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Australian Horse Training – Jason Webb
Creating a Balance Between Horse and Rider
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Thank you so much for the amazing transformation in...Read More
Katie Jaye-Lipton and Lindt
Thank you so much for the amazing transformation in...Read More
Katie Jaye-Lipton and Lindt
It will be 5 years ago this February that I sent Henry my appaloosa x welsh d gelding to Jason’s. He was recommended to me from a lady near us as I was having a lot of issues with him. Henry was classified dangerous by our vet as he is a borderline false rig and 9 out of 10 are destroyed as they are too unpredictable. I was getting squashed, attacked, bitten and trodden on nearly every day. I couldn’t ride him as he would bronco buck me straight off. The last time I had taken him out he had a car come around the corner on the wrong side which terrified him to the point I came off. He would not go near a road after this. I rang Jason and he came and loaded him as it would take us near an hour if at all. After 20mins of ground work to establish a few rules i.e. not to walk over the top of Jason which he did try! He walked straight in!! I went with him to settle him in and then left Jason and his team to their work. I went to see Henry 2 weeks later. Baring in mind you would think I would know my own horse I walked straight past him as he was tied up waiting patiently for me. At home he would rear and break any ropes we used! I watched Jason ride Henry and put him through his paces it was a beautiful sight and then I had a go and I have to admit I thought I was on someone else’s horse! Henry now competes doing EGB and dabbles in dressage and on the road is a comfort blanket to all facing lorries, tractors, bikes you name it and is a changed and happy horse that even my daughter who has autism can lead him anywhere!! We have sent several other horses to Jason and his team over the years and each one has excelled. Thank you to all of you.
I’m really, really happy with the two horses I’ve sent to Australian Horsemanship. One of the horses came home such as different horse – everything had been covered from loading, ground handling etc, he was able to go straight out competing! The second horse I sent came on really well and I sent her back for a month when I had an operation and she feels great now. Thank you very much, I can now take her out and have some fun this summer!
Rebecca OsborneJason, family and staff, Just to thank you for such an excellent day today. You have for sure inspired us, with our two youngsters A two year old and three year old and we also learnt so much else for the future. You made it look so easy although I know only too well it is not, it does take years of hard work dedication and practice. Shame about the lack of drama’s, you must just do your job too well ;) well done to you.
In one way hopefully we won’t need to use your facilitates but in another way it would be just fantastic, so watch this space, we know where to find you.
Thanks so much again and wishing you all the success for the future.
Kindest regards
Clive and Jacqui TilleyThank you very much for starting “Freddie” – a lovely, well balanced pony. I enjoyed the clinic immensely, Jason has the ability to listen to what you want from your horse then work with you.
Linda Courtney, Dales Pony BreederWhat I wanted to do with my pony and what I could do were miles apart! After some time spent at Jason’s clinic, I feel really excited about riding and hopeful for what Aladdin and I can do together. Thank you -fantastic no-nonsense practical advice. Just what I needed: a very special yard with wonderful people.
Nicky Glendinning
Fiona Price, Founder, Horse Hero
“Having filmed Jason’s work for www.horsehero.com, I was astounded by his original methods of dealing with all manner of behavioural problems, some severe. Jason has great empathy and patience with all the horses (and owners) he works with and is remarkably effective. A truly great horseman, who has developed quite a fan-club on Horse Hero!”
Fiona Price, FounderTo begin, I will give a brief background to how I arrived at Ricebridge Farm and what I hoped Jason and his team would be able to do with my horse Chancers Lad, a French Trotter/Welsh cross. I will then give my thoughts and experiences regarding the time we spent there – NB this turned out to be a considerable amount of time (2 years) to be precise! but I must hastily add that this was because of MY reluctance to leave as I enjoyed my weekly visits so much and NOT because Lad my horse needed to be there and so I turned it into a livery arrangement instead! Bearing in mind that I live near Brighton in East Sussex and there was considerable travel involved each week I think this alone speaks volumes in itself about Jason, Penny and the team.
I bought Chancers Lad from a dealer who informed me that he had come from Gypsys who had used him for trotting racing. I had been working up at her stables helping out and had fallen totally for Lad who by this time was 4 and was extremely green and nervy – For someone who had not had a horse for 10 years due to children, back injuries and lack of finances Lad would have been considered by many not to have been a wise choice! However, in my eyes Lad eminated a rawness and beauty of spirit that I had not seen often and there was no way back!
