Even a small thing like spray bottles can provide plenty of spook-inducing stimuli. Your horse hears the bottle’s swoosh. He feels the mist on his skin. He smells the spray. All of those sensations are unnatural to your horse—until you teach him that it won’t hurt. He must understand that if he relaxes and accepts it, the stimulus will go away. I like to use the “advance and retreat” technique to teach a horse to accept unfamiliar things. Instead of running away, it activates his investigative behavior.

Advance and Retreat

The first method that can be used for desensitizing your horse can be the advance and retreat method. Using this method, you’ll approach your horse with something new (advance), then stop and turn away when he is calm (retreat). This “advance and retreat process” allows your horse the time he needs to think. He can study what you’re holding, decide how he should react, and receive a reward when he is calm and accepting. The process gives your horse a sense of power over his fears; he learns how to make anything scary go away.

As soon as your horse’s tension begins to dissipate, his fear will convert to a sense of curiosity. A curious horse will follow you when you turn your back and walk away. You may also notice a step toward acceptance when your horse stops moving or running away.

Timing is Everything

When desensitizing your horse, timing is everything. Be sure to watch your entire horse to notice the changes in his tension level. Watch his eyes and facial expressions, his posture, the height of his head, and any turns away. Make sure you advance slowly so that you don’t miss the exact moment that he shows fear.

Keep in mind that all horses react differently. Some are stoic with signs of tension that you can easily miss. Other horses are obvious and react quickly.

Be careful not to remove the stimulus when your horse is reacting negatively. Whatever your horse is doing at the moment you release pressure is what you’re training him to do. If you approach with spray and stop spraying when your horse reacts, you train him to react, not to relax.

Advance & Retreat: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Slowly advance toward your horse while holding the stimulus (the spray bottle, hose, et cetera).
• At the moment your horse tenses, stop but keep holding the stimulus and keep your body posture strong.
• Wait. Once your horse lowers his head or exhales to show his relaxation, remove the stimulus by turning your back and walking away.
• Then repeat. If your timing is good, you’ll be able to approach closer to your horse each time.

Desensitizing Your Horse: Case Study

To get your horse used to spray bottles, outfit him in a rope halter and a lead that is 12 to 15 feet long. For training purposes, use a spray bottle full of water. Work in an area with good footing and without obstacles. You want your horse to be able to safely move away from you.

Stand about 6 feet from your horse and face him. Hold the lead in your left hand and the spray bottle in your right hand. Spray the water to your side or behind you—away from the horse. If your horse tends to be fearful, you can make a spraying sound by saying “shhhh” instead of holding the bottle. You’ll find out if your horse is afraid of the sound alone. If your horse doesn’t react at all when you spray the bottle away from him, it’s time to slowly advance.

Slowly change your aim, triggering the spray bottle toward your horse. As soon as your horse tenses, stop. Keep the pressure of the spray without moving it closer. Wait for your horse to relax, then immediately stop spraying and turn your back.

If your horse reacts and moves away from the spray, move with him, keeping a consistent distance to show him that moving away does not stop the feeling. Movement does not help him. Allow your horse to move in a circle around you until he decides to stop. If he stops circling or stepping to the side, immediately stop and turn your back.

Give your horse a moment to relax and think, then slowly turn and advance again. Look for the first sign of tension, then stop. Hold your ground. Notice any change your horse’s relaxation, then immediately turn away when you see a change. This is the starting point of the desensitizing process for your horse.

If your timing is good, you should be able to advance farther with the stimulus on each approach. However, the horse always determines how far you advance.

Work on one side of your horse at a time instead of switching back and forth. Your horse can only think with one side of his brain at a time. Once your horse has fully accepted the spray on one side, start training on the other.

Remember that your horse sets the pace. If your horse has a lot of fear about spray bottles before you start, it will probably take longer than one session. However, when advance and retreat is done correctly, you can accomplish a lot. Work for about 20 minutes at a time and advance as your horse will allow.

Once you are completely finished with the desensitize process of your horse, you should be able to approach your horse with spray if he is haltered or free. In the beginning, you’ll need to be able to control your horse. If you start the process without a halter, your horse will learn that he can run away from you when he’s scared.

Desensitization happens rapidly. Horses are very fast-learning animals, and when you notice your horse’s tension and change your actions quickly, he’ll learn quickly. If you take your time do your work at each step, it should not take subsequent sessions.

This article originally appeared in the December 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post How to Desensitize Your Horse appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

Two of the most complained-about horse behaviors—biting and pawing—are annoying at best, and can be downright dangerous when humans are present. While a horse that paws is simply annoying to humans (and can be destructive), a horse that bites shows dominant, aggressive behavior and is a danger to be around.

Both behaviors can be thwarted if you understand how to discipline your horse correctly. If you notice the early warning signs of biting, you will help avoid future danger. Keep in mind that discipline doesn’t mean being a bully or dishing out undue punishment. It does mean you must teach and enforce the rules.

For this to work, you must keenly observe your horse and work with him regularly. When you spend time doing purposeful groundwork and studying horse behavior, you’ll find that your horse will need very little correction.

Being in the Herd

Horses use behaviors such as biting and pawing to tell the rest of the herd what they think. Though we humans may deem these behaviors as poor and discipline-worthy, they have their place in the herd.

Biting is a way for horses to show aggression and to correct another horse for getting too close or for breaking a rule. Pawing is a gesture horses use to communicate that they are frustrated and want to be moving.

When your horse finds a true leader in you, he’ll do his best for you. Horses respect their leader and want to stay in the good graces of the one in charge.

I recommend round pen and lead line work to teach your horse your signals and rules and to help ensure that he’s willing to follow your requests.

All horses must learn that they can’t act out impulsively with their herd behaviors when there are humans present. Here’s how to establish your leadership and show your horse what behaviors you want to see when it comes to biting and pawing.

How to Stop Your Horse from Biting

Your horse will bite if he’s feeling dominant, aggressive or irritated. Biting is a dangerous habit that is progressive and must be stopped immediately. A horse that bites was most likely allowed to lip, then nip, before advancing to the worst and most dangerous behavior, biting. The best fix is preventing the behavior from ever escalating to a full bite.

• Keep a respectful distance between you and your horse. Your horse doesn’t want you to hold his head or mouth or to get in his space. That isn’t how horses communicate. Don’t crowd his head or rub his mouth or nose.
• Don’t allow your horse to put his nose toward you. If he moves his head into your space, correct him by poking him with one straightened finger or tug on the lead rope to move his head back to center.
• Does your horse lip or nip? Avoid feeding treats by hand. Giving food by hand shows that you are not the leader (dominant horses do not give food away). It also teaches your horse that he may touch you with his mouth and move into your space.
• If your horse bites, don’t escalate his agitation and aggression by hitting. Instead, reprimand him verbally and move him aggressively out of your space. Be careful not to get close enough to be kicked, struck or bit.

