Japanese meaning of the name KITANA for a girl:

o discipline, intelligence, love, perseverance

o

Desensitizing and
Sensitizing
WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor

[October 1997]

What is a "signal" or "cue"?

This is anything that puts pressure on the horse. A signal is a
stimulus. Surprisingly, a signal does not have to be physical. You can
have your horse respond to a stimulus without ever touching him. A
signal can be applied to your horse by eye contact, the form of your
body/stance, or physical pressure (ex. with your hand or lead rope).
o
o

What is Desensitizing?
This is when you continually apply a stimulus until all response is
eliminated. You are desensitizing your horse every time you
repeatedly apply a stimulus. This stimulus can be your hand patting
his neck, a brush on his belly, a halter on his face, a tail wrap on his
tail, a saddle on his back, even your voice and body language. You
have taught him that when you touch him with any of these things,
he should give you NO response. You have desensitized him to those
things.

How do you properly Desensitize a horse?

1.
2.
3.
4.

Create a stimulus.
Wait for NO response.
Release the stimulus and praise horse.
Wait 2-3 seconds and start at #1 again.

Important points when Desensitizing:

When creating a stimulus such as stroking or rubbing using your
hand, you MUST continue with that stimulus consistently until the
horse gives you NO response. If you remove the stimulus before the
horse stops responding, you will be sensitizing him (this is how bad
habits form). He will believe that whatever action he was taking
(whether it was a swish of his tail or a stomp of his foot...or
anything) is was the correct action. But, what you wanted was NO
action, NO response.
Here's an example: You want to teach a foal to accept various types
of brushes and to allow you to groom him. So, you start with a soft,
easily accepted brush such as a horse-hair brush. You begin stroking

him with the soft brush even if he walks around or twitches his skin.
Once he stands still and gives NO response, you remove the stimulus
(the brushing).
o
o

What is Sensitizing?
This is when you continually apply a stimulus until you get a
response. If you sensitize a horse correctly, he will respond
immediately and 100% of the time - he will never not listen to the
cue. Many people sensitize their horse "on accident"...this is how
horses learn bad habits. Read below to learn how to desensitize and
sensitize your horse properly so that you won't ever "accidently"
teach him a bad habit.

How do you properly Sensitize a horse to a specific cue?

1.
2.
3.
4.

Create a stimulus.
Wait for the correct response.
Immediately release the stimulus.
Wait 2-3 seconds and start at #1 again.

Important points when Sensitizing:

When creating a stimulus such as pressure from your hand, you
MUST continue with that stimulus consistently until the horse gives
you the correct response. If you remove the stimulus before the
horse responds correctly, you will be desensitizing him (this is how
bad habits form). He will believe that he doesn't have to respond to
that stimulus since he got rewarded (release of pressure) when he
did nothing.
Here's an example: You put pressure on his ribs with your finger. He
feels this and notices that after a few seconds or few minutes it
becomes annoying or irritating. He then tries everything he can to
get you to take your finger away from his ribs. He may shake his
head or swish his tail or move towards you (as if to push you out of
the way), and finally he'll move away. Once he moves away, you
release the stimulus immediately. He soon realizes that you will stop
pushing on his ribs when he steps away from you.
o
o

Why do these methods work well on every horse?

This works extremely well because horses use these methods on
eachother. A mare will teach her foal to stay close by calling him
vocally. Once he moves closer to her, she'll immediately stop calling
him.

How are most "bad habits" formed?

Bad habits are formed by the rider/owner confusing desensitizing

with sensitizing.
Example of a rider confusing Sensitizing with Desensitizing:
The rider puts pressure on the horse's mouth, asking him to slow
down. When the horse slows down slightly, the rider does not
release the pressure on the horse's mouth and decides to turn
instead. What's the problem? Well, the horse never gets his release,
therefore, he becomes confused as to whether or not slowing down
is the correct action to take when pressure is put on his mouth. Not
to mention, she went from one signal to the next without a
release...when the rider doesn't reward the horse in the form of a
release, the horse becomes confused and/or begins to ignore the
signal (resulting in a "hard mouth"). Now, honestly, how many
times have you done this? I used to do this all the time (and
wondered why the horses would stop listening to me) before I
learned the simple methods I have outlined here!
By using proper desensitizing and sensitizing methods consistently
while working around or riding your horse, he will become
unbelievably responsive to every cue you give him. When you apply
a stimulus, all the horse wants out of life at that very moment is for
you to release the stimulus. This is why treats are not necessary
when training a horse.

You will see the patterns that are listed above in every lesson that is
taught on this site, and also in all horse-to-horse interactions. It is
the way herds behave, whether domesticated or wild. This
sensitizing method works 100% of the time and on 100% of horses.
The Patience Game
WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor [December 1999]
This article builds on our Sensitizing and Desensitizing concepts, so
it is a good idea to also read that training article.
Would you like your horse to become more responsive to your cues?
Have you ever applied a cue to your horse, only to find that he is
completetly ignoring your request? You know for a fact your horse
can feel the cue, but he is simply ignoring and/or refusing to obey to
his full potential. We call this the "The Patience Game", all horses
have played this game with their owner/trainer, some more than
others.
The horse knows that he does not have to obey the cue, he thinks if
he can just ignore it or pretend it's not there, you will give up and
release the pressure. You must teach the horse that he will never
again win at this game.

o
o

Allowing a horse to win at this game is one of the biggest mistakes

you can make as a rider, owner or trainer.

o
o
If you release the pressure from your cue before the horse responds
as desired, you will have taught him that your cue means 'do
nothing' or 'do the wrong thing'. If you just stick in there and show
your horse that you have more patience than him by steadily
applying the cue until the desired result is met, he will soon learn
that he will not win at this patience game! The result is a much more
responsive horse.
o
o

Don't give up or YOU will lose the game! Each time you lose this
game, training your horse will become more frustrating and difficult.

o
o
Here are a couple examples of how the rider/owner/trainer loses at
this game. Try your best to avoid losing in any similar situation.
1. A rider is trotting along and applies leg pressure on the horse's
sides to ask him to extend his trot. The horse does not respond, so
the rider removes the pressure and decides to give up instead.

HORSE WINS! Rider loses. Game over.

o

Ideal senario: The rider instead keeps the pressure applied until the
horse extends his trot a little, then once the horse responds, she
rewards him by immediately removing the pressure,

RIDER

WINS! Horse loses. Yay!

o

2. A trainer is teaching a foal to be halterbroke. The trainer applies

pressure forward on the halter to ask him to step forward. The foal
does not step forward, instead he steps backwards. The trainer then
releases the pressure and decides it will be easier to ask him to turn
first, to get him going. HORSE WINS! Trainer loses! Ha Ha!
Ideal senario: The trainer instead keeps the pressure applied until
the foal takes a step forward, then immediately removing the
pressure as a reward. TRAINER WINS! Horse loses. Yay!
3. An owner is attempting to pick out her horse's feet. She runs her
hand down his leg and gently squeezes on the back of his cannon
bone. The horse does not respond, so she then releases the pressure
and leans against his shoulder to get him to shift his weight to the
other side. HORSE WINS! Owner loses. Bummer!
Ideal senario: The owner instead keeps steady pressure on the
horse's cannon bone without leaning on him, until the horse
responds by picking up his foot. The owner immediately releases
pressure to reward him. OWNER WINS! Horse loses. Yay!
Alright, alright...you get the point (I HOPE!) You should condition
yourself to recognize The Patience Game in every encounter, every
situation and in every single cue you apply to your horse. When you

can recognize and play the game well, you will win every time and
your horse will become much more responsive to every cue you use.
o

Training Motivators
WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor

[June 16, 2000]

In order to teach any horse what you'd like it to do, you need to
have a motivator. Horses won't learn or perform without good
motivation. And, the motivation that you provide must be a greater
motivator that others that your horse is also exposed to. For
example, if your horse is "buddy sour", your motivator must be a
better one than his buddies who are calling him from the barn or
from a nearby pasture. Otherwise, all of his performance and
attention are taken off of you and placed on his buddies, and you
lose control.
Whatever type of motivation you decide to use when handling and
riding your horse, you should at least learn what that type of
motivation can do, and also it's bad points. The most common
motivators that are used today are: food, pain, praise, and pressure.
Below, I will outline what each motivator is good for, and also
what's bad about it.
o
o

Food:
Food is a great motivator/reward when used following a good
behavior or good response. Most horses are more than eager to do
what you ask for a food reward. The downside to this type of
motivator is that you cannot always be consistent when using it. The
horse soon begins to expect that when they perform certain
movements or tasks, they will recieve a food treat. The horse will
become confused and sometimes hesitant to perform if you have not
given him a food reward for a task that you used to. It is hard to
expect the horse to continue doing a good job, while reducing the
rewards that he gets. If you got paid a lower salary each year that
you worked, you would eventually learn to not care about the
reward (your salary). You will not always have food readily available
to give to your horse as a reward. Another downside to using this
type of motivator is that show judges definitely don't want to see
you reaching in your breeches to pull out a treat for your horse
when he picks up the proper lead, or when he stands still nicely.
o
o

Pain:
Pain is the worst motivator there is to use. It is used in many forms
from harsh bits and spurs to whips and physical contact. I cannot
list any good reasons for using the pain motivator except that it may
work that one time that you use it. The only thing that pain trains
the horse to do is have a sour attitude towards humans. You will not
get consistent results from a horse who is trained using pain as a

motivator. Using pain as a motivator may also create fear in the

horse.
The more that pain is used on a horse, the more he becomes numb
to that pain. He learns to deal with it and carry-on with whatever he
is doing. Horses who "require" harsher bits, spurs or whips to be
ridden are only victims of trainers who use pain motivators. The
horse that is handled by someone using pain as a motivator will
always find a motivator that is greater than that pain (such as fear
or food) that render the horse in control at that moment. In these
situations, the horse ignores any requests made by the rider and
dangerous for everyone around.
o
o

Praise:
Praise is a very good motivator. It is usually a great reward to give
your horse when he gives you a good response. Praise is given in the
form of soft, kind words, petting and rubbing. Praise alone is
sometimes not a good enough motivator for the horse to repeat an
action. However, when used in conjuction with one of the other
methods of motivation, you can achieve wonderful results. Most
horses love the attention!
o
o

Pressure:
This type of motivation can also be referred to as Sensitizing and
Desensitizing. You can find out more about it by clicking that link.
This method of motivation is used by applying pressure (such as a
downward pull on the horse's halter), and the pressure is held
consistently on that spot until the horse responds as desired. Once
the horse responds correctly, he is rewarded by you instantly
releasing the pressure.
Pressure is said to be the best type of motivator to use when
training a horse. The reward is always available (unlike food
rewards), it does not create fear or pain in the horse (unlike pain
motivators), and it sends a clear, positive signal to the horse when
he has done something correctly. It encourages the horse to repeat
the action more eagerly the next time you ask.
The reason the pressure motivator works so well is because you can
hold the same pressure as long as you need to without hurting the
horse. Let's say, for example, you picked up the rein and put
pressure on the bit). As you hold that pressure, the horse may
become a little aggrivated by it, and all he wants at that given
moment is for you to release the pressure.

