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LEARN MORE ABOUT

White Level

LEARN MORE ABOUT

White Level

White Level is the second HorseCentered Level

This Level introduces intermediate ground training skills, encouraging students to deepen their understanding of basic horse training principles and equine psychology.

Students in unmounted White Level lessons are encouraged to consider the impact of a horse’s environment on the training process and to utilize obstacles safely and creatively.

See learning objectives for WHITE LEVEL

Scroll down to learn more about teaching White Level lessons.

trainer and horse standing on tire for HorseCentered Levels lesson

What you can teach in White Level?

Hcl White Sending Coop

Connection starts with communication!

White Level students will expand on skills learned in Pink Level and apply various training techniques to more sophisticated groundwork, including targeting exercises and introductory liberty work.

We hope that all White Level participants come away from their lessons with confident and harmonious ground handling skills and increased awareness of the horse’s mental and physical state.

White Level is appropriate for students who:

  • have completed Pink Level.
  • demonstrate consistent awareness of equine body language and can recognize subtle signs of tension.
  • can safely halter, longe, and run alongside a horse.
  • are mature enough to think critically about training practices and grasp basic learning theory concepts; for children, this is typically ages 10 and up.

LEVELS TOPICS include unmounted safety, ground handling, equine behavior, training theory.

Lessons for White Level students will include basic theory and hands-on skills practice:

  • Students apply operant conditioning principles to behavior modification and trick training.
  • They refine their cues and communication skills, allowing them to practice leading and manuevering their horse at liberty.
  • They gain confidence and experience longeing or circling their horse at all three gaits.
  • They learn how to safely incorporate obstacles into ground training.
  • They establish safe food behavior and utilize positive reinforcement in simple targeting exercises.

Ready to start teaching White Level?

VIDEO
PLAYLISTS

We’ll have
curated YouTube videos soon!

QUIZLET
STUDY SETS

We’re working on flashcards
and games for Quizlet.com

WHITE LEVEL
RIBBONS

Celebrate students’
HorseCentered Levels progress

Find White Level downloads in the RESOURCE CENTER

Or learn about another Level...

See PINK LEVEL
See GOLD LEVEL

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WHITE LEVEL OBJECTIVES

THE HORSECENTERED CURRICULUM

Overview of White Level: Students will expand on previous skills and apply various training techniques to more sophisticated groundwork, including targeting exercises and introductory liberty work. Students are encouraged to consider the impact of a horse’s environment on the training process and to utilize obstacles safely and creatively.

  • Discuss what is meant by a species-appropriate environment and how it impacts training.
  • Demonstrate familiarity with operant conditioning quadrant, providing examples of reinforcement and punishment and relating to common horse handling practices.
  • Teach horse polite, patient positioning for food delivery.
  • Demonstrate leading at liberty:
    -- Transitions between the walk, trot and halt
    -- Turns and changes of direction
    -- Backing up
  • Demonstrate basic yields at liberty:
    -- Yield hindquarters on both sides
    -- Yield shoulders on both sides
    -- Back up for a minimum of 10’
    -- Lower horse’s head
  • Send horse:
    -- Over an obstacle
    -- In a figure-eight pattern around two cones, at the trot
  • Circle on long line at all three gaits, with safe technique, showing awareness of horse’s balance and relaxation and an appropriately-sized circle.
  • Target a stationary object with hooves (mat, rubber pan, pedestal, etc.).
  • Create a safe, appropriate obstacle for horse. Discuss mental and physical benefits of using this obstacle during training.
  • Introduce a potentially frightening object and observe horse’s body language and emotional state. Discuss and/or demonstrate safe, methodical desensitizing designed to encourage horse’s confidence and curiosity.
  • Train horse to perform trick of choice in response to cue.
  • Create a written training plan designed to improve aspect of horse’s routine handling (tying, feeding, hoof care, trailer loading, etc.).
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We’ve been blessed with many talented photographers over the years: students who voluntarily stood in sweltering/ freezing arenas, capturing lifelong memories of lessons, camps and shows. We’re grateful to all of them!

One former student, Delaney Witbrod, is now a professional photographer with a gift for animal portraits – see more of her fine work here. We’re also grateful for photos of Western riding donated by LLPro instructors – particularly Bit of Pleasure Horse School and Joyful Hearts Photography!

You’ll find illustrations throughout our online courses and printed materials graciously donated by our friend Rhonda Hagy. Evan Surrusco contributes additional illustrations and handles most of our photo processing. Contact us for information about their work.

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