Training For Safety Margret Beeman & Ona Kiser
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Foreword
I have been a rider for about 30 years and a driver for 25 years, enjoying long drives around our rural neighborhood as well as pleasure driving and combined driving competitions. About 20 years ago I met Margaret Beeman and asked her to help me with my riding gelding. What she taught me has forever after changed the way that I deal with my horses. My gelding improved so much that I started using the same methods with my driving pony. This collection of lessons were originally published as a series in Rural Heritage magazine in 2010 and 2011. Now put together in book form, they are intended to be a great reference for drivers as they not only lay a good foundation for starting the driving horse but also give you simple exercises to help fix existing problems. All of the techniques illustrated in these articles make your horse more respectful and confident, whether it is getting by a scary object or learning to stand and wait. Your horse has to know what is expected of him and also to trust you to know what is best. Driving, especially, is a partnership of trust where safety is paramount. As a driver I want to be able to trust my horse is listening and understands what I am asking, so we can be as safe as possible. My newest pony is still learning these lesson and he keeps getting better the more we practice them. James and I were pleased to be asked to demonstrate some of Margaret’s exercises for this book. Deb Manasse
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Using the Inside Rein in Turns
One of the most common problems I see in driving at all levels is a lack of understanding of the use of the inside rein on a turn. A lot of drivers have never been clearly taught how it works. Ineffective use of the inside rein results in the horse drifting out or diving in through turns. Besides making turns sloppy and inefficient, this can be downright dangerous, resulting in a vehicle hung up on a tree, post or other obstacle. Whether you are pulling a plow, taking a pleasure drive, or showing your stuff at the local fair, safety comes first when driving horses. Learning how to fix a horse that tends to drift or turns too quickly will save you many near misses and should prevent an accident about to happen. Many drivers attempt to fix the falling in by overcorrecting with the outside rein. The poor result of this is going through the turn with the horse’s head bent to the outside. This takes the horse by surprise, throws him off balance, and causes a loss of power from behind. When the horse begins to anticipate this happening regularly, he may begin to brace or come above the bit, aggravating the original problem. I have worked with driving horses for many years using a Horsemanship approach to teach the fundamentals to both horse and driver. Many horses, though very “broke,” have not been educated to understand how to yield to the inside rein in preparation for a turn. Many drivers have not been taught the correct technique. The long-lining exercise outlined here will teach you how to use the inside rein correctly and effectively, so that you can teach your horse how you want him to respond. The
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result will be the ability to make clean, safe, smooth turns with no loss of engine and to improve the horse’s balance, accuracy, responsiveness and agility.
The Use of the Inside Rein The inside rein in any turn serves two purposes. It can indicate a turn, if the outside rein is used properly to define the shape of the turn. But it is also a yielding rein, and it is this aspect of its use that is often misunderstood. When you ask the horse to yield to the inside rein, the outside rein stays firm, and the correct response is for the horse to step over toward the outside rein. Negotiating a turn requires a subtle combination of yielding and turning cues. The driver must plan ahead, check in with his horse, prepare the horse for the upcoming movement, and then indicate the yield or turn. A good part of the education needed to do this right is on the part of the driver, who must learn to think ahead and time his or her cues with precision and feeling. This is the difference between just steering and actually driving.
The Setup For this exercise you will need to use the long side of an arena (indoor or outdoor), or an equivalent such as a large, flat area along the inside of a fenceline. It is important to have the fence or wall along one side of the area where you are working, as it will be needed to direct the horse in parts of the exercise. Set a cone at each end of the long side (about 60 feet apart and 10 feet in off the fence or wall). You will go between this cone and the fence when turning your corners. Set a third cone at the midpoint of the long side, about 20 feet in from the fence. You will go around this cone (on the side away from the fence or wall) when doing the yielding part of the exercises. Outfit your horse with a driving bridle and the saddle of your harness, or a plain surcingle. Use very long lines, not short carriage driving lines. Connect one to each
This illustration shows the direction of the horse around the three cones, with the use of the inside rein indicated to cue the horse back toward the third cone after rounding the center cone.
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The horse is outfitted with a driving bridle, and very long lines running through the tug loops on the surcingle or harness saddle and belly band. The lines are not strung through the customary rings at the top. (Photos and illustration by Ona Kiser)
side of the bit, running the lines through the tug loops or equivalent rings on the surcingle. Do not use the terrets at the top of the harness. You want the lines to run on either side of the horse’s body.
The Exercise: Yielding in Long Lines Ground drive your horse around the arena a few times until you have established a brisk, rhythmic walk. Carry your whip as usual. Take this time to pay attention to the rhythm of the horse’s inside hind leg. Walk in time with your horse’s steps, matching the strides of his hind legs. Speak the rhythm to yourself, saying left-rightleft-right, to be sure you are paying close attention. Now try the exercise: As you enter the long side that has the inset cone drive your horse in off the track in a straight line towards that middle cone, but keep yourself on the track along the wall. You will need to allow the inside rein to feed out as the horse moves in towards the cone. As the horse passes the cone, firm up on the outside rein to straighten him, then begin using the inside rein in rhythm with his inside hind foot landing to ask him to yield gradually back to the track. He should reach the track a few steps before the final cone. (See photos 1-9) As he reaches the final cone, you will need to briskly shorten your inside rein (which was lengthened earlier) in time to use it to ask him to make the turn between
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the cone and wall onto the short side of the ring. Allow the outside rein to soften through the corner so he can turn, then firm up the outside rein and release the inside rein as you straighten out from the turn. Continue walking back around to the starting point and repeat the exercise again. When you have the hang of it in one direction, try it the other direction. Most horses will be different on each side, and what was easy one way may be hard the other way.
Troubleshooting Your horse may be confused at first when you begin asking him to yield. He may try to turn to the inside, walk straight forward, stop or back up. This is a natural part of the learning process. It is the horse’s way of guessing, “do you mean this? That? How about this?” It is important to maintain (but not increase) your request for him to move sideways until he takes even the smallest step over, and then release. That will reward the movement you want, and the next time he will have a better idea of what to try. A common error is when the driver asks ineffectively with the inside rein, but allows the horse to ignore the request and keep walking more or less straight ahead. When the end of the arena is reached, the driver is forced to abandon the yielding exercise and release the outside rein to make the turn. This, to the horse, is a reward, and he will then think he was supposed to walk straight. Another common problem is for the horse to respond to the firm outside rein and first request to yield to the inside rein by stopping and throwing up his head or backing up. (See photos, right)
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In this case it is important to maintain the request at exactly the same level until the horse tries to step sideways, then release. This kind of reaction from the horse can sometimes make a person feel nervous, so they take up harder on the reins. Don’t let your emotions take over. Maintain a calm, deliberate attitude and help your horse understand what you are asking. Remember: watch the feet closely so you can see exactly when the horse steps sideways, and reward each yielding step with a release of the inside rein. Another challenge in this exercise is handling the long lines. You must have the confidence to play out the inside rein as the horse is being driven in around the center cone, and be attentive to evening up the length of the lines as you reach the final cone after the yield. It is common for drivers to use the inside rein by jerking or jiggling it. This kind of random cue is hard for the horse to understand. Use a smooth, firm motion in time with the same side hind foot: this will make your use of the rein much easier for the horse to understand, and he will become more responsive and supple. Horses young and old will benefit from this training. Drivers will find they have a more responsive and safer horse, whether for work, for pleasure or for competition.