The horse then begins to go on a search and starts exploring his

options. He raises his head, he pulls against your pressure, he
lowers his head, he shakes his head, he takes a step backwards or
forwards...and you are still holding the pressure on the bit during all
these attempts. The horse learns that the options he is using just
aren't working. So, he finally gives to the bit and you release the
rein. He is then rewarded (all he wanted was for you to release the
rein), and therefore, learns faster.
When you repeat that same process many times (usually 100-300
times), the horse will begin to learn that cue to a degree where it is
almost instinct to give to the bit every time you put pressure on it.
The only downsides to using this type of motivator is that it
demands more from the handler (concentration, consistency and
patience). Many horse-people have never learned to have these
qualities, or sometimes they just refuse to possess such qualities.
It is our responsibility to our much loved horses that we work hard
at improving these qualities in ourselves. We can begin to
communicate more clearly and precisely our requests and rewards.
When this happens, our horses begin learning much faster, and what
they learn is retained more permanently.

Where Do You Start The Training?

WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor

[May 6, 2001]

Training Question:
I am a new horse owner and I have been given an 8 month old mustang filly who is
to say the least wild and un-gentled. I am wondering where I should start training
this new horse. Do I start with sacking out, halter breaking, standing tied, round
penning, or maybe something else? I am confused as to what order I should train
these to my new filly. Could you help explain it?

Trainer's Response:
For almost every horse that I train, I first turn him loose in a round pen, paddock or
pasture. From there, I make sure that the horse has been taught to be caught and
haltered properly. If the horse turns away from me at any time, I work on training
him (using the round pen training techniques) to enjoy being caught and haltered
before any other training takes place.
After that, I teach the horse to be halterbroke. It is amazing how many horses are
not properly halterbroke. About 50% of the horses I receive for training have been
ridden for years, and are not even properly halterbroke - and this is where all the
problems under saddle rise from (the horse does not understand, or has never been

taught how to give to pressure consistently).

A horse who is properly halterbroke will be able to stand tied nicely even on the
first time you ever tie him. So, teaching a horse to stand tied is actually a
halterbreaking lesson. For a horse to stand tied, he needs to learn to almost
instinctively give to pressure when any amount of pressure is placed on his halter,
whether gentle or rough. Once he has learned this 100%, he can be tied to any
object and be expected to stand nicely without panicking or breaking anything.
As long as the horse will allow me to catch him and lead him with no troubles, I
continue the training with the simple ground manners in my article titled "Get Some
Respect". Once the horse has learned the lessons in that article, I begin with
sacking out, lunging, driving, and eventually saddling and breaking.
If the horse shows any signs that he is not understanding me or that he has any
fear at any point in the training, I do not progress to the next step in training until
that previous step has been mastered, 100% consistently. So, as long as you are
very observant of what the horse does not yet know, what behaviors you'd like to
replace with others, and what cues the horse needs to learn, you'll do wonderful
training your horses.
Just remember, horse training is not hard. The only challenge in training horses is
having the patience to do it. Anyone can train a horse, young or old. Most people
who believe horse training is hard, only believe that because they try (and fail) all
the shortcuts that only temporarily "fix" a problem (such as the use of harsh bits,
spurs, whips, figure-8 nosebands, hobbles, twitches...the list could go on and on).
The easier and more permanent way of training the horse is to throw away all those
material things and "gadgets" that promise good training results, and replace them
with a patient mind and gentle hands.

Applying Cues Effectively

WRITTEN BY: Cheryl Sutor

[1997]

It is important to apply your cues at a specific time in each stride. You have to pay
a lot of attention to the footfalls of each stride. You will need to learn the timing and
placement of each footfall in each gait before you can effectively apply cues.

What is a cue?
Think of a cue as a button that you can press that tells your horse to make a
change. You can give a cue physically (by touching the horse) or by using body
language (eye contact and posture).
Examples:
- Physical: You physically touch your horse's girth area and he moves to the side, or
you physically squeeze his fetlock and he picks up his foot.
- Body Language: You move toward, or point to, a spot on your horse and he
responds accordingly as if you actually touched him. Body language is the key
element in training horses.

How to apply cues effectively:

Horses can only alter the flight of a leg while that leg is in the air. Therefore, a cue
should be given just a split second before the leg leaves the ground and is lifted
into the air. Once the leg is in air, the horse can change the movement and direction
of the leg with ease and harmony.

What happens when you don't apply a cue effectively?

If you give your horse a cue at any other time than what we talked about above, he
may simply wait a stride and make the change on the next stride. (Most of us do
not want this - since we all want our horses to be very responsive and make the
change immediately when we ask). OR, he may do something goofy, like hop, buck
or jump sideways in order to get that leg into the air to make the change. (Most of
us do not want this either - even though the horse is showing that immediate
response, it is not rhythmical or balanced).

Catching Your Horse - Wouldnt it be easier if your horse walked up to you?

Not knowing how to catch a horse keeps many horses locked up in small
paddocks or stalls, or forces the horse to wear a halter all the time.
It's a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon. Your friends have arrived with their horse
trailer to pick you and your horse up to go on a trail ride with the local Horse Club. You
load your lunch and all your tack into the trailer and then grab the halter and go out to
the pasture to catch your horse, but he decides he wants to play the "Catch Me If You
Can" game today.
You chase him around until you're ready to drop. You try oats, hay and horse cookies,
but each time you get close and try to lunge at him to catch him, he takes off running
again. Finally, your friends decide to leave because they're going to be late for the trail
ride start time. You sit down on a stump to shed a few tears of frustration,
embarrassment and disappointment. As you sit there , your horse comes up to you and
puts his head down next to yours, and now he lets you put the halter on!! Urgh-h-h-h!!!

The "Catch Me If You Can" game is one of the most frustrating ones
for horse owners. More than that, it can even be dangerous for your
horse if you need to catch him in an emergency situation.
Not knowing what to do about it probably keeps many a horse locked up in a small
paddock or stall, or forces the horse to wear a halter all the time. This is an especially
dangerous practice, as the halter can get hooked on something solid, and the horse can
pull back and injure himself. Also, the halter is uncomfortable, and a too-tight halter
will eventually make a permanent indentation in the horse's nose. However, chances are
if you can't catch you horse without a halter, you probably won't be able to catch him
with a halter either.
Sometimes horses play this game out of genuine fear or mistrust (for example, young
foals, untouched wild horses or horses that have been abused by people), or sometimes
it could be out of aggressiveness or disrespect. More often that not, it's just a game to
horses, however, and they do it simply because they can. It doesn't matter what the
reason for the behavior is, if you use the method outlined below, you can teach your
horse to be caught, each and every time, even in dangerous, emergency situations.

So, what's a person to do?

You need to know how to respond to your horse's game with your own game. For the
purpose of these sessions in training your horse to be caught, use a smaller paddock or
pen, or even a round pen if you have one, so that you won't have to run so far. Start to
approach your horse. Don't sneak up on him as if you are going to pounce on him like a
hungry mountain lion, but walk assertively and with confidence. Don't "stare" at him
intently as you approach, but be very aware of his movements and intentions. If your
horse looks like he is getting ready to wheel around and take off, then quickly turn on
your heel before he gets a chance to take a step (as if you forgot something at the
house), and walk away from him back the way you came assertively and with
confidence. Act as if you were never intending to catch him at all - - your plan all along
was just to get to within 20 yards of him and then go back to the house.
As you walk away, keep an eye on him unobtrusively, and when you see that he no
longer looks like he is thinking of running away, then turn back and start walking
confidently towards him again. Then when he looks like he wants to run off, turn and
walk off again before he gets a chance to take a step to run away. Anticipate him leaving
and make sure you leave first. You may have to do this many times depending on how
long your horse has been playing this game with you.
If you are doing it right and releasing the pressure at the correct time, you should be
able to get closer and closer to your horse each time. Your horse may even start to
follow you when you are walking away, curious as to what you are doing, and realizing
that you are not a threat. Resist the impulse to turn around and try to grab him, however.
Keep on playing this "approach/retreat" game until you get close enough to touch the
horse. Keep on resisting your natural impulse to lunge at the horse and grab him.
Instead, just walk up towards his shoulder and confidently stroke his neck briefly, and
then walk away.
Keep on walking up to him, stroking him
and then turning and walking away until
he drops his head and you can tell by the
look on his face that he is conceding the
game to you, and will allow you to catch
him and put the halter on
(providing he has had a halter on before,
of course). You can usually tell what the
horse is thinking by his posture and head
position. Eventually you should even be
able to run up to the horse and he should
stand stock still and wait for you to catch
him.
Now, what do you do if your timing is a little off or if the horse is very frightened and
he does actually take off while you are playing the "approach/retreat" game? Switch
gears quickly and immediately and start chasing the horse, "kissing" to him to move and
even twirling the lead rope towards his hip if he tries to stop. Make him think it was
your idea after all for him to run away. Do what you have to do to keep him going, but
don't keep after him when he is moving around the pen and doing what you want him to
do. Put the rope down, stop "kissing" and release all pressure on him as long as he keeps

