Jim Swanner Media

06/02/2026

The Softer Feel

When I begin teaching people how to teach their horse, I ALWAYS tell them to begin with the softest feel they can get. Lightness is the key to success in getting your horse where you want it. If we begin at a place that is too heavy or with too much pressure, the horse doesn’t have anywhere to go back to. What I mean by this is; begin as light as possible and add pressure slowly and as soon as the horse tries, release quickly. We must be more ready to release the pressure than to continue with the pressure. We must anticipant the slightest movement and give the horse release.

This applies to any pressure and release movement we are working with; whether it is yielding the hindquarters, turning the frontend, going sideways and the backup.

When I begin teaching a horse to yield from pressure, I ALWAYS begin on the ground. Teaching the pressure and release in this manner you have a better feel and also you are able to use more vision than you would sitting in the saddle. It is a concept you are teaching the horse. It’s not a technique or method but a concept that the horse will quickly understand.

Let’s look at the concept of teaching your horse to backup, from the ground then we will get in the saddle. The halter I use is made of ¼” rope. The ¼” rope will put enough pressure on the horse’s nose without too much effort, only when needed. Remember we are aiming for lightness. The lead rope is a yachting braid nylon rope and a heavy brass clip. This combination gives a quicker release than does a cotton lead rope.

We’re going to be doing two different movements, at this time, from the ground. There are more but these two are the most important.

First you will hold the rope about 6” from the clip as you stand on either side of the horse facing toward the hind quarters, So, if you are on the left side of the horse you will have the rope in your left hand. Now, pick up on the rope and push it toward the horse’s chest, using light pressure. If there isn’t any movement add­­­ sligh­­­­tly more pressure. Add pressure until you get the lightest try then release quickly. Each time begin with the lightest amount of pressure.

Next, place the palm of your hand, right or left, on the horse’s nose. Put your thumb and middle finger on the facial nerves that run along the horses’ face. Now begin to add pressure on these nerves in the same manner as you did with the halter. Be sure to release immediately at the slightest try.

These two task will help to teach the horse to move back off the slightest try when you’re in the saddle.

Now let’s transfer these concepts to the saddle. If you have taken your time in teaching your horse to back using the concepts named above, your horse should begin to understand quicker in the saddle.

Teaching a horse to back when we are in the saddle is the same concept as we use from the ground. We begin with lightness and add pressure slowly as we need. When you get the slightest try, release the reins quickly.

Now to try and give you a step by step process you can visualize. Whether you use a bit, a hackamore or something else, this applies to all.

You’re in the saddle; pick up your reins-one in each hand with them, not real tight, but to where you have contact. Remember, we are teaching…not making, BIG difference. At this point, you will hold the reins with your thumb and index finger with slight contact. As you add a finger to the reins you will be adding more pressure. Again, I can’t emphasize enough, take your time. It will pay off. As you add a finger you will be adding a little more pressure. If you have added all the fingers you are now holding the reins in your hand, slightly pull back and hold. Lock your elbows by your side and hold. You should have enough pressure that the horse is trying to figure out how to get out of the pressure but he isn’t fighting to get out. If he is fighting to get out, he’s not thinking how to get out. And if too much pressure is added too quickly the same will happen.

You add pressure slowly so the horse can think what it needs to do to get away from the pressure. When you get the slightest try in the right direction, quickly release the reins.

Remember, ALWAYS start in the beginning, every time. Not just the first time but every time. When your horse gives you a try and you release, begin again in the beginning.

Good luck with teaching your horse, I hope you end up with a good back up.

Remember----The Softer Feel…

Jim Swanner K-I-N STABLES
13124 Carter Road Athens, AL 35611
256.874.6781

Helping Horses with Humans

05/25/2026

Respect in Horsemanship

The use of the term respect when it comes to horse training often comes under fire. “Respect is a human term” people say and talk about it like it is something that can be bullied into a horse. If you want respect, don’t be a bully with your horse or others.

