Horse Training In-hand Checklist

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How To Think
Like A Horse
Trailering Your Horse
101 Longeing and
Long Lining Exercises
Longeing and Long Lining
the English and Western Horse
How to Think Like A Horse by Cherry Hill
How to Think Like A Horse by Cherry Hill
Making Not Breaking by Cherry Hill
101 Longeing and Long Lining Exeercises
Longeing and Long Lining the Western Horse
Horse Handling and Grooming by Cherry Hill

In-Hand Checklist

In-hand work is often thought of as the basic operating procedure to get a horse from point A to point B. There is much more to it than that.

Whether you are working with an untrained horse or trying to improve the manners of an older horse, start from square one and spend plenty of time on these lessons. They will help you immeasureably in the next stages of training, longeing, long lining, and riding. Throughout in-hand lessons, give special attention to tack selection and fit, consistency of a horse's performance, the horse's position in relation to you, and, at the top of the list, safety.

  • Can be caught easily
  • Can be haltered smoothly
  • Can be turned loose safely
  • Will walk on a lead alongside handler, handler on near side
  • Will walk on a lead alongside handler, handler on off side
  • Will perform the following maneuvers with handler on either side:
    • Walk
    • Trot
    • Stop
    • Turn left
    • Turn right
    • Back
    • Turn on the forehand
    • Turn on the hindquarters
    • Halt on the long line
  • Can be easily led with the bridle
  • Can be led with halter or bridle away from other horses
  • Can be led over obstacles such as
    • Ground poles
    • Plywood or platform
    • Concrete
    • Plastic or tarp
  • Can be led by obstacles such as
    • Flag
    • Tractor
    • Plastic on fence
  • Is easy to lead through a gate
  • Is easy to load into a trailer
  • Stands still when tied to post (no pawing, chewing, swinging hindquarters)
  • Stands still when cross-tied
  • Picks up and holds up each foot for hoof care and shoeing
  • Moves over while tied when asked
  • Stands quietly for clipping, reasonable sacking, saddling, bridling

     

    © 2003Cherry Hill 

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