I thought I would give you details on an exercise I’ve been using with BigT. It’s done at liberty and here in a roundpen, though if your horse has learned free lunging you can do it in this matter.
I use a clicker because I want to shape the movement. JMO but the clicker really helps in getting the horse and you on the same page faster then if you do a “good boy” or a pat or even a food reward without the clicker. The click is given at the moment the desired behavior is given by the horse so it serves as a marker.
In this video, BigT already knows voice commands. I am blending my voice with certain body movements so eventually he will respond to the physical cue without the voice. Horses pick up on this much quicker then you think! In the video, several times BigT started the trot just from me lifting my leg.
This was some video we took last year. Unfortunately, the long winter shadows impair some of the view, but I think it still gives the basic idea and the view of what we are doing.
Stage One: Warmup
Warm the horse up with the voice command to walk. Go both directions. Find out if he is responding to your verbal cue to whoa. Add in some trot. At this stage you do not want your horse rushing about – getting him to look to you and paying attention is far more important.
Stage Two: Adding physical cues
To trot, lift your leg higher and in a more animated position. Body is upright. Click and reward when your horse responds. Eventually you will fade out the verbal cue but for now link the voice which your horse is probably familiar with, with the body cue you select. Always use the same body cue for the same command.
To slow, you will bring your knees down like you are about to kneel. The bellybutton is thrusted forward, the back tall.
Your horse will most likely slow, drop from trot to walk, or maybe even stop. In the beginning, reward for any slowing. Eventually, you will remove the stopping and even the dropping out of gait.
Stage Three: Adding a GO!
Once your horse is slowing, add a GO! before he breaks down from the desired gait (in this video it is working in trot, though the same applies to canter work). We are now removing the walk from the trot – and the halting.
Things to see in this video:
In the slo-mo portion of the video, note the huge increase in stride. The hindleg now has an overstride, especially at video marker – 4:50.
After the slow-go command, the trot becomes more rhythmatic (you can hear the hoofbeats in some of it)
The head relaxes and is neither held too high or too low. However, he does push his nose to the outside of the circle and we will correct in a later video.
The back rises but it is very subtle. You may find it impossible to see the back change unless you have an educated eye or are using videotape.
The horse is not rushing about – the work is controlled and afterwards, though he has flared nostrils, he is not out of breath, no pink in his nostrils and neither is he lathered.
You are looking for the horse to be paying attention to you – rushing about and looking to the outside and not obeying your commands means your horse is too distracted. Take a step back in the process and look for connection before you ask for improvements.