A horse that shows this aggression does not see you as the leader and needs consistent groundwork to re-establish the roles in your herd. Work consistently and study your body language and moves to make sure that you are showing that you’re in charge and not subordinate.

Bad Horse Behavior: Pawing Problem Solver

Your horse paws when he wants your attention or when he’s frustrated and ready to move. Some horses believe that they can request food or a treat when they paw. Be careful to only provide food or treats (in a bucket, not by hand) when your horse is standing calmly.

Horses may paw when standing tied. They want your attention and will act out by pawing to get any attention they can. Don’t reward your horse with attention if he paws.

• Don’t yell at him from across the barnyard or come to him; instead, ignore the behavior. A horse that is bored will keep pawing to get your attention. Allow him the time to learn that pawing gets him nothing and he will exert too much energy, so he’s better off standing still.
• Tying horses at a “patience post” is a common component of horse training. Young or ill-mannered horses learn quickly when tied to a hitching rail daily.

At first, horses may paw and carry on, but they’ll learn that their antics don’t bring positive results. They’ll learn to stand tied patiently in a week or two. Using rubber mats at the hitching rail will help prevent a horse from digging a big hole when he paws. Apply fly spray and use a shady spot during cooler parts of the day when teaching your horse to stand tied so that he’s physically comfortable.

A horse that paws will also benefit from more groundwork. Your horse should know that he is to stand still on command. He shouldn’t move around when you groom him or paw when he wants to move on to a new activity.

You’re the leader, you’ve set the expectations, and you must follow through with correction or praise as needed. When you work consistently with your horse and rule out the early signs of disobedience, you’ll have a willing horse that is obedient and disciplined.

This article originally appeared in the November 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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You teach your horse how much to respect you and your space each time you lead him. While you may mindlessly grab a halter and casually walk your horse to his next destination, he pays attention to which behaviors you allow or correct. He notices when he can get his way and take charge.

The simple, everyday act of leading can define or erode your relationship if your horse gets away with too much. I often hear horse owners complain, “My horse pushes and pulls me around.” And, “My horse pulls me toward the grass and wants to eat when I’m walking him in from the field.” Or, “My horse won’t keep up with me. He’s always lagging behind.”

These complaints come when horse handlers overlook common leading mistakes. They don’t defend their personal space, they allow their horse to choose the destination, or they don’t correct the painfully slow walk. I’ll help you get your horse’s attention, so you can maintain your personal space and teach your horse to lead with perfect manners.

Time for Change

If your horse is pulling, pushing, or lagging behind, it’s time to change how you lead him—and what behaviors you allow. I want my horse to walk willingly beside me and know that he must pay attention to my speed and direction.

When I lead my horse, I have a reason to get to a new destination. I want him to keep up without dragging me, bumping me or getting too far behind. To correct any of these common mistakes, outfit your horse in a rope halter and a lead that is at least 12 feet long. Have a training stick with a flag on hand to help you reinforce your new cues.

Mistake 1: Losing Your Space

Why it’s a Problem: It’s dangerous to allow your horse to walk into your space or lean his shoulder into you. Your horse should pay attention to your movements and know where to stay. I like my horse to walk so that my right shoulder is just in front of his left eye. He should walk beside me without being close enough to bump into me. In this position, he can see where I’m moving and when I stop.

Most horses will obey the rules you set about where to be. However, they must first know where to be and what the rules are.

Your horse should only move his feet when you request it, he should keep his nose in front of his chest, he must move in the direction and speed you ask at the time you request it, and he should keep doing whatever you asked him to do until you provide a new cue. He should have deference for your space and be willing to step away quickly if he gets too close.

The Fix: First, check how you’re holding the leadrope. If you’re holding tightly just under your horse’s chin, you may be pulling him into your space. You can’t teach him to maintain his own position if you’re pulling on him. Instead, hold your right hand about a foot and a half from the halter knot and keep both of your hands up and in front of you.

Practice leading your horse with your new hand and body position. With your hands forward, your horse will learn to follow your hands. He’ll have a visual cue to know where you’re going. When he stays behind your hand, he’ll have ample time to change gaits, direction and speed by watching how you move.

Ask your horse to move forward by leaning forward with your upper body, then moving your feet; your hands will lead the way. Ask your horse to stop by leaning back, then stopping your feet. Your hands will raise up and signal your horse to stop. He will learn to focus on your body movement for cues and be rewarded with a loose lead line when he stays in position.

If your horse is getting too close to you, practice turning him away. Each time you turn him to the right (away from your leading position), you move him out of your space. The dominant horse in a herd always commands space and the subordinate horses move away. Each time you practice turning your horse away, you remind him that you’re in charge.

To turn to the right, turn your feet toward your horse and raise your hands to apply mental pressure just behind your horse’s eye. While you shouldn’t need to touch your horse, he should move away as you move toward him.

If he still doesn’t turn away, you may need to carry a flag to help defend your personal space. Turn your feet toward your horse and raise the handle end of the flag as you hold it in your right hand. The flag will brush the ground and cue the horse to move his feet away while you also teach your horse to respect your hand cues. Holding the flag extends your arm and provides a way for you to defend your personal space.

Lead your horse forward, then ask him to turn away from you again. Any time you lead your horse, you can practice turning away and reinforce your authority.

Mistake 2: Allowing the Grass Grab

Why it’s a Problem: Grabbing an extra snack means that your horse isn’t paying attention to where you’re going. Instead, he’s focused on what he wants. If you’re with your horse, it’s time to move and he should be focused on you, not the vegetation.

Grabbing grass means that your horse is choosing the destination and you can’t get where you want to go. Plus, in a herd, the horse that controls the food is dominant. If your horse pulls away to eat when you’re present, it’s a sign that he is in control and has little deference for you.

The Fix: Make sure your horse knows the rules. It’s possible that he’s been allowed to graze (or take one final bite) after he’s haltered. If he’s otherwise calm and respectful, he may simply need a reminder that he’s not to eat once you’re ready to walk on.

Given the opportunity, even the sweetest, best-trained horse would choose to eat instead of work. But if you halter your horse and ask him to move forward, he should stay with you and look where you’re going.

Lead with your hands up in front of you, just as you did to claim your space in the first exercise. If your horse stops to grab for food, bump the lead rope and use your voice to correct him. Yell, hiss or make whatever noise is needed to get his attention.

If you merely pull on the rope and he pulls again, you didn’t apply enough pressure to motivate change. Simply pulling again will only wear out your muscles and you’ll start a tug-of-war match with your horse. Elevate your pressure until your horse realizes he must snap-to and listen to your request.

Sometimes you want or need to allow your horse to graze while you’re with him. If you want your horse to eat, make sure that you have a clear cue to differentiate leading time and hand grazing time. The horse must clearly understand that you are giving him permission to eat.

