does stroppy mean?

[@iamjustjudy]

Why is no one talking about the incredible coloring of this horse!? Gorgeous!!!

[@amylange7859]

He's clipped

[@iamjustjudy]

@@amylange7859 Thank you for the response. I didn't know that was a thing. It actually looks pretty cool. I looked it up and see it's done for good reason, not just because it looks cool.

[@babbzkash]

This man is amazing

[@EvaDraconis]

One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, thank you Richard.

[@Rainbowsmom1]

Beautiful? Ignoring the horse is in pain? Did you see the back leg..and probably back pain too.

[@danien2411]

Rainbowsmom1 I can Assure you, this horse is in no pain whatsoever

[@Ingridlosneslokken]

This is amazing! Definitely going to take these tips and steps with me with my horse!

[@jillsmith3093]

I have a 23 year old Friesian who has been Parelli trained all of his life...I can’t say enough good about the Parelli Program, which emphasizes understanding horse psychology and being safe around horses in everything we do. I can just tap across his back or lift my arm, and Marcus will side pass toward me for mounting. In the six years I have been riding him, he has never moved while mounting. I feel so blessed to have him. I did want to also share that when getting on a horse, don’t just get on and walk off right away. Vary your time of just sitting there, relaxed. The horse in this demo is very smart!

[@x.sanneg]

It's great when horses know all these kinda trics. I had to turn someone else's horse towards the wall so another horse could go behind her and when others pushed her against the wall she didn't budge, I was sticking out my arms and she moved immediately. When a horse knows what you mean and how you use things it will listen and that's amazing.

[@wilsjane]

At the end of the day, it is all about how you treat and respect an animal, rather than see it as some sort of fashion statement. I imagine that you love animals and have a good relationship with cats and dogs as well as your horse. Our daughter is a vet and like me has a genuine love of animals. While others have assistants to hold and subdue animals during treatment, they just come to her and somehow trust her, even when she is dealing with an injury. To me, it is more about the person than the animal and some people should just not own them if their is no love and respect.

[@anyagetman8596]

@@wilsjane Well said. When I go to a friend's house for the first time, they are amazed that their most scared cat, who never greets anyone, will greet me ;). On the flip side, if I encounter pit bull, it will immediately keep its distance, and start growling and snapping at me, knowing that I will not put up with even one half second of its crap, and if they come anywhere near any of my animals, I will shoot them. I've had enough of pit bulls murdering and mutilating my animals, and the message is now loud and clear to them.

[@elizabethal7399]

Yes, my horses are the same, always started from the ground up with a parelli type method. However, I do believe what John Lyons says. I went to see him many years ago, and he demonstrated how a horse can be trained to ANY cue. It is true as seen here. His method is not at all like the parelli approach to learning how to stand still at the mounting block, it actually is opposite as she is coming toward the pressure rather than away from it, but the concept is still the same, pressure to ask and release of pressure to say you got it! Stimulus, release of stimulus for the Reward. (btw my main mare I usually ride is trained to come over to me while I stand on the block and cue with a verbal to come- all accomplished by the use of pressure and release). So he is basically using pressure and release, but making the cue mean come to me instead of step away. As John Lyons says you can train a horse to any cue (just as long as we make it clear to them what you want- through the release and that timing is essential) Cheers! Fun video!

[@jillsmith3093]

Elizabeth Al - Enjoyed your comments, Elizabeth. Although I am a Parelli supporter, I agree that there are many training methods out there that are also good. At the end of the day, I always ask myself: is the method fair, and is it effective? The pressure motivates, and the release teaches the horse and no matter what, it’s our relationship and benevolent leadership with our horses that is most important.❤️🤠🐴

[@my_bay_jed5509]

I taught my horse to line up to the mounting block but by moving away from pressure. He yields his hind quarters really super well, so, I used the lead rip as you usually would to move them in a small circle and move their hind end and I asked him to move his hind end, except (here's the plot twist) I was standing on his OTHER side, so essentially, he was moving into me, but still moving AWAY from pressure, which is how he was taught. While still using the lead rope and voice cues to ask him to move, I also used a dressage whip to lightly tap him to ask him to move away/into me. It took him a short 30 minutes to learn to line up to the mounting block after we had established how he was meant to move (I no longer needed to use to rope, just had to push his neck away from me and use the dressage whip). He lines up now without a dressage whip, I just point to his hind end and cluck and tada, he's moved over for me. People at my pony club wanted me to teach their kids ponies how to to it😂

[@jowhite7809]

My_Bay_Jed p

[@adriennefriederich8061]

We need more trainers like him! Excellent!