moving. Don't let him slow down or stop on his own, even if he looks at you with those
big brown eyes and says, "Okay, okay, I'm ready to stop".
Depending on how fast and how wildly your horse is running around the pen, position
your body further ahead in relation to the horse. If he is running at a medium speed,
move ahead until your body is about even with his shoulder. If he is really careening
around wildly, you may have to move ahead farther towards his nose. Don't say
"Whoa!" or anything. Just stop your own body, and turn away from the horse into the
center of the circle, rotating in the same direction in which you and the horse have been
moving. Concentrate your focus intently on the horse's shoulder or slightly ahead of the
shoulder if he isn't slowing down. Keep this position until the horse slows down and
stops.
Then, as soon as his feet stop, turn and walk away. Ideally, the horse should come to a
stop parallel with the fence, not with his nose facing out of the pen and his hind end
facing in towards you. The longer it takes for the horse to stop, the longer should be his
release from pressure (this is also unnatural for us, since we think that we should not
reward him for taking so long to respond). Then start the process over again and
continue on as you were before the horse moved off, walking towards his shoulder until
you perceive that he is thinking about moving, and then, before he moves off, walk
away.
If the horse is really running wildly and uncontrollably around the pen and you cannot
get him to stop using the method described above, then you may have to focus on the
nose and drive him into an outside turn with your finger or cue stick. The horse must
stop briefly before he makes an outside turn (into the fence), and this will give him the
idea to slow down and stop. Keep on getting him to do outside turns at shorter and
shorter intervals, until he stops his feet. He may be facing outside the pen, with his butt
towards you, particularly if he is very frightened or very disrespectful.
If this happens, work on getting him to stop parallel to the fence. Try moving him ahead
just a little, by focusing on his hip and then moving up to focus on his shoulder. In
round pen work, focusing on the nose turns the head and tells the horse to do an outside
turn. Focusing back further towards the shoulder tells the horse to slow down or stop,
and focusing on the hip tells the horse to move ahead. Focusing means to direct your
focus in graduated steps, with your eyes, your body energy and also your body position
itself.
Eventually, you will want your horse to turn his eyes, and his head in towards you
before you release the pressure and walk away. Then you can ask a little more, step
backwards a little, "kiss" to the horse until he takes a step into the center of the circle
towards you before you release your cues.

Then you can build on that response until he will walk, trot or even
canter right up to you and stand for you to put the halter on!!
You won't have to miss any more trail rides if you work on these steps. Build up your
horse's "Come to Me" response to whatever degree you wish, but you won't have to play
the "Catch Me If You Can" game again if you play the game outlined here.

As with other horse training techniques, however, you must always

play the game to win, and don't start unless you are committed to
winning.

This is the closest youre ever going to get to instant gratification from teaching
an exercise in horse training!
You should ask yourself this question What do I do when my horse gets excited and I
want him to calm down now? If your answer to this question is anything other than this
cue then you should learn this and teach it to your horse. The value of teaching this
exercise is for the safety of you and your horse. This cue can also be used by you to set
the horses head elevation where you desire it to be. When you want the horse to lower
his head and calm down immediately you can use this cue. If your horse decides to get
excited and you want to demand that he lowers his head and calms down, then use this
cue. An unexplainable fact is that the horse will calm down when his head is at a level
below the withers. The calming effect on the horse could be associated with the
lowered head position when he is grazing or starting to lie down. Although the horse
can actually be calm with his head in any position, the environment and circumstances
are going to determine when you need to use this cue.
There are a couple of prerequisites to teach this valuable request and demand cue to
your horse. The requirements of
(1) accepting the bridle and bit,
(2) understanding and doing giving to the bit, and
(3) standing still are all that are required.
Additionally, you will begin teaching this exercise from the ground in an area where
you have few distractions and complete control of the horse.
The bit of choice is the smooth Full Cheek, D-Ring, or Egg butt Snaffle bit with the
correct headstall.
The phrase giving to the bit means that the horse must move a body part, (ie:
jawbone), with energy, in the direction that you are requesting.
The horse must learn and understand that there is a release of pressure at some time
after you take the slack out of the rein. The release comes only when he moves his head
in the direction that you request. Never pull or jerk on the rein! The release is given to
the horse only when he approximates or actually starts to move his head in the direction
in which you desire. The horse must voluntarily produce this movement. The release is
the complete dropping of the rein, which sends a clear message to the horse that he did
what you were asking him to do. Initially, it helps to give a single neck rub after the
correct response to let him know that he is on the right path with his response. The horse
will confirm that the lesson is learned when you teach him this cue and he responds
correctly 100% of the time within two seconds after your request. The time required to
teach this cue varies maybe a couple of hours the teaching time is meaningless
compared to the lifetime of benefits.
This giving procedure is done as lightly and as often as you handle your horse. This
exercise is easy for you to learn and teach to your horse. This concept is another
complete article in and of itself. Call if you need more understanding of this topic
because it is vitally important to you and your horse, now and in the future. Again, You
must ask yourself what you presently do when you want your horse to calm down. If
your answer is anything other than the Calm Down Cue, then you owe it to yourself and
your horse to teach this cue. This cue is important to the safety of both you and your
horse!
Now, the Head Down cue is accomplished as follows.

Working on one side at a time, starting on the left. You stand facing the side of the
horses neck on the left side. Grasp the rein twelve inches beyond the bit and take the
slack out of the rein. A line of the rein in the direction of the saddle pommel is okay.
Hold the rein in that stationary position until the horse even thinks about dropping his
head. He will try different moves, stay with him, just be patient and focus on his head.
The instant his head (choose a coin size part of the head to focus on ie: tip of the ear)
begins to move in a downward direction, even a fraction of an inch RELEASE! Thats
IT!
Now, wait a few seconds and try it again.
Keep working this until the head is about knee level. Practice this until your horse will
respond by lowering his head every time that you ask and within a couple of seconds.
If the head continues to pop back up simply ask the horse to lower it before the head
goes all the way up. You do this by anticipating that this will happen and request the
head down sooner. The rein pressure should remain light when making your request.
This key step of requesting quicker tells the horse that he should keep his head at the
lower level. Once the horse begins to keep his head at the lower level, allow him to
maintain that position as an added reward.
When the horses poll is at about the three to five foot height above the ground you may
need to actually put a great amount of pressure on the rein, as in neck reining. This will
move the horses head back in line with his body. Now you can continue to work on
lowering the ear height.
Youll experience the gratification of the horse lowering his head in varying increments
until his head is at a level below the horses knees. After the release allow the horse to
remain with his head down until he raises it again. Then, quickly ask for him to lower it
again.
Yes, you are asking the horse to do what is not natural by having him give to the bit and
asking him to calm down and relax when he is scared.
Now in the case of the calm down cue were also asking our horse to move his head in
the opposite direction of the pressure. Isnt it great that our horses are so versatile!
Remember, all of this is being taught in a safe, calm, controlled environment.
You can carry this same technique somewhat further and make it a demand cue. This
requires that an additional amount of pressure be applied to the rein when the nose is at
the six inch level above the ground. Apply steady even increasing pressure until the
horse starts - to put his nose on the ground - then release. Never jerk on the rein!
When you get the horse to lower his head think about guiding his nose toward the outer
wall of his front hoof on that side. This side orientation is preferable instead of having
the nose pulling or rooting directly forward. The horse will in fact pull against the
pressure and then put his nose on the ground. This is an advanced cue so take extra time
to work through it.
Later the horse will distinguish what you are requesting by the amount of pressure that
you apply to the rein. Be aware that the horse may decide to lie down when his nose is
on the ground! This will happen if you are standing beside him or if you are in the
saddle. When you are standing beside him let him lie down but be sure to stay away
from the legs and hoofs. Dont startle the horse while he is lying down. If he wants to
get up allow him to do so. If he stays down and you decide to get him up on his feet,
you may have to gently lift his head to encourage him to stand up. This means always

