We'll work on training the elevation in this lesson. Once you've taught the cue, you can adjust the height easily.
We also want the horse to carry his head evenly, with both ears about the same distance from the ground. We don't want the horse's head tipped to one side or the other. Frequent changes of direction with a complete release of the rein will take care of this automatically on most horses, unless there's a bit or mouth problem.
Then whether the horse's nose is poked out or his chin is tucked back toward his chest is a matter for you to decide according to the horse's conformation and his job. Generally speaking, most horses benefit from having some collection. That way, they can stretch out as need be, but they have better carrying ability. (The article "Developing Rein Control" in the May 2005 issue will be a big help with this.)
Give Down
Using a simple snaffle bit, we're going to "talk" to one side of the horse's mouth at a time, conditioning it to respond to the rein on that side. Once you've taught each rein separately, you can mix and match according to the level of control you need. For now, we're going to concentrate on teaching the horse to "give" - the word we use for "respond to" - the rein.
In order to do that, you have to consciously stop thinking about the rein mechanically and start thinking about it as a communication tool. Begin this lesson in an area where you don't have to steer much, and without too many distractions. With the horse walking forward, look at the tip of the horse's ear. Notice how high it is - as if you were going to measure it against a doorpost, the way people do as their kids' age.
Now slide your left hand down the left rein until it's about 6 to 8 inches in front of the saddle. Grasp the rein and bring it back to your saddle, taking the slack out of the rein as you do. Hold it against your saddle, and focus on the tip of the horse's ear.
The horse will likely bring his head to the left, which is fine. As he does that, the horse's head will drop about a half-inch. When that happens, let go of the rein (as in open your fingers and let it go). You can immediately pick up the rein again, but that generous release is important for letting the horse know he did what you wanted.
Pick up the left rein again, and again hold steady tension on it until the horse drops his head a little bit. (It's easiest to see the head drop by focusing on the ear.) As soon as the horse drops his head, release the rein.
Your horse might not turn his head to the side or drop it right away. Instead, he'll wonder why you have that rein and how he can get it back from you. So he may pull his head to the right. He might raise his head or try to yank the rein out of your hand.
Activate Your Horse's Caller ID
If you think of the rein as a communication tool, you'll find that your training will make a giant leap forward.
Here's where remembering that the rein is a communication tool pays off. If you think in mechanical terms, the rein pulls the horse's head in just a particular way or you have to hold your hands in a special position. But if you think of the rein like you might a phone, it doesn't matter what room the phone's in when it rings - you recognize the ring and pick it up. The horse doesn't care if your hands are up or down, if you're on the ground or in the saddle. When you pick up the rein, his phone rings. His special sense of observation and memory for patterns allow him to discern what you want.
The horse learns to recognize the subtleties that accompany your wanting his head up that are different from wanting it down - or moving his hip or anything else we're going to eventually tell him with the same rein. It's easier for him if you do not exaggerate any body or leg cues - just be yourself.
In order to get the most from this lesson, you may have to consciously remove the mechanical model from your mind, and replace it with the telephone analogy. It might help you to imagine that as you begin to take slack out of the rein, you're ringing your horse's phone. As soon as the phone rings, his "caller ID" tells him what you want him to do. The rein is like the phone that carries the message. The rein isn't the message. The rider is. Just keep your mind on what you want the horse to do, and release as soon as you think he's on the right track, and you'll see it works.
Keep your cool and try not to release or let him move your hand until you see that ear drop just a little bit. Then release generously. After about 10 times on the left, then do the same thing with the right rein.
At first, you're not going to know when to release the rein. If you think the head dropped a bit, release. You're going to repeat this enough that the horse will figure out the pattern, so releasing a few times too early won't hurt. But holding too long may prolong the training. If he eliminates dropping his head as the option that won him the release, he may have to try lots of other options until he tries the head drop again. Err on the side of generosity.
Ask him to drop his head, then leave the reins alone until the horse raises his head again. You can work with him at the walk or the trot with this lesson, but begin at the walk until you've figured out how to coordinate everything. Continue using one rein to ask the horse to drop his head, until you can put his head down by his knees.
Give Up
Obviously, you're not going to ride your horse with his nose by his knees, but you should work with the exercise enough that you can put it there. When the horse is excited, the same cue that dropped his head to his knees in practice will drop his head about two inches. But then you can ask for another two inches, and another two and so forth until you have the horse under good control.
What if your horse naturally holds his head too low? Or maybe he thinks that he's supposed to carry it low, now that you've worked through this lesson? Use the same system to tell him to raise it.
Since you didn't pull the horse's head down, you're not going to pull it up. Hold light tension on one rein and think about your horse raising his head. He'll probably give down first. When you don't release, he'll wonder what you want and he'll try other options. One of them will be to raise his head. When he does, release the rein. You've just taught him to "give up." It will seem like the same cue to you as "give down," but the horse will recognize the subtle difference in you as you give the cue.
That said, the horse will be confused at first, but that's OK. Because you release the rein each time, he won't get too frustrated, and any confusion will resolve itself in a few minutes, if you stay consistent. He'll know there's a solution nearby, and he'll be motivated to find it. PH*
