Clinton Anderson: Back Up Your Horse

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By Clinton Anderson with J. Forsberg Meyer
Photos by Kevin McGowan

Why train your horse to respect your personal space? For two reasons. First, safety. Your horse weighs about 10 times what you do. When he's standing back with both eyes on you, he can't knock you down, step on you, or try to bite. If he approaches only at your invitation, you're always in control and therefore much safer.

Second is the related matter of respect. If you allow your horse to push into you, even in a friendly way, he's learning to be dominant over you. In groups, only the dominant horse--the leader--can invade the space of others. Underlings must stand back, or risk being charged and reprimanded with teeth and hooves.

So, you must establish yourself as the dominant one, the leader in your group of two. Keeping your horse out of your personal space is fundamental to that goal.

My student Renee Humphries and I will show you how to do that, using her gelding Sammy. First, we'll demonstrate how to define the space where your horse may not go without your invitation. Then, we'll show you how to use your lead rope and training stick to step your horse back and keep him out of that space.

I'll explain what's happening along the way, and Renee will share her insights, as well.

To Get the Most from This Lesson:

Outfit your horse in a rope halter with a 14-foot lead. I prefer my own halters, which have extra knots on the noseband for improved responsiveness, but any stiff rope halter will do.
Grab your training stick. If you don't have one, make one using a sturdy, 4-foot-long stick. Or, use a dressage whip.
Make this exercise part of your daily routine until your horse automatically stands respectfully at the proper distance whenever he's at rest.