Build Your Horse Resource
Sometimes horse training can seem like a lonely undertaking. That’s why I think it is important to build a “horse resource”. I can’t run out to a trainer every time a problem pops up with my horse. I wouldn’t want to, anyway. But I need to have some place to get a solution.
It is a library of horse training books, dvds, cds, along with a journal I keep about my horse’s health and training. I collected the foundation of the library as a member of the Downunder Horsemanship No Worries Club. The first month the Club opened, I joined. My membership lasted for 7 or 8 years. Then I added the Clinton Anderson Gaining Respect and Control on the Ground and Riding with Confidence Series. I also picked up DVDs from Julie Goodnight (Balance & Rhythm, Communication & Control), Richard Winters, Jerry Tindell (Groundwork), and Dr. Robert Miller. To round out my collection, I have a few dvds from the Horseman’s Gazette, one called Tapadero about the Californio Vaquero. And, I have some fun ones too, like the Buckaroos of Northern Nevada. You need to have some practical knowledge about equipment. One dvd is all about caring for tack .
Broaden Your Horizons
I didn’t want my horse resource library to be just one trainer or one philosophy. That’s why I went for variety. After studying a variety of trainers, I chose Clinton. I believe it’s important to have one philosophy forming the foundation of your interaction with your horse. While I could have chosen Craig Cameron, Chris Cox, Parelli, or any of the others, I related to Downunder Horsemanship the easiest.
Why have a Library?
With the increasing popularity of YouTube, you might think a library isn’t important. There’s something about having my collection that offers a little security. Maybe it’s the countless hours I’ve spent watching, I don’t know. But. almost every time I watch a video, or read an article again, I pick up something new or see something old in a new light.
Thanks for joining me on my horse channel!
Join me:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whoa_podcast/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Whoapodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhoaPodcast/
Website: https://WhoaPodcast.com
My Non-horse YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3fziIJV
Listen to the Whoa Podcast about Horses: https://apple.co/3hDDA4J
I had been practicing yoga for about 5 years when I got my first horse at age 51. The year was 2005. My goal was to ride a lot and, although I considered myself fit, my body was feeling the aches and pains of daily horseback riding. Changing my yoga routine to compensate for the muscles I was using as an equestrian really helped me get through the initial period of intense riding.
Both tables are important when trying to figure out what your horse needs.
Jason Irwin is a horse trainer and clinician in Bruce County, Ontario, Canada. I received an email saying that I needed to interview Jason. There are a lot of very talented horse trainers out there and many of them don’t get the attention they deserve. I think Jason is one of them. Jason and I spoke on the phone and I discovered that last year they invited him to the big 
I heard some people call barefoot horse trimming natural hoof care. A quick search on Wikipedia says there is early evidence of mule shoes in Rome as far back as 400 BC. Now you would think in 2,000 years of equine husbandry, we would have figured out what is best for the horse’s foot. I’m not sure we have. If you ask two different farriers and a veterinarian the best way to trim a hoof, I would not be surprised if they came up with four different answers. It’s like politics or religion. There are a lot of opinions about barefoot horse trimming out there.