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The Importance of “Whoa”
Nothing is more important to your safety when driving than having a horse that will stop and stand when you ask. A horse that walks off while you are climbing into the vehicle or won’t stand and wait at a road crossing is liable to cause a bad wreck one day. Teaching a solid “Whoa” is something a lot of people have difficulty with. To teach the horse to stop and stand reliably, you need to understand something about the nature of the horse and how he learns. Horses are social creatures, and it is in their nature to get along. They are herd animals and rely on the herd to keep them safe. Every herd has a pecking order and rules. One of those rules, enforced by the more dominant horse over the less dominant horse, is “move when I say move.” “Move when I say move” is the same thing as “Wait until I say to move.” In order to train your horse to stop and stand reliably, you need to establish and maintain this herd rule. Another fact about horses that comes into play in training the Whoa is the horse’s fear of confinement. If the horse feels trapped, he will become nervous, agitated or aggressive, depending on his personality. One of the main reasons people have difficulty teaching their horse to Whoa is that they hang onto the reins, making the horse feel trapped and nervous. This leads to fidgeting, jigging, and even rearing. It is nearly impossible and very dangerous to try to force a 1,000 pound (or more!) animal not to move. Using a running-W to drop a horse is an older, traditional method for teaching a horse to stand. My father used it on horses that were inclined to bolt. It produces
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a submissive horse, but not necessarily a horse that will look confidently to you for direction. Over the years, my approach to training horses has changed from these more traditional methods to methods that take into account an understanding of the horse’s nature. I still use some traditional methods when needed but prefer to start horses and people with the education they need to really be safe. If you learn to work with the nature of the horse you can teach him to respond immediately and wait willingly for you whenever you ask him to “Whoa.” For this exercise, you will need your horse to be in his driving bridle and harness, with long lines attached. You can use just the saddle of the harness or a surcingle with low rings to run the long lines on either side of the horse’s body. Don’t run the lines through the terrets on the top of the harness that you would use when hitched - you want the lines at hip level for optimum control. If your horse has decent ground manners, he should at least stand while you gather the reins and step behind him. If he doesn’t, he will need to learn ground manners before you begin this exercise, otherwise you are putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. Once behind your horse decide whether you will be heading off on the right or left rein. If you are heading off to the right, your right rein will be your inside rein; if heading around to the left, the left rein will be your inside rein (See Chapter 1, Using the Inside rein in Turns). Close your hand on the inside rein until your horse responds by giving his head slightly in that direction. Then open the inside hand and give the command “Walk Up” in a clear deliberate manner. If he doesn’t respond, give a sharp cluck of the tongue. If he still doesn’t respond, follow up with a slap of the rein or a touch of the whip. If you want your horse to respond consistently, you must always present yourself consistently. Always use the same sequence of commands in the same tone of voice when working with your driving horse. Walk along around the area you are working in until you and the horse are moving Run the lines through the rings on the side of the surcingle or saddle, so they run on each side of the horse's body, not along its back.
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smoothly as a team. [Photo: A] Then clearly and deliberately give the command “And Whoa” in a falling tone of voice. [Photo: B] Close your hand first on the inside rein and then on the outside rein, stop your feet, and hold firmly without pulling [Photo: C] until the horse steps into the bit, taking the slack out of the reins, and halts. As soon as the horse’s feet stop moving, release the reins, giving your horse slack. [Photo: D] Stand for about ten seconds. This gives your horse the opportunity to stand there with you willingly. Then pick up the slack in the reins and say “Walk Up” and continue forward. [Photo: E] If your horse begins to walk off before you ask him to, say “Stand” and hold steady, [Photo: F] allowing the horse to come into the bit, then step back and set the horse back on his haunches, [Photo: G] immediately followed by throwing him slack and giving him the opportunity to stand willingly again. [Photo: H] You may need to repeat this several times. Do not ask him to walk off until you have stood quietly for about 10 seconds. Never allow the horse to begin to move forward until you have said the words “Walk Up.” Remember to give him slack each time his feet stop moving. Do not keep a hold of the reins while he is standing. The slack rein is a huge reward of freedom for the horse, and gives him the responsibility for waiting for your direction before moving off again. After a while he will begin to understand he is not allowed to move until you say “Walk Up.”
A A: I've got a nice working walk going with this Morgan mare.
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B: I give the clear verbal command "And Whoa." C: I've closed my hands and stopped my feet, and am waiting for the mare to come into the bit and stop. D: The moment she stops I throw slack in the reins, giving her a chance to stand willingly.
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F E: Now I ask her to "Walk Up" and continue forward again. F: Here the mare has started to walk off before I asked. I hold steady and say "Stand."
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I G: When the mare comes into the bit, I set her back on her haunches. H: I immediately throw slack in the reins and give her another chance to stand willingly. I: Though this horse has swung her hindquarters to the side, she is standing willingly. Don’t correct crookedness now. Keep it simple and focus only on the Whoa.
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It’s not uncommon at first for the horse to realize he is not allowed to walk forward, and instead to try walking sideways when he is feeling impatient. Do not try to set him back in his original location: that will come naturally after he has learned this first lesson. Keep the lesson very simple and respond to his moving sideways the same way you would respond to his moving forward: close hands, stand firm, set him back on his haunches, throw slack. If you end up crooked or even pointing the wrong direction, it doesn’t matter at this point. [Photo: I] Trying to teach him to stand and also to move over at the same time will overwhelm and unsettle him, leading to even more problems. Keep focused only on “move when I say move” and worry about “where” later. Patience and consistency are key. It takes hundreds of consistent repetitions of any command before you can expect your horse to respond reliably. Keep your sessions short. If your horse does well in ten minutes, then praise him and quit. Do not drill your horse over and over when he has done it right. He will learn much faster if he is rewarded with a break each time he does something correctly during training. After you have had some success in the arena, be sure to practice the same exercise out and around in different locations so the horse understands the same rules apply no matter where you are. Remember, too, it takes a few seconds for a message to get to the horse’s brain. Good horsemanship practices teach you to prepare your horse for what you are going to ask him next. That’s why the sequence of cues is so important. Remember: voice, close hands, stop and hold firm, throw slack. Each cue gives him a chance to try, and as he learns he will start to respond to the voice alone and not need the follow up cues as often. Apply the cues in a deliberate way, not in a rush, to give your horse time to respond. If your horse is struggling with this exercise think about how you are presenting yourself. Make sure you ask him to “Walk Up” and “Whoa” with a consistent tone of voice every time (low to high for “Walk Up” and high to low for “And Whoa”) and the same sequence of cues each time so he can figure out what you are asking. If you are still having trouble, get the help of a professional before any bad habits develop. Left: My closed hands. Right: My open hands.
