The Colt Starting, Horse Training and Riding Manual
“Using Step-by-Step Methods to Build A Useful, Well-Mannered Horse That Will Serve You For Years”
A Horse Training and Riding Manual
“I’ve often said that there’s nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse” ~Ronald Reagan
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Copyright © 2012 Charlie Hicks Horse Training Resources All rights reserved. “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual”
Some Sayings We Love:
“No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” - Winston Churchill
“The horse is God's gift to mankind.” - Bedouin
“A dog may be man's best friend, but the horse wrote history.” - Anonymous
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Disclaimer of Liability:
Any horse training, handling and riding activity brings with it a certain level of risk. Horses are dangerous and working with them should be considered a hazardous activity.
Charlie Hicks, Horse Training Resources and Hicks Systems & Associates, Inc. assume NO liability for your activities regarding what you do with horses or any equine activity.
This book provides instruction and general help and techniques in handling horses and may not be suitable for you.
We provide no warranty and none is given regarding the suitability of this information, the instructions, techniques or methods you use or that other individuals use while acting under your instruction.
Use this book as a guide only. However, you are responsible for your own actions and results.
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Table of Contents Foreword 7 Introduction 9 The Reason Why You MUST Understand The Horse 10 Get Inside Your Horse’s Head 12 Some Needed Equipment To Start 14 Getting Started With The Training Program 16 Leading The Colt 16 GOAL 1: Halter Breaking 16 GOAL 2: Begin The Leading Lesson 17 GOAL 3: Teaching “Whoa” 18 GOAL 4: Teaching Tying Up Safely 18 GOAL 5: Begin Sacking Out 19 GOAL 6: Picking Up The Colt’s Feet 20 GOAL 7: Teaching To Back 20 GOAL 8: Posing and Squaring Up 21 GOAL 9: Begin Trailer Loading 21 More Groundwork: Begin Longeing 23 GOAL1: Starting The Walk On The Longe Line 23 GOAL2: Teaching “Whoa” On The Longe line 24 GOAL3: Teaching Reverse On the Longe Line 24 GOAL4: Teaching The Trot On The Longe Line 24 GOAL 5: Teaching The Canter On The Longe Line 25 GOAL 6: Working On All Gaits From A Stop. 25 Saddling Basics 26 Starting With A Snaffle Bit 27 Start The Ground Driving Lessons 28 GOAL 1: Teaching To Walk And Respond To “Whoa” 28 GOAL 2: Starting The Trot 29 GOAL 3: Begin The Backing Lesson 29 GOAL 4: Begin Turning On The Haunches. 29 GOAL 5: Begin The Circling Lesson 29 Begin Teaching Leg Aids 31 GOAL 1: Begin With A Forehand Turn From The Ground 31 GOAL 2: Introduce A Haunch Turn From The Ground 31 GOAL 3: Begin The Sidepass From The Ground 32 Getting Ready: Training To Ride 33 Caution: How The Rider Affects The Horse 33 GOAL 1: Bitting Or Learning To Yield To The Bit 34 GOAL 2: Ready To Mount 36 GOAL 3: Start With The Walk And Then “Whoa” 36 GOAL 4: Begin Reining Exercises 37 GOAL 5: Start Backing 38 GOAL 6: Transition To The Trot 38 GOAL 7: Carefully Start Cantering 39
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Moving To Advanced Leg Aids 40 GOAL 1: About On The Forehand 40 GOAL 2: About on the Haunches 40 GOAL 3: Learning To Sidepass 40 GOAL 4: The 45 Degree Two-Track 41 Responding To Changing Leads 42 GOAL 1: Lead Aids Against The Rail 42 GOAL 2: Lead Aids Without the Rail 43 GOAL 3: Simple Changes 43 GOAL 4: Interrupted Changes 43 Flying Changes 43 Suppling Exercises And Muscle Memory 45 EXERCISE 1: Alternating Two-Track 45 EXERCISE 2: Circle and Sidestep 45 EXERCISE 3: Shouldering Out 45 EXERCISE 4: Counter-Canter 46 The Finished Horse And Collection 47 Summary 48 Glossary 49 Additional Resources: 52
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Foreword
Throughout the years we’ve been taught all kinds of things about horses. And without a doubt, if you’ve been around horses for long, you have probably had both good and bad direction and instruction on how to start and train a horse. It seems there is plenty of confusing help out there. So, we decided to make a very direct, plain manual on how to get started with a colt and proceed with the training.
The main goal in this manual is two-fold:
1. Help you, as a horse owner, understand the basics of starting a colt.
2. Continue training the horse until you have reached a level where you are riding safely, including all the major tasks like the major gaits, reining, backing, trailer loading, performing proper lead changes and finally collection.
Along the way you’ll be learning all your basic groundwork including driving from the ground. It is important to learn and do everything from the ground first.
Build your skill set and become the trainer. The lessons you’ll learn in the process will be used for a lifetime of horses. You’ll build confidence in yourself and your horses along the way.
Here’s one of the problems we face today:
In this age of the Internet we are overwhelmed with information. We’re bombarded with books, videos, blogs, podcasts and all kinds of high-pressure sales pitches for training programs that can cost you up to $2,000.00. Some of it is very useful. But it gets pretty ridiculous sometimes when we hear and see it everywhere on our computers, smart phones, tablets, MP3 players and TVs. This leads to a high level of confusion among many and for some it even generates and almost cult-like following of a particular trainer who won’t listen to anyone else or apply reason to what they’re doing. And they just continue to throw money to the marketing machine behind it to their own detriment.
Folks, trust me on this…you simply need to focus first on the basic methods and understand why and how. For many, the best thing you could do is to turn off the computer, put down the phone and go work with your horse. If you spent as much time with your horse as you do browsing the Internet and reading blogs, Facebook and Twitter, you might be a more accomplished horse trainer. Ouch!
That’s what has lead to producing this book. Besides people asking us for colt starting methods, they ask for basic training methods as well. So, we put our heads
7 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” together, outlined this book and collectively have created a basic training guide for anyone wanting to start their horse from a few days old to reining and advanced cues and riding techniques.
This book is a culmination of multiple techniques learned from many different trusted trainers. It is solid, basic training for anyone willing to do the work. It is NOT a push-button training system that kicks out a finished horse in a week.
This is a NO-BS book that offers real, solid, basic training that anyone can do.
I would suggest you complement this book with the various training DVDs and other books we offer at www.HorseTrainingResources.com and learn from many of these masters. I have always stated that I prefer to learn from various professional trainers rather than a single trainer. You learn more, understand more and can benefit from decades of collective experience. There are many ways to train a horse and not all methods work the same on all horses of varying dispositions.
So, there you go. Enjoy the book. But mostly - enjoy the process of teaching, training and riding your horses. There are few things more rewarding than spending hours working with and training your own horse and then both of you enjoying your time together and riding.
Stay safe out there!
Charlie
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Introduction
Colt or horse training is a very rewarding undertaking for several reasons. First of all, if worked at with proper care and diligence, you will have a useful, obedient horse that will serve you well for years to come. Second of all, the training process teaches patience, discipline, and self-confidence to the horse and rider alike. Throughout training, as you and your horse progress and accomplish training goals together, you will grow in your skill and confidence as a horseman or horsewoman, and at the same time be able to enjoy the fruit of your labors.
Over the years, much has been written on the subject of colt training. The system in this book is by no means the only approach, nor is it the only correct approach. The method outlined here is specifically designed with the purpose of training colts from infancy through the first few years of their life, establishing habits and behaviors that will make them enjoyable, obedient companions for years to come. Although many of the methods and exercises that we will cover can be very successful in helping to correct bad habits, this book is not meant to teach you how to “break” a mature horse for riding, or change well-established habits of an older animal. Throughout the training process, if you encounter a reoccurring habit or feel at all confused about your horse’s behavior, do not hesitate to seek the council of a professional horse trainer near you. Better safe than sorry, and with horse training, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Throughout this book, we will focus on specific goals for you and your horse to accomplish together. Each section will have a different list of goals to be accomplished in sequence. It is important that you take these goals one at a time, and do not move on to the next goal until the horse is proficient in the skill or behavior of the previous goal.
Now let’s get started!
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The Reason Why You MUST Understand The Horse
Before we begin the training process, it is important for us to understand as much about the horse and how the horse thinks. Regardless of how much (or how little) experience you have in colt training, to go begin training with the assumption that you have nothing new to learn is a recipe for failure. Always go into training with an open mind, and never stop asking the question, “why?” The basis of colt training is learning how and why a horse reacts to certain stimuli and situations, and using this information to teach the horse new behaviors.
It is important to note as well that, like people, no two horses are alike. Each horse has a different personality and will respond to situations differently. Throughout your training sessions, take mental notes of not only your horse’s progress, but also your horse’s mood. Over the course of several months, you should be able to get a better idea of how well your horse will respond in different situations, when to go easy and when to be firm, and when to keep going or stop for the day.
The most important thing that you must have to be a successful trainer is patience. Never allow yourself to lose your cool in front of your horse, and never say or do anything to the horse out of spite or frustration. Make a decision now to take full responsibility for your own actions and the actions of your horse. It is important that you be the “thermostat” which determines the atmosphere of a situation rather than the “thermometer” that is affected by and reflects the atmosphere of the situation it is in. If you find yourself becoming angry, call it a day. An extra ten or fifteen minutes of training is not worth working with your horse while you are angry.
The basis of horse training is that horses (like humans) are habit-forming creatures. Although horses lack the mental capacity to make rational decisions, they have good memories and have the ability to associate specific stimuli with specific actions. Our training will focus on teaching the horse responses to signals that we give, so that specific words and actions will bring about the correct reaction for years to come. These verbal and nonverbal cues are called “aids” and fall into four different categories. Verbal aids refer to using specific words and phrases that the horse will learn. Hand aids refer to using reins or lead ropes to direct the horse’s head. Leg aids refer to using our legs to apply pressure to different spots on the horse’s sides while in the saddle. Weight aids refer to shifting our weight in the saddle. Most of the maneuvers we will teach the horse use a combination of all four of these aids.