approaching the horse from the direction of the head. Be ready to take hold of
the reins to control your horse when he does get up. When you are in the saddle and the
horse decides to lie down, take your feet out of the stirrups and step off the horse after
he lies down and
away from the legs. You can watch the saddle horn and step off in the same direction it
goes. If you dont want the horse to lie down then quickly ask for him to do something
different.
After youve practiced and taught these cues to the horse from the ground, advance to
doing them from the saddle. Remember get the cue very solid from the ground first
before trying it in the saddle. Start at the walk, then on to the trot. You can get the horse
to lower his head at the canter but be careful not to lower it too far- he could stumble!
Note that you will want to work half way down on the left side and then switch sides
and work on the right side half way down. Continue to switch back and forth until you
complete the exercise. After teaching the cues on both sides the horse will respond when
you use one hand on the center of the reins above the neck. Meaning that he is
responding to both reins at the same time instead of just one rein, which is appropriate
for the snaffle bit.
Additionally, Once the horse has learned these cues dont aggravate him with them by
continuing to practice them unnecessarily. Save them for when you need them! You can
occasionally test for results under varying conditions. Then youll know if he learned
them because hell do them.
Remember, the horse should be taught all new lessons in a safe, calm, controlled
environment such as a round pen or other safe place. Then later as the excitement level
goes up such as on a trail ride, at least the horse will understand what you are asking
him to do.
After you teach the lessons in the safe environment then go trail riding, and work with
the horse to get him to respond to the calm down cue. If the horse does get excited and
you request the calm down cue, he should respond correctly by dropping his head.
However, his head may pop back up quickly because of the increased level of
excitement. The solution is to continue to request the calm cue until he keeps his head
down. Then move on to your next request from the horse. This is an exciting exercise to
teach your horse, so that when things do get exciting you can have another way to be in
control.
Head down when using the halter and lead rope is also used to control the head
elevation.
You will be working from the ground. Begin using the same procedure as before but this
time hold the lead rope just below the halter. Apply the lightest pressure possible in the
downward direction and release when the head gives downward. The release must be at
the instant that the head starts downward. Again, if the horse stalls out by staying in
neutral and not responding apply added pressure, maintain that pressure and do not
release until the head gives downward. If the horse moves his head stay with the head
movement until it starts downward. After you increase the pressure to achieve the
desired movement, always go back to the lightest pressure possible on your next
request.
Allow a reasonable amount of time for the horse to respond before adding greater
pressure. After you are getting the horse to respond consistently downward as his first

movement after your request, continue to work at getting his nose to the ground. After
you teach this exercise with the halter and lead rope switch to the bridle and teach the
same procedure of downward pressure with the rein. Work each side and then both reins
together from below.
I hope these exercises serve as a means for you and your horse to be safer and have
more fun together. I am interested in knowing about the results that you achieve with
this exercise or any questions you may have.
Contact: Rugh Mason
Phone: 724-663-2692.
email: rughmason@yahoo.com

Clicker Training.
Clicker training was originally developed by marine dolphin trainers. The early
dolphin trainers were faced with the dilemma of trying to work with an animal that
couldn't be restrained or forced into working. All the traditional animal training
methods that had been developed over thousands of years of working with horses,
elephants, and dogs didn't apply to an animal that could just swim away. They
couldn't food deprive them, and they couldn't punish them, so the dolphin trainers
tried a different approach. They used a positive food reward.
People have used food rewards in training before, but what the dolphin trainers
added was a bridging signal. A high frequency whistle was used to mark correct
responses. The dolphins learned that the sound of the whistle meant food or a
favorite toy was coming. They also learned that they could "make" their trainers
blow the whistle by performing certain behaviors.
Dolphin trainers combined this with the principle of shaping through successive
approximations to develop complex behaviors. We've all seen the results of their
work. When you watch the killer whales at Sea World, you're seeing clicker training
in action.
Clicker training isn't just for dolphins. Instead of the high frequency whistle used by
dolphin trainers, most trainers of land mammals use a toy clicker, hence the name.
The sound of the clicker tells the animal that whatever it was doing at the exact
moment it heard the clicker has earned it a reward. Many of the animals you see on
television and in the movies are clicker trained, including some surprising ones, like
Data's cat on Star Trek The Next Generation.

The Equine Connection.

So how does all this apply to horses? The clicker acts as a "right" answer cue. It
lets you tell your horse very precisely when he has done something you want, and
it gives him a reason to want to go on producing more of that behavior.
With most horses I begin by teaching the horse to touch his nose to a target. I use

a small plastic cone, but the lid off a supplement container will work just as well.
The object here is just to condition the horse to the clicker and teach him the
connection between behavior and treats. He's going to learn that mugging the
vending machine (you) to get treats doesn't work, but he can get the vending
machine to work by simply performing certain behaviors.
The clicker is the key to all this. When you add the bridging signal, you gain control
of goodies. Without it, the horse has no rules. He never knows when you might
have a carrot, so is it any surprise that he's constantly checking out your pockets or
nibbling at your hands? Without the bridging signal food is a distraction to good
training. With it, it becomes a powerful motivator that can produce outstanding
performance, and enthusiastic, can-do horses.
I have been using clicker training with my horses for about four years now, and I
have just been astounded by the results. Everything from basic manners to upper
level performance can be taught with the clicker. Clicker training piggy backs
beautifully onto the other training systems. It's not a substitute for, but an
enhancement of this other work. The clear "yes" answer of the clicker accelerates
the learning curve and creates eager, happy horses.

Horses like paychecks, too.

Clicker training is new to the horse world, and that means that there will be people
who will push against it. Feeding horses treat during training is something most of
us have been taught not to do. People will tell you that feeding horses treats during
training just gets horses distracted. Horses get pushy. You'll be teaching them to
bite.
We've all heard these arguments. And they're right. Without the rules imposed by
the clicker, horses can get out of control. It's just that we've learned the wrong
lesson from our horse's rude behavior. The horses are trying to tell us what a good
motivator food is. Instead of avoiding treats, we should be trying to find a way to
use them. If I can harness them into my training program, I'm going to gain a very
powerful tool, one I'd be foolish not to use.
It's like using an old-fashioned typewriter in the age of computers. Yes, I can get
the job done using outdated technology, but not nearly as well. That in a nutshell is
what clicker training represents. It gives us the technology to take one of the most
powerful motivators in a horse's life and put it to work for us.
The articles that follow will give you a step by step training guide for conditioning
your horse to the clicker, beginning exercises you can try, plus a wide range of
applications for the clicker.

CLICKER ORIGINS
Clicker training began with dolphin training. Thirty plus years ago when dolphins
were first put on display in marine aquariums, people had no idea how to train

them. Just imagine what you would do if you had to teach a dolphin to jump
through a hoop on command.
None of the traditional training methods people knew thirty years ago seemed to
apply to an animal that could just swim away. That training depended too much on
restraints and punishment, things you just can't use with dolphins.
The solution was to shape behavior using positive reinforcement, but even that
presented a problem. How do you tell a dolphin that you liked what it just did? You
can throw a fish in the water, but by the time it finds it, the reward won't have any
connection to the behavior you were trying to reinforce. This problem was solved by
introducing a high frequency whistle. The trainers blew a whistle just before they
threw the fish into the water.
The dolphins very quickly learned to expect a fish every time they heard the
whistle. The next step was to link the whistle to behavior. For example, if you lower
a hoop into the water and blow the whistle only when the dolphin is swimming near
that hoop, pretty soon the dolphin will be spending the majority of its time orienting
around the hoop. This is a beginning step towards learning that behavior leads to
whistle leads to fish. Once that connection is made, you are well on the way to
training very complex behaviors.
The whistle is a bridging signal (or secondary reinforcer to use the more technical
term). It gives the animal very clear and precise information. It acts as a "right
answer cue". It says to the animal, the behavior you just did will get you a
treat.CLICK!
^ Back To Contents

DOLPHIN TRAINING FOR HORSES

We can adapt this system very easily into horse training. With horses we use a
plastic clicker. It's like a children's toy cricket, only a little more sturdy. You can also
use a tongue click, so your hands are left free for other things.
^ Back To Contents

INTRODUCING YOUR HORSE TO A CLICKER

There are many different ways you can do this, but I generally introduce the clicker
by teaching the horse to touch a target.
I use small orange cones, the kind you buy as lane markers for sporting events. You
can also use lids off of supplement cans, cider jugs, anything that's handy and
horse safe. I start with targeting because it's a very simple game, plus it's not part
of the horse's normal training.

You put the horse in a stall with a stall guard across the door. Then you hold a cone,
or some other object up in front of the horse. Horses tend to be curious about such
things. They'll sniff the cone. The instant the horse touches the cone, click, you give
it a treat.
The horse may start mugging your hands as soon as it realizes that food is
involved. If they get too pushy, just step back out of range. The mugging is part of
the learning process, and the key is not to get distracted by it. Keep yourself safe,
but let the horse explore. He's going to discover that going directly to the vending
machine never earns him treatsHelp your horse to be successful.
If your horse swings his head away to look at something, take advantage of that to
position the cone between the horse's head and your body. He'll have to bump into
it on his way back to mugging you. When he does, click! he gets a treat. As this
happens again and again, he's suddenly going to realize that bumping the cone
gets you, the vending machine, to work!
You can almost see the light bulb go on. As many times as I've watched this
process, it's still a magical moment when the horse realizes that HE'S in control,
that he can make ME click. All he has to do is bump the cone. He's also learning
something else that's important. He's learning that he NEVER gets clicked for
sniffing my fingers, pulling on my coat, or bumping me. If you have a mouthy
horse, clicker training is a great way to teach good manners.
^ Back To Contents

FINDING THE RIGHT REWARD

The clicker is a bridging signal. It links a desired behavior to a reward. The reward
is not what WE say the animal should want. A reward is anything the ANIMAL finds
reinforcing. So first we have to find things the HORSE wants.
So what do horses like? Both kicking up their heels, and standing still belong on the
list, as does a vigorous massage, time with a favorite pasture mate, or a chance to
roll in a sand pit. The problem with this list is obvious. It's hard to use these things
in a training session. You can't let your horse drop and roll every time he gives you
a right answer.
Timing is another factor in choosing a suitable reward. Without a bridging signal
rewards need to be delivered exactly when the behavior occurs. That way the horse
can clearly mark what it was doing and repeat it again for another reward. Delays
between behavior and reward can lead to confusion. You think you're rewarding
your horse for dropping his head. He thinks it's for swishing a fly with his tail. So
how do you resolve the problem? Very simply. You introduce a secondary reinforcer.

