JANUARY 2014 THE RIDER /37


The Round Pen - step 14


20 Steps In Discover By Russ Krachun


sTEP # 14- Desensitize Hind End with Lasso or Lariat from the left and right direction


another story that I was recently told by a beauti- ful, smart girl named Lilli. As we became friends and got to know each other, we shared sto- ries about each other lives. She shared with me that her grandfather who was a farmer also raised cows and horses. As a teenager, she loved to ride her grandfather’s horses and told me that she enjoyed the feel of the wind in her hair as she loped through the field on horseback. I imagined this beautiful picture. She also mentioned, to me that she is always very careful with horses because they are danger- ous. I asked her why she


would first like to share a couple of sad stories with you, of accidents that have happened between people and their horses. The first one is about my Uncle Collin who first introduced me to horses and taught me about my Kozak Horsemanship in the Ukraine. My Uncle Collin and my mother, when they were children, decided to spend an enjoyable and fun day with the horses. It turned out to be anything but enjoyable. When my uncle went to catch my mother’s horse, he walked behind the horse and the horse kicked him in the face and he lost all of his teeth. He was very lucky that the horse did not kill him. He went through many surgeries and he learned a very good lesson about horse- manship. My uncle explained to me, when I was a child, what he did wrong and why the horse reacted this way. What my uncle taught me was how important it is for the horse to respect the human from the hind end, and that it is also impor- tant for us to be careful when working with the hind quarters of the horse because dangerous situa- tions and accidents hap- pen in real life. This left a strong impression on me and is the reason that safety is very important within my Kozak Horse- manship. I will also share


Russ Krachun “Kozak” Horsemanship and my Discover “20 Steps in the Round Pen”. I will con- tinue to share with you my next step # 14 Desen- sitize Hind End with Lasso from the left and right directions. But first of all, I


Welcome back to


thinks of horses that way. Her answer sadly was that her aunt had walked behind the horse, and the horse had kicked her in the head and she had lost her eye. This is the rea- son that Lily is very care- ful to be around the horse’s hindquarters. I call this fear, and I believe that this is not the horse’s fault. I explained to Lily that the horse is not a predator, and that horse would never attack first, it is just their surviv- ing instincts that work


me in the fact that she did not know what she was talking about, by general- izing all horses and that these animals were beneath us in the human race. Many people actu- ally think this way about horses as well as many other animals. These people in my opinion are very wrong, as animals can teach us many things, such as how to love, how to be happy, and how to open our hearts. They also teach us to respect them, as well, they help


cated. So let’s talk about


our horses we put them in cross ties, and walk behind them and also ask them to lift their back legs to clean their hooves, and we are putting ourselves


sons and stories from my life; I would like to share with you now, what hap- pens in our daily life with our horses and our rou- tines.


In order to groom


why we have to teach our horses to become safe in the hind quarters. I have given you rea-


inside of them that cause them to react this way. We all realize that acci- dents can happen and some accidents cannot be prevented, and that we learn by our own mis- takes.


could go back in time and have people work with these horses in my Dis- cover “20 Steps in the Round Pen” to help make these horses safe from the hind end teaching these horses to respect people when working around or near the hind end.


another example of how some people do not understand animals and have the wrong opinions about horse behaviour. One day as I was walking in my cowboy boots in the city; a lady asked if I owned horses or was I wearing the boots just for the style or was I was pre- tending to be a cowboy. I answered her; “yes; I do have horses and I work with them in building my “Kozak” Horsemanship and I also enjoy wearing my boots.” Continuing this conversation, this woman commented and said, in her opinion that horses were stupid ani- mals, and that they were always trying to kick peo- ple. Her comment upset


sure this would have pre- vented many injuries from happening, and per- haps these people would not have been hurt. I will share with you


I am I just wish that I


us to build respect and teach us to control our own emotions. Animals never lie. I believe that horses help to make us to become better people. I did not try to argue with this woman’s idea but realize that I will need to work harder in my clinics, trade shows, seminars, and with my students to deliver my message so that we can become better people, and try to save the animals in this world from being miscommuni-


in dangerous situations. We also ask the horse to move from the left or right side, and the horse may respond by kicking or pushing you against the wall. The horse shows you that he is not safe from the hind quar- ters. Another example is when the farrier comes and the horse does not respond to his cues to pick up his feet and the horse kicks out and push- es him to the wall. Once again, the answer is that


remind you that it is very important that you have finished your previous steps completely in order for you to continue and be successful in this step. Remember, this is our


my methods in this next step # 14 Desensitize the hind end with lariat from the left and right direc- tions. First of all, I want to


the horse is not safe in the hind quarters. When teaching our horses maneuvers that require the use of the hind quar- ters under saddle and we apply pressure with our legs to move the hind end and the reaction of the horse is that he tucks his tail and starts to run and the rider is bucked off. Again, this horse is not safe in the hind quarters. I believe that it is our responsibility to teach the horse to be safe in the hind quarters. If we build a solid foundation starting in the round pen and teach the horse on the ground first how to respect us with the hind quarters and to desensi- tize the hind quarters we will have solved many problems and avoid frus- trations on the ground and under saddle between the rider and the horse. I have found through the years of my successes, if we are going to succeed with our horse on the ground or in the saddle, the answer is always con- trolling the hind quarters. When we are able to make the hind quarters safe, our relationship with our horse is going to be much more enjoyable and safe. I will share with you


recipe for success in my Discover “20 Steps in the Round Pen”. The previous steps # 1, step # 2, step # 3, step # 12 and step # 13 will help us to succeed in this step. So far we have already put the lasso on our horse without the horse being upset and we do not have to throw the lasso or fight and make our horse afraid of us. We have taught our horse to go in any direction that we desire and at the speed that we want and our horse is not upset. Our horse already knows how to give to the pressure and stay still and does not run away from you or pull you around the pen. So with the lasso around the horse’s neck and the other end in your hand ask your horse to go forward. Start to wiggle the lasso in the left and the right direc- tions until you get a big loop and throw this loop behind your horse’s hind quarters. At this point the horse will usually start to run very fast, remember to control your emotions and not get upset because your horse will be able to read your body language, and things may go in the wrong direction. It is important to stay calm. Some horses may want to change direction, if this happens; you already know how to fix this by using your turn inside or outside turns in order to free the lasso. Some horses may kick at the lasso several times and then will quit. I will remind you to use a high quality lasso in this step, and if you have a danger-


site for more information about my Russ Krachun “Kozak” Horsemanship and also join and like my face book page. Thank you to my readers and following my Discover “20 Steps in the Round Pen”. I would also appre- ciate my readers to send me your comments! Thank you Russ


friends to take your time and don’t rush yourself or your horse. Safety is the most important thing, we only live once. Let’s con- tinue to build our partner- ships with our horses- step by step! Please visit our web-


my


Krachun www.koza- khorsemanship.com


ous situation, immediate- ly release the rope from your hands. The horse will calm down eventual- ly, the pressure will be released and the lasso will not tangle and will not hurt your horse. It is also important; my friends to repeat this step over and over until your horse accepts the lasso behind the hind quarters and become calm. The horse should travel in a calm soft gait, but the answer in this step is that your horse must stop travelling forward, stop and face you with the lasso behind his hind quarters accept- ing the lasso and become relaxed standing still. Remember,


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