O is for opportunities to make money. You can earn money training horses.  You can give horseback riding lessons.  You can do many different things to earn extra money with your horsemanship skills.

R is for responsibility. You cannot be a good horseman without responsibility.  Horses require work and daily care.  They need fresh water, hay, and feed.  They need minerals.  They need to be worked with and ridden.

S is for sensitizing or de-sensitizing depending on your horse. Cold-blooded horses need to be sensitized.  They need to get their feet moving.  On the other hand, hot-blooded horses need to be de-sensitized.  You need to know your horse.  This is an important part of a groundwork program.

E is for exercise. A person’s legs get great exercise riding a horse, especially his/her inner thighs.  Horseback riding can be a good workout for both horse and rider.  It can also be therapeutic.  After my mom had a terrible car accident, she was left with a badly broken femur.  Months later she was still having problems walking without a limp.  She began riding Ladd.  It helped stretch out her hip and thigh muscles.  Within a month she was walking normally.

M is for maintenance. You need to groom your horse.  Brushing your horse is a treat to your horse.  They like the attention and pampering.  It keeps their mane and tail untangled too.  Every six weeks horses need to have their feet trimmed.  Horses are a lot of work.

A is for animal science. As a horseman, it is important to learn the names of  the parts of your horse’s body.  Knowing what a wither or frog is helps you communicate well with other horseman and veterinarians.

N is for nurture. You need to take care of your horse’s needs.  They want to be your friend.  They enjoy the companionship.  Like any friendship, you need to nurture it.  Bring them a carrot occasionally.  Rub down their muscles.  Go visit with them for no real reason.  A good horse can be a man’s best friend.

S is for self-control. I am a hyper child.  When I get in a mood, I can drive people crazy.  When I am around horses, I have to control my behavior.  I cannot run around whooping loudly.  When I get upset with my horse, I cannot yell at it and hit it.  I cannot throw things at it.  I again demonstrate self-control.

H is for health. Horses need to be wormed and vaccinated.  If they get sick, then they need to see a veterinarian.  A healthy horse is a happy horse.

I is for information. I make a point to read and watch informational shows about horses.  I want to learn all that I can about them.  My favorite television program is Clinton Anderson’s program on RFD tv.  I also go to clinics, camps, and workshops throughout the year.

P is for play. All work and no play makes for a dull day.  The best part about horsemanship is having fun.  Riding horses is fun.  Going on trail rides is fun.  Teaching your horse tricks is fun.  Play! Play! Play!

1. licking its lips,
2. lowering its head,
3. blinking its eyes,
4. cocking its hind foot, and
5. shaking its head.

This is important because once the horse shows a sign of relaxation during a training session, you want to stop applying the pressure.  In other words, stop doing what you are doing and praise your horse.  One method of desensitization is the human currycomb.

I am going to describe the human currycomb step by step. If you are tall enough to jump on your horse, you are good to go. If you are shorter, like me, you need a stool. First, jump up and down while patting all over the horse’s back, including their withers, ribs, butt, etc.  Keep on until your horse just stands there. As soon as they do what you want, stop applying the pressure. In this case the jumping and patting are the pressure.

Now you jump on their back. You are laying across their back with your hands down one side and your feet on the other.  Move your arms and feet like scissors. Pat their belly if you can reach. Again you are waiting for them to relax. When they do, stop what you are doing. Slide off the horse.

Now jump up and swing your legs to the back.  You are now lying straight along its back.  Move your feet to see if your horse is still relaxed.  Now slide off the backside of your horse.  You can have a spotter to make sure that you won’t fall.

This is the human currycomb.  It teaches your horse to stand still which is an invaluable skill to have when one is mounting, sitting in the saddle, grooming, etc.  It also teaches your horse patience.  Now that you have done it on one side, you must do it on the other side.

Below is a video of me working with a pony named Boudreaux on the final day of the horsemanship camp.  I am demonstrating round penning, desensitizing, and yielding the hindquarters.  I hope you enjoy the video as I seek to share my love of horses with you.