Respect is something we earn from our horse by helping it feel comfortable with the choices it is making. We might earn it from a frightened horse by helping it through a worrying situation. We might earn it from a defensive horse by showing it how changing that way of looking after itself reduces the need to be defensive and worried. We might gain it from an alpha horse by proving that we are assertive enough to earn the right to be the one who should be followed. Respect is not gained by any one method or aspect of horsemanship. The frightened horse might need exposure in increments to whatever it is that has it worried and the removal of that thing every time it starts to deal with it. The defensive horse might need to move separate parts of its body for us in order to become comfortable with the fact that these responses gain it more than the defensive behavior that has worked for it in the past. The spoiled c**t might need chasing away a little to learn that if it is to be near us it is to be in a more socially acceptable manner. Gaining a horses respect is more about showing it easy ways to be in a human created environment so that it can relax and leave the worrying to you. Horses crave this more than food in many cases. Respect is also having enough empathy for the horse to work out what it needs in order to gain its respect. Nothing takes the worry out of a horse more than taking away the confusion it might be feeling. Respect for another horseman might be putting some effort into understanding what they might be trying to achieve with a particular horse and learning enough about that given situation before assuming that, that is how every horse is handled.

Horsemanship is about reading a particular horse and using an appropriate technique/concept to help it understand. That technique’s success is largely reliant on the amount of feel one has for the horse and the situation. Respect is a 2 way street and we must lead by example. Bullying is just that and will only create fear and worry.

Learning to be assertive (not aggressive) with our horse is a difficult thing for some of us to do. We have to understand everything from the perspective of the horse. It is kind of hard to do that if we don’t understand the horse first. If we don’t understand how the horse thinks, what causes the horse to do what it does.

Understanding the horse is the first step in horsemanship. It’s the first step in learning to see things from the horses’ point of view. We have to look at the horse as the horse sees itself. It sees itself as everything it doesn’t understand is out to get it.

It is a good thing for us, as riders and handlers, the horse can desensitize pretty quickly to something new. As long as that something hasn’t created in the horses’ past it should be something that causes pain. As long as there isn’t a fear memory the horse will become confident very quickly. But, on the other hand, if it is something that has caused a real fear in the horse it will probably take some time to suppress that fear factor in the horse.

One method some use (which I don’t use because with some horses this could drive the fear deeper or cause a horse to go deeper within itself, go Introverted we call it) is flooding. You expose the object of fear to the horse until the horse relaxes. Sometimes this may work but if the horse is severely traumatized from this particular object/situation in the past you may be embedding this factor even deeper into the horses’ mind and it will never be OK with it. I feel advance and retreat is by far the best method to use.

Whatever you do or will do with your horse, one thing to remember, RESPECT is earned and not demanded. Respect and Trust are pretty close to the same in my book.

Jim Swanner
K-I-N Stables Athens AL

Helping Horses with Humans

04/24/2026

"Helping non-horse people understand"

This time of year, people are out riding horses..

Hello to all our non-horsey people. This Article was inspired by an incident a friend encountered. As you non-horse people may not know, a horse is an in-to pressure animal. That means they push into and through pressure, whether physical or mental. Also, what you may not know is that a horse is a prey animal such as a deer, antelope, rabbit or squirrel. Their defense is to flee from what they perceive as a dangerous situation. When fleeing from these dangerous or perceived dangerous situations a horse will go, what we call in the horse world, right brained. That means that is the self-preservation side, the reactive side, the non-thinking side. A horse will kill itself trying to save itself.
I wanted to give you non-horse people this little bit of information to tell you the following. When you are around horses please don’t assume they are a pet. They are a horse; a 1000 pound reactive quick as lightning, 100s of times stronger than we are. Their reaction time is so fast you won’t even see it happening until it has happened and then it is often too late.
As I stated, these animals are not pets such as a dog or cat, they are a horse.
All that being said, here is the situation; you are driving down the road and you see someone leading (or riding for that matter) a horse or horses down the road or down the ditch beside the road because, the horse for some reason got out of their fence or maybe the people are just out for a ride or stroll, it really doesn’t matter the reason here is what should be done by the person driving the vehicle. Slow down to almost a crawl, pull as far as you can to the opposite side of the road from the horses and pass with care. As I said, the reaction time of a horse is lightning fast and they can be out in front of you before you can apply your brakes or if you startle them by not observing the afore mentioned, you could cause the rider or handler grave injury.
Here’s the scenario, a driver is approaching someone leading or riding their along the road. A driver in a vehicle drove by, not slowing down and pushed down on the horn. Sometimes people do this just for a laugh or to see what the horse will do. Let me tell you this, this is not a laughing matter to us horse owners and it won’t be to the people who do these acts either once someone is hurt or a horse is hurt because of their lack of intelligence.
If you’re driving and encounter a horse, PLEASE slow down. A horse can jump sideways into traffic.
If you’re walking, on a bike or running where horses could be, when you encounter a horse and rider, PLEASE STOP, speak to the folks. Ask permission to proceed….Horses LEGALLY have the right of way on most trails.
Please keep your children still and clear from the horses. Speaking will let the horse know you aren’t a threat.
Approaching from behind, PLEASE speak to allow the horse and rider know you are approaching.
I know most people know this but there are some that don’t. Thank you

