Our Natural Horsemanship Training Techniques

Natural horsemanship is a methodology that focuses on teaching the horse and rider a common language to enable communication through leadership and mutual respect using appropriate tools and techniques. These resistance free ways, as practiced in natural horsemanship, remove dangers, limitations, and frustrations between horses and people opening an entirely new world lacking the limitations imposed by traditional methods.

At Canterbury Farm, we utilize the techniques of several proven clinicians including but not limited to the teachings of John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, and Pat Parelli. Some of the common issues solved through our training program are: bucking, kicking, biting, uncatchable, disrespecting personal space, and running away with the rider. (These illustrations are only a small number of issues solved through our natural training methods.) Our training program offers horses and their people the ability to experience a new level of respect, love, and enjoyment with one another.

The training process with the horse generally involves round pen work, on line ground training, and training on giving to pressure (both from the ground and while in the saddle). By using this systematic approach, it is very clear to the horse what their human partner is asking of them because each exercise builds on the previous one.

Riding lessons for the rider are centered around safety and training techniques. Even my youngest students are taught that every minute they spend with the horse they are training them. The lessons are designed for the student not only to be able to ride a horse but to know what to do when problems occur. I have several school horses that are ideal for teaching people who have become afraid of riding. This fear is usually caused by fear of losing control of the horse. Our program can easily address the fearful rider and get them back in the saddle in no time!

While I train many trotting horses, all of my personal horses are gaited horses. I offer specialized gait improvement training. Natural horsemanship makes a horse very relaxed, which usually leads to an improved gait and a great headshake for the Tennessee Walking Horse (TWH). I have worked with many TWHs that have a problem with stopping and the owners have them in severe shank bits. These horses can be re-trained so they are easily stopped in a snaffle bit with no shank.

As is clearly illustrated above, natural horsemanship training offers both horse and rider many alternatives and new experiences that traditional horsemanship cannot. I look forward to working with you and your horse!