I started this blog because I honestly just got worn out with the keyboard warriors on Facebook. I rarely will post anything training philosophies, techniques or exercises there anymore. I was tagged in a post yesterday by someone who had attended a clinic, implemented exercises and is seeing positive results in her horses. Several people commented and asked what she was doing because they needed help with their horses. I appreciated her approach to their questions and decided to give some public advice on Facebook I haven’t done in years. I kept it pretty basic and generic because I haven’t seen any of the horses and do not know what pathologies they may be dealing with. So here are my suggestions. I think they are good reminders for all of us.
Some of the most straightforward advice I can give without seeing a horse and their specific issues:
Straight from nose to tail. Quit flexing the neck to move the body. That’s just throwing the horse off balance. They aren’t engaging they are bracing. This includes leading. We have a tendency to pull the head to us.
Practice everything with only two fingers on the rope. If you can’t communicate with two fingers your horse is not straight and braced into the forehand.
If your horse is out walking you, stop. Get straight. Back two steps straight and continue on with two fingers on the rope.
Ropes too slack or too tight send incorrect information to your horse. Decide how much rope your horse gets and help them find the end of the rope while staying straight.
Anything that feels rushed isn’t straight.
Anything that feels sticky isn’t straight.
The horses nostril should not come past the point of the shoulder while working them in hand. If it does, they aren’t straight.
Slow everything down. Do one step and check straightness.
Make your halts straight. Too many horses take their haunches to one side when halting. Fix it.
Pay attention to these things in every interaction with your horse. They are constantly learning from you….good and bad.
It’s not your job to micromanage the horse. It is your job to give clear information and the horse needs time to process. So pause. Don’t pressure. Let them think. Make your request again.
Fix the small things. The big things will take care of themselves. To often we focus on the big thing… ex: bucking. But bucking is a symptom of dysfunction, crookedness and pain. We need to focus on the cause not the symptom.
One last thought. Crooked horses become crippled horses. If you have a horse with a mysterious lameness, start walking work in hand SLOW and STRAIGHT. See what happens.
I hope this is helpful.
There are so many nuances in the exercises depending on the particular horse. I do offer virtual/ video lessons/evaluations.
Added to this blog:
Don’t take things personally with your horse. Keep negative emotions out of the relationship, out of the corrections and out of your head period.
Your horse is not your competition or enemy. They are your partner. Quit trying to “win” and instead have a conversation.
The best gift you give your horse is to better yourself and your education.
These are a great summary.