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Be Prepared and Plan Ahead
We addressed yielding in our first chapter and the importance of a good “whoa” in the second. Now, before we put horse to cart, both horse and driver need to practice planning ahead, maintaining an open line of communication through the rein. You want to be well-practiced at being prepared to respond, not react, when things are happening quickly. You want to school yourself to always be looking and planning ahead. The horse needs to be able to trust the driver to communicate with him in a way he can understand. The exercise in this article will help teach both horse and driver a set of skills that help them maneuver smoothly and safely, coping with unexpected obstacles, awkward terrain or scary objects. They are even useful for maneuvering in a crowded show ring to get that good position where the judge can see you at your best. These skills will also be part of the exercises we will do later in this series to learn to deal with scary objects.
Being “on a rein” When you are driving - even on a straight line - you need to be “on a rein” and know which rein you’re on. That is, the first rein you pick up will be the one you start your conversation with, the other rein will support what you are saying and completes the sentence. Which rein is talking depends on what you are going to do next.
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Being on one rein is important for safety. The horse can only think of one thing at time. He lives in the moment, and he pays attention to one side at a time. If you are on the left rein and decide you want to go right and just change from one to the other with no warning, the horse does not have time to process the information you are sending him. This sudden change takes the horse by surprise and causes him to brace in defense of what he does not understand. By the time he processes the information he is off balance, which confuses him or even frightens him. This can lead to things like head tossing and a hard mouth, or even balking and bolting. A big part of developing safe and successful driving skills is learning the facts about the horse’s limitations for processing human requests. Once you decide what you want to do (such as change reins or make a transition from one gait to another) you must take into consideration what the horse needs to do in order to do what you want. Then you need to learn to present your request to him in a way he will understand.
How to say “hello” If you are driving along straight and see that up ahead you are going to be turning left, you start by saying “hello” to the horse. This is done by closing the left hand on the rein (not pulling, just closing the fist) and watching and feeling for the horse to say “what?” The horse says “what?” by a flick of the ear, a slight turn of the head, or a softening of the jaw on that side. When that happens you open your hand again. Now the horse knows something is coming up, and he’s paying attention to the left rein. You need to give him a turn signal, so to speak, before actually turning the steering wheel. You might repeat this “hello” a few times as you approach a turn, then when you ask for the turn, the horse is set up, balanced and ready for it, and you can turn in smooth flowing way without losing forward motion.
Acknowledging on the left.
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Acknowledging on the right.
If you are mostly working on straight lines with few turns, you’ll have lots of time to plan for each turn. If you are working in a situation with a lot of turns, you need to practice getting ready for each one, and the time between them might be quite short. Each change of direction will involve first planning to straighten the horse, then planning for the change of direction, and saying “hello” before each change. A horse that gets this kind of planned communication from the driver will really stay with you mentally and become relaxed, trusting and confident in his work. That will serve you well when you get in a pickle and need to rely on your horse to listen to you and follow your direction to get safely out of the situation.
The Exercise: This exercise will address all the movements you and your horse will need in order to drive safely and successfully. These movements will also be part of the exercises we will do later in this series to learn to deal with scary objects.
The movements are:
• Change direction. • Walk up. • Yield to the left on the right rein. • Drive straight on the left rein. • Drive straight on the right rein. • Turn directly to the left on the left rein • Halt. • Yield to the right on the left rein. • Turn directly to the right on the right rein.
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3. right turn around cone
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4. prepare to straighten
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Set up four cones or other markers in a line across a flat open space (see diagram). You want to have plenty of room to walk a nice circle around all the cones, and room to go in straight and come out straight. Depending on the size of your horse, the cones should be about 20 feet apart. You will start by going to the left. 1. Begin at a halt. Say “hello” on the left rein, wait for your horse to say “what?”, release the left rein, give the command “walk up,” then walk straight forward until you approach the center point between cones A and C.
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2. As you approach the center point, say “hello” on the left rein again to prepare your horse for the turn. Turn left around cone A, gradually taking back on the left rein and giving with the right rein until you have the size circle you need.
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3. As you finish the small circle around A, say “hello” on the left rein again and prepare to yield out onto a larger circle that goes around cones A and B. Close your left hand and take back the left rein in time with the left hind foot pushing off the ground. Keep your right rein steady (instead of giving), so your horse can feel you no longer want him to be turning directly to the left, but instead want him to yield out away from the left rein. Use as much or as little pressure on the reins as the horse needs to understand you want him to move over to the right while walking forward. Three to five steps yielding to the right will put you out on a larger circle that goes around both cones A and B (note cone B is not visible in the photo). Now ease up on both reins and give with the right rein so the horse can follow the larger circle all the way around.
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4. As you finish the large circle you are going to change direction to go around cones C and D in the next steps, making a sort of figure eight. You want to be on the left rein (Photo 4a) as you finish the circle around A and B, then straighten out for a few steps( Photo 4b) by giving both reins, then close your hand on the right rein to say “hello” and get the horse’s “what?” on the right rein (Photo 4c). Watch for the acknowledgement, and reward it with a release of the right rein.
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5. Turn right around cone C, taking up on the right rein and giving with the left rein until you have the size circle you need. 6. As you close the circle, say "hello" on the right rein, wait for "what?", release the right rein, and prepare to yield out onto a larger circle. Close your right hand and take back in time with the right hind foot pushing off the ground. Keep your left rein steady so your horse can feel you no longer want him to turn directly to the right like you did around cone C, but rather want him to move out away from the right rein. Use as much or as little pressure on the reins as the horse needs to understand you now want him to move over to the left while still walking forward. Again, three to five yielding steps to the left will move him to a larger circle that goes around both cones C and D. When you are on the larger circle, release both reins, then give with the left rein while using the right rein to show him where the circle is, completing a full circle to the right.
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7. As you finish the large circle, say “hello” on the right rein to get the horse’s attention, wait for his “what?”, then release the right rein. Give both reins to straighten the horse, and walk straight out of the cones (Photo 7a). As you approach the stopping point, say “hello” on the right rein to get your horse’s attention, wait for “what?”, give the command “and whoa”, then stop so that your horse comes into the reins and halts (Photo 7b).
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Troubleshooting Tip: Always look about 20 feet ahead of the horse, on the ground where you want him to be going! If you visualize the pattern on the ground you will plan ahead better. You may find it’s much easier to do the circles to the right than the circles to the left, or vice versa. Practice the harder way twice as many times as the easy way. Think about changing direction as a transition. Be accurate going into and out of the change of direction by planning ahead and preparing. Be sure your circles are nice and round. If you have trouble with the smaller circles, set the cones farther apart to give yourself more time and space. Resist the urge to pull or steer the horse onto the larger circle with the outside rein. The outside rein should remain quiet and steady as you yield out from the inside rein. If your horse won’t yield from the inside rein or you are unfamiliar with how to ask, review the basic yielding exercise in the first chapter of this book. Don’t worry about your horse’s headset or frame - if he carries his head up in the air or hangs it too low, that’s okay. Focus on developing your timing and presentation until your horse understands and you can complete the pattern accurately. If your timing and presentation is right your horse will understand and travel relaxed and round naturally. This exercise can be done in an open or closed bridle, whichever your horse is most familiar with. The horse in the photos was only in his second day of long lining, and had not yet been introduced to the blinders. If you are working in an open bridle now, be sure to come back to this exercise again later, after you have introduced the blinders. Plan to repeat these exercises as as often as needed until you and your horse can complete the pattern smoothly. They are useful to return to at any time to refresh your horse’s training and your driving skills.
