Here are videos that show some of my training with Ranger, a Morab Gelding whose  recognized daddy is Windmere Royal Topaz.  In this photo he’s being ridden by my recognized daddy, trainer Wes Licht.   Three years ago I trained Ranger to ride and drive. I am so blessed to work with him again for a few months as  a “tune-up” in preparation for him to find a good sale home or as a lease to the right person.

In addition to his good looks, his temperament is outstanding.  He is intelligent and loves to interact with people.

In the following video,  Ranger greets me for his training session.  Why do the horses love to see me?  Because I have carrots, of course!  I also try to be fair and reward generously during our time working together so they enjoy their job.

If you have a horse that is like this (cheerful and happy to work with you every day), be sure to pay attention when they show you a grumpy mood, as they  may be trying to politely tell you that something hurts or they are not feeling well.   For that horse, I like to give them the benefit of the doubt.  Then the next day  when things are fine they seem to say, “Thanks for understanding  me.  Maybe you’re smarter than I thought!”  and then approach me as they usually do, happy to begin their session.

In the next video, Ranger shows how he practically bridles himself.  Teaching a horse to accept the bit using my trick-training methods makes bridling a fun part of his job, and easier for me.

I use a cat collar when riding my horses.  The video below explains where and why.  *At time of posting this video was not loading properly.  If you want, go directly to Youtube and enter search words “saralicht, Ranger, snaffle” to see this one.

Below, Ranger demonstrates the cones pattern I learned from Stacey Westfall.  You may also want to see my recent article titled “Stacey Westfall’s clover-leaf cones pattern” where I show the pattern in detail using a plastic horse and carrot cones.

Learn timing of the leg aid by FEEL!  Ranger and I demonstrate how.

Ranger has been a riding horse for young students for a couple of years.  He is very tolerant and kind.  Here he accepts me riding him while I carry a noisy tarp.  There are a few steps that go into doing this, so please do not try it without professional help.  I can explain methods and demonstrate;  please call me for a session and stay on the safe side.

This video below is a bit longer, but you can see Ranger as he was working in July.   Since then he has improved even more  in his ability to stay balanced.  The riding work I put in transferred beautifully to his driving.  In the cart, he responds to my hands and a gentle brush of the whip on his side when I want to bend him and prepare him for a turn.   He shows some nice canter transitions in this video as well.

And finally, You Can Lead a Horse to Water, But You Can’t Make Him Drink…..unless you have carrots and good timing!