There’s no substitute or short cuts for time invested into solid training. Are you training the horse for that next show? Or for his future career, his owner’s goals, and lifelong confidence & usefulness?

 

Some horses learn more quickly than others, but they all deserve to be educated at their own pace, with patience and understanding.

 

Bitting rigs, over checks, tie downs, endless lunging, even side-reins in the wrong hands really won’t “teach” your horse anything. And they certainly don’t encourage a relationship of trust and communication.

 

There is a place and time for these tools, but first a horse needs to understand the concepts of contact, softness, bending, lifting the back, engaging the hindquarters and building muscle through correct body mechanics and posture. Only then can “body shaping” tools be used effectively.

 

Here at FFDC, the horses spend time on long lines.  This develops skills such as offering direct contact with the “driver”, working over ground poles, lengthening and collecting stride, transitions, balance and bending - before even hooking the horse.

 

Developing understanding, confidence, trust and the horses’ physical strength & comfort are paramount to successful training... no matter the equine discipline.