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"The Program" by Carl Wood
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800 - 1400 Lane
Delta, Colorado 81416
(970) 874-7456
"The Program" by Carl Wood
“The Program” has been developed over the past twenty five or so years as my understanding of the horse and his capabilities evolved. Horses are able to do things that most people don’t know they can do. The problem usually lies in the trainer’s inability to understand. I do not teach you how to ride but instead my program helps you to train your horse and in the process of understanding you become a better rider. In fact if you fully understand the program you will become an accomplished trainer and rider. Not so fast there! Like fine wine it takes time and you must be willing to be patient and dedicated.
It is all very simple actually. The exercises that I have developed are designed to give you control of every part of your horse. By being able to put his hip here, his shoulders over there, his belly up there, and his head down there you can make the most difficult maneuvers seem simple and flawless.
For example: The flying lead change. Most people have no idea where to start and that leads to all kinds of problems in the horse. Like: speeding up when ask to change, changing only in front not in back, diving off to the center, cross firing, becoming frightened and confused, head up, and a myriad of other problems. The first mistake is to think that the flying lead change can only come from a lope. I start you off at a walk and guide you through several exercises that are part of the complete lead change when put all together. When each and every exercise is correct then and only then can you attempt a flying lead change because your horse has already mastered all the movements necessary at a walk.
That is only one of the things you learn by understanding “The Program” You will learn how to ride with leg on and your center of balance lower than you ever did before. Your cues will come from your legs and your hips rather than your hands. Your horse will be soft, collected, and giving to your touch. By placing the focus on training your horse you learn from actually doing rather than trying to concentrate on yourself. Your body figures out what to do by getting your horse to accomplish the exercises. No longer will you fear sliding stops, rollbacks, dropped shoulders, flying lead changes, canter departures, going in a straight line, collection, spins, and all the complicated maneuvers of working a cow or doing a trail pattern, or wowing a crowd at a reining show. You say you don’t want to do all that showing stuff? Well just imagine how much fun you could have just riding in the mountains on a well trained and may I say trustworthy horse! I teach all this in my Horsemanship Clinics scheduled once or twice a month here at Doubletree or where ever folks want me to go.
If you watch this spot every month there will be an exercise explained in detail. And if you get stuck just email me and I will walk you through it. “The Program” works on every horse from those two year olds on up. No matter how much money he has earned and no matter how many times you heard that he is a finished horse “The Program” will fix those spots that are not just quite perfect. And to be honest I have never seen a perfect horse. If you want to hurry up the process of learning “The Program” come to one of my clinics, schedule private lessons, or invite me to you neck of the woods.
| This months featured exercise - Turns |
The Program Lesson 2 Exercises for the horse: 1. Bend while standing still. If the horse moves while you’re trying to bend hold until it comes to a complete relaxed stop. (We want the horse to be flexible and unafraid of being confined or turned)(no leg pressure for this exercise) The goal is to get him soft, bending towards your foot. 2. Guiding while walking (following head). Do this both directions make sure you do not drop your shoulder or turn your shoulders into the turn. We want the horse to learn to follow his head, this will aid in guiding the horse in circles and spins. Make sure that the rear does not travel out but follows the head. Using your left leg and left hand going to the right. Lay your left rein across the horses neck (no pulling) at the same time applying pressure with your left leg. With the right hand pull the horses head to the right and release immediately. If you keep pulling it gives him something to pull back against and resist your cue. Don’t pull with your indirect rein, as this helps him to react to the left rein across his neck, thus teaching him to neck rein. Next try going to the left using the right rein across his neck with right leg pressure. If he does not point his nose in the direction of the turn pull him with the left rein (direct rein) to get him to point his nose and move in that direction. (following his nose). This should take weeks on a beginner horse and sometimes more on an older horse that does not neck rein. Then do this same exercise at a trot. When this starts working pretty good then cross the reins over the horse’s neck and place them in one hand. (going across the hand so each rein comes out one by the first finger and the second out by the little finger. You may use your free hand to do the pull and release maneuver whenever you need to re-direct his nose. As the horse advances he should automatically turn his noise away from the indirect at all gates. Spend lots of time on the walking before going to the trot! The lessons are available in .pdf format below - |
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