John Lyons starts his book, Lyons on Horses, by saying, "I want my horse to be my partner." While this might sound like a carefully contrived sound bite issued for the purpose of softening up potential readers, Lyons proves throughout the text that his primary goal is indeed partnership.
Training a Horse the Cowboy Way
Published by Skyhorse Publishing with an introduction by Rick Lamb, Lyons on Horses offers an enriching look at the logical John Lyons horse training method, and covers most of the difficult aspects of training a horse, from the first ride to loading the horse in a trailer.
Lyons on Horses is told in simple language, and Lyons speaks in a conversational tone that allows the pages to slip by like sand through outstretched fingers. He talks directly to his readers, backing up his advice not with tales of his accomplishments but with sound reasoning that will hit home with any horse owner who has ever struggled on the losing end of a lead rope.
Most important, Lyons proves that training a horse the "cowboy way" need not include force or fancy training gadgets. He offers horse training techniques that utilize the mind and the body to their fullest potential, promoting logical communication between horse and rider.
Horse Training Techniques for All Disciplines
The problem with many horse training "systems" is that they can only be applied to one discipline. A horse trainer who works with cutting horses, for example, is unable to apply his efforts to the training of a show jumper. Surprisingly, this is not the case with John Lyons horse training.
Although the book is written with a western rider in mind, frequently referring to the saddle horn and other aspects of this discipline, the horse training techniques themselves can be applied to any style of riding. This flies in the face of the frequent battles over which discipline is best, a controversy that ultimately serves to divide equestrian enthusiasts and professionals.
This does not mean that every horse trainer will agree with the John Lyons horse training methodology. It does mean, however, that anyone who chooses to apply it to their own training practice can do so successfully.
Training a Horse From the Ground Up
Lyons on Horses is divided into fourteen logical chapters, each of which is further subdivided into categories for the reader's convenience. The chapters cover major steps in the process of training a horse – "Round Pen Reasoning," "The First Saddling," "Beginning Arena Work," and so forth – while the subsections deal with problems, cues and other important information that horse trainers need to cover.
In some cases, the chapters might seem out of order for the standard method of training a horse. John Lyons, for example, recommends starting with trail work and progressing to arena work, while most horse trainers conduct business the other way around.
However, Lyons makes clear his reasoning for starting on the trail, and it makes sense for horse trainers who want a quiet, responsive partner that trusts his rider and knows how to face his fear.He states in Chapter Eight, "The First Few Rides," that "Trail riding is a critical component of horse training. You can ride a horse until he is fifteen years old in the ring, and he still may not be safe on the trail."
Lyons also makes reference several times to his three basic tenants of training a horse: the rider must be safe, the horse must be safe and the horse should be calmer by the end of the lesson than he was when it started. It is upon these tenats that the foundation for Lyons on Horses is built.
Applying Lyons on Horses
For some horse trainers, particularly those who have attended symposia with John Lyons, much of this book will constitute a refresher course in logical training. For others, it will either become the root of all future horse training endeavors or will, at the very least, encourage them to think about why they are using specific horse training techniques and whether they are the best fit.
Source:
Lyons, John. (2009). Lyons on Horses. New York, NY: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-60239-766-8
The author received a free review copy of Lyons on Horses from Skyhorse Publishing.
Laura Thompson - Laura Thompson is a horseback riding instructor and freelance writer living in Houston, Texas. She is proud to be the feature writer for ...
Join the Conversation