Building the foundation
I have studied hard to learn the foundation or basics of horse training. It is different strokes for different folks, what one says to do another says not to do. I guess we all have to find our own way on the journey. Les says to start with lateral flex and exercises; also master picking up and releasing your rein. I can release my rein, but picking it up with grace can be a struggle. Is my hand in my nose in that picture, oh no! Maybe if I video me and watch me ride that might help?
Ginger -Grace a Morgan mare tosses her head and resist the bit. We walk in a small circle and practice lateral flex. I may ask the nose to come one inch or less over ( spot one give) or I may want her nose more into her shoulder, where the leg meets the shoulder; ( spot 6 give. ) See this give in Les Vogt Cowhorse U foundation. Maybe Les has another name for it, or no name?
If she does not give me her nose, (spot one give) I may correct her by taking her head ( to spot 6) and moving the hindquarters ( turn on forehand) for a correction. I want the nose to move softly as I pick up the rein. This exercise works on horses who rear also, the head goes up before the feet come up, its hard to rear when your nose is in your shoulder.
Walking in a small circle asking for spot one gives softened Boonie on the bridle after a 4- H kid got done riding him. She put more pressure on the reins than I did which taught him not to respond. I got my light snaffle bit horse back with those foundation exercises. Foundation exercises fix the broken places in our horses. They also get our colts started right. Doug Milholland said if you train with no mistakes, then you have nothing to fix. That is good advice, but most folks dont start a horse from the beginning.
So thats what I should do if my horse is rearing? Pull his head toward my leg? I was wondering about that. He’s been coming off his front hoofs quite a bit lately. What I did was pull his head into my leg, like you said. But when I asked a friend of mine, this was her theory:
When the horse comes up, use both hands (with reins still in them) to bop the horse between the ears. Then when he goes down, let him walk forward if he wants cause that is the reward. She said that my pulling his head into my leg was like punishing the horse for coming down. Which made sense.
However, since he’s being ornery, he isn’t going to try to walk forward, he’s probably going to try to lurch forward and try to think up some more mischief, like bucking. Tough call. What do you think?
I think bopping them between the ears is ok, cause it doesn’t really hurt them but scares them enough to not want to do it anymore AND they don’t know it’s you. They just know something scary happens when they come up. At least that’s the theory.
-MJ
18 Apr 2008 at 6:13 am
Hi MJ I got in. Darn computers, mystery to me. There is so many different ways to train a horse. Some of my friends put it this way, we have tools in our toolbox and we decide what to use. People toss out methods and we pick what works for us. Also it is hard to teach a clinic over the computer. Bottom line is you are with your horse and you know him better than us.
PS I dont pull my horses head into my leg like I have seen on Clinton Anderson tapes. I dont bend the head that far. Only to where his head comes to where his shoulder meets his leg-I guess its hard to explain without a picture.
Good luck on your journey.
19 Apr 2008 at 12:12 am