Drive your horse up and down inclines, then back her up and down. When she is working both physically and mentally, her fo- cus is on you and the task at hand and she is not so prone to react to a strange object. Obedience is a conditioned response.
give him a “mark” where he will make transitions so he can prepare for the change as he approaches. We use rubber mats or a very obvious marker on the rails of the round pen. Always walk a circle (forward) as your horse moves around you, don’t step backwards or stand stationary. Walking toward him as he moves puts you in the position to drive his body with yours and keeps you from becoming dizzy. One of the reasons pedestal training is so valuable is the lessons
are always two-fold. For example, sending a horse to the pedestal on a short line incorporates both the “step up” and a strong “move forward” response. With a lit le imagination, common objects such as pedestals, fl at plywood, panels, tarps, rubber mats, logs, cavalet i, a pedestal and barrels, you can start today. Remember it’s not so much the obstacle as it is the “go forward.” T e cost of materials and time it takes to build pedestals, platforms
and bridges is an investment in safety. T e confi dence and compliance a horse gains from working obstacles at home will equal reliability under saddle on the trail. If his focus is on you, the obstacle or object becomes secondary. Lead, drive or longe your horse across or over every diff erent sur-
face you can fi nd, whether natural terrain or manmade. If you lead him, stay alongside him rather in front so he can’t leap and land on you unexpectedly.
GROUND DRIVE YOUR HORSE Ground driving helps develop the habit of moving in a straight line
and creates forward movement and fl uidity of gaits. If you have a train- ing surcingle, use it with longe lines and if not, use your saddle. Use a driving whip to ask for movement rather than the reins. Rein vibration will be felt in his mouth and may produce resistance or hesitation to move forward. Drive or longe him in circles, fi gure eights, up and down inclines, through rows of barrels, narrow passages between panels, trees or any safe and narrow aisle you can fi nd around the barn. Going through light brush or wispy trees that brush his sides will prepare him for narrow passages. T e goal is to get him in the habit of going where you ask him regardless of his surroundings. When approaching an obstacle, you want your horse to face it
straight on and not hedge or wiggle around it. If you don’t have a bridge in your yard or arena, use a piece of plywood, tarp or even cardboard. With a ground bridge, approach it from the narrow side fi rst. It’s okay if he jumps over it fi rst rather than stepping on it as long as he crosses
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over. When he’s comfortable crossing the narrow side, switch to the long direction. As he steps onto it, halt and then step him back and onto the ground. Drive or longe him in a diff erent location for a bit, then come back to the bridge and ask him to take two or three steps onto it before stepping him back off . T is gradual habituation process creates confi dence and reliability. T e sound of his own hooves striking an unfamiliar surface may
surprise him. T e hollow ring of a wooden bridge or even a cement surface can be unnerving for him the fi rst time. Bet er to let him ex- perience it fi rst at home. We teach our horses to go over jumps on the longe line and in a driv-
ing rig. T is is valuable when approaching downed logs or trees that may be diffi cult to clear with a rider. Leading over can be dangerous as the horse can land on top of you, so driving over is a good alternative.
ADVANCED WORK If you are adventurous, longe two horses at a time in opposite direc-
tions to prepare them for oncoming horses or hikers on a narrow trail. Choose horses already familiar with each other, not total strangers. Free longe one horse on the perimeter of a round pen as the second, more dominant horse travels in the opposite direction on a longe line. It is normal for them to posture at each other in the beginning, which presents a great situation for you to enforce your position as herd leader and maintain order. T is will greatly increase the more timid horse’s confi dence in your leadership ability. Horses that are longed together tend to be more accepting of close proximity of others in a trail line-up. T e diffi culty of the obstacles you train with are really not important.
Gaining cooperation from your horse and building a good working relationship is what you will depend upon when you venture out into the big, wide world. With some advance preparation, you and your horse can build a mutually confi dent partnership to safely tackle any challenge together.
Sue De Laurentis and Allen Pogue live in Drip- ping Springs, Texas, where they own and op- erate Imagine a Horse and Red Horse Ranch. T ey blend modern and classical horseman- ship to make Trick Horse Training understand- able and fun for horse and human. Visit online
at
www.imagineahorse.com and
www.redhorseranch.net
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