[@desertrose2085]

I am confused on one point. Don’t we want horses to move off of pressure, whether it’s our leg or not? Will this create confusion in that regard? This training session was brilliant. It made the horse think, and puzzle out a solution. I’m puzzling out that last bit. Will this make a horse move into your leg or hand?

[@katiebland7985]

Yes - I was thinking the same thing. I’ve used a similar technique with ground work to make my horse move her quarters away from me …..so won’t this just confuse her? Did you ever get an answer? 🤔

[@wendy833]

I'm self taught on how to mount a horse, bareback. I would just stand next to the horse, pet it and swing up onto their back. All the saddle stuff never worked for me. I had an arab/Tennessee walker mix, and used a pad because of his backbone. Had a thoroughbred that ran loose on a farm for several months that I trained to be a jumper. She went on to win several ribbons. I think kindness and daily training work best. And trust. Once they know you will be nice and not hit them, they will do anything you.

[@brennapartridge9405]

Doing that is really bad for their back,. That's why proffesionals use a block.

[@ismailgul9066]

my God.. Animals are amazing they need lot of love

[@NoName-lw1jn]

he's so patient! quite amazing to watch~ he should come to our stable and learn all horses honestly

[@mpappas53]

I have a 10-year-old OTTB. He raced for 7 years and was never taught to stand for mounting (jockeys are always thrown up into the saddle while the horse is moving). Luckily, he is a very smart gelding with a heart of gold, and really wants to please. This has been very informative.

[@Doxymeister]

He sounds like a nice horse, and you'll likely enjoy him, and he you. Your comment reminded me of my experience working as a groom for a couple of summers. The first time I helped a jockey mount, I inadvertently tossed her right over the horse. Years of tossing bales of hay and feed, and I misjudged her weight. Embarrassing, but the jockeys all laughed and I chuckle when I look back on it.

[@abdulmajeedroshan]

Great job. Top trainer. Made it look so easy. Richard understands horse and their thought process. You nailed it Sir.

[@annakaminski4406]

Fascinating to watch. Thank you.

[@lyndyblueeyes4352]

well done! i like ur gentle but persistant nice way of persuasion.

[@annettefournier9655]

This guy is hysterical. There is more than one way for everything. Much easier to use psychology. Well done!

[@sibyllemiller3111]

taught my ottbs, both straight from the track, to come to the block, find the position, balance, stand, wait for the mount, wait to move off. did it with positive reinforcement (clicker training), no pressure or tension like this horse has, and they are truly happy and willing to be mounted. they also have a cue for going back to the block, finding the position, balancing, waiting, and then I can dismount to the block step without having to drop to the ground on my injured foot. they can do it from either side. the method here is using tension, not relaxation, to get the result. i want my horses to be willing and relaxed, then and only then are they trustworthy. it's not about the breed, color or gender, it's the relationship and training. once they learn the mounting process, there's no need to use the clicker or a treat, though I do reward them for continued excellent behavior. try it.

[@kathryn5310]

You're the type of trainer i want

[@alexiaking7369]

Amen. I’m not really Christian or anything but amen😂😂 finally, someone who understands

[@kristynichols6283]

I agree with this. This method would be awful with my OTTB. They're taught to run using adrenaline spikes. The worst thing in the world would be to try and train them to stand still to be mounted by using a method that would cause a spike of adrenaline. Kindness, consistency, firmness, patience have been what we've used, and my little mare is a dollbaby at the mounting block.

[@Gumboz1953]

I just (like w/in the past week) got an OTTB right off the track. I will need a mounting block when I start to ride him. I'm glad I saw your post.

