2016 Miniature Horse WORLD Issues April/May 2016 - Volume 32, Number 2 | Page 21

The Goal  Teach your horse to lead, stop and back up reading your body cues while you stay in the traditional front leading position by the throat latch. This exercise will refine your horse’s timing and teach him to pay attention to your leading hand without having to face him to back him up.  Begin by standing in your leading position. Hold the horse’s lead rope with your right hand as close to the lead clasp as you can reach for added control, and hold the training stick with your left hand.  The back up I teach my horses to back up while remaining in the forward walking position. Create momentum until your horse gives you 3-5 willing backward steps. If your horse is backing up but is lazy and heavy, swing the training stick in front of your body and tap your horse’s right shoulder (opposite the leading side) while creating the same backward pressure with the halter. Tapping the right shoulder not only aids in moving his feet backward with flowing motion, it also helps him back up straight and teaches him to lift his entire body to back up instead of lean his body out. Horses that back slowly have a natural tendency to drop this shoulder and ribcage, resulting in locking up their legs. By using the training stick and tapping their sides, horses also learn to unlock their bodies and develop balance, another reason why this exercise is beneficial for showmanship training. If your horse steps off to the side after you stop and back, step to the opposite side of your horse and tap the hindquarters around straight, then return to your walking position and stand still until your horse holds his feet still. Cluck to your horse to walk forward and lightly tap the training stick on your horse’s ribcage if your horse doesn’t immediately follow you. Before you start walking, give your horse a single ‘cluck’ sound to cue him to walk forward, and begin walking with promptness and energy.  Exaggerating your pace will get your horse’s attention and bring out his resistance, if he has any. If your horse is slow and heavy in your hand, reach back with your left arm and tap your horse’s ribcage with the training stick.  If your horse jumps forward after you tap him with the stick, be ready to use your knotted halter and stick. Depending on your horse, he will either jump forward or pull back when tapped with the training stick, both common responses when starting this exercise. Expect to work through resistance and/or laziness. Immediately use your right hand and bump your horse’s nose (creating backward pressure with the knotted halter) into his chest firmly and back him up a few steps out of your personal space. Don’t worry about how straight your horse backs up at first. You only want backward motion with good energy at this point. Over a few days, ask your horse to back straighter with increased momentum. When your horse is backing up a few steps without resistance, reward by standing quietly by your horse’s throat latch and rubbing your horse’s chest with the training stick to reassure him your training tool is a simple extension of your own arm.  Right before you stop your horse, lightly bump the knotted halter backward and position the training stick in front of your body to tap the horse’s right shoulder. Stay in your forward walking position as you ask your horse to back up. A P R I L / M AY 2016 Miniature Horse World 19