Maybe you're headed for home and the horse wants to return faster than you do. You've already stopped him a time or two, but he's sure that he's going to miss dinner back at the ranch.
Instead of circling him, getting into a fight or jerking on the reins, do Hip, Shoulder, Shoulder. Ride a few steps toward the barn, move the hip. Release the rein. Immediately pick up the rein to ask the horse to back. Release the rein. Ask him to walk. The moment he gets a little quicker than you'd like, HSS. Release the rein, and allow him to walk. When he gets quick again, HSS. You'll have controlled your horse, but you'll also be training him that hurrying toward home without permission earns him extra work.
Let's say that you've had a great ride and your horse is ambling toward home on a dirt road, just enjoying the scenery or friendship with other horses and riders. All of a sudden, a deer bounds out of the bushes, startling everyone. There's a split second after the shy in which the horse decides if he should bolt or not. If you've trained yourself and your horse so that HSS is second nature, you'll find yourself reaching for that one rein and providing him with an alternative to bolting. You may find it saves your life, and your horse's confidence and control in that situation helps settle the other horses, too.
Perhaps you're riding the young horse you raised. You've been training and are really pleased with the horse's progress, but you're ready to go a little faster or ride in a less-confined space. You feel ready, but also nervous that maybe things could get going a little faster than you'd planned. Teach Hip, Shoulder, Shoulder. That way you know you have a way to gain control or to tell your horse to downshift when it's necessary.
Hip or Shoulder Only
Here's the beauty of this lesson. You don't have to always do the whole dance. There may be times, such as when startled by that deer, that moving the hip is enough. Moving the hip can be like a "hold on a minute" signal, a little exit on the freeway, so to speak.
And, after you've taught this lesson well, you'll be amazed to discover that you can ask your horse to back (and straight!) by picking up the left rein and focusing on him stepping backward with his right front foot. You won't have to move the hip as a setup. That will take practice. Imagine, though, how great it would be to have a signal like that if you were on a narrow trail.
If your horse is old or has hock or stifle problems, then don't drill him at this exercise. Chip away at it, instead. Do a few moves, then go on to something less stressful for his hind legs, then do Hip, Shoulder, Shoulder a few times. You can teach this all as one lesson or work at it a few minutes at a time.
Once your horse knows the exercise, do a few HSS moves occasionally when you're leading him back from the pasture or when you first set out on the trail. A little tune-up now and then goes a long way toward improving your control and helping you both focus. In time, you'll swear that he can read your mind, and you'll be dancing instead of playing tug of war.