Always look about 20 feet ahead of the horse.
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Yielding to Pressure
Preparing to drive your horse involves more than steering and stopping. It is very important for safety that your horse accept pressure on different parts of his body, and your job is to teach him that. He will experience changing pressure from the harness as the vehicle travels on different terrain or with different loads. There are many unfortunate opportunities when driving to get hung up on something, get in a tight spot, or end up with the horse's foot caught in a strap or line. Working on the following exercises will give you and your horse a much better chance of facing unexpected situations calmly and quietly. These exercises require two people. In the first exercise, you will only need a halter, lead rope and spare 12-foot length of soft rope. Exercise 1: We want to teach the horse to accept and give to pressure on all four of his legs. Have an assistant hold the horse using a halter and lead rope during this exercise; do not tie the horse. It is assumed your horse is already practiced in giving Begin Exercise 1 by looping the soft rope around the his feet to the farrier. horse’s leg, just above the knee and leaving it there.
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The next step in Exercise 1 is to let the rope drop down gently to the fetlock where it is left for a few moments with no pressure and gently moved up to the knee and back again several times. Then, steady pressure is applied to the rope as it is located behind the fetlock. Apply steady pressure until you feel the horse attempt to lift its foot.
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Then drop the rope behind the fetlock and apply steady pressure to the rope. It is important that you apply a steady pressure, not a pull, so that you can feel when the horse tries to lift his foot. Apply steady pressure and wait for the horse to try to give to the pressure. The second the horse tries, even shifting his weight a tiny bit - throw slack in the rope to reward him. We are not teaching the horse to lift his leg. We want him to be willing to give his foot to pressure. So we want to throw slack in the rope the instant the horse begins to take weight off the foot. Repeat this exercise on both forelegs and both hindlegs until he understands and gives his feet willingly.
The moment the horse makes the slightest move to lift its foot, the pressure is released. When performing the exercise on the hind leg, the rope is placed above the hock.
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The rope is allowed to fall to the hind fetlock, and moved back to the hock and down to the fetlock several times. Pressure is applied to the rope at the hind fetlock. Pressure is released when the horse lifts its foot.
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For the following exercises the horse should be in his full harness. Two people are needed. The horse’s usual driver will apply the pressure and give the voice commands. The assistant will hold the reins, following through if the horse responds incorrectly.
The second exercise involves the regular driver taking the traces on the harness while an assistant holds the lines. The driver applies pressure to the traces while telling the horse to stand. If the horse moves, the horse is told to "woah." If he continues to move, the assistant should take up on the reins, set him back on his haunches and then release (See Chapter 2). Here the horse is reacting to the pressure on the traces, and the assistant holding the lines is helping reinforce the command to stand despite the change in pressure on the harness through the traces.
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Exercise 2: Ask the horse to stand. Take the traces in your hands and pull back. This is similar to the weight the horse will feel on the collar when a person climbs into the vehicle he will be hitched to. Remind the horse stand with your voice while you pull. He should not move. If he remains standing for a moment release and praise him. If he steps forward, keep the pressure on the traces and say “whoa.” If he does not halt, the assistant should take up on the reins, set him back on his haunches, and then release. Exercises 2 and 3 reinforce voice commands, so the horse listens to you, rather than reacting blindly to changes in pressure on the harness. If you have trouble with “whoa,” refer to chapter 2, The Importance of Whoa.
The moment the horse responds to the pressure and the command to stand still, the pressure is released. Exercise 3 (below) teaches the horse to back using voice commands and the traces as a guide. The assistant can add reinforcement from the lines if the horse does not understand at first.
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Exercise 3: Ask the horse to stand, as above, except this time as you pull on the traces give him the command “back”. If he doesn’t respond, the assistant can apply pressure with the reins. Release the reins immediately when he takes a step back. Ask again with the verbal command “back” while pulling only on the traces. If he does not respond, add the reins. It can be very useful to maneuver the horse backwards using the traces. Loggers often use this technique to hitch their horses to a load. Exercise 4: It’s also very important for horse to yield sideways from pressure from your hand or a rope or strap, in case you need him to step over just one step. For example, you might want to back the horse into the shafts. If he accidentally straddles the shafts you can ask him to move over one step, not get upset and step on your shaft and break it. Take both traces in your hands and walk to the right, pulling the left trace against the horse’s haunch and asking him to step his haunch over to the right. Release the pressure as soon as he starts to take a step over. Then ask again. Again, your assistant should be ready to help stop forward movement if the horse misunderstands and begins to walk forward. Practice until the horse will move over easily in either direction. All of these exercises are part of the foundation training of a safe driving horse. If you run into difficulties, ask a professional trainer to help you. In the fourth exercise, the horse is taught to step laterally, yielding from pressure on its side. Here the horse is being asked to step over in the other direction. The assistant with the lines is there to prevent the horse from stepping forward if it misunderstands the command.
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5
Chasing the Cart
If you have completed the previous lessons with your horse, you now should have a clear understanding of what your horse needs in order to give you what you want, and your horse should have a clear understanding of what is expected of him. This last lesson before your first drive will give you and your horse the opportunity to gain confidence with the sight and sound of the vehicle before he is hitched to it. This can eliminate one of the leading causes of wrecks with green horses, when the horse startles at the sound of the cart behind him, and then panics when he thinks he is being chased by the cart. By turning the tables in this exercise you build confidence in the horse—if the cart is “running away” from him, he will become less fearful of it, and be less reactive when it begins to move behind him. Moreover, this exercise prepares the horse for the experience of other vehicles moving around him, as might happen in public or at a show. When I work with a horse to prepare him for driving, I want to reach this point before I hitch to anything. I also prefer to hitch to and drag a tire before I introduce the cart at all. Some folks prefer simply to go straight on to the cart. For efficiency’s sake, we have used a cart to demonstrate this lesson. If you want to hitch to a tire first, simply follow this exercise, but have your assistant drag the tire in place of the cart. Then repeat the exercise with the cart after the horse has become experienced and comfortable with the tire. You will need a large flat area to work in, a lightweight two-wheeled vehicle (or tire), and an assistant to pull the vehicle around. This is not an exercise to complete
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Before hooking for the first time, start by ground driving the horse toward the cart, stopping about 15 feet away, and stand quietly a moment.
in one day. Spend as much time as needed to give your horse the confidence and trust that will make him a good, safe driving partner for you. Begin with the cart set in the center of the work area. Drive the horse towards it, asking him to whoa about 15-20 feet away. Stand there quietly a moment. Then ground drive the horse in a large circle around the cart in both directions. Stop occasionally and just let him stand. Don’t force him to go close to the cart. Keep the exercise easy and relaxing.