04/13/2026

Thank all who have followed Our Media Page..

The Softer Feel

When I begin teaching people how to teach their horse, I ALWAYS tell them to begin with the softest feel they can get. Lightness is the key to success in getting your horse where you want it. If we begin at a place that is too heavy or with too much pressure, the horse doesn’t have anywhere to go back to. What I mean by this is; begin as light as possible and add pressure slowly and as soon as the horse tries, release quickly. We must be more ready to release the pressure than to continue with the pressure. We must anticipant the slightest movement and give the horse release.

This applies to any pressure and release movement we are working with; whether it is yielding the hindquarters, turning the frontend, going sideways and the backup.

When I begin teaching a horse to yield from pressure, I ALWAYS begin on the ground. Teaching the pressure and release in this manner you have a better feel and also you are able to use more vision than you would sitting in the saddle. It is a concept you are teaching the horse. It’s not a technique or method but a concept that the horse will quickly understand.

Let’s look at the concept of teaching your horse to backup, from the ground then we will get in the saddle. The halter I use is made of ¼” rope. The ¼” rope will put enough pressure on the horse’s nose without too much effort, only when needed. Remember we are aiming for lightness. The lead rope is a yachting braid nylon rope and a heavy brass clip. This combination gives a quicker release than does a cotton lead rope.

We’re going to be doing two different movements, at this time, from the ground. There are more but these two are the most important.

First you will hold the rope about 6” from the clip as you stand on either side of the horse facing toward the hind quarters, So, if you are on the left side of the horse you will have the rope in your left hand. Now, pick up on the rope and push it toward the horse’s chest, using light pressure. If there isn’t any movement add­­­ sligh­­­­tly more pressure. Add pressure until you get the lightest try then release quickly. Each time begin with the lightest amount of pressure.

Next, place the palm of your hand, right or left, on the horse’s nose. Put your thumb and middle finger on the facial nerves that run along the horses’ face. Now begin to add pressure on these nerves in the same manner as you did with the halter. Be sure to release immediately at the slightest try.

These two task will help to teach the horse to move back off the slightest try when you’re in the saddle.

Now let’s transfer these concepts to the saddle. If you have taken your time in teaching your horse to back using the concepts named above, your horse should begin to understand quicker in the saddle.

Teaching a horse to back when we are in the saddle is the same concept as we use from the ground. We begin with lightness and add pressure slowly as we need. When you get the slightest try, release the reins quickly.

Now to try and give you a step by step process you can visualize. Whether you use a bit, a hackamore or something else, this applies to all.

You’re in the saddle; pick up your reins-one in each hand with them, not real tight, but to where you have contact. Remember, we are teaching…not making, BIG difference. At this point, you will hold the reins with your thumb and index finger with slight contact. As you add a finger to the reins you will be adding more pressure. Again, I can’t emphasize enough, take your time. It will pay off. As you add a finger you will be adding a little more pressure. If you have added all the fingers you are now holding the reins in your hand, slightly pull back and hold. Lock your elbows by your side and hold. You should have enough pressure that the horse is trying to figure out how to get out of the pressure but he isn’t fighting to get out. If he is fighting to get out, he’s not thinking how to get out. And if too much pressure is added too quickly the same will happen.

You add pressure slowly so the horse can think what it needs to do to get away from the pressure. When you get the slightest try in the right direction, quickly release the reins.

