Horsemanship ABC's

Posted by Lance Earl of DallyPost Ranch on February 25, 2010

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When we start school, we expect the teacher to start at the beginning and build from there. We want ABC before Shakespeare and 123 before calculus. It's not rocket science to expect this kind of progression, it is just common sense. But when we start riding... it is amazing how we expect to go from first ride to real cowboy in a matter of days. Whatever common sense we had in school seems to fall on the floor and get hauled out in the manure cart. Come on people! You have all seen him, the horse the flips his head, prances and dances, pulls and pushes and is generally not enjoyable to be around. Why are they like this? Well, it is because some foolish rider took a stab at equine Shakespeare before he could spell "green rider". Instead of being foolish, why don't we take a stab at the ABC's of horsemanship. For the purposes of this article, we will attempt to teach a horse to stop. Your equine ABC's are:

 

1. Always know what you want before you ask. That seems simple enough... we want him to stop.
2. Break it down. This means that we are going to dissect the stop and really understand all of the parts that make a good stop. My definition of a good stop includes: * The horse is soft and round from the tip if his nose to his heel. This means that the head and neck are carried in a fairly flat and normal position and that the horse does not pull on the riders hands. It also means that the back and ribs will be lifted and the hind quarters driven up underneath the horse. * When the stop is completed, I want the horse to rock back.
3. Cue, 1, 2. This means that I am going to ask the horse to stop in the kindest and least forceful way I can. I will start this by taking my legs off of his sides, sitting deep in the saddle and saying whoa. The 1, 2 in this step reminds me that I am going to wait for a very slow count of two for the horse to recognize my cue and respond. Notice, to this point I have not applied any pressure to the horse. I have simply modified how I am sitting on the horse by no longer riding and just sitting. I have also included a verbal command.
4. Discipline lightly. For me, discipling the horse does not mean that I am going to get after him, it only means that I will apply a little pressure. Remember, horses want to avoid pressure and consider the release of pressure as a reward. In this case, I will apply light pressure to the mouth. Again, I will give the horse a second or two to respond. Remember, keep it light. Trying to force things too fast and too strongly never works.
5. Escalate your cue. If the horse does not respond after a few seconds, I will escalate my cue by taking a strong hold on the reins and going to the horses belly with my spurs. Now I said escalate, not eviscerate. Don't tear his jaw off or rip his belly open. Take enough rein to get him to round his face and neck and apply enough spur to encourage him to raise his ribs and round his back.
6. Finish. Continue to apply the escalated cue until the horse completes the steps that you defined in step B.
7. Be Grateful. When your horse does finally find the right answer, show a little gratitude. Immediately release all pressure and let him soak up the lesson he has just learned.

 

In time, your horse will begin to understand that increasing levels of pressure will occur if he does not respond quickly. In order to avoid this pressure, he will try to beat you at your own game by stopping hard and going straight from cue to reward and skipping the pressure entirely. Give it a try, what could it hurt?

PS The greatest horseman I know do not have advanced theories and specialized techniques for horse training. The just simply and consistently apply the ABC's.

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