You may extend the lead line so that it lays on the ground, then give your horse a verbal cue, such as “OK.” When it’s time to walk back to the barn, pick up the lead and ask your horse to move forward. Once you’re in leading position and walking with a purpose, he shouldn’t reach down to grab one last snack. If he does, correct him by pulling up quickly on the lead and give him a verbal admonishment.

Mistake 3: Tolerating a Slow Pace

Why it’s a Problem: If your horse lags too far behind, he may switch leading sides and wrap you in the rope. Plus, lagging behind shows that he isn’t attentive to your speed and is doing what he wants. It’s a sign of quiet defiance: you want him to move and he has a way to tell you that’s really not what he’d like to do.

The Fix: First, make sure to give a clear cue that you intend to move forward and faster. Move your shoulders and hands forward first as you ask your horse to move forward. This visual cue will help your horse see that a speed change is coming.

After you move your shoulders, speed up your feet. Your hand stays up and because your body moves forward, the lead will move, too.

If the horse doesn’t speed up as you want, he’ll feel a pull on the rope halter. The pressure on his halter should move him forward. If you want to trot, pick up a jog yourself. Keep looking where you want to go and allow the leadrope to tighten until your horse responds. When he picks up speed, allow slack in the line to praise him—but keep moving.

If your horse doesn’t speed up with your body cue and the tug on the halter, add some mental pressure. Have a buddy shake the flag behind you to reinforce your cue to move. As soon as the horse speeds up and stays at your pace, make sure that your leadrope is loose and your friend stops flagging. He’ll be rewarded by the release of the lead pressure (and the release from the mental pressure of the flag) and learn what’s expected.

If your horse is having trouble with several of these leading issues, focus on fixing one at a time. Once your horse understands one new rule, move on to work on the next.

Don’t suddenly transition from allowing everything to suddenly correcting every step and change of focus. Work first on maintaining your leadership; change your body posture and your mindset.

Have determination and purpose each time you lead your horse. If you look determined and confident, your horse will know he should follow well.

This article originally appeared in the October 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Essential Skills: Leading Mistakes appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.

This constant quest for speed can mean that your horse is high-headed and ready to take off when you simply want to walk. Riding a horse that is amped up and tense isn’t fun when you want to relax, or would like to enter a slower-paced rail class at a show.
You can help reduce your horse’s anxiety and teach him that walking slowly on cue is the right answer. Your horse should travel at the rate you request—calm and slow when you ask, and faster when you cue him for speed. Read on to find out how.

Speed Events – Why so Fast?

Your horse may think that going fast is the right answer, especially in a speed event. If your horse was trained for speed events in a high-pressure setting, he may think that stepping into an arena means speeding up. Learning how to slow down your speed event-trained horse can be beneficial to you when you need a calmer ride in the arena.

Not all speed-event horses are trained this way, but with repetition, horses can quickly associate arenas with high pressure and speed. When a horse has had high-pressure training, sometimes he’ll associate the arena with anxiety—resulting in too-fast gaits, prancing, jigging, and high-headed movements.

Slow Down Your Horse – A Different Way

Teach your too-fast horse that there’s another way to act when he enters the arena:

• Outfit your horse in his usual tack.
• Riding with two hands on the reins (for more control), ask your horse to enter the arena at a walk.
• Make sure your reins are loose, but that you can pick up contact easily if your horse speeds up.Note: Resist the urge to change to a severe or bigger bit to slow down your horse. A harsher bit can cause more anxiety for your horse. You want to teach your horse to slow down because of your cues, not because of your tack. If you worry that your horse will take off with you, ask a trainer for help as you start the slow-down process.
• If your horse picks up the pace on his own or steps into the trot, pull back on the reins to correct his speed.
• As soon as he returns to a walk, make sure to loosen the reins again. Allow slack in the reins and put your knuckles on the horse’s neck when he’s walking nicely with his head down. Feeling your hand on his neck shows the horse that you are relaxed and not asking more of him.
• With good timing (correct your horse within one or two seconds of any unauthorized speed up) and an immediate release of rein pressure when he does slow down, your horse will learn that he’ll be rewarded for going slow.Note: Riding with constant pressure on the reins can make your horse more anxious and cause him to lean against the pressure—moving faster and with anxiety.

You’ll teach your horse to think, “How can I get my rider to lengthen the reins?” He’ll learn that moving slowly and putting his head down in a relaxed fashion is the way to avoid rein and bit pressure.

Bend, Relax, and Slow Down

A horse will be more relaxed when he bends his neck. He’ll know that he’s following your direction and that his job isn’t to move straight ahead at high speed. As you warm up, turn to the right then the left, moving forward but constantly changing directions. Your horse will tune in to you and stop searching the scenery for something to be worried about.

Once your horse is walking at the pace you want, practice rating your horse’s speed at the trot. Keep in mind that if your horse is already fast, you won’t need to cue with much pressure. Sit up tall and think about the trot and your horse will likely speed up without leg pressure.

If your horse puts his head up as you’re trotting, softly close your legs against his sides and apply rein pressure. When he lowers his head, loosen the reins and relax your legs. As soon as your horse lowers his head, loosen your reins. If your horse speeds up too much, pull back abruptly to stop. Wait for a count of three then start practice again.

Practice your slow-down cues and your constant turns at the walk and trot. Just as your horse once associated the arena with speed, he’ll learn to associate your loose reins and knuckles on his neck with a time to be slow and calm. Make your cues clear and consistent and you’ll soon have a horse that can tune in to you and go at the pace you choose.

This article on how to slow down your speed event-trained horse originally appeared in the March/April 2018 issue of Young Rider magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Some riders hop on and never think of working from the ground before proceeding with mounted work. Other riders swear by their routines—long lists of groundwork patterns that must be done before getting in the saddle.

Which plan is right? The answer is to do what your individual horse needs. For some horses, that may mean working from the ground for some time before mounting up. For other horses, a quick check-in is all that’s needed before you get on and ride.

Here, I’ll help you check in with your trained horse and learn what he needs before a ride. I’ll outline the steps I take before getting on a young-but-well-started horse, and also go over what I do with my tried-and-true horses before our rides.

The Purpose of Groundwork

Working with your horse from the ground before your ride allows you to set the tone for your ride. You’ll establish a dialogue as you use your body language to ask your horse to move in precise ways. You’ll have a chance to see how fast your horse responds and if he’s paying attention to you. This is a time to communicate your expectations and make sure your horse is listening. Groundwork allows you to check in with your horse to determine his responsiveness and obedience.

Groundwork isn’t meant to tire a horse before riding. It’s not meant to “get the bucks out.” A well-trained horse should be obedient to your cues from the saddle, no matter how fresh he is or how much pent-up energy he has. If your horse needs exercise, he’ll get it while you’re riding.