By nature, horses are timid and easily frightened creatures. They are conscious of and confident in their running ability, and when put in a situation that requires a “fight or flight” response, will almost always choose flight – to flee the
10 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” threat immediately. However, when a horse is startled or attacked, its first reaction will be to strike out in the direction of the threat. When threatened from the front, the horse will rise up on its hind legs, lifting its head away from the threat, and kick its forelegs in front of it. If attacked from the rear, it will kick behind it with its powerful hind legs. If attacked from the top, the horse will buck by putting its head down, planting its front legs, throwing its back and hindquarters into the air, and kicking up and back behind it with both legs.
When the horse is calm and relaxed, however, it responds to pressure much differently. Under normal circumstances, the horse will move away from light pressure. This is the basis of the aids that we will use to train the horse. By applying gentle but direct pressure to different parts of the horse’s body, accompanied by specific verbal cues, we can teach the horse to make specific actions in many different scenarios.
Although it is important to understand your horse’s temperament and be patient with it, especially at the beginning stages of the training, it is equally important that you establish yourself as the leader early in the process. You and the horse must both recognize that you are in control at all times. The horse should learn early on to respond only to the aids that you give it, not to try to anticipate your wishes. Although at first glance having a horse that anticipates your actions may sound like a good thing, allowing the horse to make its own decisions leads to willfulness and a free-spirited nature that will only be detrimental in the long run. Do not allow the horse to make it’s own decisions, and do not allow it to disobey your instructions.
Simple rewards and punishments throughout the training process are important to help the horse establish positive memories when it obeys your commands, and negative memories when is disobeys. A good reward is a few approving words and a rub or pat on the neck. A good punishment is a quick scolding with along with a single sharp strike with your hand, a switch, or a riding crop. Never under any circumstance should you hit the horse anywhere near its nose or head. Not only does this risk injury, but it can also make the horse head-shy, making it fearful and jittery anytime you so much as reach for its head to adjust a halter. Striking the horse once on the hindquarters will do to no injury, but will get the message across.
You should only ever punish the horse if it does something deliberately wrong. Do not use punishment to “get its attention” and do not punish the horse for failing to understand your commands, even repeatedly. Punishing the horse for these reasons will make it fearful and tense, and it will not perform well. Or, even worse, the horse may become openly rebellious. Use patience with the horse until a command is well established, and punishment when it disobeys a command it already knows. Punishment and reward must both be brief and immediate for the horse to associate your reaction with its response.
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Finally, it is important, if at all possible, for you to feed the colt personally. By receiving its daily food from you, the horse learns that it is dependant on you, further establishing you as the boss in its mind. You needn’t feed it from your hand, but you should bring the horse its grain, pet it, and speak to it every day.
A special excerpt: Get Inside Your Horse’s Head
The following few paragraphs are from my booklet “Horseback Riding: 10 Simple Lessons That Will Transform Your Horse Riding and Training”. (Available as a Kindle book). I’ve included it here as an additional resource to use and think about.
Much horsemanship has more to do with the understanding of the horse’s nature than the physical ability of the rider. A good rider understands the horse’s mind and how nature equipped the horse to exist, and survive, in the world. Having this basic knowledge helps a rider know why a horse does, or doesn’t do, something, which helps to build a better partnership.
Nature equipped the horse, a prey animal, to survive attacks launched by predators. For example, take a look at the horse’s head. His eyes are set on the sides, giving him visibility on either side of his body. With a tilt of his head, he can adjust to see nearly directly behind him or in front of him, while also maintaining awareness of what’s coming up on his side. Unlike those of a predator, his eyes are on the sides of his head, which limits his sense of depth in favor of greater range. A predator, focused on the hunt, has its eyes set in the front of its head, allowing for better depth perception.
Now look at his ears. They’re tall and almost cone shaped, and they swivel independently of each other to directly in front, the sides or behind, to catch faint sounds in the distance.
His nostrils are large and flare to pick up even the slightest scent carried on the wind (or from treats in your pockets).
He is long legged, hoofed and well muscled, allowing for a quick, fleet getaway.
He is also ever alert and ready to flee in a split second. The horse was built for the flight instinct, and his instincts will tell him to shy or run away from scary sights, noises or sounds. It’s up to the horse’s rider to help change the horse’s behavior from instinctive to the environment to responsive to the rider.
A horse’s instinct can be reworked with a training regimen of desensitization, familiarization and confidence building. For example, horse trainers often speak of “sacking out” a young horse. The term means almost just that. Trainers will take sacks, blankets, towels or plastic bags and introduce them to the young horse,
12 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” letting him sniff them, then running them over his body and legs until he doesn’t react to the strange stimuli. Some trainers will even take young horses through “gauntlets” of scary items long before these horses are of a rideable age. In fact, well-handled weanlings and yearlings are led over poles, planks and tarps to get them accustomed to facing, and confidently moving past, over or through scary things.
This training concept doesn’t end with the young horse. Even horses under saddle will be faced with unfamiliar objects or animals because a horse’s training continues throughout his life. His rider is always intentionally or unintentionally teaching him. (For example, a horse may have never seen deer on the trail or cows at a farm or heard a donkey bray. Some horses are frightened of baby strollers, bicycles and umbrellas, to name a few.) By confidently taking your horse into unfamiliar situations and helping him face scary things, your horse find more confidence in you, as you encourage him in the situation, and in himself as he faces down his fears with success. Such horses that routinely face frightening situations are sometimes inherently bold by nature, but for others who are not so brave, a confident and brave rider, combined with a solid training program can make all the difference in molding the horse into a confident partner.
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Some Needed Equipment To Start
Here are some of the things that you will need during this training program:
Circular Pen or Corral - This is where your training sessions will take place. It is important that this area be circular, ideally about 40 ft. in diameter. Rail sides are fine, but walled sides are preferred because they limit distractions and help keep the colt focused during training.
Halter - The halter should fit snugly on the colt’s head and should be made of a strong material such as nylon webbing. It is important that the halter be strong enough that the colt can never break it. Once a horse has broken through a halter, it may become a halter-puller, trying to break through any halter you put on it after that point.
Lead Rope - A thick, 10ft rope with a swivel snap at one end should serve as a good lead rope. Like the halter, the lead rope must be large enough that the colt could never break though it.
Longe Line - Essentially a longer lead rope, the longe line should be about 30ft in length. A nylon rope about 1in. thick is strong but light, making it ideal for longeing.
Longe Whip - A longe whip is a long-shafted whip that is used to give additional aids while leading, longeing, or driving the horse from the ground. The whip will be used only for directing and controlling the horse, never for punishment. It is an aid only as an extension of the arm. Striking the horse with the whip, even once, can make it extremely shy and fearful of any foreign object.
Snaffle Bit - The snaffle bit is simply a jointed bit with rings on either side. This bit will be used for driving and training to ride.
Drive Lines - You will need two lightweight ropes 20 ft in length for ground driving. They should be approximately the same size and weight as the longe line.
Training Surcingle - This is a belt that goes around the girth of the horse with rings on the sides. This simulates the feeling of a saddle cinch around the girth of the horse, and is used while training the horse to drive. A saddle with the stirrups tied together over the top can serve the same purpose.
Longeing Cavesson - In addition to the first halter, a longeing cavesson is an optional piece of equipment that may make longeing easier. Essentially a halter with rings on the front and side, it gives the longe line even more leverage to turn the horse’s head.
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If you are just getting started with horse riding and horse training, there are a few commonly used terms and phrases that you may be unfamiliar with. Here are just a few of the terms that you may see. We’ll discus more later in the manual.
Hock - The joint in the middle of the rear leg. The bony protuberance on the back of the leg is called the “point of the hock.”
Croup - The top of the horse’s hindquarters. Specifically, it is the highest point on the horse’s hindquarters.
Withers - the bony obtrusion between the horse’s front shoulder blades. Traditionally, the height of the withers is used to measure the height of the horse.
Poll - A small bony obtrusion directly behind the horse’s ears. This is the joint it which the horse can point its head up or down without moving its neck.
Crest - The raised ridge that runs up the back of the horse’s neck. Specifically the crest refers to the highest part of this ridge, about halfway up the horse’s neck.
Throughout the rest of this book, we will provide definitions for any new terms the first time that we encounter them. There is also a glossary at the end of this book that contains all of these definitions for quick reference.
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Getting Started With The Training Program
To successfully train your colt into a “finished,” obedient, enjoyable companion, it is important that you select a training schedule and stick to it as closely as possible. After a few weeks, the horse will become more accustomed to these sessions and they can become longer and longer, but never ask too much of the horse at one time. A good balance of new information going over established exercises will help to keep the horse from burning out. Never try to teach the horse too much at one time, and always end a training session on a good note, even if that means going back over something that is already very well established. When the horse has made progress and is doing particularly well, it is a good time to call it a day.
Throughout training, be careful to maintain consistency in using aids. A specific goal will always require a specific aid. Do your best to be consistent, and never use two different words for the same desired response. The horse learns through repetition, so make sure that the horse responds easily to the commands you are giving before moving on to another step.
Leading The Colt
People ask all the time when they should start working with their colt. My answer is always “when a few days old”. The best time to work with them is when they are young. Take it slow, don’t be abusive in any way, speak gently and handle them softly.
Remember, this is the one time in the their life when you will probably have the advantage of strength. But, other than holding it to rub it and calm it, you shouldn’t need it. Let’s get on to the specifics.
GOAL 1: Halter Breaking
The first step in training the young colt is to get it accustomed to being handled and wearing a halter. Ideally, you should start working with the colt when it is only a few days old. Catch the colt and work it into a corner with its mother. Simply hold onto it with one arm under its neck in front of its legs, and the other over its rear so that is cannot move forward or backward. With the colt confined, rub it gently but firmly and speak to it reassuringly. After a few times of doing this the colt should be used to you touching it, and be used to being confined.
Once the colt is accustomed to your touch, start putting the halter on. Give it some time to get used to the feel of the halter on its head, but don’t leave the halter
16 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” on the colt while it is free in the pasture or the pen. It may catch on something and possibly injure the colt.
