| If your life is so busy you literally only have a minute or | | | | Over time, work on getting him to drop his head down |
| two a day to spend with your horse, then here are 5 | | | | where you can easily put on a halter. |
| smart training tips you can use to keep your horse | | | | Smart Tip #3: Quick Lunge |
| "tuned up" when you have just minutes a day. | | | | If you have a minute or two, before you feed your |
| Smart Tip #1: Practice Backing Up | | | | horse slip on a halter with a lead rope. Lunge your |
| Suppose you just fed your horse some hay and he's | | | | horse left and right a few times and get him to back |
| eating. Assuming you have enough room to get beside | | | | up and come forward. You can accomplish this in just |
| him, put your finger into his chest and get him to back | | | | about two minutes. |
| up. Getting a horse to back up is a basic and essential | | | | Smart Tip #4: Pick Up The Feet |
| lesson horses should know. Plus, when you get a | | | | Before feeding your horse, go pick up his feet. You |
| horse to move in a direction you want him to move, | | | | should start with the front feet. Remember to reward |
| you earn respect from him. | | | | each time he does what you ask. Then go to the back |
| Smart Tip #2: Practice Getting His Head Down | | | | feet. If your horse is sensitive about picking up his feet |
| Just before you feed your horse approach him. When | | | | you can make amazing breakthroughs over time by |
| you get to him pet him a couple times. Then put your | | | | doing this in just minutes a day. |
| thumb and first finger on his poll and push down. Do | | | | Smart Tip #5: Brush Your Horse |
| not increase the pressure of the push. Instead, on a | | | | Before feeding, approach your horse with a halter and |
| scale of one to ten, push at a one. Then say "head | | | | brush in hand. Put on the halter then brush him. You do |
| down". If he doesn't drop his head increase the | | | | this because you want him to associate the halter with |
| pressure to a two. Then say "head down". Repeat the | | | | pleasure and he'll come to you almost every time. |
| process increasing the pressure until his head drops. | | | | Thus, whenever you want to ride or work with him, |
| When his head drops, reward him with a petting above | | | | and you approach with a halter, he's more willing to let |
| the eyes on the forehead. | | | | you catch him. |