Building A Bond, Part 3

So, now we can catch our horse, and halter him - how is his leading? In leading, as with most other issues, there could be a variety of reasons why you are having problems. There's the herd bound horse who doesn't want to leave his buddies, the horse in a big hurry, the horse who is afraid to go past a certain spot, the horse who knows if he comes in he's going to be worked hard… Without seeing you and your horse in action it's almost impossible to say 'Do x, then y, then z, and it will be fixed.' Every individual situation is different, but I hope you will at least get some ideas from the following.

Leading
Can you lead your horse on a loose lead rope, or do you have a death grip under his chin? If it's the latter, spend some time working on leading in his field, before gradually taking him a little further at a time. My preference is to lead from in front, not at the shoulder, and on a loose lead. I feel that the horse can see me better there and therefore keep his attention with me better, and he also has more options of staying out of my way if he were to get spooked.

A lot of what I do and teach is an attitude, a way of life. Forget any plan you have when you go to your horse and try to forget your deadlines and time scales. Clear your mind of everything except the here and now - that's how horses live, and if you truly want a good relationship it's the only way to get on the same page as your horse. So, if you know he gets worried at a certain spot, start by turning him back before you get there - show him you understand his concern and aren't about to make him do anything. Listen to what your horse is trying to tell and show you. Go back and forward, stretching the distance (and his comfort zone) gradually. If he speeds up and tries to pass you, try turning one way or the other, doubling back 180 degrees or 360 if you need to; just change direction and keep walking, rather than yanking on him and trying to stop him. This will slow him a little and reposition him behind you. Basically this shows him the distance you'd like him to keep without you getting into a fight about it.

Practice some halts and backups, on a loose lead if possible; we'd like him to be paying attention to our body language, speeding and slowing as we do. If he stops and plants his feet, go to one side at an angle with some pressure on the rope, unbalancing him if necessary. Timing is important; as soon as he even thinks about moving a foot in the desired direction, give him a release / reward by immediately putting some slack in the rope. Then ask him to walk on again, angling to the other side this time if you need to. When you do get a couple or more willing steps in the direction you wanted, turn and take him back towards his friends as a reward; this gives the message 'There, that was all I wanted,' to your horse so that hopefully he sees it wasn't such a big deal. Gradually take him further, but not necessarily all in one session; to really see the benefit spread this over a few sessions, and if further down the line the problem re-occurs, work on it there and then instead of whatever you had planned. Remember the importance of consistency; if you want your horse to consistently lead well, you have to be consistent in how you lead him and what is acceptable to you. Don't settle for less then get annoyed when your horse offers less!

Incidentally, if you haven't figured it out by now, this same attitude (it's not a 'technique' or 'system'…) can be used in all sorts of other circumstances. For instance, if you have a horse that doesn't like to leave the yard alone, or go past a certain spot on a hack - listen to him, reassure him, try to show him that you do understand and don't want to make him do something he is unsure of. That doesn't necessarily mean we're going to say 'You don't want to leave the yard? Okay, we don't have to ever do that again.' What we are saying is 'I do understand. Could you try just one extra step for me then we'll turn back / away / go do something else?' (NB With hacking problems another big help is to find ways of keeping your horse's attention - don't just wander along on a loose rein then get surprised or annoyed when he spooks, spins, plants himself or whatever. Think of ways to keep his attention with you, rather than spooky stuff; halts, backups, serpentines etc.)

I firmly believe that if we can show our horses that we are willing to listen to them and take their opinions and fears into consideration, they will be more willing to listen to us in return, and to try to do as we ask - even if it's something they don't care for or are fearful of. The examples I've given you in this series - hand grazing, haltering, catching and leading - are just some ideas of things you can do to show your horse you are listening to him and giving him some say in things. Once he understands that, you truly are on the way to building a bond with your horse.

Trisha