GOAL 2: Begin The Leading Lesson
Start moving the colt by having someone else lead its mother while you lead the colt beside her. Walk beside the colt ear to ear. This will allow you to direct the colt’s neck by “pushing” with the lead rope rather than pulling from in front of the horse. This will make the horse less likely to pull back against you or “balk,” (stand still and refuse to move). We will revisit the concept of “push, don’t pull” several times throughout the training program.
Hold onto the lead rope at all times, but let it stay slack. Rather than maintaining constant pressure on the rope, apply pressure only a moment at a time to direct the horse in the direction that you want it to go. Remember that horses by nature will move away from gentle pressure, so apply pressure only when you want the colt to change speed or direction, and release the pressure as soon as it complies. Through this, you are establishing a system of “pressure and release” as a habit in the horse's mind. Be sure to release the pressure the instant the horse responds to the aid. This is the key to getting the horse to respond to your aids quickly and easily.
Be gentle but firm at first, and gradually, the colt will respond to lighter and lighter aids. In reality, there is only a small amount of time in the horse’s life that you will be able to overpower it. Although you may be able to control the colt with brute strength at this phase, it won’t be long before the horse will be able to overpower you easily. The key to having a useful, obedient horse for years to come is to firmly establish the system of pressure and release and the quick response to light aids as early as possible.
At this point, training sessions with the colt should be only about 15 minutes in length. Be sure to end each training session on a “good note,” when the colt has responded to your aids particularly well. Even in these early phases of the training, make sure that you do not lead the colt along the same path or the same direction over and over. This can accidentally teach the horse the habit of the path rather than the habit of the aids. It is important that the horse learn to respond to your commands, not to anticipate them.
If the colt is a little bit older when you begin training it to lead, a body rope can be helpful in getting it to walk forward with you. To use a body rope, take a thick rope and tie a large loop at one end using a bowline knot so that the loop does not slip. Set this loop over the colt’s hindquarters, with the long end stretching forward. Apply pressure on this rope as needed to get the colt to move forward, still using the lead rope at the halter for turning.
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Make sure that the colt learns to lead up with its ear parallel to yours from both sides. A buggy whip (a whip with a long, stiff shaft and a short lash) can be used to help the horse keep moving ahead. Before using the whip, rub it all over the horse’s body on a few occasions to get the colt accustomed to its touch. When leading up next the horse’s head, hold the lead rope in the hand nearest the horse, and hold the whip in your off hand. Hold the whip’s handle upside down, so the shaft and lash of the whip are stretched out behind you. With a simple turn of your wrist you can bring the whip into contact with the horse’s rump, urging it forward. Remember, the goal is not to hurt or startle the horse with the whip, merely to flick or touch the lash against its hindquarters to urge it forward. If the contact of the whip causes the horse to move its rear legs out to the side, work next to a wall or fence so that it cannot. For the older colt, the buggy whip can be a good way to wean the horse off of leading with the body rope.
GOAL 3: Teaching “Whoa”
The first command that you should teach to the horse is “whoa.” This is the universal command for stop, and is the most important command for the horse to know. Begin teaching the colt to respond to this command as soon as it starts leading. When leading, give the command, “Whoa,” and stop walking forward. If the colt does not stop immediately, give a sharp jerk on the lead rope. With this command, as with all verbal commands, give the verbal cue first, and then apply pressure. This helps the horse identify the word with the action. Ideally, the horse will learn to respond to the verbal cue alone and no further aid will be necessary. Once the horse is stopped, make it stand still for 10 to 20 seconds to ensure that it understands the purpose of the command. Be sure to praise the colt once he gives the right response or even a good try.
If the colt is older or unruly, a lead chain may be useful in getting it to stop. A lead chain threads through the halter and attaches to the lead rope. To attach a lead chain properly, attach the chain to the halter ring and run it down through the noseband ring, over the noseband to the other noseband ring, and down through the throat latch ring. For leading from the left, the chain should start on the right halter ring and cross over the noseband from right to left. For leading from the right, the chain should start from the left side. The lead chain keeps the halter from pulling to the side, and encourages the horse to keep its head down by the added pressure over its nose. The lead chain should be used only when you are leading the colt. Never tie the colt up with the lead chain still attached to the lead rope.
GOAL 4: Teaching Tying Up Safely
Once the colt is able to lead up well and responds to the “whoa” command, start tying it up for short periods of time. A wall, post, or a tree in an open area with soft footing is an ideal spot for tying up a young colt. Do not tie the colt to a fence that it might accidentally step through. To tie the colt up, simply tie the lead rope to
18 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” the tree or post with a simple slipknot. The knot should be tied at about the height of the colt’s withers to avoid pulling its neck out of joint. Additionally, you may consider attaching a rubber inner tube to the hitching post and tying the lead rope to the tube to absorb the shock as the colt finds the end of the rope’s length.
Make sure that the colt does not step over the rope while it is tied up. The safest way to tie the horse up is to tie the lead rope around its girth with a non-slip bowline knot, and then run the rope between the horse’s front legs and through the throat ring on the halter before tying it to the post. Even with this precaution in place, do not leave the horse unattended while it is tied up.
Note also that anytime we use a rope on the horse (the body rope for leading, or tying it up around the girth), we always use nonslip knots such as the bowline that will not tighten with pressure. It is important to never tie a rope to the horse with a knot that could choke or squeeze the colt if it pulled against it. Slipknots are fine for tying the lead rope to a post or tree, however.
GOAL 5: Begin Sacking Out
The term “Sacking out” means to get the horse accustomed to foreign objects touching its body. For the rest of the horse’s life, it will have saddles, bridles, drivelines, and other foreign objects touching its body, and must become comfortable with not being able to see the things that are touching it. Sacking out is an essential part of training the horse, and especially in preparing it to carry a saddle.
Take a burlap sack or a blanket and rub and flip it all over the horse’s back and body. If the horse becomes startled, rub it and speak to it reassuringly to calm it down, and then begin again. Eventually the horse will become used to the feeling of things touching it and landing on its back.
Another way of sacking out is using a rope. Swing the rope around in your hands but be careful to not let it hit the horse. Once the horse is comfortable with the swinging rope, let it over the horse’s back and catch it under its stomach. Gently pull the rope back and forth to rub it over the horses back and then down its legs as well. Not only does sacking out with a rope help prepare the horse for saddling, but it also may keep it from panicking if it ever gets caught in wire.
During this phase of the training, it is important to groom your horse often as well. Grooming is enjoyable for the horse and helps to give it positive memories to associate with being touched. Make sure to touch the horse plenty around its nose, ears, tail, and feet. The horse should learn to be completely comfortable with your touch even in these sensitive areas. Through grooming your horse, you should also learn to recognize any problems that come up with its legs.
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GOAL 6: Picking Up The Colt’s Feet
Throughout the rest of the horse’s life, it will need to have its feet picked up to be trimmed and shod. Let it get used to this sensation early to avoid problems later.
To pick up the feet, start by having someone hold the colt, or have it tied up in a familiar and comfortable place. Start with the front legs. Place your right hand on the horse’s left shoulder and run your left hand up and down the horse’s leg until it becomes comfortable with it. Then pick up the foot, hold it for a few seconds, and set it down. Repeat with the opposite foot. Each time you do this, gradually increase the amount of time that you hold the foot up. Do not allow the colt to yank its foot away from you or set it down, or else it will establish a habit of doing so.
The hind legs are more difficult and more dangerous. The safest way to lift the hind feet is to stand to the side of the horse, facing the opposite direction. Place your inside hand on the horse’s hip joint. This will cause the horse to shift its weight onto the other leg to make it easier to lift the foot. Also, if the horse does kick, you can push off on the hip joint, sending the kick away from you. With your inside hand on the horse’s hip, use your other hand to lift the foot up underneath it. Eventually, you can start to lift the foot and step in underneath it. When the horse has become comfortable with this, you can start picking up foot with the leg stretched behind the horse. Once again, gradually increase the time that you spend holding the foot, but make sure that you, not the horse, decide when it is time to put the foot down.
GOAL 7: Teaching To Back
Once the horse is comfortable leading up, begin teaching it to back. Stand in front of the horse after you have given it the command “whoa.” Give the command, “Back,” and use the lead rope to “push” backward on the halter toward the horse’s neck. Use short jerks on the lead rope, giving the horse the familiar pressure and release aid. At the same time, you may use the end of the whip handle to push against the front of the horse’s shoulder. Release this pressure against the shoulder as soon as the horse moves backward. At first, ask for only one step at a time, and reward the horse for each step it takes backward.
Some trainers like to stick a finger in their chest to apply pressure rather than put pressure on the halter. The principle applies – give the command “Back” while you apply a little pressure with a finger to the chest until the horse moves. Once the horse begins to move immediately release the pressure. Wait a few seconds for the horse to realize what happened and then repeat the procedure. Pretty soon you won’t need any pressure in the chest and will have the colt acting strictly on the verbal command.
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GOAL 8: Posing and Squaring Up
When the horse leads and responds to “Whoa,” start teaching it to pose, or position its feet. The purpose of posing is to teach the horse to position its feet based on pressure on the halter. To get the horse to pivot on its front legs and move its hind legs to the right, pull down on the halter and slightly to the left. This should lead the horse to shift its weight to its front legs and step around with its back legs. To get the horse to move its hind legs to the left, apply pressure on the halter down and the right. Be sure to only ask for one step at a time, and release the pressure as soon as the horse moves its feet.
To get the horse to pivot on its back legs and move its front legs, apply pressure on the halter up and toward the direction you want the feet to move. To move its front legs to the left, lift up and to the left on the halter. To move the feet to the right, apply pressure on the halter up and to the right.
It may be a good idea to establish command words for posing, such as “set,” for pivoting on the front legs and “foot,” for pivoting on the back legs. Like any other verbal aid, be sure to give the command right before applying pressure.
GOAL 9: Begin Trailer Loading
Chances are, your horse will have to ride in a trailer somewhat regularly. It is important to get the horse accustomed to a horse trailer as early as possible. For all of the other buildings and enclosures that the horse will spend time in, the horse trailer is unique, and will require special care to become accustomed to it. The easiest way to introduce the horse to the trailer is to load it into the trailer as soon as it has become accustomed to leading.