Food, or a pat on the neck is the primary reinforcer. It's the thing the horse wants.
The secondary reinforcer, or bridging signal as it is also called, is a conditioned

signal which becomes linked to rewards. It tells the horse, "You are about to get a
treat." Without a bridging signal food is hard to use with horses. They get too
eager, and it becomes more of a distraction than a help. But WITH a bridging signal
you can channel that eagerness into performance. Food as a reward works
wonderfully. It's convenient for the rider, and highly motivating to the horse.
I have been using clicker training with my horses since 1993, and I have just been
astounded by the results. Everything from basic manners to upper level
performance can be taught with the clicker. Clicker training piggy backs beautifully
onto other training systems. It's not a substitute for, but an enhancement of
techniques you already know. The clear "yes" answer of the clicker accelerates the
learning curve and creates eager, happy horses.
^ Back To Contents

VARYING THE REINFORCER

So what can you use for treats? Grain doled out a teaspoon at a time, carrots,
breakfast cereal, chopped up apples, sugar cubes, peppermints, animal crackers,
bread . . . really anything that the horse enjoys and that's safe for it to eat will
work. The important point here is that you want to vary your reinforcer. You can
give your horse important information just by changing your treat. My horses love
peppermints. I reserve those for special moments. When the peppermints come
out, they know they've done something particularly wonderful, and they make an
extra effort the next time.
^ Back To Contents

SHAPING BEHAVIOR IN SMALL STEPS

Clicker training was first developed by marine mammal trainers who shaped
performance exclusively with positive reinforcement.
In shaping you take a small tendency to perform in a desired way, and by
reinforcing that behavior you gradually shift it towards a more complex behavior.
Dolphin training is the easiest way to view this. You have a dolphin swimming in a
tank. You want it to swim through a hoop you have hung in the middle of the tank,
so you blow a whistle and throw it a fish every time it turns in the direction of the
hoop. By gradually delaying the whistle, you can train the dolphin to swim through
the hoop.
This is shaping in it's pure form, but it is not the only way to use the clicker. The
clicker is a BRIDGING signal. It says "yes! that's exactly the behavior I wanted.
Now I'm going to give you a reward." It doesn't say anything about how that
behavior was created in the firstplace.
You can wait for the behavior to occur, or you can use shortcuts that trigger the

response you want. For example, in dog training, you don't just wait for a puppy to
sit down and then click it. You lure the behavior by holding a bit of food above the
puppy's head. When the puppy looks up, his haunches sit down. Click! He gets a
treat. The food lure is very quickly faded out, and what you are left with is a hand
signal that triggers the sit. (If you want to watch an excellent video on clicker
training dogs, check out check out Karen Pryor's "Clicker Magic", or Gary Wilkes'
videos "Click and Treat" and "On Target". See the Clicker Resources section for
more information.) This kind of training uses TARGETING to prompt the behavior.
When I first taught my horse to touch a target, I thought it was just an amusing
trick.
I have since discovered it is an incredibly useful tool that can be applied to a wide
variety of situations, including trailer loading, ground tying, leading, obstacle
training, and lateral work. Targeting isn't the only shortcut I can use. In horse
training we use pressure to trigger the responses we want. For example, I can ask
my horse to back up by tapping his front legs with a whip. As soon as he shifts his
weight even a little, I'll stop tapping. He'll quickly learn that the way to avoid the
tapping is to back up. By definition I'm using a negative reinforcer: an
uncomfortable or painful stimulus which the animal can avoid by changing its
behavior. Negative reinforcers make great "shaping shortcuts", especially when you
add the right answer cue of the clicker to them.
With the clicker the tap becomes information the horse uses to get to his
reinforcement faster. It tells him what we want. "Move away from here, and I'll click
you." The horse learns that the whip is not there to intimidate him, but to give him
clues to understanding us. With the clicker negative reinforcers lose their
adversarial associations and become instead information providers.
The backing exercise is very important in the early stages of clicker training. I'm
telling the horse that the best way to get the vending machine to work is by
stepping away from it. Mugging me for treats won't get it anything. If you have a
pushy horse, this is a super way to teach good manners. Can you teach backing
without the clicker? Of course you can, but, if you want your horse to understand
how to use the clicker for more complex tasks, you have to start with simple
exercises. Most horses can benefit from a review of ground manners, so this is a
great opportunity to improve your horse's leading skills, and at the same time
introduce him to a new tool.
^ Back To Contents

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1.) DO I NEED ANY SPECIAL EQUIPMENT TO USE CLICKER TRAINING?
No. That's one of the great things about clicker training. Clicker training dovetails
beautifully with other training methods. You don't have to discard everything you
are already know, and you don't have to buy a whole lot of special equipment to
use it. All you need is a bag of carrots and a willingness to have some fun.

2.) HOW DOES CLICKER TRAINING FIT INTO OTHER STYLES OF HORSE
TRAINING? DO YOU ONLY USE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT WITH YOUR
HORSE?
No. In the horse world you will never get away from using negative reinforcement,
and furthermore, you do not want to. Negative reinforcement, i.e. pressure, is our
communication system. Tightening a thigh muscle, pressing your calf against the
horse's side, closing your hand on the reins, these are all signals that tell the horse
what we want, and they are all negative reinforcers. The question isn't so much
whether we use negative reinforcers in our training, but HOW we teach them.
That's where the clicker becomes such a wonderful addition to our tool box. I can
piggy back the principles of shaping and the use of a bridging signal onto other
training systems, and in the process I'll make it easier for the horse to understand
what I want. With the clicker I can teach my horse to respond to pressure without
using either fear or pain to provoke responses.
3.) DO YOU HAVE TO USE THE CLICKER TO BE A CLICKER TRAINER?
No. Any unique signal that the animal can recognize will work. I use the mechanical
clicker when I am first introducing a horse to the clicker. I use this in preference to
a verbal cue because of the uniqueness of the sound. The horses are quick to notice
the clicker. Verbal signals often get lost in the background noise of our ownchatter.
Once the horse understands the basic rules of the game, i.e. behavior leads to click
leads to reward, I switch over to a tongue click. This leaves my hands free for other
things. I've never had any problem transferring the signal. The horses instantly
make the connection.
4.) WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE CLICKER TRAINED
HORSE IN THE RING AT THE SAME TIME? DO THEY GET CONFUSED?
We routinely will have four or five clicker trained horses working together, and they
all seem to sort out which click they are supposed to be responding to. What is
particularly interesting is I can be working with a client and be clicking her horse
from a distance, and none of the other horses will react. These are all horses I work
with. They all know I'm a potential vending machine, but they also know that at
that moment my click is not intended for them.
5.) WHY CAN'T I JUST SAY "GOOD"? DO I HAVE TO USE A CLICKER?
I personally prefer a tongue click over verbals. The click is a high speed, unique
signal that lets me mark very precise criteria. Verbals can do the same thing, but I
prefer to use "good" and "yes" as encouragers. Think of the children's game hot
and cold. "Good" says you're getting warmer, but the click says "YES! you just
found the potof gold". You can certainly use "good" in place of the clicker, but I
think you'll find that you're going to prefer some other signal. The important thing
is not to get hung up in what signal you use, but to understand that clicker training
is really about shaping behavior in small steps with a clear "yes" answer signal that
guides and motivates the horse through the learning process. Clicks are NOT
clucks, and horses have no trouble telling the difference. A cluck is a request for

movement. A click is my "yes answer" signal. Clucks are made from the corner of
your mouth. Clicks are made on the roof of your mouth with your tongue. (It's
surprising how many people struggle to produce a consistent tongue click).
My book, CLICKER TRAINING FOR YOUR HORSE, has detailed instructions on how
to do this. While you're learning, the plastic clicker definitely helps. Clickers can be
ordered from Karen Pryor at Sunshine books, see the clicker references section.
6.) WHAT KINDS OF THINGS CAN YOU TEACH WITH THE CLICKER?
Anything you want. From basic manners to advanced upper level performance,
anytime you need a clear "yes" answer signal the clicker can help out your training.
For starters go down a check list of basic stable manners. Does your horse lead
well? Will he walk right onto a trailer? Does he ground tie? Does he take his bridle
easily? Will he stand quietly on cross ties? Is he good for grooming and saddling?
Will he accept clippers, pick his feet up for cleaning, etc., etc.. If the answer to any
of those questions is no, try a little clicker training.
7.) DO YOU FEED THE HORSE A TREAT AFTER EVERY CLICK? IN A NORMAL
DAY, IF YOU ARE CLICKING FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR, WOULDN'T YOU NEED A
WHEELBARROW FULL OF FOOD?
I follow every click with a reward. That's the bargain I've established with my
horse. Here's an example that may help you to understand this. I live in snow
country. Suppose I ask one of the neighborhood kids to shovel out my driveway
after a snowstorm. In exchange I tell him, I'll give him twenty dollars. I don't have
a very long driveway, so he'll probably think this is a really good deal. Now suppose
when he gets all done, I look at the driveway, and I say, "That's a really great job,
you did. The driveway looks super." He'll feel good, but he'll still want his money.
Praise is nice, but it's not what motivated him to do my drive. Now I say, "Oh, I'm a
little short this week. I'm not going to pay you this time, but maybe next time I'll
give you twenty dollars." The next time it snows, you can bet I'll be doing my own
driveway. That kid is going to have twenty good reasons not to do what I want. So,
if I set up a bargain with my horse that says I'm going to pay him for work well
done, that's what I need to do. That doesn't mean that I'm going to be clicking and
treating every time my horse does something good. The clicker is a TEACHING tool.
For example, I can use the clicker to teach a horse to pick up its feet for cleaning. I
may start by clicking the horse when it lets me run my hand down below its knee,
but I'm going to use a variable reinforcement schedule to ask for more and more.
The variable reinforcement schedule means that the horse never knows exactly
when he's going to hear the click. He'll keep working, offering me more good
responses, in an effort to get the "vending machine" to work. This is the same
principle that runs the Las Vegas slot machines.
Before long my foot shy horse is going to be doing a lot more than simply letting
me run my hand down his leg. He'll be picking his own foot up and holding it quietly
in the air while I pick out the dirt. Pretty soon, I won't click him until I've cleaned
two, then three, then all four feet. And after a while I'll be able to fade the click out
completely as he masters that skill, but I'll be using the clicker in other areas to

