Trot....Trot... Keep Trotting

I found an exercise that is very useful for many things. I have no idea were I found it.

• It gives a horse confidence
• It helps the rider become more balanced
• Focuses on maintaining a constant speed
• Teaches the horse that stopping next to the gate is not an option.

What you will do is this...
Take a loose hold of the reins, and get into a balanced position if you aren't already. Which most of you will know, but your heels are down, your back is straight, and your heels, hip, and shoulder line up. You should be able to look down your shoulder and see the heel of your boot. Then you ask your horse to trot. You can do this at the walk, but it is more effective at the trot. You can also do this at the canter, but it's safer at a trot. Basically your goal is to keep your horse at the speed you chose, and you let him go wherever he wants. LEAVE THE REINS ALONE. Unless you need to slow them down, or they do something stupid. You will do this exercise for as long as you want. I would suggest five minutes.
Now when a horse gets to decide where he gets to go, he will probably head toward a gate, or a "safe spot". And generally stay in that area. So your horse trots right up to the gate. Kiss and kick to keep him going, because he will stop. Don't stop kissing and kicking until your horse gets goin and leaves the gate. Your horse may need a little help from the reins. That's the only time you have permission to use the reins. But let him try to figure it out first. Basically he'll learn that he can't stop, so the gate isn't so much of a problem anymore.
Now while your horse is trotting around mostly you will do nothing, but try to stay on. Keep a center of balance and move with your horse. It teaches you to zig when he zigs, and zag, when he zags. Now for some reason when you go back to using your reins your balance gets screwed up, so try to work on keeping that balance you feel when you just let the horse trot, and transferring it over to using leg pressure and reins.
It has been my experience that when a horse first starts this he will hang around the gate. As it continues the horse will slowly get further and further away from the gate. So either, he has decided that it is really boring hanging around the gate and he wants to go somewhere new, or he has gained a little more confidence, and is more willing to go away from the gate.
I think the constant speed is obvious. So I won't bother to explain that one.

Trot Away!
Lydia Johnson

Baby go Straight

If you have ever worked with a young horse you know that at some point they will try to ignore you when you ask them to turn. How are you supposed to address that?
I stumbled across one way that works well with one of my young horses. I do this at a canter, because that's when I see her trying to go wherever she wants the most. You can do this at whatever speed you choose. I get her going on a loose rein, and when she starts to not listen I will politely ask her to keep going where I want her to. When she doesn't do it, I get her turned around somehow or another. Usually by kicking her hip out, but it doesn't really matter. And we trot energetically back towards the point she started not listening and we start cantering from there. She understands this really well.
Another way is to practice straight lines. Get your young horse to walk, trot, and canter in between two invisible lines. At first you are going to want these lines to be at least six feet apart. You'll start out in between those two lines, and when your horse tries going somewhere else you will take hold of your reins and bring him back in between your two invisible lines. Now the most important part of this is to let him make the mistake of going outside of your two invisible lines before you pick up your reins and bring him back. Eventually you will make your invisible lines narrower until the horse goes wherever you choose in a straight line.
You could also do this. When your horse won't turn, get him to turn a full circle in the direction you are pulling before going where you want. So you are going along, you ask him to turn to the left, and he doesn't. Now get him to go in a small 360 degree circle to the left and when you are in the direction you want to go let him go straight again. If you are asking for a turn to the right, you will make your circle to the right. Now the circle is just a circle. It's not a correction. Just a circle. If you think of it as a correction your hands will make the bit harsh, and the circle becomes a punishment.
One more. You can do patterns. Set out cones, or whatever obstacles you have and do patterns around them.
I lied. This is the last one. Teach them to do a spin on their hindquarters. It's shoulder control.

Get 'er goin'!!
Lydia Johnson