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