teach new things. It's like saying to that kid, yes I'll give you twenty dollars. You
can count on that, but I also want the front walk shoveled, AND the snow pulled off
the roof. If he quits part way, he won't get anything, but the more he gets done,
the closer he gets to his reward. That keeps him going even though I'm asking for
more work. If I were to add both new tasks all at once, he might grumble and go
away. But, if I gradually ask for a little bit more each time, after a while it will all
seem like just part of the job. If every now and then I surprise him some fresh
baked brownies, he might even offer to knock the icicles off the rain gutters.
(Doesn't this sound familiar? Not only is it a lot like horse training, but isn't this
what happens to most of us at work. Look back at your original job description.
After a while it starts to sound as though it's referring to somebody else. You do SO
much more than that, but it's still the same paycheck.) With the horses a pocket
full of grain or even a single carrot can buy you a lot of training.
Treats are given in small amounts. A teaspoon of grain, one bite of carrot, is
enough to keep your horse working for more. I vary my reinforcers. Not only does
that make the training more fun and interesting for my horse, it provides him with
an additional source of information. I can save his favorite treats for extra efforts.
They help me to mark those special "Kodak moments." When my own horse does
something I particularly like, click! the peppermints come out. He knows he's just
done something super that was well worth the extra effort.
8.) WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CLICKER TRAINING?
My home page, Riding in a State of Excellence, will link you to all the on-line clicker
resources. In addition, it will give you more articles on clicker training horses, a
photo album of clicker trained horses, and references to the best of the clicker
books and videos that are currently available.

Teaching Basic Maneuvers

1. Circles
A. Pull the horse's head slightly to the inside and walk or trot in circles. The
horse should give his head freely. If the horse begins to pull on the rein,
pull his head around to his side and hold it until he responds by giving
his head freely. Each time a horse begins to pull on the rein instead of
responding, softly and lightly pull his head around to his side in the same
manner as when his head was tied to his side previously.
B. If the horse responds to a light pull but tends to make oblong circles, the
problem is loss of control of the horse's shoulder. To correct this
problem, use leg aids and bump the horse on the shoulder to make him
line his shoulder up a little bit closer with his head position.
C. Vary the size of your circle from large to small and back again in the
order to keep the horse responding to light pulls and leg aids, instead of
just developing a habit of going in a circle.

D. As the horse becomes more responsive, change the direction of the

circles occasionally. As the horse progresses, trot him straight and then
bend him into another circle. This will teach your horse to bend either
way easily and maintain a constant speed while moving straight without
loss of concentration.
2. Backing
A. a) Ground Work - To teach the horse to back, pull down on the reins,
and cluck to the horse to teach him to back. Remember to be responsive
with your hand when the horse tucks his nose to the pressure. A popper
may be required to teach the horse to move initially.
B. b) Mounted - Teach the horse to back by setting the horse's head and
then asking the horse to move by using leg pressure and clucking. Do not
pull on the horse's head, simply hold the horse while applying leg
pressure and clucking to make him move. The only avenue of escape
from pressure left for the horse is to back. A solid wall or corner may be
needed in front of the horse initially to prevent forward movement.
C. c) Speed and Lightness - Speed the horse up by simply using your legs
and voice more vigorously, never try to pull your horse back. Building
momentum and excitement with the use of the legs and voice will tend to
make the horse move quickly and develop the lightness desired.
3. Stops
The horse needs to be able to flex his body and arch his back to stop properly.
Any jerking or sudden movements of the rider tend to make the horse stiffen up,
raise his head, and flatten his back. This results in poor form and jarring stops.
To teach the horse to stop a horseman should:
A. Set the horse's head and let him settle or stop at his own pace. This
teaches the horse to gather his legs under him on his own and relax while
stopping.
B. Slow the horse to a stop gradually by the use of a light, low pull instead
of asking for a quick stop. This results in the horse responding to a very
light pull, maintaining a proper head set and a quiet, relaxed manner
instead of the stiffness that a horse uses to brace himself against hard
pulls on the rein. By slowing the horse to a stop, the horse becomes more
responsive and more collected.
C. To teach the horse to stop quickly, take hold of the horse lightly and let
him settle at his own pace. After he has stopped, back him quickly, using
leg punishment. This teaches the horse to be more responsive to the bit
and to get back off of the bit pressure quicker. Never punish horse while
he is stopping, only after he has stopped.
D. Stopping from a lope requires that the horseman observe the rhythm of
the lope. For the horse to stop on his rear legs and in proper form, ask for

the horse to stop when the front lead leg strikes the ground. At that
particular time, the rear legs are coming up off the ground. By asking the
horse for a stop at that time, he is able to gather his rear legs under him
and come to a smooth, sliding stop.
4. Turns
Pivots, spins, and rollbacks are accomplished by a combination of backing, head
giving and response to leg pressure. To teach a horse to turn, the horseman
should:
A. To turn the horse, back him a few steps, pull his head toward one side,
and bump him on his off side with your leg to make him step in the
direction of the desired turn. Backing stabilizes the horses rear legs.
Pulling his head around and leg pressure against his off side makes him
move his front legs and leave his hind legs in the same position, thereby
accomplishing a simple turn.
B. One of the most important aspects of the turn is to apply enough leg
pressure to his off side to make him jump out of the turn. The momentum
of jumping out of the turn is what makes the horse turn fast and smooth.
The horse learns to reach with his leading leg and move out in a positive
manner.
C. Teaching a horse to spin is simply a matter of putting two rollbacks
together. Instead of releasing the horse and letting him jump out of his
turn, hold him another turn and put two turns together before releasing
him.
D. A pivot is just the initial turn of a spin or rollback and can be
accomplished by simply turning a horse and stopping him after the initial
movement.
5. Leads
A loping horse has the same leg action in front and behind as a person skipping.
In other words, one leg takes a longer step and reaches ahead of the other leg.
This reaching or leading action is where the term "lead" Comes from. In order
for the horse to maintain proper balance, the leading leg must be on the inside of
his turn to carry the weight of the horse's body properly. Therefore, it is
important that the horse be in the proper lead when circling or making turns.
A. Teaching Leads Many horses are partial to one lead. The trainers must
teach the horse to use both leads equally. This is accomplished by:
a. To obtain the desired lead, start loping only when the natural flow
and shift in weight is toward the inside of the circle. When the
horse resists the direction of flow and floats out of the circle, his
weight shifts in the wrong direction and he will take the wrong
lead. Lope on each lead daily during the training process until
leads become second nature to the horse.

b. Bad leaded horses keep their weight shifted to one side

continuously. To teach a horse to take the other lead, trot him into
a corner and turn the direction of the desired lead and jump him
into a lope. As the horse shifts his weight to come out at the
corner and jumps into a lope, he reaches with his inside leg and
takes the troublesome lead. Once the horse is in the lead, lope
him extensively so the lead will become more natural to him.
c. Leg aids should be used to put the horse into the proper lead. In
response to leg pressure in the direction of the desired lead, the
horse shifts his weight in that direction and reaches with his
inside legs and takes the proper lead.
B. Changing Leads - A horse must change leads when he changes
direction.
a. Simple Changes - A simple change is one in which the horse is
slowed from a lope to a trot before taking the other lead.
i.

To accomplish a simple change of leads, slow the horse to

a trot, change directions, and ask him to lope again.

ii.

Cue the horse for the lead by pushing his hindquarters in

the direction of the lead you desire. The horse will reach
out with his inside legs and take the proper lead.

b. Flying Changes - Timing is critical in making a flying change of

leads. The procedure is similar to a skipping person changing
from leading with one leg to the other. Changing leads requires
that the non-leading or off leg take a longer stride than usual to
become the leading leg. The horse has a double problem in that
he must change leads both in front and behind. This can be
accomplished by one of three ways:
i.

Front legs first - To change leads in the front legs first,

cue the horse or turn the horse when his front legs are
coming off the ground, so that he reaches for the new
lead. As his hind legs come off the ground, cue the horse
with leg pressure to reach with his off hind leg and change
that lead.

ii.

Back legs first In changing the back legs first, leg

pressure must be applies to the horses side when the front
legs are on the group and the hind legs are coming up.
The horse moves away from pressure and reaches with his
rear legs, changing them first. As the rear legs contact the
ground and the front legs are elevated, turn the horse in
the direction of the desired lead for the change in front.

iii.

Simultaneous changes - Simultaneous changes can be

accomplished by applying leg pressure and turning the
horse simultaneously, in the flying stage of his movement.
This is immediately after the leading leg comes off of the
ground.

C. Aides to Teaching Flying Changes

a. Side pass - A horse can be taught a flying change by loping on
one lead, stopping, and side passing him the other direction and
taking the other lead. This teaches the concept of leg cues for
changing leads. Also, by stopping the horse before each change
of leads, the horse is calmer and quieter because each change of
lead is associated with a stop. This is the most common method
of teaching lead changes for Western Riding.
b. Jumps - By changing leads over a small jump, the horse picks his
feet up higher off the ground and will reach for the lead more
naturally. A small jump or just a pole encourages the longer stride
with the off leg that is necessary for a smooth change of leads.
c. Clucking - Clucking to the horse at the moment of change results
in the horse jerking his feet off the ground quicker and higher. In
much the same way as the jump. This facilitates smooth lead
changes.
Whether you have a horse to ride, drive, or just as pasture dcor, here are the eight
ground manners your horse should have so both you and the horse are happy and safe.