For the first couple of times that you load the horse into the trailer, take plenty of time getting it in all the way. Start by leading the horse to the trailer and stepping inside yourself, but letting it stand in front of it for a little while. Then, lead the horse in a little further to where its front legs are inside the trailer. After a moment, lead the horse the rest of the way in from the other side of the divider and close the door behind it. Feed it grain or hay while it stands in the trailer, and let it stay in a little while before letting it back out again. Do this repeatedly over the course of several training sessions to get the horse comfortable with the trailer.
If the horse is older, it may take a little more time and patience until it is comfortable being led into the trailer. Start by putting keeping the horse in a pen with the trailer. Let the horse have plenty of water, but only feed it its grain from inside the trailer. Start by putting the grain bucket right at the door of the trailer, and then gradually move it back deeper into the trailer every time you feed the horse. Eventually, the horse will have to walk all the way into the back of the trailer to reach its food. When the horse walks all the way to the back, start closing the
21 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” door behind it while it eats to make it used to the enclosure of the trailer. This approach can take weeks, but by the end of it, the horse has learned to climb into the trailer by its own choice. It is important not to rush this process, because if the horse does not become comfortable with the trailer early on, it will only become more difficult to get it acclimated to the trailer later on.
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More Groundwork: Begin Longeing
Once the horse has become proficient with leading and is readily responding to aids to turn, stop, back, and pose, it is ready to move on to longeing. Longeing is defined as “use of a long rope to guide a horse during training or exercise.” Using the longe line in place of the lead rope will allow us to control the horse from the ground while allowing it to exercise gaits beyond a simple walk.
A horse has three natural gaits: walk, trot, and canter. In a walk, the horse moves only one leg at a time with a simple 1-2-3-4 rhythm. In a trot, the horse moves along more quickly and puts down two feet at a time, giving it a 1-2 rhythm. In a canter (or gallop) the horse runs forward, planting one hind foot, then the other hind foot and the opposite front foot at the same time, and then the final front foot. This gives the canter a 1-2-3 rhythm. When longeing your horse, it is important to become proficient in each gait before moving on to the next one.
For longeing your horse, you will need a halter or longeing cavesson, a longe line, and a longe whip. A round pen about 40ft. in diameter is ideal for longeing, but any enclosed pen will work better than an open field. Wherever you are able to work with the horse, make certain that you have enough room to make circles of at least 40ft in diameter. It is not good for the horse’s legs to have it consistently turning in circles with less than a 20ft. radius. Make sure that the training has good footing all the way around the inside. Start by working the colt on the longe line for 10 minutes at a time, and gradually increase the time to 20 minutes.
While training at any gait beyond a walk, it is a good idea to protect the horse’s front legs with splint boots. These should be worn until the horse is 3 years old. Also, do not attempt to work colts under 18 months old at a canter. This will help to prevent any future unsoundness in the horse’s legs.
GOAL1: Starting The Walk On The Longe Line
To begin, hold the longe line about 2ft. to the side of the halter and walk with the horse in a large circle. At this point, start moving further away from the horse by sliding your hand further down the rope and walking in a smaller circle. Hold the longe line in your inside hand (inside the circle, the hand furthest from the horse) and hold the slack from the line and the whip in your other hand. Once you have taken a few steps in, you should be about even with the horse’s hindquarters as you both walk in a circle.
As you start to move further away from the horse, you may need to use the whip to keep it moving forward. Walk with lash of the whip near the ground or touching the ground as you walk, and move it up or down or flick it near the horse’s rump to keep it moving forward. Use the whip aids as needed to keep the horse
23 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” moving, but it should not be necessary to touch the horse with the whip. Do not let the horse make its circles smaller as you move in. At this point in its training, the horse should learn to move in whichever direction it is pointing unless otherwise instructed.
GOAL2: Teaching “Whoa” On The Longe line
To teach the horse to stop from the longe line, give the command “whoa,” and take a step toward the horse’s head. Give one sharp jerk on the line after giving the verbal command. The horse may try to turn toward the inside of the circle, but do not allow it to do so. If it turns its head in, give the longe line a flick. After a few times of this, the horse should learn to not change directions when it comes to a stop. Make it stand still for a few moments before moving again. The horse must become accustomed to standing still until told to move, even without the handler by its head to hold it in place. Making sure that the horse understands this now will prevent accidents later. Make the horse stand for a few moments and walk up to it and reward it before moving again.
GOAL3: Teaching Reverse On the Longe Line
When the horse has learned to respond to “whoa,” from the longe line, start teaching it to back. After the horse has stopped, walk up to your original longe position 2ft. away and face the opposite direction. Give the verbal command “back,” and start to lead the horse backwards, holding the whip at shoulder height in front of the horse. Ask for only one step at a time at first. Once the horse understands, start giving it the commands “walk,” and “back” in a random order between each “whoa.” This will keep the horse from anticipating your commands and assuming that it will go back each time you tell it to stop.
Once the horse is responding well to the verbal aids, start moving down the line toward the inside of the circle while the horse is backing. Eventually, the only aids the horse should need to begin moving backwards from a stop is the verbal cue and the whip held in front of its shoulders.
GOAL4: Teaching The Trot On The Longe Line
To speed the horse up to a trot, give the command “trot,” and give the horses stronger aids with the whip. Once the horse begins trotting, hold the whip between the height of the hock and stifle (knee on the rear leg) rather than along the ground. Move or flick the whip only if the horse slows back down to a walk. As the horse quickens its pace, extend the longe line and move closer to the center of the circle. At this point, you should be walking a small circle, but not standing in one place and turning at the center of the circle.
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Have the horse trot forward for a few circles and then give the command to “walk,” and hold the whip down towards the ground again. At the walk or the trot, be sure to circle the horse in both directions evenly to prevent the horse’s legs from becoming unevenly developed.
GOAL 5: Teaching The Canter On The Longe Line
As we stated earlier, do not start teaching the canter with colts under 18 months.
Once the horse is moving well at the walk and trot, start to take it into a canter for short periods of time. From the trot, give the command “canter,” lift the whip up to croup height, and take a step sideways toward the horse’s rear. If the horse does not break into a canter, flick the whip to move it along. Keep the horse at a canter for two or three circles, and then slow back down to a trot, and down to a walk. Each day, gradually increase the number of circles at a canter.
It is important that the horse pick up the inside lead when at the canter. Having the correct lead means that the canter’s 1-2-3 rhythm is started by the inside rear foot. Getting the horse comfortable with walking and leading from the longe line will help it pick up the correct lead at the canter. If the horse picks up the wrong lead, starting with the foot that is on the outside of the circle, slow it down do a trot and try the transition again.
As with the other gaits, make sure that the horse spends an equal amount of time at the canter in each direction. Most horses will have a lead that they prefer, much in the same way that humans are right-handed or left-handed, but when longeing they should pick up the inside lead from both directions. Longeing equally in both directions will lessen the horse’s bias to one lead, which will pay big dividends when teaching it to switch leads.
GOAL 6: Working On All Gaits From A Stop.
Once the horse is proficient in all three gaits, the final step is to teach it to pick up each gait from a stop. At this point, the horse should be able to understand which gait it should use based on only the verbal command and the height of the whip. Teach the horse to pick up each gait from a stop by giving it a random assortment of “walk,” trot,” and “canter” commands in between “whoa” commands. If the horse picks up the wrong lead going the canter from a full stop, stop the horse again and try it again. This is helping to further make the horse aware of its lead foot.
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Saddling Basics
Once the horse is about 30 months old, it should start to get used to carrying a saddle during some of the training sessions. It is best to start with a smaller saddle at first to get the horse used to the extra weight on its back.
Start by placing the blanket gently on the horse’s back. Make sure it is pulled down behind the withers to give the horse freedom of motion in its shoulders. Place the saddle gently on top of the blanket. How the horse responds to this will be a testament to how much time you spent with the horse in the “sacking out” phase of the training. Buckle the cinch underneath the horse’s belly, being careful not to make it too tight. The cinch should never be tight enough to obstruct the horse’s breathing. Some horses will become “cinchy” and try to lie down to deal with the cinch around their belly. Prevent this by walking the horse forward a few steps once the saddle is on. The stirrups should be tied up over the top of the saddle or removed.
Once the horse is comfortable with the extra weight on its back, jostle and slap the saddle so that the horse gets used to the feel of the saddle moving around on its back. If the horse becomes startled or irritated by this, pet it and speak to it reassuringly until it calms down, then repeat. Once the horse is unconcerned by the shifting weight and pressure on its back, it is ready to wear the saddle during training. Work on the longe line with the saddle on, checking the strap after a few minutes to see if it needs to be readjusted.
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Starting With A Snaffle Bit
Once the horse is older than 24 months, it is time to start getting it used to the snaffle bit. At first, remove the reins and simply let the horse “carry” the bit for about 30 minutes at a time while it is in the corral or stall. Once it is used to the feel of the bit in its mouth and stops playing with it, you can start longeing the horse with the bit in its mouth underneath the bridle. Eventually the horse will get used to the bit, stop playing with it, and learn to keep its mouth closed. If the colt is pulling on the line, reattach the riding reins and tie them to the saddle horn, allowing enough slack for a natural head position.
It is possible that the horse may try to slip its tongue over the bit. A noseband on the bridle can prevent this, but the problem can also be solved with a few pieces of string. Tie two pieces of string together to the browband, run them down the nose, and then have them split and tie one to each snaffle ring. This will keep the horse from pushing the bit down and getting its tongue over top of it.
If the horse continues to have trouble adjusting to the bit, check its mouth for wolf teeth. Wolf teeth are unnecessary teeth in the horse’s upper jaw, similar to wisdom teeth. If the horse is sensitive to these teeth, they may need to be pulled.