Approaching your pre-ride groundwork with the intent to tire your horse doesn’t help you gain the horse’s attention and respect. Instead, make sure that the groundwork you do before a ride helps to get the horse focused and obedient. You also want to establish communication and leadership. Finally, the purpose of groundwork is to make sure that your horse is relaxed and in the frame of mind to work well.

You may be able to confirm that your horse is attentive, obedient, respectful, relaxed and ready to work while you’re walking from the pasture to the barn. If so, that’s all the groundwork you need. If any one quality from the list is missing, take the time you need to connect with your horse before your ride.

Too Much

Some riders only feel confident after they have done a lengthy groundwork routine to make sure that their horses are paying attention. I see this most often when riders fear something bad will happen. They go through every kind of groundwork imaginable to build up the courage to get on.

Instead of performing a long to-do list of groundwork exercises, do your best to be aware of your horse and how he is on this day, in this moment. Judge him according to today, not something that happened a long time ago.

Your horse may resent groundwork if you do too much. I’ve seen adversarial relationships develop when the riders overdo it. Once your horse learns and understands what you’re asking, you must give smaller cues.

Often people fail to tone down their cues as the horse learns. The horse begins to feel that he’s being yelled at. Even if he performs the requested move, he gets the same large and loud cue.

Horses that become resentful get tense, toss their heads, pin their ears and even kick out. They may also become adversarial when groundwork is repetitious. If your horse has already given you the best he has and you don’t notice and give him a break, he may become agitated and act out. Horses want you to acknowledge their efforts.

Just What’s Needed

Keep in mind that from the moment you’re with a horse that you’re teaching him how to interact with you and what you expect. As soon as you catch a horse in a pen or from the field and lead him to the grooming area, you’re doing groundwork.

Your horse should keep his nose in front of his chest as you’re leading him. He should not look around for his friends. If he does, correct his nose position by bumping the lead rope until his nose comes back toward the center, aligned with his chest.

If he crowds you as you walk, defend your space. Swing the tail of the lead toward his shoulder to define your space. Stop and start and make sure that he moves his feet when you do. If he doesn’t, correct him with a tug on the lead line.

If at any time a horse looks like he would benefit from some groundwork, do it. But if he’s showing respect and paying attention, he probably doesn’t need it.

Groundwork for Greenies

If your horse is young or green, you may incorporate groundwork daily until he’s fluent in all the skills. Ask him to walk beside you at the speed you determine. If he lags behind, bump on the rope halter and lead. If he gets in front of you, correct him by snapping the rope until his eye is beside your elbow.

You may also introduce circling work, done with a halter and long lead line and while holding a flag or stick. Point to the direction you want the horse to go, cluck to ask the horse to trot, then reinforce the cue with the stick or flag if your horse doesn’t move out.

The idea isn’t to get your horse to run in circles. Instead, work methodically and ask your horse to change directions often. Take one step toward his head, say “whoa,” then stop. Switch which hand holds the stick and point to the new direction you want to go, and ask your horse to move again. Changing directions will help you gain authority over your horse and tune him in to your increasingly subtle cues.

These steps should not be a permanent part of your training regimen but will teach respect and develop a line of communication. Once your horse has advanced in his training, leave the groundwork behind.

Horses are fast-learning animals; when they’re not learning, there’s a problem on the other end of the lead rope. If your groundwork is effective, change should happen rapidly.

If your horse isn’t advancing in his training, consider asking for help from a knowledgeable friend or a professional. If your horse is challenging you every day, you may need to reassess your suitability to that horse. Not all horses are challenging; not all riders are suited to every horse.

This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Trail riding during a large, organized trail ride can be relaxing and fun—if your horse is willing to fall in line and be part of the larger group. However, big trail rides can be a challenge for riders with horses that fight to be in the lead, spook at new terrain or won’t move past obstacles. Read on to learn more about a trail riding club that focuses on training you and your horse for the many trail rides ahead.

What can you do to prepare your horse for large rides instead of training on the spot? Gather a select few trail-riding friends and plan trail-training rides before attending a large-scale ride.

Here, I’ll share my tips for setting up an on-the-trail training club. With a small group of friends committed to helping everyone’s horses remain calm and obedient, you can make sure your horse is ready for any trail riding scenario before signing up for a large-scale ride.

No Place to Train

Large-scale trail rides often benefit good causes and aim to bring horse owners together. These big rides can be great fun, but they aren’t the best place for training a young horse or a horse that has specific training needs.

Does your horse cross water? Make sure you know before the big ride. It’s not a good idea to stop and train your horse when a large group of riders is moving on; your horse will become more worried if he’s separated from the herd. Horses are instinctively excited when they’re in a group of new horses. If your horse hasn’t crossed a bridge or stepped over large logs, it isn’t the right time to introduce him to these challenges when his friends are riding away. Your horse will be distracted and difficult to train when you’re riding in a large, unfamiliar group.

The best training occurs when your horse’s mind is calm and relaxed and he can think through what you’re asking. These conditions won’t exist at a large function. If you want to test your horse’s behavior on the trail—or know that you need to get him used to new stimuli—plan training sessions prior to a large, organized event.

Start Your Group

The riders who join your trail-riding training club must know that your rides will include time to help other members of the group. On your training rides, you’ll stop to work on a skill to be mastered. This isn’t a distance-covering ride; it’s your chance to work on an issue.

Ask riders to join you if they are competent and confident. Aim for a group of three or four riders who have well-behaved horses and who take responsibility for themselves and their horses. Have a solid, reliable horse as a role model that can demonstrate what another horse needs to learn.

Make your training lists and coordinate on some strategic planning. List out what you know your horse needs help with and what obstacles you’d like to introduce. Consider which horse in the group needs to work first and what you’ll do to help find a solution for the training issue. Research training techniques and choose the method you’ll use.

Focus on one horse and rider at a time and develop a plan so everyone in the group can help further one horse’s training. If you get together as a group but everyone works independently, you won’t get the benefit of working together. Schedule out your rides so that everyone in the group has a chance to get help with a goal. Make sure you have the terrain or setup you need. If you want to work with a horse that’s afraid to cross water, you’ll need to travel to a creek. If your horse runs off when he gets to a large meadow, you’ll need a trail that opens to a large field. If your horse challenges for the lead spot on the trail, you’ll need a safe area to ride where you won’t be in danger if the horse tries to rush ahead.

Trail Tests

Here’s a list of on-the-trail skills all horses should master and training suggestions to help you progress. Test your horse’s skills as you ride with your trail-training group.

Basic Obedience: Make sure your horse walks at the speed you choose on a loose rein when you’re leaving for your ride, and as you return to your starting point. Your horse shouldn’t slow down as you leave or speed up on his return route.

If your horse is “jiggy” and prances on the way home while riding with your small group, his behavior will be worse when you ride toward home in a large group. If your horse prances, stop him abruptly then ask him to walk forward on a lose rein. Don’t allow the fast jig; show your horse that you’re only asking for a calm, relaxed walk.