1. Lead Quietly In Hand

When you lead your horse he should walk beside you quietly paying attention to you.
When you ask your horse to back up, or step to the side he should float away from your
cue like a rubber ducky being pushed in a bath tub, not like a brick being pushed
through sand. Your horse shouldnt pull you, barge ahead, hang back or push into you.
Teaching your horse to lead properly is the basis for almost every other aspect of good
ground manners.
Learn How to Lead a Horse
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2. Allow Every Body Part to Be Touched

Your horse should let you touch every part of his body. Often ears, muzzle, sheath or
udder, between legs, and chest are sensitive spots that many horses object to having
handled. But these areas need to be cleaned, or dressed if they are injured. Teaching
your horse to have these areas groomed and touched is essential.

My Horse Doesn't Like to Be Groomed - Here is what to do when your horse

dislikes being groomed.

Read More About Difficult to Groom Horses

3. Stand Quietly To Have Feet Handled

Horses need regular hoof care and they need their hooves trimmed every six to eight
weeks. Teach your horse to stand quietly while you clean their hooves or while the
farrier works with them. This ground manner makes cleaning and trimming time much
less stressful, (and less painful) for all involved.

4. Accept Paste Wormers

Deworming your horse will help to keep in optimum health. Teaching your horse to
accept paste wormers
makes regular parasite control easier. It also
makes the administering of other oral medications easier.

Equine Parasite Control - Deworming FAQ

5. Get On a Trailer
A horse that wont load on a trailer quietly isnt just frustratingit can be dangerous.
You may not plan to leave your property with your horse. But that doesnt mean it
shouldnt learn to get on a trailer. Emergencies can happen and you may have to take
your horse to a vet clinic. Over the last few years, many people who never expected to,
have had to evacuate because of fire, flooding or other disaster. Or you might change
your mind about going to horse shows. And while you may never dream of selling your
horse, the unexpected can happen. Often horses who dont lead well, also dont load
well.

Planning for Emergencies with Horses

Train For Calm, Willing Trailer Loading

6. Wait
I use the command wait to tell my horses to wait until I completely open a gate or stall
door before coming through, or to stand and wait while I put feed in the buckets. A
horse with poor ground manners that barges through gates or doors is dangerous to both

handler and horse and it makes feeding a time a hassle if the horse is pushing in to get
food.

How to Safely Lead a Horse Through a Gate or Stall Door

7. Be Caught
Even if your horse is just pasture decoration it still needs ground manners and will at
some point need to be caught. There is nothing more frustrating than having planned an
hour of riding, or training or other activity and have that time taken up pursuing your
horse around the pasture. It can get costly too, if the farrier or veterinarian is waiting.
Things can get dangerous if your horse feels cornered and the only escape is over top of
you. Teach your horse to be caught each and every time you want it.
Read More About Hard to Catch Horses

8. Stand Tied
Standing quietly to be tied, whether to a post, beside a trailer, a tree or in cross ties is an
absolutely essential ground manner. Youll want to tie your horse to groom, clean hoofs,
tack up or harness up, or just to keep him safely out of the way while you attend to other
matters. Teach your horse to stand quietly while tied without fussing or pulling. Often
horses that dont stand quietly while tied dont lead quietly either.

Tying Your Horse or Pony Safely

Tips for Safely Tying Your Horse or Pony
By Katherine Blocksdorf, About.com Guide
See More About:
safety with horses
knot tying

safe tying

A piece of twine tied around a post will break easily if the horse struggles.
2005 K. Blocksdorf
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Horse
How to Tie a Tie

Tie Neck Tie

Horse Riding Trainer

Horse Hoof Care

Whenever you are grooming or saddling you will need to tie your horse.
Horses and ponies can be tied with a lead rope, trailer ties or cross ties. No
matter what is used, tying must be done in a manner that is most safe for
handler and horse.

There is some debate whether horses should or shouldnt be tied solid. Tying solid
means to tie so that its almost impossible for the horse to break free. For the horses or
ponys sake it is probably best if handlers dont tie solid. If a horse is badly startled
while tied it could panic, struggle and injure its neck and back. But sometimes we have
to balance horse safety against people safety. There may be situations where it is safer to
tie solid than have a horse break away and bolt into a crowd of people or busy highway.
But when we are working with our horses in a paddock, or in the stable its safer for the
horse to be tied so the rope or tie will break free if it panics.
Ideally the rope should be attached chest height or higher. The rope should be tied so it
doesnt dangle low enough to be stepped over but not be so high or tight that the horses
head is restricted.
Never tie to a bridle, with the reins, or to the bit in anyway. If the horse struggles it
could severely injure its mouth.
Always tie to a post, wall, or partition that is firmly anchored and will not come loose if
the horse pulls on it. The object is to have the tie rope break rather than the structure
you are tying to, or the horses neck. Dont tie your horse or pony to anything that
moves. If you are at a horse show or trail ride be cautious when tying to fences. Old
posts can be weak at the bottom, and may be ripped up by your horse.
Dont tie to:

logs on the ground

loose or thin boards

fence rails

lawn chairs

truck tail gates

anything else that isnt securely anchored.

Cross ties.
In a barn with roomy workspaces or aisles, cross ties secure your horse and make it easy
to work all the way around when grooming, or tacking up. Cross ties should be long
enough for the horse to lower its head comfortably, but not so long that it would be
possible for the horse to become entangled or even step over the rope. Cross ties can be
made to break free easily by attaching the ends through loops of bailer twine or strong
string. inch garment elastic can be used if you like the idea of a tie that flexes when
the horse pulls on it a bit, but will still break if the horse struggles. Chains are not a
great idea for cross ties. If a panicking horse breaks free with chains attached, the chains
can swing and cause injury to both horse and handler.
Trailer Ties
Trailer ties work well if you are tying in or to a trailer, or to a post. Make sure your
trailer ties are long enough so that your horses head is not too restricted. Some ties are
made 18 long, and not long enough for use while you are working with your horse;
your horse wont be able to move his head naturally. Longer adjustable trailer ties
(about 3 feet long) with quick release snaps are ideal. Make sure the snaps arent stiff
with rust or winter ice so in an emergency they work the way they are supposed to.
Lead ropes
Cotton rope, 1 inch to 1 inches in diameter is ideal for lead ropes. Flat lead shanks of
leather or webbing arent ideal for tying with. Again, loops of baler twine, string, or
garment elastic make safe breakaway ties around a fence post. Tie high enough that the
horse can not step over the rope, but not so high or tight as to restrict the movement of
the horses head. Check your ropes often for wear if you need to tie solid, such as out on
trail, or at a horse show. Use a quick release knot, so that if your horse is struggling you
can easily pull on the end of the rope and free the horse.
raining Mythunderstandings:
Breaking vs. Training
by Ron Meredith
President, Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre

Many people who are training horses will ask them questions that the horse has no way of understanding
or answering. Then they will fight with the horse or hold him hostage until the horse either gives in or
gives up. The so-called trainer walks away feeling like he or she has won the game because the horse
finally did what they wanted him to do. But no actual communication took place. What happened was
"breaking" not training.

When you break a horse rather than train it, you get a trained flea. What do I mean by that? Well, you start
training fleas by putting them in a jar. You know they are going to jump and if they do that, they'll jump
out of the jar. So you put a lid on the jar.
Now when the fleas jump, they hit their heads on the lid. Being smart fleas, they learn not to jump so
high. Now you can take the lid off and they won't jump out. Voila! You have trained your fleas not to
jump so high. That is exactly what you do when you "break" a horse.
A lot of people train horses this way. They condition the horse to random tasks one by one. They do not
do it in a systematic way that is logical to the horse.
Remember that horses have very simple minds. They can only connect a cause-and-effect sequence of
about two steps. To be horse logical, the next thing you teach a horse can never be more than one step
away from the thing you just taught him and not more than two steps away from the thing before that.
It should be easy for the horse to understand how to do the next thing you want to teach him because it
should flow naturally from the last thing he learned. It should be horse logical for him to behave in a
certain pattern. He shouldn't have to guess about what you want until he accidentally gets it right. He
shouldn't have to stress himself mentally or physically until he learns to do the "correct" thing by
avoiding the "incorrect" thing.
At Meredith Manor we teach our horses a "language" based on their body position relative to ours. The
horse first learns on the ground that certain body language on our part calls for him to be in a certain
position relative to our own. With this as a basis for understanding, we gradually shift the concepts of
mirroring the trainer and working in a corridor of aids from ground work to under saddle work and
eventually to whatever game we ultimately want the horse to play.
Horse showing is a game a lot of people like to play with their horses. Someone defines some rules,
prescribes a set of mannerisms, and the guys whose horses come the closest to those prescribed
mannerisms are the winners. When it gets too easy to win, the somebodies change the rules so it takes
something different to win the game. And everybody's off again. Horse show rules are no more logical
than the rules we make up for football or basketball. They're all just artificial rules that can get changed at
any time.
We teach our horses to perform according to these prescribed mannerisms to make them competitive at
the horse show game. When you are training, it is important to remember that producing a prescribed
mannerism should not be your highest goal. The way you mentally and physically gymnasticize the horse
is the real game. The horse show mannerisms are only a way for you to demonstrate that you and your
horse are physically and mentally prepared.
If you've only learned to duplicate the mannerisms, you and your horse are going to be left behind when
the somebodies change the rules. If your horse was properly trained, horselogically gymnasticized both
mentally and physically, you'll be able to adjust to the new game rules.
As your horse's trainer, you mentally take command of the horse's muscle and strength and use it to play
whatever the game you want to play with your horse. Whether it's polo, cutting, reining, jumping, pole
bending, barrel racing or whatever other game you're playing, the real game is the interaction between
you and the horse. It is about mental, not physical control. And that control has to be methodical and
horse logical for you and the horse to play the game as well as you can.
Training horses is about developing the horse's mental attitudes to the point where they enjoy playing the
same games that you do. That means taking mental control of your horse. The controlling factor is not
strength, not size, not speed. The horse is ten times stronger, bigger and faster than we are.
Let other people be the ones who jerk on horses and slap them around or hassle them until they've
"learned" something. You want to be the one who can communicate with the horse using horse logical
emotions, horse logical shapes and change them from what they aren't into what they can be by using
what they are to start with. Training is about what to do rather than about what not to do.

