Never stop learning

I often get asked when is the right time to move a green horse to a different bridle or training aid. While this can be a tricky question, it really comes down to knowing your horse. Getting them comfortable at each stage of training can take a varying amount of time depending on the horse and sometimes it takes some trial and error to find out what they are ready for. In this video, I talk a bit about stepping your green horse up into a leverage bit for the first time from a snaffle. The first time I use a bit with leverage, I will usually start with something that is pretty mild so it isn’t too intimidating for them. I really like this “baby correction” that is shown in this video. It is very light weight, has a low port, and short shank so it is pretty soft on their mouth. The first time you put a leverage bit on your horse they will be introduced to new pressure points that the snaffle does not touch- the chin & the pole. It may take them a little bit of time to get used to this new feeling, so make sure to be patient and forgiving for the first couple rides. You will find out quickly if this is a transition that your horse is ready for- but more than likely if you have taught them how to be soft & accepting of pressure in a snaffle, then this shouldn’t be too big of a step for them. You might even find out that they like the correction better than a snaffle, so don’t be afraid to play around with bits to see what your horse likes best.

For me, a big part of a horse getting broke is being able to ride them off of my feet. This is something that take consistency over many training sessions (think months & years) to perfect. Whether the horse is young & just starting out or older but hasn’t been trained off of your feet, I start them out the same way. First, I just want them to understand that if I squeeze my calves that means to come back to me. In the beginning it may take more than a calf squeeze, you will probably use your feet/spurs to squeeze and then pull them to a stop with your hands. After repeating this exercise several times, your horse may start to slow down or even stop when you come in with your feet. As the horse progresses, I begin to get lighter with my cues while still expecting the same result. Now, this doesn’t mean that every time I close my legs I want my horse to stop, but they are starting to understand the concept of bringing their body back to me when I cue them with my legs. This is just the very beginning of their understanding of how to ride more off my leg cues, rather than everything coming from my hands.

It is pretty common for a green horse to want to use your hands as a balance point for their body. They might also to understand the concept of bringing their body back to you when you pick up your hands. Both of these things lead to a horse that is heavy on the forehand and pulling on the bridle. It can be easy to get into a battle of tug of war with the horse, but no one is really winning in that fight. So how do we teach our horse to balance their body on their own and not lean on our hands? I like to do this by moving them laterally off of my hand and leg. They may be rather resistive at first, especially if they are accustomed to being able to pull on your hands. But after some time & consistency, they will learn that leaning on your hands will lead to more work. As I tried to demonstrate in this video, I worked on moving the horse around at both the trot and lope when he would get heavy in my hands. I am working towards a horse that can be ridden on a draped rein, so I want to teach him how to carry his body on his own.

As a continuation of the previous video on how to work on transitioning your green horse into the jog/trot, this video will be going over working on the lope transition. Once again, we are looking for our horse to use their hind end to step up into this transition rather than lifting or running into the lope. Sometimes when our horse is very green, it might be a bit of a struggle to get them into the lope at all. But as the horse becomes more broke, learns your cues & how to use their body, we can begin to focus on this transition more. I like to teach my horses how to set themselves up for the lope before departing into that gate. They should move their hip over and begin to step up with their inside back leg, taking that first step into the lope with the hind end engaged. Again, this is something that takes time for them to understand but I focus on these principles from the very beginning. Hopefully this video will give you some takeaways to work on with your horse at home!

When I am training a green horse, I like to think about my end goal for that horse so I can begin teaching them skills in a way that will move us toward that outcome. Focusing on how my horse transitions from one gate to another is very important to me. Any event I end up showing them in in the future will have upward and downward transitions. So, I like to begin teaching them how to move between gates in a smooth and collected manner. In this video we are just talking about moving up into the trot, both from the walk and the stop. I like my horses to round their back and step up into the trot from behind, rather than using their momentum or lifting their front end into the trot. This is all part of teaching your green horse to understand collection and holding their body on their own.