New Horses: Make sure your horse is comfortable in groups of new horses and that you can keep his attention no matter how many others are around. If your horse is distracted in your small group, he will likely be overwhelmed in a large group.

Make sure your horse knows that he can’t interact with other horses in any way when you are in the saddle. He is not to touch another horse in any way.

Correct your horse by turning his head away from other horses. Use your reins to keep his nose in front of his chest and stop him from looking around. This basic obedience will help him remember to tune in to you and not to worry about the larger herd.

Bye to Buddies: Many horses don’t want to be separated from the horses they know well. While it’s hard to stop and work on this issue in a large group, the answer is to purposely have your friends ride away (a short but visible distance) and to allow space for your horse to focus on you.

If your horse is buddy-sour, he’ll pull toward and constantly look around for his equine friends. He’ll become nervous and uncooperative if what you ask doesn’t bring him closer to his buddies.

If the problem is big, you’ll need to outfit your horse in a rope halter and work from the ground, insisting on your horse’s focus and obedience as he’s separated from—but can see—his buddies. (See “Bye Bye Buddy,” below).

Lead/Follow: Make sure your horse accepts any place in the trail lineup. If he thinks he has to be in front the whole time, you’re in for a miserable ride.

Play leap frog to make sure that your horse can be in any position in your small group of horses and riders. Line up so that all horses are in a head-to-tail line with exactly one horse length between horses. Test your mount and make sure he’s rating his speed off the horse in front of him—not you holding him back. The line can move at a walk, trot or canter, depending on the group members’ skill levels.

Let each horse maintain the lead for a bit, then ask the horse and rider at the back of the line to move to the lead position. Each horse then adjusts to his new spot and must rate his speed to stay in line. Continue in this fashion until all the horses have been at the front and at the back.

Approach the Fear: Make sure that your horse will approach any new and spooky obstacle on the trail. When you plan your group training rides, agree ahead of time that you will take whatever time is needed to work a horse through the spook and teach him to face what he’s afraid of. (See “Approach Something New,” below.)
Keep in mind that on these trail training days that you don’t have to travel far from home. Consider setting up an obstacle course in a nearby field and challenge everyone in your group to walk over a tarp or other new item. Remember that you can always lead your horse from the ground to boost his (and your) confidence.

If you test your horse on all of these issues and spend time helping each horse-rider pair in the group, you’ll not only boost your skills and camaraderie, you’ll all be ready for anything you approach on any trail ride. Lean on your friends and take your time as you improve your horsemanship.

Trail Training Tip: Bye Bye Buddy

For a horse that’s seriously herd bound, you’ll need to work through it from the ground. Insist on your horse’s focus and obedience as he’s separated from—but can see—his buddies.

Outfit your horse in a rope halter and ask him to stand still and focus on you. If he turns his head at all, correct him by pulling on your lead line and moving his head back in front of his chest. He isn’t to look around; he’s to focus on you. Then put your horse to work circling and changing directions.

Once your horse’s attention improves while working from the ground, you need to make sure you have his attention while riding. Every time he looks at the barn or another horse, give him lots of commands (transition from slow to fast and constantly change directions) so he has to focus on you.

Correct him from pulling toward his friends: If he wants to turn to the right, turn him to the left. If he wants to look to the right, pick up your left rein and correct the direction of his nose. Soon he’ll realize that his antics are fruitless. Every time he focuses on his buddy horse, he’ll have to work harder and will be separated even more in the process.

Trail Training Tip: Approach Something New

If you’re working on an obstacle that may spook or frighten your horse, take the time your horse needs to think it through. Don’t push him toward the obstacle too fast. Ride near it, but insist on his straightness and obedience.

If he veers away from the obstacle when you’re riding past it (not aiming him at it), address his disobedience and cue him toward the object. Work on riding with straightness and willingness as you pass by the scary thing. Once you’ve regained your horse’s obedience, you’re ready to tackle the obstacle.

Help from a Friend: It helps to have a more confident horse walk through or by the obstacle first. Make sure that your horse can see what his friend is doing.

Don’t Look Away: When it’s your turn, keep your horse pointed toward the object and don’t allow him to turn away. As long as he’s willingly looking forward, allow him to rest. Be patient. Correct his nose if he starts to turn. Soon, your horse will learn he can rest if he looks at the scary object and he’ll become curious. You’ll feel him want to move toward the thing that was scary.

Walk Through It: It’s not a failure to get off your horse and walk him thorough the obstacle before you ride it. Your goal is to instill confidence in your horse, and he’ll have more confidence with you on the ground in front of him than when you are up on his back.

This article about a trail riding club originally appeared in the August 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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If getting in the trailer isn’t your horse’s favorite activity, making sure that you know where to be can ensure that he’ll step in with ease. When you’re aware of your body position and your horse’s behavior, you’ll be able to identify potential problems and tackle them before they escalate. Read on to learn more about the Julie Goodnight method for trailer loading.

Trailer Loading: Body Language Mistakes

If your horse fights you when the trailer is in view, evaluate your body language and notice what behaviors you may be allowing from your horse. Make sure to avoid the most common problem I see horse owners make: allowing the horse to look away and then turn away from the trailer.

Once you present your horse to the open trailer and walk forward, inviting him to walk in, he should only look and move forward. If you allow him to turn around, you reward his refusal. I’ve seen many horse owners circle their horses around and approach the trailer a second, third and fourth time.

Each time you allow your horse to turn away, you reinforce that looking away and turning away is an option. Only forward motion and looking ahead is allowed.

The other common mistake I see is people who ask the horse to move forward into the trailer but then stand in the doorway and block his ability to move forward. Your horse knows that he isn’t supposed to jump on top of you. If you’re in the way, he doesn’t think that it’s right to go in.

Trailer Loading: The Right Way

What should you do if your horse won’t load up? First, make sure your body language is confident. Lead your horse to the trailer with your arms out so that your hands are in front of the horse and you are gesturing and guiding him forward. You may need to think of straightening your elbows to make sure that you’re not pulling back at all. Make sure your eyes are looking right into the trailer, conveying to your horse that you intend to walk forward and expect him to move with you.

If you know your horse is guilty of looking away, circling, or throwing a fit, prepare for your trailer training session. Outfit your horse in a rope halter and long lead, and make sure you put on gloves.

Safety Note: Never load a horse into a trailer that is not hooked securely to a vehicle, even if you’re only practicing loading. The weight and movement of the horse can easily cause the trailer to move or fall off its chocks.

Rule out escape by correcting your horse for looking around. If he looks away, bump the lead line to turn his nose back toward the trailer so that it stays directly in front of his chest. Always direct your horse’s attention back to the trailer.

You’ll also need to ask a friend to help by holding a training flag behind your horse. If your horse starts to back up, your friend will wave the flag vigorously (in the air, not touching the horse) to apply mental pressure. Your helper should stop waving the instant your horse stops or moves forward.