Remember, ALWAYS start in the beginning, every time. Not just the first time but every time. When your horse gives you a try and you release, begin again in the beginning.

Remember----The Softer Feel

04/09/2026

Getting the Correct Response

Have you ever watched a horse do some pretty awesome stuff for its handler? I’m not talking about things like circus tricks and such. I’m talking about things you think you can do.

Ever wonder how these horses are taught to do these things?

Teaching horses does take time but the primary element is conditioned response.

Conditioning is a process where the behavior response becomes increasingly consistent as a result of reinforcement. Reinforcement occurs following the response to a stimulus. Reinforcement can be comfortable or uncomfortable. The comfort or discomfort can be physical or psychological (emotional).

With horses, physical discomfort includes annoying stimuli such as prodding, tapping or poking. Physical comfort, of course, is as water, food, shelter, rest and grooming (stroking).

Psychological comfort includes, soothing sounds, pleasantness, and the absence of angered impatience.

Psychological discomfort is fear, (usually from anger and impatience from the human). It also exist where there may be impending physical discomfort.

A horse has fear (a psychological discomfort) because it is fearful of pain (a physical discomfort).

Every horse is different; we have to choose our method of teaching a horse carefully. We have to understand the horse, read the horse and determining if the horse is a right brained horse of a left brained horse. Right brained horse is a very fearful horse, a horse that wants to get away, an unconfident a horse that is unteachable until it is more left brained.

The left brained horse is the confident horse, the teachable horse, the curious horse and sometimes the dominate horse.

Learn to help your horses understand what it is you're asking and ask the same way everytime. Reward the slightest try by taking the pressure off. Stop asking..

04/04/2026

It's been a minute since I've posted on here. A whole bunch of the radio shows have been deleted and the articles as well.
I wanted to begin a podcast but time and other things hasn't allowed that to happen. Haven't stopped thinking about it, the timing isn't right, right now.
When it happens it will be more than horse stuff....
Stay tuned...
Thank you who follow us here.
Also follow "The Hat" page.

09/29/2025

Thank y'all for liking and following. Haven't done much here but it will increase.thank you

09/27/2025

“Why Do Horses Learn the WRONG Thing?”

There is a saying, if you want to know the value of a second, ask the person that came in second.

Timing!!!

Timing is very critical when it comes to a lot of things especially when teaching horses. If your timing is off, your horse may learn the wrong thing. If you keep asking when you should have stopped asking or you stop asking when you should have kept going. Timing…

You see, because horses learn from the release of pressure, the release must be timed with what you’re asking your horse to do. When it tries, you release immediately. We must be ready to release more than keep going. Our thought process should be I want to take the pressure off, not keep it going.

For example, if you ask your horse to move its hindquarters over by stepping its left hind leg in front of its right hind leg (disengaging) and it does it, ‘STOP ASKING’… Immediately take off the pressure.

When he moves, just stand there not facing the horse but facing away from the horse, leave it alone and let it process what just happened. You see, continuing to face the horse puts added pressure on the horse. You want to turn away and leave the horse alone. Allow it to lick and chew. This also teaches us patience for the horse.

This process gets the horse to thinking. The licking and chewing. It helps to create a thinking horse.

So, what is it thinking about?

In his own mind he’s thinking, what the heck did I do to get them to leave me alone?

You know what that’s called! It’s called getting your horse to give you the correct answer.
I
And you don’t stop the pressure until it gives you the correct answer or tries in that direction. Because, if it doesn’t give you the correct answer and you release the pressure, (you quit asking before it does what you are asking) then, my friend, you are teaching your horse the WRONG answer. You are teaching it the wrong thing.

That is why horses often learn the wrong thing, and we blame the horse. The solution is in our way of teaching. On another note, we have to know what we are teaching..

This is a basic principle in teaching horses but very powerful.

We must have clarity of intention. We must know what it is we are asking the horse to do and the correct manner in which to ask. It is our responsibility to know this. If you want the horse to move its feet, then how do you want it to move its feet. Which feet are you asking to move and how are you asking.



See it in your mind first. See it how you should ask and see how the horse should respond.



Clarity of intention is VERY important. Be sure you know you are asking the horse correctly, to do what you want it to do, and NEVER blame the horse, it’s a HORSE ….Know before you go...