[@andretorres75]

Outstanding! Thumbs up for Richard Maxwell!

[@jomama5186]

I love horses! How cool is this! Truly amazing by just slowing down and understanding things.

[@robertdocwaltz7847]

I'm going to try this on my mare tomorrow. Thanks for the lesson!

[@elizamay6402]

So many people do not understand the concept of 'pressure' and 'release from pressure' - great examples here. To a horse, 'pressure' is nagging and persistent ittitating/nagging stimulus, and 'release' means to cease the nagging. Timing is everything. I love how much collection he achieved just with mentally nagging this mare with persistent light taps, practically had her piaffing at one point with light tap-tap-tap of the stick without release of her head/impeding forward motion. Lovely animal.

[@colormecutecanines]

I have always taught horses to move away from pressure. But I have a TWH that is a total brat to mount. She was clearly not treated well before she came to me and would panic when she saw a rope move to quickly. This is exactly what she needed! She picked it up rather easy and i had her coming to me at three mounting block in 30 minutes or less. This really is just a pressure and release technique. You just release when they do what you are looking for. Very simple and very calming. Thank you so very much for showing me something new. Even an old cowgirl can learn tricks :)

[@shelaghbarker7462]

I love all the ideas 💡 4 lessons with my horse And I had the circling stopped and it is safe for my little sister to mount on my geliding she is sooooo happy 😃

[@HughLlewellyn]

The above technique was excellent to quickly teach a horse what you want from them. Thanks for sharing this video. :) I spent a lot more time with my own horse because I had all the time in the world (and I'm very patient), starting with a very skittish, green 3 year old that I wanted to train into a reliable trail horse. I think Richard Maxwell's method would work well in conjunction with the method I used. While doing beginning groundwork with him, I taught my horse to stand still for mounting by first teaching him to stand still with me on the ground, then to stand still for pressure and weight on his back, and then after I was on him. At first for a few seconds, and I'd get off (his reward). Then over time I stayed on him longer, but we just stood still so he didn't associate me up there with him moving. So at first I didn't ride. Just sat quietly. Then I'd get off again, and we'd be done for the day. Eventually I would mount, have him stand five to ten minutes. Just mount. Stand still. He was a hyper-sensitive, reactive, hot Arabian, but this relaxed him, and cemented in his mind that me getting on was a restful, peaceful thing. I only started riding him after standing quietly for mounting was habitual. Even after I started riding & training, sometimes I'd tack him up. Get on. Just sit quietly for 10 minutes and get off again. Untack, brush him, reward him. A few weeks of that, and he stood quietly his whole life for mounting no matter what kind of chaos was going on around him. I spent a lot of time while I was training, doing what I called P.R. days with him. Just doing things that were pleasureable & relaxing for him. It made my fiery hot Arabian a calm, reliable mount who took me everywhere I wanted to go for 24 years. :)

[@jimbo91262]

Richard Maxwell is awesome! I've been around horses for 35 years and found this video to be right on the money. Richard seems to be very intuitive to the equine mind. Bravo!!

[@ellenhepburn8659]

You seasoned horse people would never understand this, but I'm a city gal who has never had exposure to horses, but I've loved them my whole life (I'm 67)... ever since I was a child in the 50s and ice was delivered by a friendly BLIND grey mare. The man would give us ice chips to feed her (I seem to remember him calling her Mary) and I fell in love with horses from then on. Mary even seemed to know each kid along the route. Today, whenever I see a policeman on horseback, I ask to pet the horse. I wish I had grown up among horses. I envy people who have horses in their lives.

[@ellenhepburn8659]

And I'm assuming the horse was shaved to keep her cool?

[@brennajones2134]

That's a really great story, I'm the same way with police horses and I'm really sorry that you weren't able to have horses in your life, they truly are amazing. To answer your question, working horses are typically clipped in the winter so that when they do work, they won't get as sweaty and in turn get as cold when they are wet. If they were not clipped their winter coat would trap in all the sweat and would make them extremely cold. Hope this helps

[@cheese69]

It’s never too late! Riding is something that can be continued to be done late in life. If you’re financially able, you should look into therapeutic riding stables, who will have calm horses to learn on. Or, if you have the time and don’t want to ride, I’m sure a horse rescue would love a volunteer and you get time with the horses!

