Pop Quizzes
Now that you understand the theory, we'll show you a few fun exercises you can do with your horse. When a horse is tied, depending on his head position, he'll likely feel a pull from in front of him, from below his head, or from either side. So before we consider tying a horse, we'll practice each of those pulls, and make a game of it.
Tissue testing
Tell your horse that any horse can learn to have his head down, but not just any horse will keep his head down despite a distraction, like having his face brushed with a tissue. Since he's a special horse, no doubt he'd like to learn this special trick.
Of course, he doesn't care if he's special or not. It's just our way of keeping things light. Ask the horse to drop his head, and then pet him with something distracting, like a tissue or plastic grocery sack. The moment he begins to raise his head, use the rein or lead rope to ask him to drop it again…and again. Be sure to release the moment that his head is down and he's still. Play with various things until you can approach your horse from either side or from the front and have him drop his head on cue-even with the scary tissue present.
Am I stepping on your rope?
When you have the basics down, ask your horse to stand with his head at a normal height. Let the lead rope drape on the ground, and step on it, near the horse's front foot-not directly in front of him.
With your foot on the lead, brush the horse's neck or head, or do some other distracting thing that might cause the horse to raise his head in a casual "What's up?" move. If he drops his head when he feels tension from the lead, remove your foot from the lead and pet the horse. If he pulls or jerks his head, take the lead rope in your hand (ideally without releasing it), and ask the horse to move forward and give, as you did when teaching him the basic move. Be careful not to stand where he could hurt you if he rears or strikes.
Step lively
Walk beside the horse with the lead rope in your right hand. Pull the lead rope forward as you begin to trot. The trick is not to drag the horse forward, but to use the lead rope to cue him. If he doesn't obey the cue, switch hands and use the go forward cue to get his hindquarters moving. Then switch hands again so that your lead rope tells him "come forward." After a few times he'll get the idea and trot along beside you. Remember that when you use the lead rope to ask him to slow down, you're also testing whether he gives or pulls.
Come here, please
Stand facing the horse's nose. Step back several steps. Pull the lead rope steadily, inviting the horse to step toward you. Release the line the moment that he begins to step forward. If he doesn't step forward within two seconds, step to your right, drive him forward, then move his hip. Repeat the exercise.
Pocket lesson
Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone while your horse fussed around, essentially saying, "Mom, can I go now?" We often manage his activity the best we can, and finally end up jerking the lead rope in frustration.
Instead, after you've worked through the basic lessons, how about putting your rein hand into your pocket, as if the pocket were a post? Give the horse about 12 inches of rein, and lock your hand into your pocket. Try to ignore him. Watch that you don't get your feet stepped on, but as best you can, stay in one position. At minimum, don't back away from the horse, but if you feel that you have to move, choose a direction other than where he'd like to push you. Keep on talking to your friend, or at least trying to.
At first, your horse will be like a little kid who wants attention. He may nudge you, bob his head, or try to get his rein back by jerking his head. If you can ignore all that, before long he'll put slack in the rein and stand there, as if he's eavesdropping on your conversation.
Over the head
This is a simple exercise that will both condition the horse to what you want and let you know how well he responds. With the horse wearing a halter, bring your lead rope up over the horse's head, on top of the halter. Pull the end of the rope, but watch that you don't get the snap up by the horse's eye. If the horse raises his head significantly, that will tell you that the horse will likely pull back if he were tied and something startled him. If he drops his head, then he's made great progress in the "give to pressure" exercises.
We're sure that you can find time to work on these lessons. Even two or three minutes at a time will help.
Use your imagination to come up with other pop quizzes that test your horse's ability to move his nose in the direction of the pull. If you get in the habit of using pop quizzes to train and test your horse, you'll keep the sessions fun and won't overwhelm either one of you. Remember that if the horse doesn't pass the pop quiz, the teacher has more work to do.
