Trisha wren ~ Connect With Your Horse

Last issue we discussed the benefits of using hand grazing to improve your relationship with your horse. This time I'm going to look at ground work - but starting from the very beginning with some etiquette which should help build that bond.

Catching
First of all, can you catch your horse easily? If not - if he walks or runs away from you, turns his butt on you, only gives up once you've walked him down for a while - then you probably shouldn't be riding or doing anything else. See if you can analyse why he doesn't want to be caught… do you always ride when you catch him, would he rather be with his friends, is he in some kind of pain, are you inadvertently scaring him or chasing him off? Try spending some time just sitting in the field with him, with no intention of catching him; take a good book and a flask of coffee! When you do work on your catching, if you manage to get up close just go to the shoulder not the head, don't look him in the eye; give him a rub, then walk away. If you do this a few times you may awaken his curiosity, plus you'll show him that every time you show up he doesn't necessarily have to do something he doesn't like. When you do catch your horse, ask his permission first…. Ok, so it sounds soft, but, hey, I believe it and it's just good manners! In your mind as you approach him, just think the words, and assuming he doesn't walk off he is probably saying Ok.

Haltering
Where does your horse hold his head while you halter him? Do you have to reach up high or wrestle with him? Why not teach him how to lower his head for the halter? If you always put the rope around his neck to hold him, or push the halter on as quickly as possible before he takes off, you aren't fostering a trusting or willing relationship. Take it slowly; spend a few sessions just working on haltering and nothing else if necessary.

Stand by your horse's shoulder, and offer him the halter with your hands held low out in front. Wait for him to try to lower his head, or even just turn his head towards you slightly, and then remove the halter as a reward. If you make progress with this, you can slip the nose band on then remove it again, to clarify what you are asking. You could also hold the halter in your left hand while using your right to tip his head towards you slightly; or, without the halter, use your hands gently to position his head where you'd like it then release him if he holds it there softly. Your goal is to be able to hold the halter out and have your horse drop his nose in, keeping his head at that height until you've done up the buckle.

I hold the head strap (or crown piece) in my right hand and the nose band in my left. When the horse lowers his head I pass my right hand in front of him, bringing the head strap to the off side of his face and over his poll, as he drops his nose into the nose band. I prefer this method to the traditional way of holding the nose band in both hands, pulling it onto the nose, then flipping the head band over the head, which I feel almost encourages the horse to raise his head.
So what does all this have to do with groundwork? If these small but basic things aren't right, you really shouldn't go any further until they are. All too often we have an agenda (must get to the barn, groom, tack up and ride in the next hour; got to get home to feed the kids) that doesn't mean anything to the horse. We are in a big hurry and paying no attention to the small signs that mean something isn't quite right. Slow down, listen to your horse, give him the benefit of the doubt, and show him he can trust you.

Trisha