Training Tips

QUESTION: Sylvia, You have probably addressed this problem already and if so, could you point me in the right direction? My 7-year-old 16.2 hands Irish bred horse is too strong for me when going cross-country. I know this horse very well as I bred and have done all his training myself. He has a very good opinion of himself but is also a generous horse and will usually give me a lovely gentle ride, but canter him in a field with other horses and he has to be in front; even on his own he starts pulling after a bit and I end up pulling back and although with a strong bit and a good pull I can get him back, all I am doing is teaching him to pull more. Any pointers much appreciated.

REPLY: Hi. Thanks for writing. This is a very common training foundation hole, but don't worry, you can plug it up yourself. Let me direct you to a link on my web site which will teach you step by step how to build the one-rein stop into your horse's foundation and this will keep him under control in all such situations in the future: One Rein Stop - How to do it and why it's important

All of that (and much, much more) is taught in my Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System DVD set. Usually it helps to see this natural horsemanship art taught visually, to really understand how it is all done. You can get that DVD set here: CLICK HERE

Once you plant that one rein stop into his foundation well, then when you ride out with others and he suddenly wants to pull to the front unasked for, pick up one rein and start your one-rein stop. You can either 1) wind him down to a complete one rein stop there (to start making the right thing easy, the wrong thing hard), or, 2) as you're asking for the head over to the side to begin your one-rein stop, and if he slows down right there with that one-rein/head-over ask, then quickly release the rein (release of pressure) to show him: right answer. He slowed down. And that's what you want. All horses learn from the release of pressure that they did the right thing. That's a slow-down cue I like to build into every horse's foundation for such situations. It's the beginning of a one-rein stop, but when they comply by slowing down after you've picked up one rein and taken the slack out of it, I release that one rein quickly to show the horse he did the right thing there: he slowed down, thank you!

Be consistent and do this from now on and he'll settle down to just listening to you, his leader, and he will not be thinking take-over thoughts there anymore.

Don't be pulling on both reins there to stop him; use one rein and the one-rein stop, but do practice the one rein stop first in the safe confines of a round pen or arena until he has it down at all gaits very well before taking it outside to test. Build this in step by step and he'll get it.

Incidentally, it is a "leader type" horse who does this and that's not necessarily a bad thing that he perceives himself a leader; that's usually a confident horse. He just thinks he needs to be in front when the "herd" takes off, so he can show them where to go. But he's just forgetting there that you are the actual leader of this "herd." The above route will help remind him. My own horse Gabe has done this from time to time and that is because he truly feels he's the leader when we ride out with other horses, especially green horses we have in for training. He gets worried when another horse or green horses are in the lead because he feels he himself "knows better" how to lead than they do. But since I don't allow him to be in the lead always (because it's good for even green horses to be allowed to ride the lead position now and then to build self-confidence) I pick up one rein for the slow down cue and remind Gabe, "nope, you might be the leader out in your pasture, but not here; here I'm the leader. Slow down and listen, don't think." And he does. It works.