“Hewwo! Acme Pest Contwol? Weww I have a pest I want contwolled.”
The degree of that proficiency will propel you, or not, through every circumstance. It’s the gas pedal, nothing more. Your spooked horse, timid horse, green horse, bossy horse is controlled by how much ability you can muster in tense moments to control the hind feet, to do nothing more than take a simple step forward. Boom.
Think about this the next time you are leading your horse. A spooky horse that you are leading will suck back, or run backwards. Evasion will cause it to leap, kick, shoulder you, head butt, spin — everything but — step forward an inch. The forward step of the hind leg is the key to everything.
Ever see someone lead a horse by dragging it? That’s you if you are applying pressure on the lead rope and the horse is not coming up to release the pressure. This is the opposite of the spooky horse, but with the same fix.
The balky, lazy bugger likes its neck long and hindquarters completely draaaggging. If I activate the hinds with a kiss, I change the entire equation.
OK, so another scenario could be the horse that is set at liberty (or the lunge line). Before you can get any other command to be followed, you must first — wait for it — get the horse to respond to cluck means go! If you can’t, you may as well sit on your phone and look at Instagram folks who can. In the riding horse (or horror of horrors, the driving horse) you will never achieve a level of expertise, or safety, until you can add the element of cluck means go! If you are fortunate to have a horse who naturally brings this to the riding team, feel blessed. The point is, I see this lack in just about every misbehaved horse.
I believe this part of horsemanship is so important, I actually call it a shape, much like shoulder in, or a leg yield shape. The "shape" you are looking for here is a consistent forward shape — a quiet demeanor with the head long and low, with the hind legs tracking up. This is an actual level of achievement to evaluate, pursue, and hold on to.
Your horse doesn't think about you that much, sorry to break the news. Do you know how to turn his mind from his stall or his herd mates to think about you? When you establish that you control movement, starting with go, you create a dynamic bond that will excite you.
Cluck means go! is the most overlooked principle in horsemanship. Few horses really have a valid understanding of what this should mean. It is the ABC’s of rider language for a horse to learn. “Kissing” or clucking means to increase energy. Adding energy into any maneuver is essential so that your horse doesn’t stall out. If your horse stalls out here, what will you do when your horse balks on the trail, or when leaving the barnyard?
The little gold nugget is forward.
I’m over yonder at the edge of nothing, laying in the dirt with the social media stampede. Please take some time and “like” www.facebook.com/Jeff-Wilson-Cowboy-Dressage so I can stand back up, dust myself off, and smile like that goat in yer rose garden. I have been training horses for over 35 years and value the western horse lifestyle in my approach to training. Giving clinics and seminars on how to reach your full potential with your horse through the training foundation of Cowboy Dressage keeps me young.
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