You’ll make the trailer the safe and easy destination—and moving backward will prove worrisome, but not painful. (Note: Using ropes and whips on the horse’s hindquarters only makes the horse concerned about his rear end; the process doesn’t make him focus on going forward.) You want to reward forward motion by stopping all pressure and allowing the horse to think about moving into the trailer.

Using the flag correctly takes great concentration and impeccable timing. If your timing is off by a second, your horse may not associate the flag’s start and stop with his behavior.

If you’re the one holding the flag, your only job is to stop the horse from backing up. You must watch his feet very closely. Flag vigorously the instant he starts to move back, and stop flagging the instant he moves forward.

The person handling the horse has the job of controlling his nose to stop it from turning right or left. It’s not an easy job and takes a lot of focus. The instant the horse turns his nose to the side, there must be a correction: bumping the lead line to move his nose back to point at the trailer.

As long as the horse is not trying to turn right or left or back up, he can be allowed to stand there and think. I want him to come to the conclusion that his best option is to walk into the trailer.

It’s much better to practice trailer loading when you don’t have to go anywhere. Horses are very good at sensing when you’re in a hurry or are desperate for them to get in. When your horse knows that you’ve got all day, he’s far more likely to give up and get in.

Once he’s had a good training session and is loading well, I may feed him in the trailer twice a day for a week. He’ll come to think of the trailer as a happy place.

Unloading

Some horses may be harder to get out of the trailer than they were to get in—especially if they have to back out. Keep in mind that there is no place in nature where a horse would back down a step.

If you can borrow a trailer that allows you to do so, I advise letting horses walk forward out of a trailer when they’re first learning to load. They will understand the process and where they are.

After a horse is comfortable walking forward out of the trailer, I’ll back him up a few steps in the trailer, then turn him and allow him to walk out forward. I’ll continue to add more and more backing steps until we reach the edge of the trailer.

Work on your in-hand backing skills ahead of time on a level surface away from the trailer. Make sure that your horse will back up one step at a time on your command. Say “back,” then tug backward on the lead line so your horse knows the cue.

Next, practice backing up while your horse is in the trailer. It may take a while, so be patient. If you wait the horse out and convince him that backing out is the only way out, he’ll eventually give it a try.

He may step down then jump back in, so be prepared and stay out of the way. With lots of praise, understanding and patience, he’ll figure it out.

Trailer Tying

Never tie your horse inside the trailer until the divider or door is shut and he’s safely enclosed. If you tie before the door is shut, your horse may panic and pull back on the rope. He could get his hind legs out and under the trailer while his head is still tied. This can result in horrible injuries.

Likewise, untie the horses before opening any doors. Most horses are eager to get out of the trailer and they know the sound of the door opening. In a straight-load trailer, make sure the butt bar is down before opening the door. If the horse panics to get out, you don’t want him to get under the bar. Open any door slowly and close it immediately if it appears the horse is going to panic to get out.

I like to tie and untie my horse without getting into the same compartment that the horse is in. The best scenario is if I can reach into the trailer and untie the rope from outside the window.

If you use trailer ties, make sure the quick release is on the tie end, not at the horse’s head. If I need to release it in an emergency, I’d like the lead to be on the horse instead of attached to the trailer.

I always tie while trailering because it’s not hard for an untied horse (or a horse tied too long) to turn his head around and then not be able to turn back. The rope should be at a length so that the horse can hold his head in a relaxed, wither-height position, but no looser.

This article about Julie Goodnight Trailer Loading originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Not having a controlled canter is scary. If your horse has acted up at the canter by bucking or bolting it may take time as well as physical and mental preparation before you’ll overcome fear and feel confident riding this fast-paced gait again.

Here, we’ll help you formulate a process to renew your confidence and work through your horse’s training challenges. You can return to cantering when you feel ready and know how to work through your horse’s bucks and kicks.

Don’t Rush the Process

If you are worried about not having a controlled canter while riding your horse at the canter, give yourself a break. Take the time you need to improve your skills at the trot, and only canter again when you are ready. There is no law that says you must canter your horse each time you ride.

Most riders feel pressure to canter, whether it’s a part of your chosen riding sport or for your horse’s usual conditioning routine. The important part is to not allow yourself to be pressured by others and to only begin cantering your horse again when you feel prepared.

If you want to overcome your cantering challenges, read on for tips to help you relax and regain trust in your skills and your horse. If you’re worried about the gait because of your horse’s behavior, I’ll provide tasks and strategies to help you be sure your horse will react well so that you don’t have to fear the gait and you have a more controlled canter.

Working at the Trot

The best way to improve the canter is to improve the trot. Working at the trot will help you feel more confident when you decide to canter again.

Work your horse at the trot without thinking of cantering to slowly begin to overcome your fear. Plan your riding sessions and test your skills as you ride at the sitting and posting trot. Make sure you can speed up and ride at the working trot. Slow down your horse and ask for a collected trot. Ask your horse to trot circles, serpentines and figure-eights.

As you work at the trot and test your skills, you’ll also help your horse tune in to you. As you trot circles and change directions, your horse has to listen for cues and respond quickly. You’ll gain confidence in your horse as you trust that he’ll listen to your cues and work in whatever pattern and at whatever speed you choose. If your horse is compliant at the trot, he should act the same at the canter.

Your first goal may be to trot faster and do the same patterns with added speed. Make small goals then celebrate each step of progress—and don’t criticize yourself for not cantering. As you accomplish each small step, you will build confidence.

Brake Check: If you know you can stop quickly from the trot, you’ll also be able to control and stop your horse when you’re cantering.

To test your brakes, ask your horse to trot and to move in a long trot. Ask for a sudden stop by sitting down and back, saying “whoa” and using the reins in a one-two, left-right pull if needed.

Watch from the Ground

If you’re still worried about the canter, consider asking an instructor, trainer or accomplished rider to canter your horse first. No one can master horsemanship without help and guidance, and you may have a confidence boost when you see someone else successfully ride your horse’s canter.

A horse can be reluctant to canter with a nervous rider who may pull at his mouth in a fear response as he steps into the canter. He’ll develop more confidence and understand that he’s supposed to move forward at the canter. You’ll have more confidence in the horse when you see that he’ll move on without bucking, spooking or bolting.

If you’ve become worried about the canter, it’s also a great idea for you to ride a seasoned school horse that will step into a controlled canter with confidence. Take a lesson and make sure that you’re ready to release rein pressure and move into the canter with confident body posture.

Bucking

Many horses will “hump up” or crow hop if they don’t want to canter when cued, or if they receive conflicting signals from the rider. If a horse is a little lazy, he may express his displeasure by crow hopping when you ask him to canter. Often, a nervous rider will feel the hump in the horse’s back and immediately pull the horse back down to a slower gait. Horses are smart, and quickly learn the cause and effect of their behaviors. If they hump their backs, they learn that many riders will allow them to stop and rest.

