4. STOPPING 5. TURNING
Let your horse read the stop. Release your horse into the
stop (feet out). Be careful not to over-ride your horse past
the cow. Give your horse every opportunity to rate so he
can read the flag and the stop. If he doesn’t look for the
stop when I quit riding him, I’ll back him up a few steps,
send the flag back the other way, turn the horse around
and go catch the flag again. As the flag starts to move back the other way, imagine a
piece of string tied from his nose to the flag - we want it
to pull him through the turn, nose first. I like to try to get
them to hook up to the flag, keeping them quite close and
conn ected. I don’t really care how they turn in the early
stages as long as they go with it when it leaves.
If they lose connection, I’ll take their nose with my cow
side rein and lightly drag the horse’s front end all the
way through the turn, stopping his body from flicking out
with my outside leg then releasing as the horse comes
out of the turn. Finish the turn off with your cow side leg,
then track the cow across the pen.
It is very important to release all pressure while he is
stationary, this will encourage him to look for the stop.
While stopped, I like to let them sit quietly and look at
the flag. If they want to keep moving I’ll keep working
them until they feel like they’re looking for the stop, then
I’ll give them some time to “soak” in where he found the
release.
As he gets more connected he’ll start to “cow up” and
anticipate the stop and turn. That's when I’ll start to
build some style by riding him a little stronger with my
cow side foot across the cow and slow his turns down
by drawing him back through the turn with my brace
(outside) rein.
Let him get settled and find the release in stopping the
flag. Your horse needs to come to a stop before he can
turn. This should become his sanctuary - the place he
gets left alone when he’s in position.
January • February • 2017 • The Australian Quarter Horse Magazine • Page 37