Horse Training & Development

Mutual respect between equine and human partners is emphasized in all our training programs. While force, fear and intimidation are commonly used to train horses, at ELS Stables we build confidence through trust and communication. By teaching personal space concepts to the human partners, horses learn boundaries and become less anxious or bossy.

Cooperation through good leadership starts with techniques in fairness: consistency and timing. The three “T’s” taught are Tools, Techniques & Timing. Horses learn quickly and become less resistant as new skills are learned in a low stress environment where the positive is promoted and rewarded.

Horse Development:

In our experience pain and confusion are the main causes of resistant or oppositional behavior in horses. Pain and confusion cause fear which causes fight or flight responses in horses. These responses look like bucking, bolting, biting, kicking, striking, and/or rearing. Through this behavior, horses teach us the necessity of clear leadership roles within the human-horse relationship. Learn more…

Physical Rehabilitation:

Many horses have been brought to ELS Stables to correct oppositional behaviors that are often symptoms of physical pain or confusion. Some common causes of pain are poor saddle fit, chronic or acute injury, or age-related arthritis. At ELS we first assess a horse for pain before addressing the confusion. Both states lead to fear. Many times the assessment and treatment eliminates the confusion and thus fear, so the behaviors disappear. During the assessment period a plan is proposed and the client is actively involved with any decisions before treatment begins. Learn more…