[@disgustednatalie7029]

This guy is awesome! Gentle and reasonable

[@angela_tarantulas]

Chestnut mare. *calls an exorcist*

[@Happyheretic2308]

As a redheaded woman, I'm saying to you, don't push your luck!!

[@laurieowen8674]

I love horses but I have never ridden one ever! This is a beautiful horse and I am not sad I somehow got here and watched this!!

[@LQOTW]

What a beautiful horse! Amazing, really.

[@sandybanjo]

She's beautiful, and beautiful work!

[@angelapreniczky5908]

The markings on this horse are absolutely beautiful.

[@lothsdrow]

10:05

[@katherinee.1213]

What a beautiful mare and a great trainer

[@xoselhket]

that horse has beautiful conformation... she is put together so well!

[@rebeccacarlson9166]

Yeah, I ruined my left knee at age 12 getting on a 16h horse without a Mounting block because some random hoity toity barn witch told this 12 yr old not to be a wus and get on the horse"properly." For some reason, maybe because she was filthy rich, she believed she knew everything. I wanted the mounting block but she took it away. When I started to mount, my knee blew out and my life as a young athlete ended. A lifetime of pain & agony for just respecting and obeying my elder... someone who had no business telling me anything. Quite a harsh lesson to learn at age 12. The lesson of trusting your gut instinct. Had nothing to do with that wonderful school horse that always did everything I asked; my beloved horse that I never got to see again after the injury. Loved this video! Thanks!

[@antoniaelwes6201]

So pleased, this worked so well! X

[@berylkimpton8560]

I worked in British Horse Racing for many years. This horse has a 'cold back'. Walking away relieves pain, so when you mount a horse like this you grip with your knees and stand up in stirrups for a bit, and after a while sit very gently and well forwards of the middle of the saddle. No need for sticks, coercion, submission or loud voices. A pat when things are smooth running is all that is required. Happy mounting. x

[@kristynichols6283]

Agreed. I had an OTTB with the same issue. Zero problems if I just gave her a loop in two point.

[@davidhertzberg]

Testimony to the fact that horses understand and read and are sensitive to human emotions, that they think, assess, calculate and can be reasoned with. Thanks for a terrific video.

[@Rainbowsmom1]

Except he didn't understand or was sensitive to the fact that she has something wrong with her back leg r her back.I was hoping she would of knocked him into the next kingdom, maybe he would pay attention then.

[@marybrantley2160]

Wonderful rapport with this beautiful animal!!!!!

[@user-bi5if1ip6t]

You’ve taken over the evasion and my momma loves it so do I. Standing ovation for the chestnut mate 😍😍😍😉😎👍🏻💥💥💥💥😎

[@Avacarho]

Such an awesome training video and so easy to do that my 7 and 11 year old grandchildren could do this with their horses. Thanks for sharing.

[@kellieklein8967]

I am going to try this tomorrow on the morgan/quaterhorse cross that I ride.

[@allisonk8316]

Brilliant. I learned so much in this video

[@shelaghbarker7462]

Wow you are so good at this my horse (it’s a gelding)circles around me thx for the help

[@sassysisters4490]

9:33 look at his face when that person laughs 😂

[@memirio5430]

Love this! She is beautiful and smart. He is wonderful and successful. I prefer a higher mount that allows sitting in the saddle with out using the stirrup. Less drag on back and skin. However, there are times when we don't have that option, as in a meadow, etc. so it is a good idea to ensure she is going to stand no matter how you need to mount.