Hard to Catch Horses

by Rick Gore

Catching horses and trailer loading seem to be two of the biggest problems for lots of horse
owners. I get asked all the time, why wont my horse let me catch him? My first advice is Stop trying to
catch him. A horse knows what is going to happen before it happens. This is because their life depends
on it. If they get caught not paying attention, they are dead, eaten or seriously wounded (which means
certain death). Horses have to know what is happening around them or they die. It is that simple for the
horse and is very instinctive.
By not trying to catch a horse, a horse will not try to get away from being caught. You can still catch him,
it may take a little longer, but remember, The slow way is the fast way with horses. So by just
approaching your horse to pet them, to say hello, to bring them a treat, you tell the horse you are not
trying to catch them, so they do not react to being caught. A horse will not run from someone who is not
chasing or putting pressure on them. So if you go after a horse with a purpose of catching him, go straight
to his head, and only approach your horse when you catch him, it will not take him long for him to figure
out what you are up to. If you were a horse, you would know this and would not want to get caught either.
So how do you hide this idea of catching your horse from your horse? It is not easy. Since horses are the
king of observation and dont miss much, you really have to use your horse sense. You dont want to look
at the head, dont reach out with your hands, dont sneak up and dont talk. You really need to understand
pressure, release and driveline. You have to think that you are approaching your horse only to say hello
and to rub his withers. By focusing on that you will not telegraph your intention to catch the horse. So
your objective is to pet the horse at the withers, not to catch him. If you think that you are fooling the
horse and you try to only pet him when the real intent is catching him, he will know it and you will fail.
You cannot hide your intentions from a horse. Horses keep you honest.
Now, that information will only get you so far. You still have to be aware of pressure and release. Anytime
you approach a horse, even just to pet it or bring it a treat, you need to move as if you are the Alpha and
you understand horse language. By knowing when to put pressure on and when to release pressure, you
communicate with your horse and your horse knows that you talk horse. You make the horse know your
intentions and you make the horse feel that you are not a threat. When see birds, deer, rabbits or other
animals hanging out with horses, you dont see horses caring or reacting to them. They know these things
are not a threat and are not trying to catch them or hurt them. Horses do not know this about you until you
tell them. You tell them this with your body language. You read the horse and know when he is getting
nervous, so you know when to release pressure. If your horse tries to leave, you need to know how to
move in front of the driveline, just enough to stop his forward movement. The more you control the
horses movement, by anticipating what he is going to do, the more you tell the horse you control him and
he will have less incentive to move away from you.
Release is the key to any horse handling. Knowing when to release is timing. Knowing how much to
release if feel. Understanding this is critical if you want to be successful with horses. Whether it is release
of bit pressure, release of leg pressure, release of drive pressure, knowing when and how much will
enable you to get great results from any horse you work with.
So for the hard to catch horses, the smart ones, you need to be smarter. Dont think catch and dont chase
them. Simply understand how horses talk, how they communicate, be like the horse and join up with your
horse. If you can communicate that you are the herd leader and you are higher, then you horse will always
allow you to approach him, just dont try and catch him.

By: Rick Gore

Understanding Horse Fear...

I still see far too many people blaming a horse for their instinctive fear responses. If
you think like a horse and see the world as they do, it will help you understand and
help them. Imagine if you were put in a cage with lions, bears and tigers roaming
free. You know these animals will eat and kill you, but the only place that was safe
and could protect you was a steel cage in the middle of all these people eating
animals. Would you want to leave this protected cage? If you had to get to this
cage, past an open area, can you image the fear you would feel as you ran to the
cage trying to beat the many predators around you? Once in this protected cage
would you be willing to come out? If someone tied a rope around your neck and
pulled you out of this cage past the watching lions, tigers and bears, can even begin
to think of the fear you would be experiencing? Welcome to the world of a horse.
The other night I was out in pasture with my horses. It was about 10 PM, a beautiful night with a little
rain falling lightly. I decided to bring a flake of hay out to the back of the pasture and let my guys eat next
to the side of a hill. It was quite and I was enjoying listening to the horses eat and chew in the quite night.
It was very peaceful and relaxing. Then in a second everything changed. As I stood in between my two
horses, rubbing them both on their backs, I saw a shadow appear on the hill. I was looking at the stars and
my horses were both relaxed, head down and eating some good mixed grass hay. As I saw this shadow, I
could not make it out, but knew I saw movement. I also knew that I and my horses were the only ones in
the pasture, so I thought. I got focused on the area where I saw something. I forgot about my horses
soothing chewing noise and I was not relaxed anymore. My heart rate went up and I was straining to hear
and see what I could not. Then I found it. It was a coyote. A very large, not skinny and very healthy
coyote. My first thought was Holy crap, its a coyote. As I watched him, he watched us.
After my initial, "this aint good" reaction, I started thinking. I though, my horses have not seen this guy
yet and when they do, I am screwed since I am in the middle of them. Self survival kicked in. I knew my
horses could take this guy out with one kick, but I did not want to be collateral damage in the middle of
their reaction. So I slowly and calmly stepped back and moved away from their charge or escape path, as
to not get trampled in the reaction I was sure was going to happen. As I moved, I kept my eye on the
coyote and he kept his eyes on me. Did I mention that this coyote was only about 10 yards away during
this natural encounter?
So after I got to a position where I felt safer (not safe), I started wondering why the horses have not
spotted this guy yet. So I checked the wind direction to see if his scent was being blown towards the
horses or away from them. Oddly enough, it appeared as it if was being blown towards them. So now I
not thinking completely calm but I am wondering if my horses are idiots, are they too engrossed in the
good hay to be paying attention or if they were so domesticated that they didnt realize the danger I was
seeing. So now about 15 seconds have passed and it seemed a lot longer, yet no reaction from my horses,
not even a head raise. I am thoroughly confused now. How can these horses, perfectly designed for
survival, not see this clear threat, which I saw over a half of a minute ago?
Then the coyote, decided to get a better look at us and he came a step or two closer, down the hill and
towards us. I am thinking, this coyote must be crazy, he sure is bold, maybe he has friends and something
bad is about to happen. Then, to my amazement, my Mustang calmly lifted his head half way, pinned his
ears and gave that dont come any closer look. To my surprise the coyote seemed to understand the
message. The coyote stopped in his tracks, turned away and went back up the hill. I was in shock, here I
was, second guessing these marvelous creatures and the entire time, they knew exactly where the coyote
was and what he was doing. As my Mustang told the coyote to leave, my Quarter horse lifted his head
slightly, looked at the coyote and calmly looked at the Mustang, as if to say I saw him too and then they
both went back to eating. Simply amazing I thought. Once again, I was so caught up in me, thinking I was
smarter, I was being so aware, I am the superior being and all the while, they knew. They knew he was

there before I saw him, they knew he was not a threat, they watched him as they ate and they knew when
to warn him. What a great experience.
I was so proud of them. Here they were, their own little herd, looking out for each other, being alert and
aware, knowing how to handle the situation perfectly without panic, running, kicking and just the right
amount of action. All of this without my help or interference. Wow, once again I have to remind myself,
horses know! They know what is going to happen before it happens. They are more aware than any of us
can imagine. They are the ultimate survival animal. They are not mean and do not attack. They only want
to be horses and avoid conflict. They know, because their life depends on it.
So after big hugs and favorite scratches for both of them, it was time for me to leave this perfect herd and
go back to my reality. Then it hit me. I was never really threatened by the coyote. I knew that my horses
could take this guy on with no problem and I felt safe being with them, part of the herd. After the warning
given by my Mustang, the coyote did not come any closer, however he did walk around us a few times
before wondering off. And when he left he walked the same way I had to walk to get back to the barn.
This changed things for me. With the herd I felt safe, now I had to walk back, alone, in a dark pasture, in
the same direction that the coyote did, after seeing this rather brave coyote circle us as if he was checking
us out and searching for weakness.
As I walked back alone, since my herd was not going to leave their nice hay I had brought them, I felt
uneasy and vulnerable. I was walking and looking around quickly. I was not relaxed. I was not paying
attention to much of anything, but constantly searching for that rather large coyote. As I got further away
from my horses my uneasiness became greater. I took my hat off and waved and swatted at mosquitoes in
an attempt to appear bigger and maybe scare the coyote, that I could not see but was sure was out there.
Somehow the walk back seemed much longer than the walk out. As I got back to my truck without an
encounter (that I knew of, maybe I was being watched) I suddenly got a better understanding of how
horses live each moment of their life. Always uneasy, always watching and looking, rarely relaxing for
fear they may miss something and always with that fear of being eaten if they drop their guard, fail to pay
attention or get into a position where they cant run or defend themselves.
I am sure that everyone reading this at one time or another in their life, they were in a situation where
they were scared, fearful and felt uneasy. I hope they can remember this and gain a better understanding
of how horses live each day. And maybe the next time their horse pulls, runs away, accidentally steps on
them, reacts to a scary sound or the horse eating baby stroller or bicycle, they will have more patience and
understanding that the fear to a horse is real, never ending, deeply instinctive and never done to be mean
or bad.
Happy trails,
Rick
thinklikeahorse.org