Next ground drive the horse around the cart in both directions, stopping once in a while to let him simply stand.
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When the horse is unflustered by the presence of the cart, have the assistant pick up the shafts and bounce them up and down while you repeat the large circle around the cart in both directions. Again, do this calmly until the horse does not react to the movement or sounds. (If using the tire, have the assistant wiggle and scoot the tire around in a small area. The point is to introduce a low level of movement and noise.) Now stand the horse facing the back of the cart, at some distance. Have the assistant pick up the shafts and start walking away from you in a very large figure eight. Ask your horse to walk. Follow the cart around the figure eight, keeping a distance. Make sure the figure eight is large enough that you can drive your horse forward in a ground covering walk. Every once in a while call out for a “whoa” and stop the horse. Anytime you call out “whoa,” your assistant should stop also, and not begin moving again until you say “walk up.” This gives the assistant time to catch his or her breath, too! When the horse is relaxed with this exercises, it’s time to start mixing things up. Start a large circle to the right. Ground drive the horse behind the cart. After one circle around, have the assistant drop into the circle and slow down slightly so you can pass on the outside (left side in this direction). Walk on by the cart, keeping a good marching walk, and continue around the circle. The cart will end up behind the horse. When you have walked with the cart behind the horse for a moment, ask for a whoa, and stop and rest. This rewards the horse as well as your tired assistant.
Ask a helper to hold the shafts of the cart and bounce them up and down as you again ground drive around the cart in both directions. Continue this until the horse is accustomed to the sight and sounds.
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With the helper pulling the cart in a large figure eight, ground drive the horse behind it. Have the helper slow with the cart so you can pass and have the helper and cart walking behind the horse and driver.
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With the helper and cart walking behind the horse and driver, ask the helper to pick up speed and pass the horse to again walk in front. After repeating these steps but in the opposite direction, stop the horse and have the helper stop the cart behind you and bounce the shafts.
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Now ask your horse to walk up. As you begin your circle to the right, have your assistant pull the cart ahead and pass you on the outside (left side). Keep your horse moving forward but in a smaller circle. Your assistant may have to “trot� past you. Once your assistant positions himself directly in front of you, continue on for a moment then ask for a whoa. Once your assistant is rested, ask your horse to walk up and begin the circle to the right again with your assistant ahead of you. Then ask your assistant to move off a little to the left as you pass on the inside (right side). Once you are in front walk on for a moment then ask for a halt. After a bit of a rest, ask your horse to walk up and continue the circle to the right. Move off to the left a bit and have your assistant pass you on the inside (right side). Once your assistant is ahead of you, continue on for a moment then ask for the whoa. Repeat these same 4 moves while driving a circle to the left. If, at any time, your horse begins to get nervous or excited stay in the position you are in until he is comfortable and settled again. Use the knowledge you have gained in the previous lessons to help him understand what is expected of him. When he is comfortable move on to the next position. After you have done all of these walking exercises, the final exercise is to park the cart behind the horse (close, but out of kicking range) and have the assistant bounce the cart noisily up and down. Remind the horse to whoa, and reward him with a loose rein whenever he is standing quietly. If your horse is relaxed and listening throughout this lesson, he is ready to be hitched (either to the tire or cart, depending on which you have been using in the exercise). I recommend you hitch your horse for the first time immediately after a successful run through of this entire lesson, as he will be well attuned to you and in a good frame of mind. This is a good time to put to and make sure your harness is well fitted to both your horse and the vehicle you will be pulling.
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6
The First Drive
If you have completed all the steps in the previous chapters then both you and your horse will have a clearer understanding of how to keep safe while driving. This type of preparation develops the driver’s understanding of what the horse needs in order to give the driver what he is asking for. It helps the horse understand what is expected of him, where he belongs in your herd, and develops a willingness to look to you for direction when he does not understand what to do. This in no way means you have just trained your horse to drive. It means you have given him a good solid start to begin his job as a driving horse. As I mentioned in the last chapter, a good time to put to or hitch up for your first drive is after the chasing the cart exercise. Your horse will have the opportunity to review something he is comfortable with and you will have the opportunity to drive him a bit and see if the two of you are working together well. Also make sure your harness is fitted well to your horse and also to the vehicle. To get ready to hitch up, first run your reins up through the back strap and over the off terret to secure them. Have your assistant head your horse by standing by his head on his right side. Your assistant should not physically hold your horse, rather just stand there in case your horse starts to move off without being asked. Pick up the cart by the left shaft and approach your horse from behind. When you get about 4 feet away speak to him to let him know you are getting ready to put him to the cart. When he acknowledges your voice, put your hand on him and pull the cart up to him.
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Secure your lines by running them through the back strap and around the off terret before putting the cart to the horse.
Speak to the horse and wait for him to acknowledge your presence before putting your hand on his hip and bringing the cart up to him.
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Have your assistant help get the right shaft in the tug. Once the shafts are in the tugs have your assistant stand by your horse’s head on the left side and finish putting your horse to the cart. Take your time and talk and fuss. If you are nervous or anxious and hurry the process your horse will think there is something to be nervous about. Next, clip a 10’-12’ foot lead on the bottom of your horse’s noseband. While standing on his left side by his head, ask him to walk up a step, just one step. Then stop. This will bring him into the traces and give you the opportunity to see if everything is adjusted properly and also see if your horse is comfortable. Repeat this, adding a step at a time until you have walked up a half a dozen steps and stopped with the horse being comfortable with it. Next, hand the lead rope to your assistant and have her take a position on the horse’s left: in front of his shoulder but slightly behind his head. It is important your assistant understands there is to be no pressure on the lead rope at any time. It is meant to be used only in an emergency to help get the horse back under control. Your assistant’s job at this point is to follow your commands as if she were another horse. Now take up your reins and ask your horse to walk up. Go about a dozen steps and ask your horse to whoa. If all is well, tell him he’s a good boy and have your
After your assistant has placed the right shaft into the tug have her return to the left side of the horse.
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Hook a long lead line to the bottom of the headstall's noseband to be held loosely and used only in an emergency.
Walk the horse for 20 steps and if it goes without a problem, praise the horse and ask the assistant to stroke its neck.
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assistant stroke his neck. Then ask again for him to walk up. This time go about 20 steps then ask him to whoa. If he is comfortable and relaxed, you can ask him to walk up again. Go straight forward for 10 or so steps then begin to ask him to turn slightly to the left for 20 or so steps. Notice I said slightly. It is important to introduce the confinement of the shafts in a turn gradually. As time goes on and your horse learns how to handle himself and balance in a turn while in the shafts you can begin to make smaller circles but for now you just want to introduce him to the pressure. If he is comfortable and relaxed continue in the turn for a bit. Then ask him to whoa. Wait 10 seconds or so then ask him to walk up 10 or so steps straight then begin to ask him to turn slightly to the right for 20 or so steps. If your horse begins to get nervous at any time in a turn ease up on the inside rein and go straight again. Tell him it’s alright, easy does it, then introduce the rein again. The horse has a natural fear of confinement so we want to introduce the confinement of the shafts gradually. Continue to work walking forward 10 or so steps then turning slightly to the left for 20 or so steps, then straight for 10 steps, then turning slightly to the right for 20 or so steps. Once your horse is comfortable pulling the cart straight and in turning slightly in both directions, have your assistant back away and leave the horse to follow your instructions without her close presence. This is why we use a long lead rope.
