The sport of dressage has existed for as long as people have been riding horses. Very simply, it is the art of training your horse to its full potential.

Today, it has evolved into one of the most highly regimented disciplines in the horse world. Dressage is a series of movements which are performed by the rider giving aids to their horse to perform advanced movements, giving the impression the horse is “dancing” with their rider. 

Training a horse for reining is a long, slow process.  I have been training reining horses for over thirty years and I have yet to find a way to "finish" a reining horse in a few months

A reining horse must be relaxed and confident in the reining pen and only a one-step-at-a-time training program will accomplish that. There is no better way to instill confidence and knowledge into your horse than to teach him the first steps first - the "basics". The basics are a series of exercises that are the foundation for more difficult ones and basic exercises are an essential part of every training program. Not only do they progress the horse from simple to complex, but are also essential tools to fall back on when the horse encounters difficulty with any advanced maneuver.

I go through basic exercises every time I ride every horse.

The process involved in taking a horse from a ‘young and wild’, spirited, unbacked horse, to becoming a wonderfully responsive and responsible riding horse under the saddle is known as Starting.  Do you perhaps currently have a horse or pony that needs to begin the next part of his journey; the part that includes carrying a rider for the first time?

Starting or backing a young horse is a process which ultimately has the power to shape your horse's feelings on being ridden for many years to come. Decisions made during those initial few weeks  have the potential to impact your horse's feelings towards carrying a rider for the rest of his life.

I generally recommend taking approximately six weeks when ‘Starting’ your horse. I feel that this stage of his training will end when he is happily working under the saddle with his rider and understands basic aids and questions the rider will ask. He will be essentially ready to begin a more comprehensive schooling program.

Using techniques that will make sure your horse remains unafraid and comfortable, John Payne will also provide techniques for managing horses that will load but are nervous going on, or are nervous once they’re on the float.

Some horses can be made comfortable with the float in less than thirty minutes while others might need more than one lesson or an extended lesson.