Some snaffle bits are made with D-rings rather than O-rings, preventing the bit from accidentally being pulled into the horse’s mouth. If the bit you are using does not have O-rings, you can make a simple stopper next to each ring with a piece of leather. Take a circular piece of thick leather about the same diameter as the O- ring and cut a slice halfway through it. Slide it over the bit near the ring and stitch it back together. This stopper will act like a washer to prevent the bit from sliding into the horse’s mouth.
Remember when using a bridle and bit rather than a halter, it is doubly important to keep a light hand on the lines.
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Start The Ground Driving Lessons
Ground driving is essentially a more advanced form of longeing. It allows you to have more acute control over the horse’s movements and helps it get prepared for rein control, making it a crucial step between longeing and riding. If the colt is proficient in longeing and ready to begin ground driving before is it 24 months old, use the halter. If the horse is old enough to carry a snaffle bit then it should be used.
A training surcingle should be used to keep the drivelines in place. Cinch the surcingle around the girth of the horse and make sure that it is not too tight. Use a cupper to keep the surcingle from sliding forward as the horse moves. A cupper is simply a strap that goes back from the top of the surcingle and loops around the horse’s tail to prevent to the surcingle from sliding forward. If the horse has already been trained to carry a saddle, a saddle with rings on the side can be used in place of the surcingle. Tie the stirrups together underneath the horse’s belly to keep them out of the way.
Attach the drivelines to the bit or halter and run them straight back and through the loops on the surcingle or saddle.
GOAL 1: Teaching To Walk And Respond To “Whoa”
To drive the horse from the ground, hold the drivelines and stand directly behind the horse about a horse-length from its back end. When first starting out with a younger horse, it may be a good idea to have someone else up by the horse’s head to help lead.
Give the horse the command “walk,” and be careful not to put pressure on the lines. If the horse needs to be prodded forward to keep moving, flick the whip or tap the horse’s rump if necessary, but do not shake the drivelines. To make wide turns, pull on one line and loosen the other to give the horse’s head room to turn.
If the horse gets moving too fast, speak to it in a calming voice and give light, pressure and release, jerks on the reins to slow it down. If the horse resists, tug a little bit harder with alternating reins. This disrupts the horse’s balance slightly and helps to break its momentum.
After the horse is has walked forward calmly for a little while, give the command “whoa,” and then set the reins. This is one instance where you will not be using pressure and release aids, but instead you will hold the reins in place and let the horse walk into the pressure. Continue to hold them in place until the horse takes a step back to relieve the pressure. Do lot let the horse turn. If it starts to turn its head to move around, give pressure on the opposite line to pull it back into position. Wait a few moments so the horse gets the idea of the full stop and then
28 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” start again. After a few successful stops, walk up to the horse, passing the outside drive line over the horse’s back, and pet it. Make sure to always maintain contact with both drivelines.
GOAL 2: Starting The Trot
Once the horse is responding well to “walk” and “whoa,” begin trotting. Give the verbal command, and flick the whip if the horse doesn’t begin to trot right away. It is important to hold onto the reins extremely lightly while the horse is trotting. Putting pressure on the drivelines can pull uncomfortably against the horse’s mouth and discourage it from moving forward with confidence. The horse may also curl its neck and point its nose down toward its feet to relieve the pressure.
GOAL 3: Begin The Backing Lesson
Once the horse is able to trot comfortably, start teaching it to back. From a stopped position, hold both drivelines up near your chest and give the command “back.” Give slight jerks on one line, then the other, and then firmly pull on both at the same time. The first two jerks help disrupt the horse’s balance so that it will naturally step backwards when you pull on the reins. As soon as the horse takes a step backward, release the pressure. Let the horse stand still for a few moments and then walk it forward before backing again. This helps prevent the horse from balking or anticipating and rushing backwards.
GOAL 4: Begin Turning On The Haunches.
Once the horse can back comfortably on the drivelines, start teaching it to make 180-degree turns from the drivelines. While walking forward, hold both drive lines in the right hand and reach forward a whole arm’s length and grab the left line. Give the verbal command, “Left,” and pull the left line toward you. As you do, step to the right to stay behind the horse and give slack on the right line so that the horse has room to turn its head. Once the turn is complete, circle the corral a few times and then reverse the turn, giving the horse the command “Right.”
When turning the horse 180 degrees for the first few times, it is best to make the turn facing the wall. This will give you plenty of room to stay behind the horse while staying a horse’s length from the rear end. When circling the corral clockwise, you would make the 180-degree turn to the left, and vice versa. Once the horse is familiar with this maneuver you may safely step closer to the horse to make the turns away from the wall, but there is no real advantage to doing so.
GOAL 5: Begin The Circling Lesson
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Circling on the drivelines is very similar to longeing. Like longeing, you will walk inside the horse’s circle and make smaller circles with it, but now you will have the added control of the two drive lines.
To circle the corral clockwise, connect the left driveline to the bit (or halter if the horse is too young for the bit) and run it through the loop on the surcingle or saddle. The line will then run all the way around the horse’s rear end and come around to where you are standing towards the middle of the circle. The line should be touching the horse’s haunches just above the hocks. Take the other line and run it straight from the bit or halter to your hand without passing it through the surcingle ring.
Teach the colt to look in the direction that it is going by controlling the angle of its head with the drivelines. Give it the command “Walk” and start moving forward with it. The horse will probably not like the feel of the drive line against its hocks, but make it walk forward. Keep a very light feel on the inside line as it moves forward. Because the inside line is running straight to your hand, the horse may try to turn inward towards you. Correct it by giving a jerk on the outside line to keep its head pointed forward. The line against its hocks may spook it into rushing forward, but put pressure on the lines to slow it back down to a walk until you give it any further direction. When you reverse directions, make switch the lines so the inside line always runs directly from the head to your hand, and the outside line always runs around the horse’s back. As with all circling exercises, be sure to spend the same amount of time going in both directions.
When the horse is comfortable walking with the line against its hocks and is keeping its head pointed straight ahead, speed it up to a trot, and then a canter. Each time you increase speed, you will need to make sure to keep a softer feel on the drivelines. Once the horse is at a canter, you can move to the center of the circle and pivot around as the horse circles. Once the horse is cantering comfortably, you can run the inside line through the surcingle loop as well.
While the horse is cantering around the circle, focus on keeping its body bent into the turn at all times. Give pressure on the inside drive line to help the horse’s body stay arced. This posture helps the horse establish the proper lead when transitioning to the canter from another gait. Once the horse is maintaining the proper body position consistently, focus on making the transitions between the gaits as smooth as possible. The horse should be able to comfortably and smoothly transition between gaits, from a stop to any of the gaits, and from a walk straight into a canter with the proper lead. As the horse learns to obey your instructions, it should be able to move from one gait to another with only the verbal command and the slight loosening of the pressure on the lines.
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Begin Teaching Leg Aids
The skill that the horse must develop before it is ready to start carrying a rider is the proper response to leg aids. Leg aids, or putting pressure on the horse’s sides with your legs while on the saddle, are a crucial part of horse riding. To teach these aids to the horse, we will use hand pressure from the ground to simulate the leg pressure from the saddle.
GOAL 1: Begin With A Forehand Turn From The Ground
Stand next to the horse on the left side, facing it. Grab the halter with you left hand, and place your right hand on the horse’s side, about 4 inches behind the girth. This is where your left heel will be when you are seated in the saddle. Lightly press with your right hand on this spot and pull the head slightly to the left with your left hand. The horse should move its hind legs to the right. Ask for only one or two steps at first and reward the horse as soon as it complies. After a little while, you should be able to take the horse through a full turn by walking through the turn while giving light pressure. The horse should be pivoting on the left foreleg when making this turn. This leg may come up and down while the horse is turning, but it should always come down in the same spot. Practice this maneuver from both sides equally, moving the haunches to the right from the right side, and to the left from the left side.
GOAL 2: Introduce A Haunch Turn From The Ground
When you made 180 degree turns with the horse from the drive lines, the horse learned to respond to the pressure of the line against its girth and hindquarters by planting its hind leg on the opposite side and moving its front feet around in the opposite direction. We will take advantage of this habit by using a leg aid on the horse’s girth to make the same turn.
To make a haunch turn to the right, stand on the left side of the horse and place your right hand on the horse’s girth to simulate the leg pressure. Do not push with this hand, but hold it in place as the horse turns. With your left hand, press on the horse’s shoulder or the side of its neck to simulate the pressure from the left being pulled to the right. The horse should respond by pivoting on its right back foot and moving its forelegs to the right. Hold the halter rope in your left hand with enough slack that the horse does not resist turning, but short enough that it cannot swing its head to the right as it turns. As the horse turns, it should pivot neatly around the hind foot and its body should stay relatively straight. If you allow the horse to arc its body, it will probably take a step back with the pivot foot and swing its hindquarters around.
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Ask for only one or two steps at a time, and reward the horse as soon as it moves its front feet. Teach the horse to make the turn with as little pressure as possible, and then use pressure and release to get the horse to make the haunch turn all the way around. Turn the opposite direction from the opposite side, and be sure to work equally in both directions.
GOAL 3: Begin The Sidepass From The Ground
Once the horse is comfortably making forehand and haunch turns with leg aids from the ground on both sides, teach it to sidepass, or strafe from the ground.
To sidepass to the right, stand on the horse’s left side with one hand on the horse’s side, at or slightly in front of the girth, and the other hand on the side of the neck. Push gently with both hands at the same time to get the horse to move laterally to the right. Use pressure and release, and ask for only one step at a time to start. As the horse moves sideways, most of the motion should be lateral, but it should also move forward ever so slightly by crossing the left leg in front of the right leg. When working on this maneuver, make sure that the front legs cross over in front. The rear legs should also cross in front, or may not cross at all. Some horses will not cross their hind legs, but instead bring them together, which is perfectly fine. Be sure to work in both directions equally, making sure that the legs cross in front from both directions.
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Getting Ready: Training To Ride
All these training sessions from the ground have been leading up to finally getting ready to mount and ride. Remember this – everything you teach from the ground will transfer to the saddle. That is, teaching “whoa” from the ground, while leading, while driving, etc. will transfer to the saddle and you should get the same result while mounted if you’ve done your groundwork properly.