Some horses buck a little or toss their heads when asked to canter because the rider interferes with their forward progress. To start the canter, the horse must push his head down and toward the bit at the moment he steps into the canter.

This is the same moment that worried riders tense up and pull back. The result is the horse slamming his mouth into the bit. He is punished for doing what he was asked to do. This undue punishment is frustrating to the horse, so he expresses his emotion with a little buck or head toss.

Over time, the horse learns not to trust the rider and the rider no longer trusts horse. If you’re in this fear-producing cycle when you ask your horse to canter, it’s a great idea to get help from a skilled, confident rider. Have that friend or pro work at the canter to re-establish trust.

If a horse offers to hump his back or buck, the right answer is to move him forward. Sit back and keep your arms and hands far forward so that you don’t interfere with the horse’s mouth at the canter. Only stop him when he relaxes his back and moves freely forward. If you only stop your horse when he is compliant and moving forward, he will be more inclined to act that way another time.

If a horse has a long habit of bucking, it may take longer to create a new and better habit. Still, when the horse benefits, he learns quickly. So if the longtime bucker has to go round and round at the canter before he relaxes and gets to stop, it will make a big impression on him.

Canter Time

If you feel confident at the trot, have received help for your horse’s behavior challenges and keep thinking about cantering, it’s time to add cantering back to your riding sessions.

Make a riding plan to help stay calm and relaxed at the faster gait. Know where in the arena you will ask for the canter. Practice your canter cue sequence (see Part 1 in the April 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated) before you’re on the horse. Plan how far you’ll ride before asking the horse to stop.

When you ask for the canter, sit back and make sure to reach your hands forward. The biggest mistake I see at the canter is when riders lean forward. This closes the angle of your pelvis and puts you in front of the motion. To move with the cantering motion, sit back as if you were pushing a swing.

Keep this position in your mind to help reverse what nerves and fear can do. If you’re fearful, your tension causes your back to hollow and your hips to close and grip. Visualize keeping your nose behind your belt buckle. Your hips should make a circle as you canter, with your heels flexing down every stride.

Only canter for a few strides then return to a controlled trot to aid in overcoming fear. Stay on a straight line at first; cantering through turns is more challenging.

Once you are cantering comfortably down the long side of the arena, set a goal to ride through the turn before returning to the trot. Make sure you reach forward as you turn (don’t pull back on the reins).

Horses tend to break gait on the turns if you pull back with the turning rein or if you turn while using two reins. These rein moves seem like a cue for the downward transition and give your horse an excuse to stop. Once you can canter around a turn, then set a goal to canter the around the entire arena.

If you add small goals and work toward them over many rides, you’ll find that you want to do more. Soon you’ll be cantering circles and making patterns—just like you accomplished while working at the trot.

Take your time, be patient with yourself as you overcome fear, and don’t forget to praise your horse for his willingness to work at the canter.

This article about how to have a more controlled canter originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Maintaining the canter can be difficult, follow these tips to learn how to keep the canter.

Once you’ve asked your horse to canter, he should keep moving at the speed you requested until you ask him to do something different. Too often, I hear complaints from riders who cue their horses to canter, only to have the horses slow down or break gait after a few strides. I also hear from riders who are frustrated when their horses break gait when they cue for a turn.

You can overcome these canter challenges which will aid in maintaining the canter when you understand how horses are trained and confidently cue your horse to move in the direction and at the speed you choose.

Setting Expectations

You shouldn’t have to tell your horse to keep going by constantly “pedaling,” or applying pressure with your legs. Your horse also shouldn’t speed up without a cue from you.
Breaking gait (slowing down to a walk or trot from the canter) is disobedient behavior. Many times, though, the horse thinks that he is doing the right thing by stopping making it harder to maintain the canter. A horse may sense a rider is out of balance or think that a fearful tug on the reins is a cue to stop.

However, a horse may also learn that he won’t be reprimanded for his disobedience if he does change gait at his own whim. It’s up to you, as the rider, to make sure you know when your horse is acting with disobedience and to make sure you aren’t interfering with your horse’s forward motion.

Causes for Breaking Gait

Balance and Rein Pressure:

Many times, horses learn that they can break gait at the canter when the rider inadvertently interferes by losing balance or unintentionally pulling on the reins. These mistakes make it difficult for the horse to keep moving forward at the canter.

Often, new riders are taught to canter in a small arena for the control and confinement it offers. Unfortunately, that usually means that as soon as you get going, you have to turn. The turn causes the rider to lose balance and pull on the reins. The combination of losing balance and pulling back on the reins to turn causes the horse to break gait.

Ideally, you should get comfortable cantering in straight lines, then start learning to turn with balance.

Ideally, you should get comfortable maintaining the canter in straight lines, then start learning to turn with balance. When you round a corner, make sure to reach forward and guide your horse through the turn using a leading rein and not a direct rein. Make sure that your heels are down and your arms are relaxed and reaching forward. This position will help you sit down into the saddle and be balanced so that you’re as easy as possible for your horse to carry.

If your horse has learned to stop cantering when you ask for a turn, make sure you’re not pulling back on the reins when you intend to provide a turning cue. You don’t want to pull back at the very moment he needs more forward impulsion to carry himself (and you) through the turn.

Worse, if you lean in and drop your hand low as you try to turn, you’ll pull your horse onto his forehand, making it impossible for him to sustain the canter. Sometimes even advanced riders cause their horse to break gait by simply making the turn too tight.

Keep two basic ideas in mind:

The faster the speed, the bigger the turn should be; and, the greener the horse, the larger the circle or wider the turn should be. Athletic and very well-trained horses are capable of carrying the rider at the slow collected canter in very small circles, but that comes with ability level of both rider and horse, plus conditioning and athleticism.

Make sure to give your horse plenty of slack in the reins as you cue for the canter. On the first canter stride, your horse reaches far down with his nose, requiring a release of the reins so that he won’t hit the bit and feel a tug on his mouth. If he hits the bit, he’s punished for doing what was asked and he feels pressure on his mouth, which tells him to stop.

The Lazy Horse

Some horses prefer to conserve their energy. Energy may be needed for a future flight response, so these horses move slowly until they need to move fast. If a rider gives this more-slow-than-go horse any reason to stop, he’ll take it as a great opportunity to avoid hard work.

If your horse is lazy, he may break gait and get to trot four or five strides. If you simply re-cue him without a reprimand, he will learn that he can get a break whenever he chooses. He got to catch his breath for a few strides and there was no penalty for breaking gait. Whenever the horse benefits from his behavior, he is likely to repeat it.

A horse that chooses to slow out of the canter to the trot should be corrected and immediately put back to the canter. If you don’t correct the horse (and only re-cue him for the canter), he has no way of knowing that you disapproved of his slowdown.

