Richard Maxwell

[Identityincrisis]

The man is a genius!

He has not long left my yard and I'm still overwhelmed that A) Richard Maxwell came to our yard and B) his horse magic worked!

I have been trying to load my horse for 2 1/2 years, i was over the moon a few weeks ago because the horse stood with all 4 feet on! I have been consistent and patient, tried every trick but still progress was painfully slow, people marvelled at my patience! But i knew the worst was still to come as he once had a complete meltdown because a leaf fell on his back while stood on the ramp! About 3 weeks ago i just couldn't do it anymore, he was back to not even going putting 1 foot inside the trailer! I went home, cried, got drunk and emailed Max in desperation, I figured i no longer had anymore tricks and i would pay double what Max charged if someone could 'cure' my horse. And if Max couldn't do it, no one could. Well he did it!! My horse did put up a bit of an argument, full height rears, nearly falling a couple of times but after 15-20 minutes just kind of went, ok no problem! On and off x 1000! Then my turn, i was shaking like a leaf!! But loaded, on off, on off. Chill in the box (something he would NEVER do before) Then the ramp...... oh my word the poor horse shook, but again Max kept on until the horse relaxed. Ramp up ramp down x 1000! Horse on, ramp up , ramp down horse off. All just very matter of fact, job done.

I was beaming! Only in my wildest dreams and highest of hopes would we have achieved what we did today.

Oh and I'd had 2 different IA associates out to him before, 1 wasn't interested and didn't even present the horse to the trailer and the other tried but after 9 sessions gave up! So if in doubt call out the big guns! I never thought I would need to but here we are and I'm so pleased i did 😊

 

[FfionWinnie]

He changed my whole outlook on horse training when I went to a clinic 18 years ago. I've used his methods since and have never had a horse which wouldn't once trained, walk straight into the trailer, stand to mount/be clipped and so on.

 

[Akkalia1]

How did he do it?? I thought I'd got there with my mare, slowly progressed until I could get her on, get her on and stand, walk off calmly, get her on and ramp up and down, then went for a short journey and back home. Now we're back to refusing to go on! Arghhhhhhhhh. Fantastic news for you though, you must feel great

 

[FfionWinnie]

Read his book or watch his videos. Essentially it's timing and it's repetition. Load her fifty times a day for a week or whatever it takes to become mundane.

 

[Akkalia1]

I do suspect I've not been doing it often enough. And I left it too long after managing a journey to try again.

 

[FfionWinnie]

It's actually very easy to train a horse but we are all guilty of poor timing and lack of repetition which leads to us teaching them the wrong things instead of the right things.

He's the master of timing and getting inside a horses mind imo.

 

[Identityincrisis]

I agree with ffion, his timing is brilliant but also his ability to read a horse, all this comes with his huge amount of experience.

And where i would have stopped as the horse was scared, he allowed it time to think then pushed on.

 

[blitznbobs]

I agree he taught me with a horse I had 10 years ago I've never had an issue since.