Excerpt from Turning Challenging Horses into Willing Partners due for release winter, 2010
Long lining: “Long lining is an amazing tool that I use with every
horse that comes through my program.”
Round pen: “I use a round pen occasionally when I have a horse
come in that has respect issues and needs to learn about ‘my
space, your space’ commands and demands.”
Free Jumping: “I like to teach all young horses to free jump
loose before jumping under saddle. This allows them to figure
out their own balance and stride while jumping, before dealing
with a rider’s weight and balance.”
Turnout and nutrition: “I am a strong believer in lots of turnout
and a very good nutritional program. A happy, well-fed horse is
much more willing to cooperate than a horse that is unhappy,
hungry, or has excess energy.”
Handling: “The people that handle the horses on a daily basis
are incredibly important to the horses’ overall happiness. If
you have staff that are afraid of the horses, or are too aggressive
with them, this can greatly affect their daily behavior, especially
as young, impressionable horses.
“Herd mechanics are key as well. If you have a horse that is
being a bully to humans, if you get them in the right group and
have another alpha that can put him in his place, it can help
with his training and overall confidence. You do have to be
careful with this, as you certainly don’t want any of the horses
to get hurt either.”
About Claire Hunter
Claire Hunter specializes in backing and starting young horses,
and retraining problem horses. After working at other equine
establishments, she recognized there was a need for a service to
bridge the gap between breeders and the show ring. From there,
Braecrest Stables was created.
Claire is an active member of the Toronto North York Hunt
Club, Canadian Equestrian Federation, the Ontario Equestrian
Federation, and the Canadian Sport Horse Association. She
spent two years at Openwood Farm backing and training Thoroughbred racehorses and field hunters prior to starting her own business, where she serves as owner and trainer at Braecrest Stables in Loretto, Ontario, Canada.
Claire was a guest speaker at the Ontario Equestrian Federation
Annual Conference in 2008, with a seminar entitled “You
don’t need to be a superstar to be a success.”
Claire Hunter
Loretto, Ontario
http://www.braecreststables.com
(705) 435-0330