Caution: How The Rider Affects The Horse
Many new riders make the mistake of treating a horse like an inanimate object like a bicycle. They don’t realize how sensitive a horse is to his surroundings and his rider. In fact, he may know more about you than you realize before you even get on his back.
Some horses seem to have the uncanny ability to immediately recognize a timid or uneducated rider before she even puts her foot in the stirrup. This is the horse that strolls away from the mounting block or shifts his butt over just enough that the rider can’t get on. He’s the horse that strolls away from the rest of the group to the patch of green grass because he knows his rider doesn’t know how to steer or stop him.
For these horses, all a green rider can do is exude confidence and figure out a game plan before he gets on. That might mean eliciting the help of others—such as someone to stand on the off side of the horse to keep him from shifting his butt away or walking off before the rider has mounted. But for the green rider, the awareness that he must have doesn’t end once he’s astride. In fact, a whole new set of factors arise, such as how he, his body, in particular, affects the horse both negatively and positively.
The horse is very sensitive, especially in his mouth and back, and, for some, the sides of the barrel where the rider’s leg rests. Even the slightest contact of the rider’s hands, through the reins, to the bit, can exert a strong and unpleasant effect and cause the horse discomfort. Some horses are more sensitive through the back than others where even the slightest weight shift in a rider’s seat bones will cause the horse to do something. (Highly trained dressage horses are trained to move off the rider’s seat, so they are ever so slightly sensitive to the slightest shift in a seat bone or drop of a hip, and will perform their movements accordingly to the command that comes from the seat.)
But instead of picturing the advanced dressage rider, let’s look at the beginner rider from the horse’s perspective. Picture the beginner rider learning how to trot. He bounces uncontrollable all over the horse’s back, flopping like a fish, his legs jiggle against the horse’s sides, and his hands jump up and down. He has no idea
33 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” he’s doing these things, and the poor horse is a picture of patience, stoically bearing this considerable annoyance and insult to his sensitivities.
But a new rider isn’t accustomed to the movement of the horse, so what is he to do to alleviate his mount’s discomfort?
First, the rider needs to have the awareness that his jiggling seat, bouncing hands and flopping legs need to be controlled. He should start by bringing his hands down to the horse’s withers. If he lays his hands down on the withers, he’ll have an idea of where they are and can correct them from flying up and down. He can even grab some mane in his fingers to keep his hands there. That partially solves the pain on the horse’s mouth. Now to work on the legs. The rider needs to think about driving his weight down into his heels, not so much as to jack the legs out in front like he’s sitting on a recumbent bicycle (which would make his seat flop more), but to keep his leg directly beneath his seat as support. He can think about his legs as being roots to a tree, his torso being the tree. He can think about pushing his knee down and sinking the weight in his heel. Now his legs may be a little more still against the horse’s sides. Next is the seat.
Some horses are bumpier than others; that’s just a fact of nature. Regardless, the rider can sit correctly so as to absorb the bounce from the horse and reduce his bouncing seat on the horse’s back. If the rider thinks of keeping his back straight, then softening his lower back to give like a spring to take the bounce, as he keeps sinking his weight into his heel and pushing his knee to the ground, he can steady his seat.
Once the new rider gets the feel for the horse’s movement, controlling his own body and seat will come more easily. In the meantime, if he keeps his awareness of how he affects his horse and works to reduce his impact on his mount, he’ll be progressing nicely to becoming a better, more feeling and more sensitive rider…something that his horse will appreciate!
GOAL 1: Bitting Or Learning To Yield To The Bit
The term “Bitting” simply means getting the horse to yield to the bit. If the horse is not already used to using the snaffle bit, it will be necessary for it to become so before getting in the saddle. The horse must allow the bit’s pressure on its mouth control its whole head in order to be ridden.
Start by having the horse carry the bit while standing in the corral or the stall for 30 minutes a day. Tie the reins to the saddle horn with enough slack to allow for a natural head position. It may be a good idea to attach the reins with an elastic band to gently encourage the horse to keep its head down without giving it as much of a jerk if it lifts its head too far.
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A good head position for the horse is to have its neck at a natural angle with its head pointing straight down. Its neck should not be curled, but its head should be comfortably “bent at the poll.” If the reins are too short, a the horse will have to point its head back toward its feet to relieve the pressure, or it will curl its neck, bending its neck at the crest rather than at the poll. This is the horse’s equivalent of standing with a hunch, and is not a comfortably position for its neck.
A good “set” for a horse is like good posture for a person; it can take a long time to establish. Don’t worry if the horse doesn’t have a good head set at the beginning of the riding phase. Over time, work on keeping the horse’s head pointed straight down and bent at the poll.
If the horse develops the habit of throwing its head up to try to escape the bit pressure, a running martingale can be used to break this habit. The running martingale attaches around the base of the horse’s neck and connects down at a ring around its chest with another strap running down to the cinch to hold it in place. Two other straps come up from the ring at the chest and loop over at about the level of the bottom of the neck. If the horse tries to throw its head up, the reins will pull against the martingale and pull the bit down. Make sure that the straps on the martingale are long enough, otherwise they will pull the horse’s head back toward its feet.
As you begin to train your horse to ride, you will find that there are a myriad of gadgets and gimmicks on the market to help you gain and keep control of your horse. A “Gimmick” could be defined as any device that takes a shortcut to give you control of the horse without earning its trust and obedience. These are things such as standing martingales, tack collars, hobbles, war bridles, and running W’s, just to name a few. While using a device that gives you immediate control may seem appealing, it is important that you avoid using and relying on them for two reasons.
First of all, many of these gimmicks achieve their results by inflicting pain or discomfort on the horse. This is a recipe for disaster, as the horse learns to comply out of fear rather than out of obedience for the handler.
Second of all, the results of these devices are usually not long lasting, because they use leverage to accomplish what obedience and correct form should. As a result, once the horse does not develop correct form and proper habits, and will likely go back to its old ways once the gimmick is removed. The long-term consequence of relying on gimmicks is developing a “hard” horse rather than a “soft” one. Instead of having a horse that responds to lighter and lighter aids, the aids you give the horse will have to gradually more severe to make it obey.
Devices such as the running martingale may be needed from time to time to break specific habits, but should be used as sparingly as possible. Gimmicks can never be a substitute for obedience and trust.
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That is not to say that some devices can’t be used in specific situations. The reality is that some horses may have been badly handled in the past or perhaps have experienced an accident and is now very shy to certain things. There are exceptions where some horses may need a certain appliance to help with correction and/or submission. But they are not to be used long-term and should never inflict pain and should never be abusive in any situation.
A good example of a training aid that can work wonders is the Beery Pulley Bridle. While the name conjures a negative reaction to some, understanding the principle it works under is most important. You would see that it isn’t harmful at all and works on applying a very short duration, but sharp pressure point in the poll. It’s similar to when your dad would grab you by the trapezius muscle in your neck/shoulder area. It stops you in your tracks. Not harmful but very effective when used properly. But not something you use frequently.
GOAL 2: Ready To Mount
When the horse has become accustomed to carrying the saddle while longeing or driving, it is ready to be mounted. Start with the horse in a fairly enclosed area and work it into a corner. For the first few times that you mount the horse, have another handler standing at the horse’s head to help control it if necessary. Gather the reins on your hands and ease into the saddle. As you sit there for a few moments, pat the horse and speak to it reassuringly. After a few moments, shift your weight around, swing your feet, and drag a leg over the croup to get the horse used to you moving on its back. If the horse becomes startled, calm it by stroking it and speaking to it reassuringly.
After you dismount, reward the horse and make it stand in the same position for a few moments before you lead it away. Do not allow the horse to move or walk until you direct it to do so. This is important, because the horse must understand that you are still in command even when you are not in the saddle. Furthermore, you are most at risk of being accidentally stepped on right before mounting and right after dismounting. Although you will usually mount and dismount from the near (left) side, practice mounting and dismounting from the off (right) side as well.
GOAL 3: Start With The Walk And Then “Whoa”
You should be able to safely and comfortably mount the horse without putting it in a corner before you try to ride. In the corral, mount the horse and command it to walk using your voice, legs, hands and weight. If the horse does not respond immediately, give the command “Walk,” with a stronger voice and squeeze harder with your legs. If the horse still does not move forward, use the reins to pull its head to the right and then to the left. This should upset its balance and cause it to
36 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” take a step forward to compensate. With a little bit of forward momentum, it should respond to the aids more easily. For the first few times riding, it is helpful to have another more experience horse and rider to lead the way. Horses are social creatures, and your horse will be more inclined to move if it sees another horse moving.
Make sure that the horse picks up a good walking pace immediately. If it does not, give it stronger leg and voice aids until it picks up to its usual walking speed. It is important that in these early stages, the horse does not learn to compensate for the added weight by poking along lethargically. If you allow it to do this, it will be a hard habit to break later on. At first, it is not uncommon to have to use exaggerated aids to get the horse to move and keep its speed up. If the horse does not respond, make the aids more severe; do not continue to give it the aid at the same intensity multiple times. “Nagging” the horse by giving it the same aid at the same intensity over and over is just teaching it to ignore you. The goal is to get the horse to respond to lighter aids over time, but this can only be accomplished if the horse learns to obey the first time it is asked. If the horse is not responding because it is inexperienced, use exaggerated aids. If it is not responding because it is being willful, punish it by striking it once sharply with a switch or crop. Only from your experience with the horse can you can determine when it crosses the line from ignorance into disobedience. Be sure to reward it once it starts responding.
Let the horse walk forward for a few minutes before giving it the command to stop. You will use the same method that you used for ground training to get the horse to stop from the saddle. Place your hands in one position about level with your waist to set the bit, but do not pull back. You will use your voice, legs, hands and weight in that order to give the aids to stop. First give the command “Whoa,” and then push your legs forward to push the horse into the bit. Your hands stay held in place, but are pulled back when your feet set, and your weight shifts. The aids should be applied one at a time, but the whole process should only take a couple of seconds. Once the horse stops, the tension on the reins automatically loosens, giving the horse an immediate reward. Stroke the horse and sit for a few moments before heading forward again. Keep these training sessions to about 30 minutes to let the horse build its endurance and tolerance for carrying a rider.
