Horse Training Methods: Which One is Best for Your Horse?

If you’ve just purchased your first horse or are a seasoned horse rider interested in learning more about horse training, you’ve come to the right place.

No doubt you’ve found that there is a wide range of horse training methods and disciplines available to those interested in learning horsemanship. Which method you choose depends on the age of your horse, your own resources and what it is you want to accomplish. This article explores the various approaches and gives a brief description of each one. Of course we are partial to a more natural approach to horse training and you can see some of the differences outlined when you reach the end of this article.

DRESSAGE

Dressage is a French word for a specialized horse training method considered both an art and a sport. Some people call dressage a form of horse gymnastics or dance. If you have seen a horse “high-stepping” or “side stepping”, you have probably seen dressage. This equestrian method trains the horse to perform a series of prescribed movements in a very specific way. A competitive sport, from the amateur level all the way to the Olympics, participants do not compete against each other, but against an ideal. Performances are judged in areas of balance, suppleness, rhythm, posture, alignment, relaxation, obedience, the horse’s physique, and how well the horse responds to the rider with minimal cues. The dressage method of horse training has ancient European roots which some trace back all the way to Xenophon in ancient Greece.

EVENTING

Eventing is like an equestrian triathlon that combines three different events in one competition. Usually set out over one or three days, eventing combines the disciplines of dressage, cross country, and show jumping. A “combined test” is a sub-class of eventing which encompasses dressage and show jumping, but leaves out the cross country phase. Deriving its roots from the military, this horse training method used to be called “The Militaire.” Eventing was first introduced at the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912.

CUTTING

Cutting is a western style equestrian event where a horse and rider are judged on their ability to cut, or isolate, livestock from a herd. A cutting horse is an athletic and willing animal that is trained to separate a single animal away from the herd and keep it separated for a specified period. In competition, a cutting team is allowed only 2 ½ minutes to cut three cows. Once horse and rider have selected and separated an animal from its group, the animal usually attempts to return to its herd. At this point the rider “puts his hand down” (loosens the rains) leaving the well-trained cutting horse solely responsible for keeping the animal separated. The team is judged based on intelligence, speed, style, and ability to make quick starts, stops, and turns. The horses involved are typically Quarter horses, although other breeds can be used.

BARREL RACING

Barrel Racing is a rodeo competition that involves horse and rider racing in a clover-leaf pattern around a barrel course in as short a time as possible. While men are typically participants in cutting, roping, bronco busting and bull riding, barrel racing is typically viewed as a women’s sport at the professional rodeo level. Form and grace are not factors in this event; the best time takes the win.

TRAIL RIDING

Trail Riding trains horses to be ridden on trails – either individually or in a group — rather than in a riding arena. Usually this is not a competitive sport, though there are some trail riding events that judge the horse and rider’s ability to navigate trail obstacles. In general, though, trail riding is a recreational horse training method with a focus on fun and enjoyment rather than form, speed, skill or perfection.

SHOW JUMPING

also called Stadium Jumping and/or Hunter-Jumper
This is an equestrian event that is part of the English riding tradition. An exciting and popular attraction at horse shows, jumping is also an Olympic sport. Crowds have been known to hold their breath as horses and riders attempt daring jumps over increasingly high fences. In competition, the “Jumper” class is judged only on the skill and success at making the jumps, while the “Hunter” class is also judged on how they meet certain ideal standards. Hunters and jumpers have other distinctions as well, such as the riding attire, riding equipment and tack, and the course itself. The rules for this horse training method and the rules that govern jumping competitions are very strict and highly regulated.

Reining is often described as a Western form of dressage riding, as it requires the horse to be responsive and in tune with its rider. In competition, riders guide their horses through a precise pattern of advanced movements such as spins, slides and stops. Judges rate the horse on its ability to perform the pattern of movements, and watch carefully to see if the rider’s cues are visible or barely detectable, and if the horse is willingly guided without resistance. Reining is a method of horse training that is executed primarily at the lope (a slow, relaxed gait) or the gallop.

Western Pleasure focuses on manners and riding suitability. The goal of this method or discipline is that the horse appear to be (and actually be) a “pleasure” to ride. In competition, pleasure class judges are looking for the horse with the most pleasing and comfortable gait cadence, and a relatively slow speed, with a smooth, confident, calm and responsive disposition. Western Pleasure is one of the most popular of the Western riding classes. Even beginners have a place in a show ring, where competitions are done in groups rather than individual performances.

While the above methods are considered “traditional” horse training, natural horse training is considered by some to be a very different approach. Some of the ways that natural horse training differs from traditional methods include:

The major way that natural horsemanship differs from other horse training methods is that it’s based on the belief that if people understand their horses — including what motivates them, frightens them, gives them pleasure, and how they operate in their natural settings — it builds a teamwork relationship between the horse and rider, and produces remarkable results in all disciplines. Indeed the ancient Greek Xenophon, sometimes considered the father of what became Dressage, and possibly the original “horse whisperer,” advocated sympathetic training of horses in his famous book On Horsemanship.

These are just a few examples of the differences between traditional and natural horse training.

If you are interested, our website offers more information about natural horsemanship page and horse training problems and behavior. Find out how you can use a more natural approach to horse problems on the ground and horse problems in the saddle.