I had been interested for some time in natural horsemanship ie. the Parellis, Dr Robert M Miller, a veterinarian and expert on equine behaviour, and other natural horseman from different countries and started to use some of the techniques to do some ground work with Lad – this had some positive results but because he was an extremely nervous character, I felt that when I had reached, the stage of actually thinking about getting on him, SELF PRESERVATION kicked into action and I decided (also having a child to consider) that, I was not the best person to do this. I then sought the help of an acquaintance who had a number of horses himself and had turned out some excellent horses from a young age. He spent some time with Lad and to cut a long story short mounted Lad gently on several occasions but on the third occasion Lad highly nervous of men in particular reared up and threw him off the back end! This gentleman who prided himself on very rarely coming off decided to leave it at that having hurt his wrist and having a hedgecutting business to think of too. By this time Lad was going on 6 my having had him for some 20 months and in my eyes still not rideable.
On another occasion I recall one of the top equine dentists in the South coming to file Lads’ teeth. he also taught equine dentistry and trained polo ponies, rode in competitions at a high level and him having been so highly recommended to me I trusted his way of doing things. I explained that Lad was an extremely nervous horse and to tread very carefully – he insisted that after all the hundreds of horses he had handled there would not be a problem and a no nonsense approach was best – although that is true to a point, nothing is black and white! He told me that only one horse had ever got the better of him whilst on his rounds and not to worry. In short, Lad became the second horse to get the better of him as his method did not work and Lad escaped, turned on a sixpence and disappeared careering across the neighbouring fields old barbed wire fences with the twitch still on and his mouth wide open. Fortunately, he was unscathed but traumatised and upon leaving the dentist said ‘get rid of that horse, he is really sharp’.
It was in passing one day at Bodells Feed Merchants and the connected Saddlers that I over heard one of the staff talking about a man called Jason Webb who had sorted out her horses’ boxloading problem within a morning – apparently, every method had been tried to load this horse with added help from many experienced horse people but to no avail. She went on to say Jasons’ method was non confrontational, simple and amazingly effective – The lady then went on to talk about friends of hers who had used Jason to help with problem horses and how pleased they were with the results. Of course my ears immediately pricked up and, I asked for Jason’s number.
Initially, I was very concerned about sending Lad away for further training but after speaking to Penny, Jason’s wife for a very long time on the phone, I felt confident that this was the place to come. Penny understood where I was coming from as a mother and the need for self preservation whilst also recognising my worries concerning Lad. I remember putting the phone down and feeling good that Penny came across with a distinct LACK of ego which can be quite hard to find in the horse world. My first impressions were of a yard that was clean, calm and unpretentious. What you see is what you get, nothing is hidden unlike some yards. The stables were of good size and well managed and the pastures were well maintained. In all the time I was there I never saw any horse dealt with in any other way but fairly and non confrontationally. When it came to my horse Lad, Jason was on him within a week with the use of a round pen with Jason riding a horse beside Lad and gradually introducing his weight to Lad etc most IMPORTANTLY, without Lad becoming traumatised. I visited Lad after the first 10 days allowing him to settle and I was amazed to watch Jason ride him. Obviously, he was green but he was responding to Jason’s aids and as the weeks went by he became less nervous mainly, because of Jason’s calm approach to him, giving him clear messages that he could understand and not overfacing him, allowing space for Lad to work challenges out for himself allowing him to develop confidence and emotional maturity rather than forcing tasks on him as so often happens.
It would be wrong to say that Lad was sorted out, ready for me to ride for a few months because as Jason once said, he is ‘complicated’ and he was not sure that Lad would ‘turn the corner’ enough for me, to feel safe hacking him out, endurance riding etc as the nervousness Lad has is only partly down to previous bad handling/abuse and also partly down to him being naturally of a nervous disposition. I started riding Lad by having a lesson on him once a week from Jason – initially, I was nervous but Jason from the outset created lessons with exercises that kept me focused not giving my mind any time to worry about coming off! This then led on to my riding Lad out on the lanes with Jason and my confidence started to really grow. I then started to learn polocrosse on Lad and again, because my focus was on the ball I lost my nervousness!