[@ivgoneriding]

Words by Maxine Easey: We should not force each other physically onto other humans and we should not force ourselves on other animals as other sentient beings, if they are showing loud and clear that they'd rather not. Here's what I said. Walking away from the mounting block is called an avoidance behaviour. Avoidance behaviour occurs when the horse is anticipating that something unpleasant is going to happen. That could be one of two things really. It could be how he experiences mounting, or how he experiences being ridden. In both cases it’s likely to be expectation of pain, and I would definitely not call this naughtiness. It’s feedback that you perhaps need to have professionals look at the following: 1) Saddle fit. 2) Bridle fit 3) Musculoskeletal pain. 4) Foot pain 5) Riding technique 6) Other experiences the horse has when ridden (difficult footing, being ridden away from the safety of friends and familiar places, bad experiences out riding). This is the horse trying to communicate one or more of these. If you follow the other advice to punish this behaviour or force the horse to be mounted then he will very probably try some other strategy to escape or avoid being ridden. He could for instance become hard to catch, won’t stand still to be tacked up, he may start to nap, rear, buck, spook or spin, or he may become unresponsive to light aids, and appear to be reluctant to move (usually labelled lazy but also indicative of all the other things I have listed). I would stop riding immediately and get his tack checked by a saddle fitter and a vet check before getting help from a professional force-free trainer to help you make the riding experience as enjoyable as possible for him. When you do that he will volunteer to be mounted and if he doesn’t then he’s saying he doesn’t want to do that today. I don’t believe it’s ok to force ourselves on horses by making it unpleasant for them if they say no, any more than we would want someone to force themselves on us in that way really. They are sentient beings capable of feeling pain, fear, anxiety and discomfort and this behaviour is how they show that this is what they are expecting or feeling. #horsecharming #forcefree #consentinganimalsonly

[@heatedpaprika7135]

I͛ w͛a͛n͛t͛e͛d͛ t͛o͛ r͛e͛a͛d͛ t͛h͛i͛s͛ b͛u͛t͛ I͛'m͛ l͛a͛z͛y͛

[@lucybeswick7219]

I completely agree. My horse someone’s moves away from the mountain block, and I can only assume it’s because she doesn’t like being ridden. We have had the bridle and saddle checked, but she does open her mouth whilst being ridden. We don’t know what else to check because the last thing I would want is her in pain or upset

[@asadabdulqaabir4006]

Is your book available in print or only in this comment? :v

[@ForceFreeTrainergirl06]

Well said Vicki. As a force free dog trainer I would never employ pressure or force to train a dog and therefore I do not understand why it seems to be acceptable to do it to horses. Horses are prey animals and therefore using pressure or force is going to be detrimental

[@beccao.8571]

Exactly. Humans are so arrogant.

[@Nicole-qc5dh]

This was very nicely done! That's how you instill confidence in your horse. It builds a partnership based on trust and mutual respect. I see so many poor examples of horsemanship on KZbin, I absolutely 💓 this!

[@joywithhorses3566]

Phantastic piece of horse training. However it does not solve the cause of the horse refusing to stand still at the mounting block. Over decades of riding different horses and some accidents I have found that it is us, not them, who cause this type of unwanted behaviour ranging from the way we mount (especially for young horses this is a problem) to the way we ride them and any type of pain or discomfort. After riding my horse Hidalgo (who has KSS) for 2 weeks in line with core strengthening as devised by the Vicomte Simon Cocozza, Hidalgo stood next to the mounting chair and waited for me while I went back to the stable to get something. It was amazing. If you really want to solve all these issues ride your horse in such a way that it can carry you well.

[@GS-st9ns]

Horses have always fascinated me like most people. I like old westerns because they show how the Rider can make the horse walk sideways. That is so beautiful and fascinating. Do you have a video teaching how that's done??

[@lisacraig2905]

This is a nice, easy to understand video. I appreciate it. There is just this one little thing... His accent resembles (to my ear) Michael McIntyre. I honestly kept expecting him to really earnestly declare, 'You have NO IDEA.'

[@5tormrider714]

Very clear horsemanship with the rigth amount of pressure and release. He wait for the decisions of the horse and made it to an idee of the horse. That leads to an harmonic partnership.

[@MsGroovalicious]

Brilliant! Thank you from the Pacific Northwest, US.

[@lainahiller4146]

There may be more going on here if the horse is resistant to being mounted. How do we know if she was saddled and handled politely during grooming and saddling?

