Combining Sides at the Hip Position: Stand near your horse's hindquarters on one side, facing toward his tail. Do not stand directly behind your horse at this stage. With the arm closest to the horse rested over his rump, begin slapping the ground with the stick and string once on the left side of the horse, once on the right, back and forth. Again, do not try to switch hands to do this exercise as attempting to do so will make the motion cumbersome.
Circles Overhead
Goal: To be able to swing the string rapidly above your horse's head while having them stand still and relax.
Instructions: Stand slightly off to one side, up in front of your horse. That way if your horse tries to go forward, you will not get run over. Assume the same "no big deal" casual and relaxed body stance. Using a fully extended arm, beginning rapidly swinging the string above your horse's head in a helicopter motion. The key to this exercise is to use a committed and rapid arm motion, as this allows momentum to keep the string above the horse's head. A too slow or timid motion will not put enough momentum in the string and will cause the string to bump your horse in the head-resulting in an unhappy horse. It is important the horse not be caused physical discomfort when getting desensitized or they may become suspicious of the motion rather than learning to ignore it.
While it may seem there a lot of details to these exercises, your commitment to learning them and practicing them will reap great rewards with your horse. Each exercise learned with confidence is one more step toward a balanced and trustworthy partnership.
About the author: Emily Johnson, owner of Mountain Rose Horsemanship Training, LLC, located in Broomfield, Colorado, is an accomplished horse professional with a passion for bringing horses and humans together through credible and approachable instruction.
Emily studied Equine Science at Colorado State University before spending the following years traveling, mentoring under many accomplished trainers nationwide, as she developed her own natural horsemanship style. Her training methods utilize a direct approach the horse naturally understands, which she combines with her knowledge of human learning to create the most effective environment for both.
Emily specializes in areas that include young or troubled horses, as well as horsemanship that emphasize the mind and behavior of the horse. Her instruction reflects her passion for equipping both horses and humans for success on their journey toward partnership. She may be contacted at mountainrosetraining@gmail.com.