GOAL 4: Begin Reining Exercises
When starting to ride with the snaffle bit, use wide reins or heavy cotton ropes to help the horse get used to the feel of the reins against its neck.
To turn the horse to the right, hold the right rein out to the right side of the horse’s neck and use a left leg aid to push the horse to the right. Do not pull back on the rein in your right hand, but pull it to the side to turn the horse’s head and bend its body into the turn. The rein pulled out to the side to lead into the turn is called the “direct” rein. Do not pull the horse’s head exaggeratedly to the side or yank on it
37 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” sharply. At the same time that you pull the direct rein to the right, bring the left hand to the right as well. Let the rein push against the side of the horse’s neck, but do not pull back on it. This is called the “bearing” rein. As you apply the left leg aid and the horse turns, your weight will naturally shift a bit to the right. Do not compensate for this or lean further into the turn.
As time goes on, the horse will learn to turn when the direct rein goes out to the side and it feels the slightest shift of weight and legs pressure on its side. Over time, you will learn to rely on the direct rein less and the bearing rein more, always accompanied with leg pressure. When a horse can be made to turn just by moving the reins slightly to the side, it is “neck reining.” This is not something that you need to intentionally train the horse to do, but something that happens naturally over time.
Make sure to change directions frequently when starting to make turns. Depending on the space available, walk in circles, serpentines, or circles joined together to makes flattened figure 8’s. If walking in figure 8’s, make sure that the circles flatten out so that the place they cross looks like a “-“ and not a “x.”
Focus on bending the horse’s body into the turn while circling. Making smaller circles, about 20ft. in diameter will help with this. Pushing your outside leg against the horse’s side behind the cinch will also help to keep its body arced around your inside leg. This body position will play a big part when teaching the horse to make flying lead changes at the canter.
GOAL 5: Start Backing
Dismount and give the horse the command to back to refresh its memory. Then mount the horse again and give it the command “Back,” and squeeze with your legs. Up until now, squeezing legs has been a signal for the horse to move forward. When it lifts its foot up to move forward, pull back lightly on the reins, making it take a step backward. Release the pressure on the reins and reward it. Ask for only one step at a time to start. Once the horse has become proficient at taking the step backwards, start asking for more than one step at a time.
Be sure to keep your hands low and even when backing, using your legs to control the sideways direction. Work on getting the horse to move straight backwards before turning while going back. If the horse consistently goes to one side and will not back straight, work next to a wall until it learns to back straight at your command.
GOAL 6: Transition To The Trot
Once the horse is walking and backing proficiently, start taking it into a trot for short periods of time. While the horse is walking, give it the command “Trot,”
38 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” and increase the aids until it breaks into a trot. Once it begins trotting, keep a light feel on the reins and only use enough aids to keep it from slowing back down to a walk. Trot for a few minutes before pulling it back down to a walk. Reward the horse and keep it at a walk for a few moments before speeding back up into a trot.
Once the horse has become comfortable with trotting, start urging into a faster trot for a few moments at a time and then pulling it back into a slower trot. Mix up the training with fast trots, slow trots, walking, stopping, and backing to keep the training unpredictable and prevent the horse from “souring.” Practice these transitions until the horse smoothly switch between a stop, walk, or trot. As you do this, you are also giving the horse the endurance training it will need to canter while carrying a rider.
GOAL 7: Carefully Start Cantering
Once the horse has become very comfortable with carrying the weight of the rider and transitions easily to the walk and the trot, it is time to start taking the horse up to a canter for short periods of time. Start by taking the horse up to a brisk trot for a few moments. Then give the command and increase the leg aids until the horse breaks into a canter. Use leg aids to maintain this gait for 30-45 seconds until pulling it back down into a walk. If the horse starts or rushes forward when given the signal to canter, completely release the leg aids and speak to it soothingly until it settle down. For the first few times of taking it into the canter, pull it back to a walk to let it rest before easing it back into the canter.
Be careful to keep a very light feel on the reins when the horse breaks into a canter to avoid pulling on its mouth. Pressure on the bit can cause the horse to become nervous and fearful of the canter. If the horse tries to buck, scold it and pull its head high to stop it from bucking. Take it back to a trot to calm it down. Spend some more time training the horse at the trot and walk to build up its confidence before trying the canter again.
After several successful sessions with cantering, start extending that amount of time that you keep the horse at the canter. Let it speed up into a full gallop for a few moments before you pull it back. As the training progresses, it should only take a lightening of the reins and a squeeze of the legs for the horse to break into a canter.
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Moving To Advanced Leg Aids
Before you can start controlling the horse’s lead at the canter, it must learn to respond to leg aids easily. These maneuvers set the groundwork for signaling changes, and eventually flying changes.
GOAL 1: About On The Forehand
To get the horse to pivot on its right foreleg and move its hindquarters to the right, we will use the same leg aids that we used from the ground earlier in the training. With the right leg, put pressure on the side of the horse behind the girth. At the same time, pull the rein it the right hand off towards the right side to bend the horse’s neck around. The head should be turned to the point that you can only see the horse’s right eyebrow as it turns. Give light leg pressure on the horse’s girth on the left side to keep it moving forward through the turn. The horse should pivot on its right foreleg, stepping sideways to the left with its back legs and around to the front with its left foreleg. If you do not give pressure with your left leg, the horse may try to back around the pivot foot.
Be sure to practice turning to both sides equally.
GOAL 2: About on the Haunches
To turn to the right with the right rear leg as a pivot foot, apply pressure at the girth with your left leg. This pressure will cause it to keep its hindquarters in place, as we learned from turning 180 degrees from the drivelines. At the same time, turn the horse’s head to the right with a right direct rein and a left bearing rein. The horse should move its forelegs to the right and step forward and around the pivot foot with its left hind leg.
Practice this maneuver equally in both directions. Focus on making sure that the horse keeps slight forward momentum, stepping around the front of the pivot foot.
GOAL 3: Learning To Sidepass
The next maneuver that you will teach the horse is to sidepass, or strafe side to side. Like turning on the forehand and turning on the haunches, this maneuver has already been practiced with the horse form the ground.
To get the horse to sidepass to the right, turn the head with a right direct rein and give a leg aid on the horse’s left side. Use the left bearing rein to reinforce the
40 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” direction the horse should move. The horse should move sideways by crossing the left foreleg in front of the right, make sure that it does not cross the left behind the right.
At first, teach the horse to sidepass facing a wall so that it will not try to walk forward. Once the horse gets the hang of this, try the same maneuver with nothing in front of the horse to ensure that it understands the motion. As the horse becomes more proficient at this, you will need to turn its head less and less, until it is stepping to the side without turning its body at all. Be sure to spend equal time practicing the sidepass in each direction.
GOAL 4: The 45 Degree Two-Track
In the two-track, the horse forward and to the side at a 45-degree angle while facing forward the entire time. Being able to two-track is a vital part of preparing the horse to make lead changes at the canter.
To two-track to the left, use a right leg aid to push the horse’s hindquarters to the left. At the same time, use the left direct rein and the right bearing rein to move the horse’s shoulders to the left by pulling both reins to the left and slightly back. At first the horse will likely respond to the leg aid by turning its head to the right, but should learn to correct this with time. Eventually, the horse will be able to two-track in either direction while keeping its body straight.
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Responding To Changing Leads
Once the horse is able to sidepass, two-track, and transition between gaits smoothly, it is time to start focusing on changing leads at the canter. Teaching the horse to change leads can be a long and tedious process, and it is important to have a lot of patience with the horse as you work on leads. Constantly evaluate your approach to ensure that you do not exhaust the horse by overwork, or sour it by monotony.
GOAL 1: Lead Aids Against The Rail
To direct the horse to pick up the left lead, trot it along the side of the corral with the rail or wall on its right side. As you prepare to make the left turn away from the rail, use the right direct rein t pull the horse’s head towards the rail and right leg pressure behind the cinch to push its hindquarters to the left. At the same time, give light pressure on the cinch with your left leg to drive the horse forward. When the horse breaks into a canter, the right leg pushing its hindquarters should cause it to pick up the lead with the inside hind foot. At the same time, the right direct rein should offset its shoulders enough to cause it to pick up the front lead with the inside foot as well. Once the horse picks up both leads correctly, circle around several times to establish the feel of having the inside lead.
If the horse does not pick up the correct lead, slow down to a trot and try the transition again. If the horse consistently has trouble picking up the inside lead, try heading toward the fence at a 45 degree angle and breaking into a canter just as the horse reaches the fence. Taking the inside lead on a turn is natural and comfortable for the horse, so forcing a turn it a good way to teach the horse to establish a correct lead.
It is possible for the horse to pick up the correct lead with its hindquarters and the wrong lead with its forelegs, or vice versa. This is called “crossfiring,” and is uncomfortable and unnatural for the horse. If the horse is consistently doing this, stop to examine the reason that this is happening. Perhaps your outside leg is not pushing the hindquarters towards the circle, or your rein pressure is not sufficiently lining the shoulders up to take the inside lead with the forelegs. Pay attention to the shifting of your weight during the transition as well. Your weight should be centered over the horse at all times, and leaning or shifting weight as the horse breaks into the canter can also cause it to pick up the wrong lead. Evaluate, adjust, and above all, be patient.
Remember that most horses will have a preference toward one lead or the other, so it is doubly important that you spend an equal amount of time working on each lead to prevent the horse from getting into a rut.
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GOAL 2: Lead Aids Without the Rail
Once the horse is able to pick up the correct lead from alongside the fence, start directing the horse into lead changes with open space on both sides. As the horse becomes more consistent in picking up the correct lead with the back and front legs, start using less and less rein aids. Eventually, the horse should be able to turn its head in the direction of the lead and still pick up the correct lead with its front inside foot.