[@truthhouseproductions4968]

I don’t know much about horses but that’s a really beautiful horse

[@silverstuff182]

This was great. And then she eats up the applause. Laughed my behind off.

[@analarson2920]

This is great, I use this on my dog, but not like people, dogs and horses are not all the same. I currently have 1 dog that has such a struggle with just walking, it has improved and she responds to many things but she is learning so many things that walking has become something of a problem, she may walk 2 paces and then mess up due to distractions.All we can do is continue training, patiently and positively and use all sorts of cues to bring them back to what we want, but sometimes you just have a bad day and need to not push it. I have resorted to a head harness to direct fine things in stressful situations until we can make the transition to take off a harness and do it freely. We have gone from never doing it to now moderate distractions and some high ones. Due to the level of training for my dog, for example, it will take her 2 years to be able to do it everywhere. She can do most everything, but consistency is lacking but is coming along. So this horse can do it but depending on things it may not be consistent and it also depends on the human and the consistency there. I find training for a service animal even if they are not to be the best as they learn so much about us, what we expect and our world. Keep sharing, this was a really good video. The only thing I would add prior to all this to quicken the learning is a clicker or clicking training to tell her when to stand still and practice that for long times, they love it as it is easy and good to learn and can be tried everywhere so she can then be mounted standing still, it is her inability to stand still through everything. My dog currently has lost her ability to stay for long times, and then sometimes she does it for almost 10 minutes, so she progresses and once she gets it you can do almost anything. Making the stick not a thing to be used on her but more to follow, it works just as well and is more positive. This would take away her constant moving and knocking him over and then stepping away. She needs to learn stay first.

[@ruespeth2308]

My horse does this. Once when I was trying to get on he took off and I hurt my shoulder because I fell. I’ll try this with him next time we go ride!!!

[@philweissburg2194]

Yes...and that can be a very severe injury....

[@anneteller3128]

I saw a video that demonstrated many times the horse is in pain when they are reluctant to be mounted. When they received a treatment from a horse chiropractor or a vet and the pain stopped, they automatically allowed mounting.

[@sandydog7449]

Beautiful horse

[@xXnashitaXx]

Great work! I see so many horses, that cannot stay stil while getting on. Mostly the riders do not care about that, but I hate this behaviour so much! That is one thing my horse had too learn first of all.

[@pianocatkatarina3960]

my words. ditto.

[@sarad6627]

This is brilliant and method that can be applied to other problems. I think that it would be useful to teach a horse this aid for control of the hind on its own so it can be used in future training. I also suggest that you introduce the mounting block as soon as the horse is comfortable and at ease in the cross ties. When you are grooming in the crossties step up on the first step of the mounting block and immediately step down before the horse reacts. Gradually increase the number of times that you step up while grooming until the horse doesn't notice and doesn't care that you are stepping up before going to the next mounting block step. I guarantee the horse will be quiet and thoroughly trained before you go to the next step of applying weight to the horses' back.

[@shaunlowekey4525]

He did a great time of teaching us of how to understand the horse .

[@loadiem31]

"this mare is 10 years old. and she's got ants in her pants. so she's a busy, busy person." i love this man so much!!!!!

[@drrebekahnunn6872]

Find it hard to believe so many "horse people" have such a hard time understanding pressure and release. It's so easy to do. Make the wrong thing difficult or annoying and the good thing comfortable, or easy. After ensuring your horse does not have any health issues, pain issues this is what you do. I've had "horse people" tell me I needed to whip my horse to get him to stand still. I did this very thing 9 yrs ago and it worked instantly. LOVE THIS KIND OF TRAINING!

[@daisycassidy2448]

Beautiful and smart horse and the trainer knows what he's doing.

[@teresawort9124]

Did anyone else notice that she is off on her RIGHT rear foot. Georgous horse though. Built like a jumper. I bet she is beautiful in the dressage ring. I would check the saddle fit. Maybe remove the 1/2 pad & check for bruising, cracking, thrush, her frogs etc.