Make your horse notice that there’s a consequence for breaking gait. Only let him stop and rest when he is moving freely forward at the canter.

Your correction need not be harsh, but it needs to motivate your horse to change. Simply yelling “hey” or “get up” can prompt your horse to remember his training. As you re-cue him after a break in gait, ask him to work a little harder. Make him notice that there’s a consequence for breaking gait. Only let him stop and rest when he is moving freely forward at the canter.

If the breaking gait behavior persists, there is a simple reason—you are not using enough pressure to motivate change. Make sure the horse knows he is being corrected. If he isn’t noticing your reprimand, he’ll continue to do what he pleases—what’s easiest for him. Make your voice louder or pick up the ends of your reins to threaten a tap on the shoulder or hindquarters. Escalate your reprimand until you sense that your horse understands you.

Reward the Best

While you don’t want to push your horse beyond his physical fitness, you do want to make sure that you are the one making the choice to slow down.

If you only stop your horse when he is giving you what you want, he will always give you his best. He’ll learn that if he does what is asked, you’ll notice and reward him with a break. He’ll learn to trust you as his partner.

Whatever your issue at the canter, this simple training philosophy will work. Is your horse crow-hopping? Wait until he relaxes his back before you stop him. Is your horse moving too fast with his head high? Wait until you feel him slow down and relax; then stop him. Is he breaking gait? Wait until you feel him moving freely forward to stop him.

Just remember, whatever he’s doing at the moment you release him is what you just trained him to do.

Next month, Julie will help you gain confidence and improve your position while riding at the canter.

This article about maintaining the canter originally appeared in the May 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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How can you avoid this troublesome situation? And what should the correct lead look like?

At the canter, your horse should step so that his inside legs reach ahead—appearing to “lead” the horse. This leg arrangement helps him to keep his balance as he turns corners. Your horse first pushes off with his outside hind leg. He then moves his inside hind and outside front legs forward at the same time. One stride of the canter ends when the horse’s inside front leg reaches far forward then leaves the ground.

You’ll conquer the canter when you set up your cue so your horse knows how you want him to move. I’ll help you prepare for the lead you want, making sure you put your horse in position to take off with the correct leg first.

Canter Cues

Here’s how I cue my horses to canter when I’m cueing from the stand still, walk or trot:

• Apply pressure with your outside leg placed about 6 inches behind the girth. This moves the horse’s haunches in.
• Slightly elevate your inside rein (to balance the horse and lift his inside shoulder).
• Make a kissing sound.
• Curl your hips in the canter motion.

Cueing Mishaps

What causes a horse to take the wrong lead? Your horse may not pick up the lead you wish if he doesn’t have a specific cue. Make sure that you give your horse a cue for direction as well as for speed. However, some horses haven’t been trained to pick up a specific lead.

A horse that is used to moving straight ahead, like down a trail, may have been allowed to take his preferred lead. If the cue to canter is associated with something else, like team roping, the horse may learn to start on the left lead since he knows he will be turning left. Also note that if your horse has a past injury or current pain, he may favor one lead. Past pain may cause a horse to habitually choose one lead. Consider having your veterinarian check for physical causes if your horse seems resistant to one lead.

If a horse picks up the wrong lead while traveling in both directions, chances are he doesn’t have a clear signal from the rider. Consider how you positioned him before asking for speed.

Moving In

In the language of classical horsemanship, you can cue your horse to canter with “lateral aids” or “diagonal aids.” Diagonal aids refer to using your outside leg and inside rein as part of your cue (so the aids are applied diagonally). Lateral aids refer to using your outside leg and outside rein (the aids are applied on one side of the horse).

Diagonal aids are used in classical training (such as for dressage), but you often see young and green horses cued with lateral aids. Both types of cues are used to move the horse’s haunches in toward the middle of the arena.

With diagonal aids, you bring the horse haunches-in by arcing in the direction of the turn, which is more technically correct. With lateral aids, you displace the haunches to the inside by turning the horse’s nose to the outside.

Set up for Success

I like to cue my horses to move their haunches to the inside before cantering. This position allows my horse to push off with the correct outside leg when I cue for the canter.

Once I’m in position, I must sequence my cues and make sure that I always cue in a consistent order. I want to give my horse as much information as possible so that he’ll move exactly how I ask him to. Horses can learn sequences quickly, so the more you can incorporate a slow and consistent sequence of cues, the faster he will learn to step off into the lead you want.

If you rush your cues or apply more than one at a time, you may rush your horse and not get the result you want.

I sequence my cues and separate them by a half a second or more. If you rush your cues or apply more than one at a time, you may rush your horse and not get the result you want. Make sure your horse is warmed up and attentive before giving him your sequence of canter cues.

Think through the sequence that you use, then make a one-syllable reminder for each part of the sequence. I repeat the phrase “Leg-Rein-Kiss-Push” over in my mind to help me prepare for the sequence. Say the cue in your head in a 1-2-3-4 rhythm as you cue. Take all the time your horse needs. Do not cue until your horse is ready and slow down the cue if your horse struggles or doesn’t do as you’ve asked. A young or green horse (or a horse that is unfamiliar with you as the rider) may need a slow cue sequence so he has the best chance to understand and comply.

For smooth transitions to the canter from the halt, walk or trot, the horse needs to be collected and attentive in order to step off promptly and smoothly into the canter. You don’t want your horse to blast into the canter. Cantering from the halt or walk generally requires a higher level of training for both horse and rider and comes later in the horse’s training.

Tips and Training Plans

Pick the best spot in the arena to ask your horse for the canter lead you want. For green horses or horses that won’t take one lead, I like to cue just before turning to the short side of the arena. Make sure not to cue the horse in the turn, but just before it.

At the perfect cueing spot, your horse will be moving straight on the long rail. In this spot, he’ll most easily accept the cue for haunches in and he will see the upcoming turn and know which way he will turn. If you wait until your horse is already in the turn, his haunches will drift to the outside, causing him to take the wrong lead.

Slow down your training and give your horse the best chance to understand your cues.

If taking the correct lead is still a challenge, practice the haunches-in position at the walk and trot without asking for the canter. Leg-yielding is also a good way to develop better control of the haunches. Slow down your training and give your horse the best chance to understand your cues. Keep in mind that all of training occurs in transitions. Your departures will only get better by doing lots of transitions.

Make sure that you don’t get into a pattern as you practice your canter cue (always doing it at the same spot or same time in your ride, stopping at the same place or after the same number of strides). Your horse will learn to anticipate instead of listen to your precise cue. Do two or three departures on each lead during your rides and you’ll make progress without overworking or drilling your horse.

Coming up next in Part 2, Julie will help you avoid breaking gait. In Part 3, she’ll troubleshoot common canter issues—fear and bucking at the canter.

This article about cueing the canter originally appeared in the April 2018 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

The post Canter Boot Camp Part 1: On Cue appeared first on Horse Illustrated Magazine.