Signs the Horse Gives of Wanting to Join with You (Continued)

After a few minutes of allowing the horse to think, to feel the non-pressure spot there (often the horse will be repeatedly working the mouth there – a sign of understanding, submission, recognizing you as the leader/director), still keep eye contact off, but now walk with your shoulder to the horse, facing his rear, moving parallel to the horse's hindquarters, far enough to the rear that the horse has to turn its head to keep you in full focus (remain a safe distance away, out of kicking range at all times!).

Bend your body toward the hind quarters as you ask for the hindquarters to move away

and the head to come toward you with your "invisible" lead rope.

At this point, the horse now has two distinct choices posed before him/her (inside the horse's mind):

1) Turn to pivot to remain facing you (the "white zone" where all pressure then remains off of them).

-or-

2) Leave/exit forward (the "black zone," where pressure then increases on them).

If the horse chooses #1/turns to face you (what we want here), immediately turn your back to the horse again, drop your arms to your sides softly, go body-language completely passive, head and eyes down if necessary with serious trust issue horses, removing ALL pressure again to show the horse the "yes" answer, the white zone. Another pause break.

The horse pivots to face me and my back turns even more to the horse to show the release of pressure at this right answer to turn to pivot and face me. This shows the horse that the least pressure spot is really toward me not away from me.

If the horse, on the other hand, chooses #2 and exits/leaves/bolts, immediately turn fully towards the horse again, your shoulders squared on the horse and toss the lead rope at the horse's back feet as the horse is exiting, just as you have been doing before, suddenly increasing pressure (a quick contrast to the earlier peaceful, no-pressure spot), therefore showing the black zone. Real important to do this and have instantaneous timing there, because it makes that exit immediately your idea that the horse leave (even though the horse already started to leave), not just the horse's idea. That's how horses mentally file that counter-move on your part: "oops, they're still the leader here – there's that rope back there again driving me forward! I need to think about this more!"

If the horse exits forward at this point, instead of pivoting to face you, and most will indeed try that route at first while early-on in this learning curve, simultaneously send the horse immediately with a rope toss toward the hindquarters, making this exit quickly your idea, not just the horse's idea, repositioning yourself instantly as remaining the leader/director of this "herd of two."

And keep that driving forward pressure on the horse – your shoulders squared, full eye-to-eye contact. Make the horse do a lap or two & a couple of turns. Or as we say in natural horsemanship: "Make the right thing easy, the wrong thing hard." This brief extra work, in the horse's mind, is harder than just standing still, facing you. The horse will quickly want the quieter, more passive, less pressure, "get-along" spot.

Communicating to the Horse With Body Language

To Face You Fully and Latch On

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