Hands On Horse Training and Riding Instruction

Discipline

All Around, Training, Other

Additional Comments

"Hands-on" is what I call my method of training horses and their owners to form a partnership based on respect and trust while attaining physical balance and collection, which are cornerstones of good horsemanship.

I employ a wide range of "Classical Horsemanship" techniques. My methods are derived from personal experience, along with my studies of classical training sources and observation of, and instruction by, other accomplished practitioners of the art of training and riding horses.... (read more)

Much of my focus is on creating a rapport between humans and equine to facilitate control and performance without the use of aggressive methods or harsh training aids. Additionally, I put great emphasis on strengthening and balancing the horse, with the goal of attaining even weight distribution and collection. Thus eliminating a great many issues caused by a horse's natural physical asymmetry.

Troy Griffith

My name is Troy Griffith. My lovely wife Nancy and I live in Aumsville, near Salem, Oregon with two dogs and several horses. I am a lifelong student of historical martial arts and, for many years, have been working toward training myself and my horses in the skills of the medieval knight astride a warhorse. As part of this training, I have developed methods of preparing horse and rider for the challenges faced by warhorse and rider as they practice such medieval equestrian activities as jousting, mounted sword combat, and archery from horseback.... (read more) Obviously, these sorts of activities require a physically capable, mentally steady mount that a rider can count on to calmly face challenges the average horse might find overwhelming. In the past several years I have begun teaching my methods to other horse owners. While some have an interest in training a warhorse of their own, most are simply interested in having this kind of relationship and level of confidence with their own horse. Much the way folks take their horses to Police Horse Workshops when they have no intention of ever being a mounted officer. After all, a horse that has no issue with charging another horse and rider in armor, is simply unlikely to have much of an issue with more common activities. It may be counter-intuitive, but while the warhorse activities may seem aggressive in nature, the methods used to prepare horse and rider for them are anything but. The “Hands-On” method, as I call the techniques I teach, is based on gentle, consistent repetition to acclimate the horse and create a relationship of respect and trust while straightening and balancing the natural asymmetry of the horse to improve collection and agility. While many of these methods find their roots in classical horse training stretching back hundreds of years, they bear a remarkable resemblance to modern methods often referred to as "Natural Horsemanship" in that understanding the natural responses of the horse is key to systematically and gently condition and train the animal, not simply force it to comply with the wishes of the rider.

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