Whether we're riding our horse in the arena or down the trail, having a horse that easily changes direction certainly makes the experience more enjoyable. It is akin to driving an automobile that has power steering versus one that does not. Not many of us would choose to go back to a vehicle that requires those hard, hand-over-hand turns on the steering wheel, and you wouldn't want to use those same muscle-wrenching techniques on your horse either.
Trainer Craig Johnson of Gainesville, Texas, will show us some simple steering exercises that will make guiding your horse easy. He points out that directional control in your horse is primarily achieved by controlling a horse's front feet.
"The feet are where the action is," he states. "In standard walking and trotting motion, a horse carries up to 70% of his weight on his front feet. That is where he gets most of his balance. So I focus on moving his front feet in the direction I want him to go. His body will follow."
When Craig practices directional control, he doesn't necessarily turn a horse's nose in the direction he wants him to go. "That is something I will add later," he clarifies. "In the beginning, since I'm most concerned with moving the horse's feet, I'm not too concerned with his head and nose position." In fact, there are even times when his horse's head will be looking toward the outside of the circle. That is fine for the time being, he says.
"My focus is on what my horse is doing underneath…where his feet are going," Craig continues. "Sometimes I'll pretend there is a curtain in front of me so I can't even see what he's doing with his head, because the point is to isolate what is going on with his feet. Later on, once I get his feet going where I want them to go, I can start worrying about his head."
Guiding Principles Simplified
- Don't worry about your horse's nose or neck position.
- Remember, your horse will go where his front feet take him
- Improve your steering at the walk and trot rather than at a canter.
- Push, rather than pull, your horse in the direction you want him to go.
- Encourage your horse to center his body beneath your hand.
- Promote a "neutral" state of mind so your horse is ready to go the way you ask.
With this in mind, Craig's goal is to get the horse to move his feet in such a manner that he centers his entire body under the rider's hands as they move to the left and right. During the first stages of these exercises, Craig primarily uses hand cues, supported by leg pressure, to affect the necessary foot movements to achieve the proper body position in the horse.
It is also important to note that Craig recommends doing each of these drills at a walk or trot in order to make the learning experience as easy as possible for the horse. The maneuvers are always done while keeping the horse moving forward.
"Practicing these maneuvers is easiest for a horse at a walk or trot," Craig explains. "If we're loping, my horse will be on the correct lead sometimes and at other times he won't, which will make it hard for him to find his balance. At a walk and trot, I can change directions without my horse having to make those big moves, so he stays really level with his body and doesn't raise up every time I ask him to change directions.
"It is imperative that the horse is always moving forward while performing the drills," he says, "since we are ultimately teaching him to steer while in the normal course of riding."
