Train More By Training Less

The title of this article may seem to be in direct opposition with itself. In fact, it is in perfect harmony.

Whether you are working with live cattle or CowZ, there is one problem that is common to most horses. As the action heats up, so does the horse's level of anxiety. As the horse watches and waits for a pending move, he will become agitated because he knows what is coming.

It is very important to help your horse learn to relax in front of the cow. CowZ is particularly suited to help your horse learn to relax. If you notice that your horse tends to move around during a pre-move pause, he is suffering from this problem.

The first step to correcting this issue is to not move the flag again. Instead, put your horse in position to work the flag and drop your hand. If he will relax, great, let him rest there a while. If he wants to fidget and move off, do not try to hold him to the cow. Instead, just let him go. When he does leave, immediately put him to work by backing or doing a series of rollbacks. Then, quietly walk him back into position and drop your hand. In time, your horse will learn that the only place he will be allowed to relax is at the flag. He may figure it out quickly or it might take quite some time. Either way, stick with it until he understands. Once he will quietly stand near the flag and relax, walk him away and so something else.

In future training sessions, reinforce your lesson by letting your horse enjoy long rests at the flag. I personally believe that at least two-thirds of your time in a CowZ training session should be spent resting at the flag.

As your horse learns that going to the flag results in a reward, his desire to track and mirror the flag will increase.

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