Mini School

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Discussing the highly trainable and versatile miniature horse, this training guide advocates for a new vision of their value and skills. Providing all the steps necessary to train minis to be amazing performance animals, this study shows that these animals should no longer simply be dismissed due to their size or relegated to roles such as lawnmower and stable mate. Using classical training methods, this manual explores a wide range of topics—from feeding practices and carriage driving to harness training and dressage movements such as levade. The first book of its kind for Mini lovers, Mini School takes the training and conditioning of Minis as seriously as that of their full-size cousins. With real, honest-to-goodness in-hand work that promises a relaxed, supple body and collected frame as well as obedience, you're given the tools to transform your cuddly companion into a sleek, well-muscled athlete and a talented entertainer. You'll find valuable information · How Minis learn, with discussion of both "learning through association" and "learning through success," and ways to manage factors that impact your Mini's ability to absorb new lessons · Work on the longe line, long lines, and long reins, with special instruction on the proper use of side-reins and whip cues · Popular tricks loved by audiences and Minis alike—bowing, kneeling, sitting, lying down, and rearing, to name a few · Lateral work, including leg-yield, shoulder-in, haunches-in, and half-pass · Dressage movements in-hand, such as pirouettes, piaffe, passage, and levade · Conditioning through interval training and cross-training, featuring canter work, driving, cavalletti, and jumping gymnastics · Plus a dictionary of voice commands and tips on how to use them.