1. How does John train the "Baby Horse"?
   
2. What do I do with my horse when he rears his head?
   
3. Who will be teaching the Certification Program, Clinics, or the Symposiums?
   
4. How do you work with a horse who is mouthy or who has a problem with biting?
   
5. My stallion screams at each horse that he sees. How can I stop him?
   
6. How do I handle a horse that is headshy?
   
7. What do you do with a horse that tries to kick other horses when on the trail?
   
8. Can I apply for John to use my horse at his Symposiums?
9. Does John Lyons Symposiums Inc. offer any scholarships, grants or
   financial packages?
10. Why is a stallion not preferred for the Certification Program?

The same principals and methods that are used for adult horses can be used on the younger horse as well. Just remember to format your lesson on the horse's physical and mental abilities. You'll find some lessons working with the young horse in The Ground Control Manual.

The problem isn't rearing; it's that you don't have control of any part of the horse. If you could tell the horse to drop the tip of his left hear down to within 6 inches of the ground, for example, then he couldn't rear and drop his ear at the same time. The more you can work with individual parts of the horse, the more successful your overall training will be. So, I teach the calm-down or drop-your-head cue to the rearing horse. Also, I don't put the horse in a situation in which he's going to rear until I've taught him the cue to calm down.

John Lyons will teach the Symposiums and Clinics while Josh Lyons (John's son) teaches the Certification Program.

Without question, biting is the most dangerous behavior a horse can have. That's why it's so important to take biting - even nibbling - seriously and work to prevent it. There are several ways to prevent a mouthy horse from becoming a biter. The first is to give him more attention that he really wants. When he comes nuzzling around, gently rub his nose, and keep rubbing it until he takes his nose away. The next is to give him plenty of hugging, particularly on his head. If he's not starving for attention, he's less likely to be pushy about trying to get it.

Your horse's mind is obviously not on you, but on the many distractions that surround him. First thing, you need to give your horse something to do. I would suggest teaching your horse the head down cue or moving his hips and shoulders. Focus on the behavior you want, not on what you don't want. Begin working on these exercises before you know the horse will get excited, try to stop the behavior problem before he has a chance to start.

Similar to working with the rearing problem, I teach a cue to tell the horse to drop his head. Beyond that, I use a process of sacking out - systematically exposing the horse to something a little scary, then withdrawing that something before he feels the need to pull his head away. I begin by sacking him out with my hand. I'll pet his neck or face. But if I think he's uncomfortable enough with what I'm doing to pull away in 5 seconds, I'll move my hand away in 3. That way, I'll have those 3 seconds in which he's done what I want. Again, I can build on that. Also, in working with the headshy horse, it' important to sack him out with lots of low-threat things: my hand, then a washrag, then a small towel, and so forth, making sure he's accustomed to those things before expecting him to stand for something like clippers.

If it were my horse, he wouldn't have time to think about the other horses. You have to take responsibility for your own horse. It isn't the other rider's responsibility to stay away from you. Practice asking the horse to give to the bit and using lots of other control exercises. There are many things you can ask of your horse when you're on the trail-bend at the poll, move his shoulders to the left, speed up the walk, slow down and move right, and so forth. The more you keep your horse focused on what you want, the less he'll pay attention to the other horses.

Yes, you can apply. Contact John Lyons Symposiums, Inc, 970-285-9797. Availability may depend on the format of the Symposium.

John is not an accredited school. At this time we do not offer financial packages. However, we can offer some suggestions in helping you with ideas in obtaining help with your finances for the program. The program requires two horses to be taken through the training process. We would suggest that you advertise in your local paper the need to take two horses through the program and therefore, having the horse owners pay for part of the tuition. Once their horse completes the program, it is that much more valuable to them. We also suggest that you visit your local tack, feed and western wear stores and let them know your desires to attend the John Lyons Certification Program and see if they might be interested in sponsoring you by helping with a portion of your tuition. Once you have completed the program, you would in turn put on a demonstration, speaking engagement or symposium at their store, which would in turn bring customers into their business establishment. Also, it is quite possible you would qualify for a small business loan. The majority of people who complete the Certification Program are indeed starting their own horse training business.

Stallions are understandably harder to train, because of the difficulty at times to get their attention and keep them in control. The Certification Program is intense training and you want the training process to be the best possible scenario for you and your horse.