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“HAVE FAITH IN THE TEACHING PROCESS. KNOW THAT RELEASING PRESSURE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS A HORSE EXPERIENCES. IT SHOWS HIM WHAT TO DO, AND HOW TO DO IT.”


Moonshine stays back from Carter and qui- etly follows in line. T is allows me to keep the reins “open”–slack. A young horse needs to be relaxed and comfortable; this type of riding does just that.


guaranteed releases. When you become tense and alter those signals, the horse will not un- derstand. Routine is both friend and foe.


We use it to build confi dence, but we avoid it to discourage anticipa- tion. T is is a confi dence-building situation. How you act in the saddle is his routine. Regardless of location, you make the same request, follow through with it, and reinforce the answer as you normally would. In practice, this means I will ask only for


Instead of insisting that Moonshine stand fi rm and contain his energy, I like to direct his feet when he’s nervous or thinking for- ward on his own. Moving the shoulders with a slight counter-bend leſt and right brings his at ention back on me. I avoid rating speed with two hands.


PRE-RIDE WARM-UP When you frequently work your horse,


you know what he needs to be “thinking right”—focused on you and your requests. Groundwork or a ride in the arena might be best before you head out. When a young horse is reactive or showing signs of anxiety, it’s best not to climb on and hope for the best. Do something that calms him down and gets him seeking answers again.


STAY THE SAME The trail is just a new venue, but you


still look for the same body control, confi - dence and rhythm that you achieved in the enclosed areas. It’s important to keep your requests the same. Your horse has learned to respond to your predictable cues and


responses I’m sure I’ll get. I know I can direct his nose and feet leſt and right. I know I can move him forward with leg cueing. I also know that as the early trail ride progresses, I can start to ask for him to stop and stand. Early on, when I feel a young horse thinking overly forward, blocking his energy with both reins can lead to avoidance behavior– head tossing, bracing, rearing and so forth. Instead of asking for something that might be too much, I control his feet and stay safe in other ways. However, as I feel his body and mind relax, I can ask for such a response.


USE A BUDDY HORSE I believe taking a young or inexperienced


horse on the trail for the fi rst number of rides alone only sets him up to fail, in addition to


My fi rst real obstacle is


a drainage ditch holding water. Since Moonshine wants to avoid it, I pick a


specifi c spot and keep his nose pointed directly at it. He sees straight for- ward is the best option


and calmly walks through the gully onto the trail.


14 | December 2011 • WWW.TRAILBLAZERMAGAZINE.US


being unsafe. I’m sure it can be done, but I want to set him up to succeed. T erefore, I will only trail ride him with another sea- soned horse or a small group of good horses. A rider in the lead gives unsure animals


something to follow, just like rounding up horses or cat le on the range. T e fi rst horse on a path relaxes those in tow. Instead of be- ing the prime horse on the lookout, and ne- gotiating all the trail obstacles, the seasoned horse shows the youngster that everything is fi ne and he can just follow in line. As mentioned above, taking up the slack


on two reins with your snaff le bit is not always the best way to rate speed or help him along. Instead, use the horse in front of you to rate his speed. By guiding the young horse’s nose directly at the tail of the horse in front, you give him nowhere to go. You simply ask for leſt or right “gives” with one rein only (minimizing the “trap”) and let


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