Lesson 3: Dragon Ropes
Have you ever seen a horse chased through a field by a dragon? A "draggin' lead rope," that is? We've all seen horses break free and get scared by the lead rope that seems to be chasing them.
This next exercise is an important pre-step to tying the horse, and it helps him overcome a fear of dragons. Depending on your horse's fear level, this part of the exercise may be a no-brainer-or it may require a lot of work.
As in the first part of Lesson 2, bring the line along the far side of the horse's body. Give it some extra slack so the rope bounces down around hock level. (Be sure that you are not in position to get kicked or jumped on should the horse startle as he feels the rope touch his legs. Actively manage the rope so it does not get under the horse's tail.) Pull the rope. As the horse turns, he releases himself and that also takes the rope away from his legs.
Next, send him out as you did initially, as if you were longeing him. Walk somewhat behind the horse, allowing the line to droop, but not to drag on the ground. The idea is to get the horse familiar with something following him. Then do the same thing, with the line running along the far side of his body. Work with it until you can let the line drag onto the ground without the horse becoming worried about it. If you sense him becoming worried, pull the line so he turns to face it, rather than feeling chased by it.
In a perfect world, I'd do a lot of exercises to get the horse comfortable with dragging ropes. By the time I do this lesson, I've normally done extensive round-pen work with the horse, and I'm confident that I can control his turns and have him stop. I have sacked the horse out thoroughly and have him saddled. I'd send the horse around the round pen, and toss the lariat ahead of him, and behind him, and let the rope graze his legs. Because of our previous work, he would know that I'm not attacking him, and he would not likely panic or run into the fence.
Several more exercises in this sequence of getting the horse comfortable with ropes are covered on the DVD, My Horse Pulls Back. Each has its own prerequisites, which are too much to cover in this lesson. The DVD also includes information about getting the horse to give to the rope when it's around his body or legs, and to stop when he gets entangled. That lesson is extremely helpful for trail horses or any horses who might get caught up in brush or wire.
Lesson 4: Give to the Post
If the horse has done great in the previous lessons, he's ready to graduate to this one.
With one end of the lariat attached to the horse's halter, pass the other end behind a fence post inside the round pen, as you see in the photo on page 34. Do not wrap the lariat around it, or tie the horse in any way. Be sure that the fence is smooth and there's nothing that could injure the horse if he brushes against it.
Stand facing the post, about 10 feet from it, with the horse to your right, also about 10 feet from the post. Pull the line just enough that it puts light pressure on the horse's halter. The moment the horse looks toward the fence post, put slack in the line to reward him. After a moment, pull the lariat again, encouraging the horse to take a step toward the post, or to at least "give" toward it with his head. Again, relax the line as soon he does. Repeat the exercise until you've "led" the horse to the fence post with the lariat.
If the horse doesn't move forward, kiss to him or use gentle body language to encourage him to move. If he backs up, let the rope slide enough that the pressure stays the same as he backs rather than having it intensify as it would if he were tied.
If the horse pulls hard or gets upset at any point, you can let go of the rope. You do not want to get into a fight with him. The horse won't have gotten away with anything. It just tells you that you have more work to do before trying that exercise again.
Change sides, repositioning the horse on your left, and repeat the exercise. When the horse responds perfectly each time from a standstill, then you're ready to incorporate the lesson one exercise with this one.
With you on his left, send the horse away to the right at a walk. After he's gone several steps, pull the lariat. The horse will likely either stop or turn and walk toward the fence post. When he does, put slack in the lariat, walk up to him and pet him. Allow him to relax a moment before changing sides and repeating the exercise. Work up to being able to send him away at a trot, when you feel that he'll respond correctly.
Just as with the ropes exercise, I carry this considerably farther than we can describe here, including startling the horse while I'm holding the lariat. But I'll also have done a lot more groundwork than we can detail here. The bottom line is to do everything you can to condition your horse to respond to the pull of the rope so that he won't pull back when he happens to get upset while he's tied.
Ready to Tie
All of the work we've done up until now has had forgiveness in the line-if there was a problem, the line gave. When you tie your horse to a post, there's no forgiveness. It's the horse's job to give. So you want to have thoroughly prepared him for this moment. If there's any question in your mind whether he'll pull back, don't tie him.
When you're ready to tie him, clip a lead line to the halter, just as you did the lariat. Tie the horse to the same post where you've been practicing, using a quick-release knot. Allow him about 2 to 3 feet of line. Pet him and step away from him, letting him relax. He may think that you're going to send him out, as you did in the previous exercises. After he stands quietly a few minutes, untie him and lead him away. Repeat that, extending the time that he stands tied, and tying him in other safe spots.
If at any point the horse pulls back, release the line and return to previous lessons. Be sure not to tie him-especially in a trailer-until you're sure that he'll be solid in his response. If your horse has had a pull-back problem, you may have to repeat the lessons many times. Take advantage of a few minutes here and there to give him a mini give-to-pressure refresher. Try to make it fun, congratulating him when he gives. Before long, you'll forget that he ever had a problem, and you'll be proud of how well he stands, and the good job you did training him.