Ask the horse to make gradual turns as it gets more accustomed to the feel between the shafts.
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If your horse is doing well without the support of your assistant’s presence have your assistant unclip the lead rope from the noseband and take a position watching a short distance away. Continue practicing “Walk up”, going forward straight, turning slightly to the left, then straight, then right, and “Whoa” with no lead rope and your assistant available nearby. Everyone wants to know how long the first drive should be and that is a question that can only be answered in the moment of the first drive. For some folks the time to stop would be now. For others another 20 minutes of driving this way would be suitable. Hopefully you know your horse and yourself well enough to know when your session has been successful. A good indicator of success is when the horse is more relaxed then when he started. If your horses is nervous it may be he needs more preparation or it may be you are moving along a little too fast. Take your time and make sure you don’t get ahead of your horse. As time goes on you will be able to do more and more. You may begin to add smaller turns, changes of direction, and yielding as your horse gains more confidence in pulling the cart. An excellent way to do this is to set up the cones and do the exercises in the previous Chapter 1: Know the Use of the Inside Rein in Turns and Chapter 3: Be Prepared and Plan Ahead. When doing the latter exercises you will need to set the cones farther apart when hitched than when ground driving, so there
Ask the assistant to gradually move further away while holding the slack leadrope and eventually unclip the lead.
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As the assistant stands nearby in case of trouble, drive the horse with gradual turns and practice stops.
Once the horse is more relaxed after being put to the cart, you can consider the session a success.
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As you continue driving your horse over time, remain vigilant and revisit the training steps any time a bad habit develops.
is plenty of room to make the figures. No matter what you do make sure you approach your sessions with the basics in mind. If at any time your horse walks off without you asking him revisit The Importance of “Whoa” (Chapter 2) exercise and help your horse understand it is not acceptable to do that. Remember your horse is a creature of habit and it is your responsibility to develop and maintain his good habits. Make sure you look ahead when you are driving so that you know how to prepare your horse for what’s ahead. Does he need to get ready to yield? turn? transition down or up? Drive your horse in the cart with the same consideration you gave him in the long lines. Remember good horsemanship and safety are all about getting your horse ready for what you will be asking him to do not just telling him to do it. A common mistake I see with people and their horses is after some time has gone by and they are comfortable in what they are doing. Then all of a sudden bad habits begin to appear. Nine times out of ten it is because the person took for granted the horse knew what to do and figured he no longer needed to “get him ready.” No matter how well trained your horse becomes you still must get him ready simply because if you don’t, you wind up taking him by surprise, beginning a cycle of nervousness and distrust. Remember the horse lives in the moment and needs direction from his leader to feel safe. If you do not offer your horse direction and turn that responsibility over to the horse you’ve only yourself to blame for the consequences. Having a horse that understands you and is willing to try and do what you want of him is a joy beyond words. Put your horse and his needs first and he will give you what you want every time.
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7
Crossing Unfamiliar Objects
Now that you have put the time in and practiced all the previous lessons, you and your horse should have a better understanding of each other along with a language to use that you both understand. The preliminary lessons you have been working on are meant to prepare you for the next set of lessons in your driving pursuits. Whether you are preparing for a pleasure drive down the road, work on your farm, or a competition, the advanced training for a driving horse will help ensure your safety and your horse’s safety for years to come. The horse’s strongest natural instinct is self preservation, and his first reaction is to flee when faced with a scary situation. These next lessons will give you the tools you need to handle those situations when they arise. It would be totally unrealistic to think because you’ve spent so much time training your horse, he will never be afraid of anything. Self preservation and fear of the unknown is something no one has control over. Even the steadiest horse can be taken by surprise. You will never be able to say your horse will never be afraid of things again, but you will be able to help your horse handle his fear and train yourself to know what your horse needs in fearful situations. As with the previous lessons, you will be learning what your horse needs in order to give you what you want. The first thing we will be working on is crossing scary objects. I’ve chosen to use a piece of plywood in the driveway to work on this, as it will simulate a driving situation on a road and help you deal with the things your horse may do in that scenario. In the horse’s mind it does not really matter what the object is: this type of situation can
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involve a bridge, puddle, brook, tarp, mud, plywood, or even shadows or lines on the ground. What matters to the horse is what the herd leader (you) presents to him. Setting up a situation in a controlled environment will enable you to work on this a little more safely than trying to deal with it out on a drive for the first time. When learning how to help a horse cross a scary object, it helps to think of what I call the “T Rule.” At no time during your session is your horse allowed to turn more than 90 degrees to the left or 90 degrees to the right. Once your horse crosses those parameters, in his mind, he has escaped. He must always remain facing the scary object, even if he stops or veers. You must also know what rein you are on and stay on that rein throughout the crossing of the scary object. Changing reins during a scary situation does nothing but add fuel to the fire. If your horse is uncertain or scared, the last thing you want to do is make a change. You’ve learned in the previous lessons the horse needs to be prepared for a change of rein. In a scary situation there is rarely time for preparation, so it is of utmost importance to know what rein you are on when the situation occurs. If you have practiced the previous lessons, both you and your horse will understand how to move forward, backward, to the left and to the right on the left rein. Staying on that rein will keep your horse with you in a scary situation. Changing that rein will only give your horse one too many things to try and process, causing confusion and frightening him even more. This work will be done in the long reins. Once you feel you have control and you and your horse are working together with a good understanding, you can repeat the exercises with the cart. Begin by walking towards the plywood in the road on your left rein. As soon as your horse acknowledges there is something ahead, ask him to whoa. It is important not to try and get as close as you can. Rather, stop before your horse gets nervous, when he indicates interest, and wait for your horse to settle before you ask for anything more. After your horse has settled, ask him to walk up, again on the left rein. At this point there are several reactions your horse may produce. No matter what reaction he gives, stay on the left rein and stay calm. If he takes a step and stops tell him he’s a good boy, wait for him to settle and ask for another step. Remember, this is not about getting across the plywood. It is about your horse looking to you for direction and following herd rules. If you rush or push your horse, it indicates you are allowing your emotions to cloud your judgment. It does not matter how quickly this lesson goes, it matters how well your horse understands you and how well you give your horse what he needs at the right time.
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Stop the horse in front of the foreign object before he becomes nervous. Once he has relaxed, walk him slowly forward one step at a time, praising him and letting him become relaxed after each step.