[@LE123LE123]

Funny, these are exactly the tools I was taught when breaking a horse /backing them. Same principle and obviously a lot slower since they are young, but it works well. Great to see!!!

[@John8-12]

lovely

[@greencat1314]

I love the fact that he wears a helmet ❤️

[@fshowjumping1827]

green cat obviously

[@katwolf897]

Without buckling it...

[@laurallaura203]

Thank you! Great video!

[@lucindajane100]

EXCELLENT ! Horses are SO VERY SPECIAL !! XO

[@Doxymeister]

Well done, and yes she is a lovely mare. You have a great mount there, owner, take care of her and she will take care of you.

[@sscliche]

ok, my horse has been taught to move away from pressure, won't this confuse him?

[@johnbaughman9883]

Yeah, I thought that same thing the first few minutes but he explains that when you use a wall, and become a wall against her moving forward, and also the lead rope is a wall keeping her from moving backward, her only option becomes dancing or moving towards you. I think I'm going to do this and apply a specific verbal command like "Over" and see how that goes. :-)

[@TheOldandslow]

My horse is same, so I tapped the top of his butt, just to the right of croup. But he is, to be fair, putting pressure on and releasing it at the right moment which IS moving away from pressure. Watch her initial responses again. Timing is key.

[@Galemor1]

My horse didn't like it when I used the stirrups to mount, so I decided to use something higher, that allowed me to put my leg directly over the saddle and then slide in place. After I started that, I could just wait and she would come towards me by herself, because this was OK and she also loved getting out on trailrides, so getting me on fast, without me hurting her back by putting weight on just one side, was what she wanted, because then we could get out and explore, ride by the other stables in the area, so she could check in on the other "herds" ;-) But yeah I could also use it inside the ring, after working her from the ground and if I wanted to ride a little, she would help me out. Working together with the horse, really makes the biggest difference.

[@fanniszentpeteri817]

Here is a much easier and safer way to do this: teach the horse to move away from pressure, side pass, on the same cue he uses. If your horse knows that simply move your whip over their back and ask for the side pass from the left towards you (so the whip is on the horses right).

[@emmac5442]

My understanding is that the release from the pressure is a reward in itself, so your horse moves away from pressure because that is the release or the reward it gets from doing that. This is the same thing, he puts pressure on her by annoying her and as soon as she steps in the direction he wants he rewards her by taking the annoyance away. So it is the release of pressure that gets a response, not the pressure itself. This means that your horse isn't necessarily trained to move away from pressure but to move in a direction that releases said pressure, whether that is moving away from it or actually moving towards it.

[@m31vin]

This is awesome. Great video.

[@camrynsceals7062]

She's gorgeous. 😍 Love this!

[@OddysChannel]

One mistake people do when they first time start riding a horse is that they usually treat horses like they treat dogs or cats. You can't yell to them or aggressively act towards them when the horse makes a mistake or tries to rebel against you. You need to treat them equally as you would treat another human with respect while you remain calm because that is what horses respect too. They will know by your body language, voice and emotions if you treat them well or if you treat them like as "lower" animal. The mutual respect comes with bonding and understanding and once the horse is treating you like you treat them they will be your best friend. When I first time started to ride horses I mistakenly treated them like dogs when I panicked little (when the horse did something they weren't supposed to) and I raised my voice too much and showed clear emotional aggression, this is because I am naturally authoritative person which my "trainer" noticed and told me about. I taught myself to be calm and mutually respectful towards the horse and then I noticed that they started to do things I wanted them to do. Horses can read people very well and they know if something is wrong with the human, this is proven by horse emotion studies, people who work with horses and horse experts. I like to think that horses are like Hippogriffs from the Harry Potter series.

[@frankn9979]

I'vw begun with groundwork after my 3rd horse and after seeing the videos of Mr. Maxwell here and further on vimeo. After 2 times my welsh cob stands still on the block.

[@coffeehugger]

That made my day, great video!!!

[@cheryl8280]

The horse is probably saying "You dumb human! I'll lead you on a wild goose chase." I wouldn't doubt it. They're a very smart animal!