This leads me to now and the present situation – I moved Lad last Tuesday to a small holding 1 mile from where I live to hang out with an old horse of 25 called Desmond and 2 llamas! It has to be said that on leaving Jason and the team, I felt very nervous of the reality that it was NOW Lad and me ALONE. On the second day I ventured forth out of the rickety old gate that because the post is not straight, swings out onto the lane with gusto. The first test being how to shut the gate on board as it meant asking Lad to move forward a step whilst I pushed it, but because of the weight of the gate I could only push it so far before, it crashed back at me and Lad. I sure wasn’t getting off and after calming Lad who in these new surroundings was full of excitement repeated the exercise and, after some attempts we managed to shut it.
Completing this in itself (the worst gate I’ll come across) was amazing and the fact that Lad emotionally kept it together speaks volumes of Jason’s training as I know the importance Jason puts into being able to open and shut gates. We then ventured into the unknown into miles and miles of woodland and the downs meeting along the way a viaduct (we just missed the train that went over the top!). Although Lad did not like the echo and danced his way through, again, he kept it together, the same when we had to cross the stream although he half jumped it I remembered to go back several times across it until he walked through it just as Jason advised. In short we have been out 3 times in this first week, passing many new things that Lad has not seen on the lanes around Risebridge Farm, doing some road work also, with trucks, cars, bicycles you name it we seem to be meeting it!
On the most recent ride, my son who is 11 rode his mountain bike in front, followed by Lad, followed by our faithful dog and it was amazing! Lad does come back with a look of ‘you should have seen the monsters I have seen today’ but most importantly he keeps himself together and doesn’t actually do anything serious when frightened – this is most definitely the best compliment I can give to Jason and the team. I ride him on a short but loose rein one handed and concentrate on relaxing and this too helps.
I cannot recommend Jason’s training methods enough and, his honesty. I am just one of many who pass through Jason’s yard and if this recommendation can be of help to those who wish their horse trained in a kind, respectful and highly effective way than that is fantastic.
Lad could have so easily gone the ‘wrong way’ in the wrong hands – thank you for making such a distant dream become a reality.
Best Wishes
Louise Hutchinson & Chancer's Lad, East SussexJust needing to say a huge THANK YOU for a day that I shall never forget when I came to your Creating Confidence Training Show Day at Bedgebury Park. Having owned Alfie for 41/2 years I have to say that friday was my best day ever since he became my joy.
You are all as a team outstanding and I know that my friends Rachel and Katie feel the same, you have made our confidence triple and for that the two words of ‘THANK YOU’ just seem to fall short! We shall be joining you all again for another of your Fabulous days in the new year, until then keep up your amazing work.
Helen and Mickey – We had a great time today Jason. Learnt loads and as usual all very well organised. And the usual brilliant lunch! Looking forward to more courses soon! Keep them coming!
Stacey Ward with Darcy – Thank you to Jason and his wonderful staff for organising a fantastic young horse Day was very educational and rewarding. Lovely rosettes to take home too which was an unexpected bonus. Was very nice to see so many young and settled horses too!
Helen Rennardson and Bertie – Thanks so much for today guys, Bertie and I had so much fun after we settled down!
Emma Dawson and Oscar – What a fantastic day! Everyone did brilliantly. Couldn’t be more pleased with Oscar, he was a superstar. My rosettes are proudly on display! Thanks for a really great day!
Hi, I would just like to say how much of a fantastic job you did with my horse Sox last year and how he has come on and done so well this year.
He has been so well behaved ever since he came home and hardly put a foot wrong, his training is coming on really well and we are just about to start competing him at BD Novice level. He came 6 th a few weeks ago at the Stilebridge Championships and at 4yo was the youngest there. He also went to the Addington Young Horse Show where he jumped round in the big arena and took everything in his stride.
Another thing to add to his list is that my groom’s 9yo daughter has been riding him in walk, trot and canter on the lunge to.
Just to say thank you again and to also say I would like to bring Sox half sister to you next year.
Tally Wade, Editor Western Horse UK Magazine,
“Kudos to Jason Webb at Australian Horsemanship – he is working wonders with my colt who has a strange travelling habit. A welcoming, horse-focussed yard with great staff and 5* care”
Tally Wade, Editor Western Horse UK Magazine,