GOAL 3: Simple Changes
A simple lead change is made by dropping the horse from a canter down to a trot or walk, and then immediately switching the lead and jumping back into the canter. To accomplish this, start by circling the horse to the right, dropping down to a trot, and quickly jumping back to the canter with the same lead. Do this a few times, until the horse is comfortable with the change of speed. Then drop down to the trot again and jump back into the canter with the opposite lead, circling to the left. Repeat this process a few times as well. Finally, start making the simple lead changes at random, sometimes switching leads and sometimes not, so that the horse cannot anticipate the next lead. This will help the horse learn to be attentive to your leg aids when breaking into the canter.
GOAL 4: Interrupted Changes
An interrupted change is made by bringing the horse to a complete stop, then breaking into a canter again with the opposite lead. Ease the horse into making interrupted changes the same way that you taught it to make simple changes. Start by bringing the horse to a complete stop and then starting again with the same lead. After doing this a few times, bring the horse to a complete stop and start again with the opposite lead. Finally, mix up the lead changes so the horse cannot predict what lead aids you will give it until right before it breaks into the canter. This exercise causes the horse to pay even more attention to the leg aids to establish the lead foot.
Flying Changes
The final and most difficult type of lead change is the flying lead change. As its name suggests, the flying lead change is made by switching the lead without ever pulling the horse out of the canter. This difficult change must take place in the split second pause in the horse’s canter rhythm, when three of its feet are off the ground. Only a well-trained horse that responds to light aids will be able to make the flying lead changes. Do not attempt the flying change until the horse is able to make simple and interrupted changes easily and with minimal aids.
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To make the flying change, start by cantering the horse in a wide clockwise circle with and inside lead. After a few times around the corral, cut the circle short by turning in sharply, making a U-turn back toward the fence. After a brief straightaway, turn to the left and begin circling in the opposite direction. It is during that straightaway that we will make the lead change. When the horse starts to straighten out from the tight turn, apply right leg pressure when the lead leg hits the ground, and the other three are in the air. This will push the horse’s hindquarters out to the left, causing it to two-track momentarily. A good two-track is the key to making a flying change. When you pull the reins to the left to make the turn, the left leg should be taking the lead.
Practice this maneuver in both directions until the horse is able to make the flying change in either direction with ease. Throughout the process, be patient with the horse and do not attempt to try to make the flying change more than a few times per training session. Be careful not to overwork the horse, and always end the training session on a good note, cooling the horse down with a walk down the road and rewarding it for its hard work. Before attempting the flying change, spend several sessions working with the horse on suppling exercises to prepare it for two- tracking into the change.
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Suppling Exercises And Muscle Memory
Spending time with the horse working through suppling exercises can spare both you and the horse a lot of frustration when you start attempting flying changes. These exercises establish the muscle memory that the horse will need for the flying change, and should be practiced and mastered before ever attempting the flying change.
EXERCISE 1: Alternating Two-Track
As we mentioned before, a good two-track is the key to a flying change. This exercise will help teach the horse to move its hindquarters in accordance with the leg aid. Start by two-tracking the horse to the right at a walk. Once the horse has moved about 10 steps, immediately switch directions and cue the horse to two-track to the left without stopping. Repeat this pattern 3 or 4 times, making a zigzag pattern. It is imperative that you do not allow the horse to stop when changing directions, but make it immediately switch off and keep moving. Once the horse is proficiently switching directions at the walk, speed up to the trot and eventually the canter.
EXERCISE 2: Circle and Sidestep
This exercise will also help the horse yield its hindquarters to leg aids, and help it learn to arc its hindquarters around in the direction of the new lead. Begin by cantering in a 20ft diameter circle to the left. Once you have completed a half-circle, bring the horse to a full stop and sidepass to the left. After moving sideways for 5 or 6 steps, lift the horse back into a canter with the opposite lead, circling around to the right. Complete one whole circle and stop in the middle again. This time, sidestep 5 or 6 steps to the right and canter around the left again. Repeat this process several times, stopping in the center of the corral after each circle to sidepass before making the interrupted change.
EXERCISE 3: Shouldering Out
This exercise focuses on arcing the horse’s body around the inside leg and positioning the shoulders to make the lead change. Walk the horse in a left turn, making a circle about 25 or 30ft in diameter. As you work your way around the circle, pull the reins to the right and back at a 45 degree angle. At the same time, apply left leg pressure in front of the cinch, and enough right leg pressure on the cinch to prevent the horse from turning to the right. The result should be that as the horse circles, its body is exaggeratedly arced around your inside leg. Only try for a few strides at a time until the horse gets used to this body position. Spend an equal
45 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual” amount of time doing this exercise in both directions at a walk, and then at a trot, and then at a canter.
EXERCISE 4: Counter-Canter
The final suppling exercise is to counter-canter, or circle with the opposite lead. This gives you greater control over the horse’s shoulders and lengthens the horse’s stride. The added benefit of the lengthened stride is that it causes the horse to change its lead closer to the ground, rather than hopping from one lead into the other. Be sure to practice this exercise in both directions equally.
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The Finished Horse And Collection
Collection does not refer to a specific gait or an exercise, but rather a state of having control of the horse in all gaits and exercises. At first glance, it may seem that because a horse naturally has three gaits, it should be naturally coordinated in them. This is not entirely true. With the added weight and encumbrance of a rider and a saddle, horses have widely different level of coordination and grace while being ridden. The term “collection” means to bring the horse to bear, holding its head at a good set and keeping its feet underneath it, not flailing out behind.
Collecting the horse is a skill that you will develop over time, and that you will continue to improve with years of training sessions with your horse. Advanced maneuvers such as flying changes require you to have full control of a horse’s head and feet. It necessary to have the horse fully collected to make maneuvers such as this. At other times, it is important to let the horse stretch out and run with its neck extended and feet free to fly behind it. As you and your horse train together, you will learn to balance times of collection with times of uninhibited freedom to keep the training fresh and enjoyable for you and your horse.
It will take lots of time and patience to get to the point where your horse will fully understand when you ask for collection. It takes a lot of concentration as well as the correct balance of reining and leg pressure. Don’t expect overnight results! It may take weeks of work to build a collected horse at all gaits.
However, a horse and rider who have learned collection is a joy to watch and well worth the effort.
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Summary
In this final phase of the training, we cannot overemphasize the importance the balance between patience and control. Since day one, the principles of being patient with the horse, earning its trust, and demanding its obedience have taken you from having a frightened, naïve colt, to the finished, obedient horse that you have today. Remember these principles every time you step up to the saddle, and you will have a useful, enjoyable companion for years to come.
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Glossary
Aids - The hands (reins), legs, weight, and voice, used as signals to control the horse.
Balk - To stop short and stand still; to refuse to move.
Bearing rein - Rein pushed against the neck toward the direction of turn; neck rein,
Bitting - Teaching the horse to give (yield) to the bit before riding.
Bosal hackamore - Bitless bridle with a braided noseband (bosal) that controls the horse with leverage and pressure on the nose and jaw.
Bowline knot - Nonslip knot that will not tighten under pressure.
Cavesson, longeing - Heavy halter with stiff noseband used for exercise or training on longe line.
Collection - Shortening the horse's stride, but not slowing it, for smoother gaits and quicker response to aids.
Counter canter - Cantering on the outside lead in a circle.
Crest - The raised ridge that runs up the back of the horse’s neck. Specifically the crest refers to the highest part of this ridge, about halfway up the horse’s neck.
Crossfiring - Cantering with the forehand and hindquarters on opposite leads; disunited, cross-leading.
Cross-leading - See crossfiring.
Croup - The top of the horse’s hindquarters. Specifically, it is the highest point on the horse’s hindquarters.
Crupper - Strap ending in leather loop under tail to keep harness from being pulled forward.
Curb bit - Bit with cheekpieces (shanks) and curb strap to apply leverage on jaw and bars of mouth.
Direct rein - Rein pulled to the side in the direction of the turn.
Disunited - See crossfiring.
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Draw reins - Reins attached to cinch rings, run through snaffle bit rings to rider's hands.
Extended gaits - Lengthening the stride, with or without increased speed.
Gaits - Pattern of foot movement; basic gaits are walk, trot, canter, and gallop.
Haunches - Hindquarters.
Heart girth - Circumference of horse where cinch lies behind forequarters.
Hobbles - Joined leather loops fastened around horse's front legs to limit movement.
Hock - The joint in the middle of the rear leg. The bony protuberance on the back of the leg is called the “point of the hock.”
Indirect rein - Inside rein is raised and moves back and to the outside of the turn across the withers.
Lead - The leading legs, front or back, at the canter
Longe - To train or exercise a horse in a circle on a long line
Near side - The left side of a horse.
Off side - The right side of a horse.
Pivot foot - The front or back leg on which the horse turns.
Poll - The top of a horse's head just behind the ears.
Pose - To stand a horse with all four feet square or in a balanced position to show horse's conformation to best advantage.
Rollback - Reverse at lope; turn over hocks, coming out on either lead.
Running "W" - A system of ropes tied to the horse's front legs in order to throw him to the ground.
Serpentine - Series of half circles forming a line of S's to each side of straight line.
Shoulder out - Horse is bent with its shoulder toward the outside of the circle.
Slip knot - A quick-release knot used to tie the horse safely.
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Snaffle bit - A gentle bit with a light pull (without curb leverage), usually with a jointed mouthpiece.
Splint boots - Leg shields designed to help prevent injury to the inside of the front legs by the opposite hoof.
Standing martingale - Strap from the cinch to a noseband used to prevent the head from raising too high.
Surcingle, training - A broad strap around the heart girth with rings to support or fasten lines for bitting or driving training.
Tack collar - A leather strap around the neck with sharp tacks used to make the horse stop.
Transition - The change from one gait to another.
Two-track - A sideways movement of the horse with forward motion at the walk, trot or canter. The body moves at a 450 angle to the direction of travel, leaving two lines of tracks from the front and hind feet.
War bridle - A rope looped through the horse's mouth and over the poll, which will slip and tighten when pulled.
Withers - the bony obtrusion between the horse’s front shoulder blades. Traditionally, the height of the withers is used to measure the height of the horse.
Wolf teeth - Small, unnecessary teeth located in front of the top molars; may be sensitive to bit.
51 “The Colt Starting, Horse Training And Riding Manual”
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