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If he takes a step up and tries turning to the right or left, stay on your left rein and give him direction so that he remains straight and facing forward. You want to present yourself to the horse in a way that does not confuse him and allows him to learn, his freedom lies forward. It is important you not allow your horse to turn any further than 90 degrees to the right or left. He may move laterally to the right or left while trying to grasp what you are offering him. If this happens, remain on the left rein until he settles, then release. This keeps things simple for the horse and helps him understand his freedom lies in front of him. If he tries to back up, make sure he does not turn either direction more than 90 degrees. You may have to tap him with the whip until he stops backing. Make sure you stop using the pressure of the whip when he stops backing. Do not continue applying the whip until he moves forward! Once he has stopped, let him settle and only then ask him to go forward again. This takes patience, and it is important you do not get anxious and begin asking him to do more than one thing at a time. When faced with something they don’t understand, things begin moving really fast in the horse’s mind. The last thing we want to do is cram more stuff in there. Take your time and remember to reward your horse with a release so that he gains freedom when he looks to you for direction. The object is to keep your horse straight, balanced and underneath himself. This helps him feel safe and willing to try and do what you are asking. Once you have crossed the plywood, turn around and approach it from the other direction. Do this on the left rein. Be ready to help your horse as much as needed. Once you have crossed it in this direction, change reins and cross from both directions again on the right rein. When approaching a scary object, always approach it like it’s the first time, and be prepared to help your horse as much as you did the first time. This way, you will be able to offer your horse what he needs. This is an important and vital aspect of attaining good horsemanship skills. In order to allow the horse to try and do what you are asking you must be willing to accept the fact your horse may try the wrong thing: If he tries to go around the side at the last minute, calmly back him up and straighten him:
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Allow the horse to walk forward slowly, allowing him to advance at his own pace. Offer the horse praise as he crosses the obstacle.
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The horse may try to avoid stepping on the scary surface by stepping to the right, back or left.
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The driver backs up the horse, lets him settle, and tries again. At the last minute the horse veers to the right and tries to go around.
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Again the driver backs him up, lets him settle, then tries again. If the horse becomes frustrated he may move his feet around. Notice I am waiting patiently for him to settle; then I’ll ask him to walk forward again.
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Remember, if he can’t go left, right or back, he may still not want to go forward yet. Give him time, and don’t change the plan. Notice, I am not punishing him nor pulling on him for moving his feet around. Rather than be disappointed when he does not get it right, welcome his mistakes as another step closer to learning the right thing. It is just as important for your horse to learn what not to do as it is for him to learn what to do. Teaching him to cross scary objects is actually an advanced lesson in herd rules and pressure and release. You are not asking your horse to do anything different or new, rather building on the skills you have learned and applying them to this situation. It does not matter where you are, what time of day it is, if you are alone or in company or the specific nature of the surface you need to cross. It does matter that you give your horse the same answer every time. You can think of more than one thing at a time, the horse cannot. Keep it simple enough for him to work with, and he will eventually figure it out. As in all lessons with your horse, if there is something you don’t understand or cannot seem to work through, seek the help of a professional before it becomes a dangerous problem.
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8
Dealing with Scary Objects
In the previous chapter, we learned the importance of staying on one rein while dealing with crossing a scary surface. In this article, I will address how to maintain control while a scary object approaches from behind by disengaging your horse to face the object, then releasing him to chase it. If you are listening to your horse, he will tell you before he bolts off, on which side the scary object is coming. A horse will naturally tip his ear on the side the scary object is coming from, and his hindquarter on that side will have lots more life. These facts are important to us in that they enable us to gain control of the horse’s movement at the correct time and avoid the possibility of a wreck. By setting up a training program geared to help you and your horse get through these situations, you are more likely to have a safe and pleasant driving experience even when scary things happen. It’s like the fire drills we had in school. If we know how to deal with scary situations before they occur and have a plan to follow when they do, we will be safer. You will be doing this lesson in long lines to begin. After you feel you have a good understanding of what your horse needs and your horse is understanding what you are offering him, you may move on to the cart. Again, I have chosen the driveway to simulate a situation on the road. Objects coming up from behind may include people running, bicycles, motorcycles or other vehicles; not to mention other horses or horse-drawn vehicles, dogs, loose livestock, and even trash, balloons or bags blowing in the wind. This exercise helps you prepare yourself and your horse for these kind of situations at home before you meet them out in the world.
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Your assistant must have a clear understanding of what you are trying to accomplish in this lesson and follow your instructions immediately, without argument. The object of the lesson is not to scare the horse. It is to teach you how your horse responds in a situation like this so you may learn how to help him. The whole idea is to be able to learn in a controlled environment. You may use any number of things as a prop for this lesson. A flag, some balloons on the end of dressage whip or stick, even plastic grocery bags on the end of a whip work well. The whip or stick should not be longer than 40�. This will allow the assistant to work the noise level while keeping the object perpendicular with his body. If more stimulation is needed to get the horse’s attention, the assistant should vibrate the whip faster, but NOT further back and forth away from his body. The whip or flag should only be held vertically, close to the body. Vibrate it to make noise if you need a stronger cue. Do NOT point or wave the flag or whip towards the horse. You are not trying to chase or scare him with it, merely provide a visual and sound cue that will get his attention. Begin by walking down the driveway on your left rein. Once you have gone 40 feet or so, call your assistant to begin vibrating the whip and jogging up behind you on your left. Your assistant should move consistently and deliberately and continue to jog on past you on your left. As your assistant begins to come up behind you, pay close attention to your horse and use your left rein to keep him with you.
The flag should be held vertically, close to the body (left). Do not point or wave it at the horse (right).
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The assistant should move at a consistent pace and jog up to, and past you.
As the assistant passes you and comes up in line with the horse's hip, pay attention to the horse's reaction and use your left line to keep the horse in line.
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Tell the horse “easy” as soon as it reacts, then use the left line to disengage and face the distraction. Use both lines to steady the horse and tell it to “walk up” to follow your assistant.
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Face It As your assistant begins approaching in line with your horse’s left hindquarter use the command “easy” as soon as you see or feel life come up in your horse, then use your left rein to disengage your horse and face your assistant.
Chase It As soon as your horse is disengaged steady him with both reins, then release and give the command “walk up!” and walk forward following your assistant. If your horse acts as if he couldn’t care less, good for you! Try again with your assistant vibrating the whip or flag a little more enthusiastically. Remember, your assistant should not try to scare the horse, but rather just get his interest. Increase the action of the whip to match the horse’s response. Repeat all of this in the other direction with your assistant approaching from behind on your right. Every horse responds differently to this type of stimulus, and the lesson needs to be tailored to the individual horse. If your horse is acting nervous from the get go, spend some time just driving up and down the driveway reviewing turning directly to the left, yielding to the right on the left rein, “whoa,” and “walk up” until you and your horse are working together as a team. Once you are ready, have your assistant begin approaching just at a brisk walk that is a little faster than your walk, stay on your left rein, use the command “easy,” disengage him, steady him, then release and give him the command “walk up!” and follow your assistant. The most important thing is being able to disengage your horse and face the object as that gives you the tool you need to gain control in this type of situation. The release afterwards frees your horse’s mind and leaves him with nothing to fight. Following the object (chase it) helps the horse realize it is no longer a threat. If you do not release your horse after you disengage him and you continue to hold him with the reins, he will feel confined and try even harder to get away. Note that this is not about the horse being scared of the prop. The horse in the demonstrations is not afraid of the flag and is quite easygoing in temperament. In fact he happily took the flag in his mouth and shook it around immediately after the brief photo shoot for this exercise. Any horse can be startled by something coming up behind unexpectedly. No matter how big or small your horse’s reaction to the surprise, your answer must be the same. The horse might make a really big move in reaction to the assistant. The lesson needs to be repeated until the driver gains the skill to read what the horse needs at the right time and is able to help the horse look to the driver when
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It is not the prop that scares the horse. It is its sudden appearance from behind. This horse demonstrates it is comfortable with the flag.
