CONDITIONED RESPONSE
The horse is a conditioned response
animal. As such, this method of training requires commitment,
consistency, & repetition. Every time we go near our horse, we are
teaching it something - sometimes good, sometimes bad. When you become
consistent with your cues to the horse, the horse will become
consistent with his response. It is this consistency in your cues and
in his response which gives you the performance you want.
The John Lyons Method is not just for the horse. It is also for the
owner, rider, and handler. Just like horses, people also need
repetition in order to learn and truly understand how to communicate
with their horse.
Using John's conditioned response method, Lynn will teach both you
& your horse. You will understand how the horse is being trained
and be an active partner in that training. There are no secrets. You
will see, know and understand everything that is done with your horse.
TRAINING FOUNDATION
The John Lyons Method uses the Round
Pen as the ideal place to start the education of your horse. With the
horse in the Round Pen, there are a series of exercises designed to
take your horse from ignoring your requests to being eager to please
you. This will make it less frustrating for both horse and rider as
they progress through the first ride. Some of the things the horse
will learn as he progresses from step to step will include: responding
to cues for going forward, changing direction, stopping, turning &
facing you and coming to you. He will learn to stand quietly for
grooming, to have his feet picked up, and to have his tack put on. He
will also stand quietly while the rider mounts.
Owner participation in this method is a must regardless of whether you
want to use your horse for trail riding or for showing. You need to
know the cues that your horse has learned in order to access his
training, and you need to know how he was trained in order to maintain
that training.