As you saw in the previous video, "First Day in Draw Reins", we have started to use draw reins on this horse to help him balance his front end and find a little bit more shape in his body. He has now been riding in draw reins for about a week & we are now asking for more collection from him at the lope. This horse is familiar with the concept of collecting at the trot/jog, but as we move up into the lope this skill has to be relearned. As he has gotten more comfortable in draw reins, now I am asking his to soften his face and shape up his body for just a couple strides at a time. When they are learning a new skill like this, it is important to remember that they will only be able to hold it for a few steps or strides at a time. They must be allowed to make a mistake before we come back in to put them in the correct position. I am just beginning to teach this horse that how he carries his body & moves his legs is important to me. This will be a long process with many repeated corrections before he is ready to hold that position on his own.

When beginning to ask your green/young horse to find collection & shape, don't get the two concepts of head set & shape confused. I rarely ever focus on their headset directly, but rather their body position and how they are driving from the hind end. In this video, every time I ask for this horse to soften through my hands, I am also pressing him forward with my feet. Through the combination of my hand & leg pressure, I want him to soften his face, lift his shoulders, round his back, & drive from his hind leg. There is a lot to focus on here. It may take a little while for your horse to fully understand what you are asking them to do, but that's okay. Continually repeat what you are asking from your horse, making sure to release every time they give you a correct answer.

Getting your horse to understand the pivot is similar to the backup. They need to be respectful of your personal space and move away from you when you move towards them. When first teaching your horse how to pivot for the showmanship, I like to focus on this concept with just a few steps at a time. I concentrate primarily on the front feet, not putting as much focus on the need to hold a pivot foot behind. While holding a pivot foot is incredibly important in the showmanship, there is only so much your horse can focus on when you are first teaching them a new skill. I ask for them to cross over their front feet, just a few steps at first, before stopping and then walking off to start again in another spot. Your horse should start to pick up on this concept, so you can continue to add a couple steps at a time. Really make sure to pay attention that your horse is moving their shoulder and rib cage away from you in the turn, keeping a relatively straight body position. You don't want your horse to just move their neck away from you, leaving them with their shoulder out of alignment and a bent body position. Having their body in the correct position will greatly impact how well they hold a pivot foot down the road. So while we are not directly focusing on the pivot foot at this stage, getting their body in the correct position now will greatly impact how much emphasis you have to place on the pivot foot later.

The turn around, or pivot, is a key maneuver to any horsemanship pattern. Here I will go through how I begin to teach a horse to do this maneuver. This horse is 2 years old and has no concept of the horsemanship at this point in his training. However, this is something that I think is important for all horses to know regardless of whether they compete in the horsemanship.

To me, a good turn comes from having control of your horse's outside shoulder and rib cage. I like to focus on having my horse move away from the pressure I am applying with my leg and hand, rather than pulling them around to the inside. In the very beginning, I will work on just walking in a small circle while asking my horse to take a couple steps across with their outside front foot. I want to maintain forward motion & just feel them move their outside shoulder over slightly. As they gain a firm understanding of this concept, I will continue to raise the expectation and ask for more steps. This is something that can be accomplished in one ride, but other horses may take longer to learn these cues. Have patience & take your time. Think of this as the foundation of your turn around & you want it to be rock solid; don't leave any holes.

Draw reins are a great tool that we can use to change the direction that the reins are applying pressure to the horse's mouth. However, they can be misused and not all horses are ready to be ridden in draw reins. You want to make sure that your horse has a good concept of body control before putting draw reins on. Unlike traditional reins, draw reins don't have a firm stopping point. As you continue to pull on the draw rein, the rein will run through the snap connected to the bit and pull the horse's head in tighter. This can cause panic in some horses and can be a danger if the rider is not experienced with this training aid. I like to tie a knot on either side of my draw reins to provide a hard stop. I recommend you do this as well.

In this video, you will see this horse's first ride in draw reins. It doesn't really look like anything monumental & it shouldn't be. We want to introduce new concepts and skills to our horses slowly and in a manner that is going to make a positive experience. I am using draw reins on this young horse to give him something to help balance himself as he learns to carry his body. I am not using this tool to ask him to put his head down, rather he is being asked to round up with his neck & shoulders up. Hopefully this video gives you some insight about whether draw reins will be a good fit for you and your horse, as well as how to introduce them if you want to give them a try.