things don’t seem right. Whether it be repeated six or eight times is not as important as ending a lesson on a good note after three times. Several short sessions ending on a good note are far more productive than one or two exhausting ones. Remember self preservation is the horse’s first and strongest natural instinct and only when he understands what is expected of him from the herd leader will he begin to settle and respond to what you are offering him. Keep your mind on what the horse needs, not on what may happen, and your timing will improve. The foundation work you have been doing up until this point is what you are still working on here. Your goal is to apply what you and your horse have learned to this situation. The scary object in NO WAY changes what you are asking your horse to do. Rather, it gives you and your horse the opportunity to improve on something you already know. As always, when working on training with your horse be honest with yourself and your horse and recognize if things are beginning to get out of control. These advanced lessons are difficult and can get out of hand very quickly. Don’t hesitate to contact a professional for help if you are having trouble.
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The technique is the same regardless of how much the horse reacts to the flag. The horse is kept on the left line and the assistant keeps jogging past without hesitating or reacting to the horse.
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The horse is turned to the scary object and disengaged. (Above) The horse is encouraged to chase the distraction. (Below)
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9
Passing Scary Objects
With the past two advanced lessons, you learned the importance of knowing what rein you are on before approaching scary objects on the ground and how to use your rein to disengage your horse to gain control when scary objects are approaching from behind. In this lesson, we will learn how to use our rein to get past scary objects. Think about that nice drive down the road you have done two or three times without mishap. Then, on your fourth drive, the neighbor down the road is having a birthday party. You see a bunch of balloons tied to the mailbox up ahead, children getting out of a car in the driveway, and you hear another car coming up behind you. Your horse is now aware something is different, sees the balloons, stares hard to the right and steps to the left, and is now in the middle of the road. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Getting past scary objects is another advanced training session it is best to work on at home before you are faced with it on the road. It can also help you plow a straight line if your neighbor decides to hang out the wash the first time you put your young horse to a plow in an adjoining field. It helps prepare you for the show ring, which offers plenty of surprises and distractions – from banners hung on the rail to camera flashes and children playing ringside. Yielding to the inside rein – as presented in the first chapter – is what will help you help your horse through these situations. As before, I have set this lesson up in the driveway to simulate the road. You can use any number of different props for this. Each time you start a new session, use different props or place them in a different
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location so you are actually training your horse and not just desensitizing him to one particular object. The length of the driveway should accommodate you approaching the object from some distance away (at least 100 feet). With the prop on the right hand side of the driveway, ask your horse to walk up while keeping him on your left rein. As soon as your horse notices the object say, “hello” on the left rein. Your release will depend upon his response. If he says “what?” and is not bothered too much, continue on but be ready to say “hello” with the left rein again if his interest goes back to the object. If the horse steps to the left, ask him to yield to the right while on your left rein. It is important not to change reins at this point. Do not use your right rein to get him over to the right as his attention is not 100% with you, and the change of rein will take him by surprise. He will also tend to swing his hindquarters out to the left into the road if you change to your right rein. If your horse throws his head up and stops, keep him straight and keep his attention on you with the left rein. When he relaxes and says “what?” ask him to walk up again on the left rein. As you get closer, your horse will really want to turn to the right to face the scary
With this young gelding I am still quite a distance from the flags when he notices them and steps out to the left.
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After the horse acknowledges me by saying “what?� I ask him to yield to the right on the left rein. In the bottom left photo the horse does not want to move forward, and I am in the process of getting his attention back with me with the left rein. In the bottom right photo even though I have contact with both reins and the horse is soft to the left, his full attention is still on the flags.
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object or just plain get away from it. It is usually at this point that a horse may try to jump to the left to get away from the scary object. It is extremely important that you are ready for this and use your left rein to stop him and keep him straight. Do not release the pressure or change reins at this time. If he tries to run through the reins, stay with him until he gives and backs off. Once you begin walking forward, ask your horse to yield to the right on the left
Now, the young gelding has decided he wants to be on the other side of the road, but the pressure has not gone away. Wait for your horse to say “what?� before releasing the reins. Once the horse comes back off the bit, I give him slack to reward him.
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Now that he has acknowledges me, I am gettting ready to ask the horse to walk up. Notice I am keeping him straight. Below the horse walks forward calmly taking my direction, yielding to the right on the left rein.
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Once he understands what is expected of him, he relaxes and walks straight forward.
rein. I cannot stress enough that no matter what question the horse may ask during this lesson you always give him the same direction. It is hard enough for a horse to process a change of rein under normal circumstances. In a situation like this, you certainly do not have the time to prepare him for a change of rein. If you switch from left to right without any preparation, you will be taking your horse by surprise when he is already uncertain of things, not to mention you don’t want his backside out in the road anymore than his front end. The lesson is designed to improve your level of skill in asking your horse to yield and to improve your horse’s level of understanding of what is expected of him. Practice this lesson on both the left and the right rein. Change the scary object and/
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or the position of the scary object every time you have a lesson. Work on the lesson until your horse responds with understanding to your pressure to yield. Don’t rush it. Take breaks and treat the lesson as if it’s just another day at work. The goal is not to make your horse unafraid of going past scary objects. That is an unrealistic goal. The goal is to teach your horse the lesson of yielding well enough and consistently enough that he will be able to respond to you in a reasonable way when faced with passing a scary object. Learning good horsemanship skills is about learning what the horse needs in order to give you what you want. By practicing this, your horse will become more and more willing to listen to you when faced with uncertainty. As always, if at anytime you do not understand why your horse is responding the way he is, or you feel you are not able to help him where he needs help, seek the advice of a professional before your misunderstanding gets out of hand or dangerous.
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About the Authors
Margaret Beeman is a horsewoman with forty years experience training horses and teaching people in a variety of disciplines. Although Margaret has competed internationally in Combined Driving, her background comes from skidding pine logs to her father’s mill and getting firewood in for the winter. A family business training ponies for children required the ponies to drive both single and double and put a year’s worth of work into the family’s sawmill business. Margaret owns and operates Broken Wheel Ranch, in Millerton NY, where she trains horses and students at all levels in riding and driving. Visit her website, www.beemansbetterdeal.com for more information about her work. Ona Kiser is an amateur rider and driver who is also a writer, videographer and photographer specializing in horses. She has produced videos for trainers in various disciplines from dressage to trick training and written articles that have appeared in regional and national magazines such as the Horseman’s Yankee Pedlar, The Whip, and Cowboys & Indians. Her website is www.onakiser.com
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