George Morris: Educating a horse to a spooky jump

George Morris schooling riders over a liverpool, teaching how to educate a horse to a spooky jump. George Morris gave a clinic hosted by Diane Carney at Telluride in November 2010. For details, see the notes on my blog: http://collectingtbs.com/2010/11/29/george-morris-good-enough-isnt-good-enough/

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• hunters
• jumpers
• georgemorris
• horse

[mydoran1]

i'm not quite understanding gm's idea of the smack with the crop at a standing stop by the jump.especially if horse is spooky at it in the first place.

[AuntieSarahR]

@mydoran1 I'm not either, but 1) far be it from me to question GM's method and 2) it totally worked. Every horse hopped right over that liverpool. They went through it several times, and each time, the encouragement was reduced (eg from crop to kick to cluck.)

[hunterjumper798]

Amazing*

[hunterjumper798]

Ok seriously they aren't hitting the horse hard at all. It's a tiny crop and they just tap the horse. It wouldn't even hurt a person. Horse's skin is really thick, so get over it. It's his style of teaching and obviously it has worked becuase they all went over and he's done a,axing

[victorialovera]

@mydoran1 I also don't agree. With a mare that I am training, I use the method of coming up close at a trot and slowing down to a walk right before to let the horse touch the object with it's nose and smell it and know that it is not a threat. I also don't let the horse turn right before a jump because then they get used to it. So I modified George's circle into doing 2-3 steps backwards and pushing the horse sideways to already be in position re-take the a canter.

[CollinLovesMe31]

HEY GUYS! last time i checked George Morris is a GENIUS!! shut up you don't know what your talking about:) he trains athletes and show horses not back yard ponies..so please give him the respect he deserves..... since he is the chef de equipe <---(prob spelled that wrong) of the US team and all

[kurtizkd]

i agree this isnt a good way to teach it.

[143dasher]

I will never understand why high level trainers still train using fear based techniques. Learn about animal behavior and classical and operant conditioning. Let the horse look, sniff and walk over. Associating something scary with a pat or soft voice teaches the horse to trust you versus whipping them over so that they are not relaxed. You can also school it on the ground first if you are not capable enough a rider.

[littlerider1303]

Why would u walk to the fence knowing the horse will not go over it, just for the sake of hitting him? Why do they whip them before the jump even though there is no hesitation from the horse? I dont understand what this coach is doing .

[angelsee19]

why they hit the horse before the jump ?

[Strul83]

Not good! :S

[thequietone1551]

Yeah... I would love to see how this would work with my guy. He is been deathly afraid of tarps to the point he wouldn't enter an arena if one was in there. Been that way the entire time I have had him (10 years). I have now gotten to the point he will approach with me leading him but not within 12 feet with me on him. ^_^ He'd run right over GM!!!!!