Breaking-In and Training Services by ASHS Level 1 Accredited Coach
We offer a range of services that can be customised to your specific needs - these are:
- Breaking-in - we have experience with most breeds.
- Training and re-training
- Show/sale preparation
- Lessons - private or group tuition catering for all ages, levels and abilities. Videos of lessons can be taken for follow-up discussion.
- Clinics - we have regular training/horsemanship weekends with coaches from various disciplines.
- Onsite and riverside camping is available with home cooked meals and good companionship assured.
- Mustering, cattle work and mechanical cow.
Our services are competitively priced - flexible and tailor-made packages can be arranged to suit the individual.
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Our facilities now consist of:
- A 60m x 20m dressage arena;
- Fully under cover, enclosed and floodlit sand work arena;
- Two under cover round yards;
- Safe stables and yards;
- Float parking and unloading area;
- Rider accommodation - if required;
- Toilet and shower facilities;
- Wash bay.
Paul has experience coaching a variety of riders including:
- Children on and off a lead rein;
- Capable pony club riders;
- Adult beginner/novice riders;
- Prospective purchasers on unfamiliar horses;
- Riders on difficult horses, and
- Experienced riders competing at National and Royal Show level.
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Background to our training operation
As a third generation horseman Paul has had a lifelong love of horses and horsemanship and has been actively involved in the horse industry for the last 40 years.
Our focus here at Silverthorn is to breed top quality ASH performance horses as well as training horses and riders for competition. The day-to-day routine includes breaking-in, training, coaching, working stock and retraining problem horses.
We consider learning a lifelong process and are always prepared to increase our knowledge to further enhance our skills in horsemanship. Paul has studied with leaders in their field in a variety of disciplines including dressage, campdrafting, cutting and reining.
Paul is a Level 1 ASHS Accredited Coach, a nationally-recognised qualification which is overseen by the Australian Sports Commission's National Coaches Accreditation Scheme (NCAS). As an Accredited Coach, Paul has undergone training in safety and risk management. We also both hold current First Aid Certificates.
As accredited ASHS judges we fully understand the Society's rules and regulations and requirements in and out of the show ring.
We are sensitive to the differing needs of riders of varying competencies, modes of learning and levels of confidence and Paul plans his lessons with these considerations. We are familiar with the Australian Horse Industry Council Code of Practice for the Horse Industry and the Equestrian Australia Code of Conduct.
We strive to keep a clean, workable and safe environment on our property, which enables us to safely help others develop riding skills and to train their own horses.
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The importance of ground manners in your horse
There are two reasons why you want ground manners:
1. You want to be an effective leader and gain respect from your horse.
2. You want to use this stage to develop transitional cues to help with your introduction to saddlework.
In order to gain respect, you need to gain control of your horse's feet. If you get control of his feet, you automatically establish yourself as the leader and achieve respect from your horse.
To teach your horse good ground manners you will need to learn and execute techniques on how to gain control of your horse's feet. There are exercises and manoeuvres you can use to achieve this. You also will need to know how he thinks and you will need to think like him.
It is critical that you define your view of what acceptable ground manners are and establish a daily lesson plan on how to achieve acceptable ground manners. Before a person begins training of any kind, they need to define the objective. Clear communication is a basic component of any training program.
Most horses think the same regardless of their age. A horse is born with good ground manners. At birth, horses have all their instinctive behaviours and are fully developed and are fully physical and ready to learn.
If the baby gets out of line, the mother or the herd will put it back in line. But, she does not know what you know, nor does she know what is right or wrong in your world. The problem you have is that your concept of good ground manners is different than her concept of good ground manners.
When a horse pushes you out of the way or steps on your foot, they are being horses and showing leadership by controlling your feet.
Remember this - leadership is a fundamental behaviour in horses, and it requires a leader and a subordinate. In their world, the one standing is the leader and the one moving is the subordinate.
Teaching your horse what is acceptable in human society is all about how to control their feet. Your job is to out think him. He can outweigh you by 4-5 times in his weight and size, so you cannot physically show him what is acceptable.
The simple concept to gain a horse's respect is to not only moving their feet but to have control over their feet at will. To simplify this, break the horse up into five body parts (head, neck, shoulders, ribs, hips) then work out of a round yard or on a lead line.
Many people start using the round yard to get the horse moving forward at liberty and for getting inside and outside turns. If you are working off a lead line, find a starting point such as disengaging the hips around the forehand without the horse moving forward. Once you can do this on both sides, start working on moving the shoulders around the haunches.
Forward impulsion comes from the hips and turning comes from the shoulders. Once you have gained control of hips and shoulders you now have control of impulsion and turning.
This is just a basic overview of what is required to gain respect from your horse - one of the key elements in teaching good ground manners.
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