In The Spirit of Horsemanship

When addressing the principle ideas of natural, classical horsemanship, we prepare the horse to execute with balance and ease of movement, asking as lightly as possible. The horse is easy. It is what the human needs in feel, timing, and balance that takes time to gain in knowledge and skill.

The person needs to understand basic biomechanics to be able to train and ride the horse correctly. I often see students who don‘t know what to look for when asking a horse for a maneuver. This sets back progress and upsets the horse. Whether we like it or not, the horse has no problems moving without our interference. When we wish to team up with a horse for a project, we want him to move in balance and with ease. A balanced horse is a happier horse.

Here is a quick list of some basic aspects of equine biomechanics:

Standing: The horse should stand square, front and back feet lined up laterally, with hinds up closer rather than parked or strung out behind. Parking weakens the back. Being strung out requires the horse to move up behind before he can be prepared to move forward. Both of these hollow the back, the opposite of collection.

Forward: Hindquarters should start first or with the fronts, collecting the frame in closer and raising the back. Notice that the saddle raises up. Feel for the back coming up. Legs should move evenly when forward and straight. If the front end starts first, the body strings out and goes heavy on the forehand limiting strength and maneuverability, especially under a rider.

Turn or circle: The horse’s body bends on the circle line of the turn, nose to tail. Inside hind foot steps in and up toward front outside foot. Back is rounded. Ribs out of the way (swung toward outside). The horse’s jaw lines up no more than the point of the inside shoulder on a turn or bend. Any farther to the inside and the horse is taken out of balance. This causes him to weight the inside shoulder to “catch” himself, creating irregular and incorrect movement and discomfort. The horse appreciates staying in balanced movement once he knows to carry himself this way.

Backing: The horse’s body leans back, weighted toward the hindquarters and he picks up opposing diagonals to step back. If he is “walking back“, reward for steps of diagonal leg pairs until he understands. He needs to have even steps when backing straight and be moving fluidly, without resistance. His head should be more down than up. Up means he is resisting and shows tension in mind and body.

Backing in a circle or “S” curve: After backing straight is going good, suggest he back in a curve by tipping his nose to the left to send the hindquarters to the right. The inside hind should step away from his body to the side some as he backs on the curve. All 4 feet are stepping, not turning on the forehand or forehand turning without hind.

Then tip nose straight for a couple of steps straight back before changing direction and tipping the nose to the right to send the hindquarters in a curve to the left. Reward the try, then the better steps and finally for more steps over time. Watch for tightness, especially on one side and reward for softness. If the horse’s head pops up, he is stiffening his legs. Tightness of body equals tightness of mind. Go more slowly as he can learn where to place his feet.

Turn on the forehand (hind around fore ): Weight shifts toward the forehand. Outside hind foot steps under belly across in front of inside hind, then inside hind steps away from the body reaching to the side. Pattern repeats as the horse understands what to do. It is better to have some forward movement in the form of smaller steps with the forehand, than to “drill” the pivotal foreleg in place. A pivoting foot is a braced leg.

Turn on the hindquarters (forehand around the hind): Weight shifts toward the hindquarters. Inside front foot steps out away from the body then the outside front steps same direction and crosses inside fore, repeats. Best to have stepping of the hind feet, as the forehand turns, instead of a planted hind foot pivoting. Watch that the horse isn’t just turning in a tiny circle (not stepping across with the outside front) or is just spinning in the middle, all four feet moving the same distance.

Most other maneuvers of the horse are a combination or change in direction or gait of the above movements. By changing bend and direction, new movements are created. This list can be used to assess how training is going and give correct goals for release. Once the eye and feel of the person is trained, she can assist the horse in finding balance and ease of movement.

Pamela Riding Zorro

Pamela DeMuth
http://www.SpiritofHorsemanship.com

Now that the worst of the winter weather is behind us, we have more time to do the needed farm projects and to ride again. Due to a family health issue/weather, we didn’t ride for 3 months. We worked on the ground and spent quality time with the horses, however.

Last week I finally could ride Zorro and he seemed to be happy to have something to do. Saturday I intended to ride him again, but first wanted to help hubby get back on his horse, Hawkeye, who is a still green Tennessee Walking Horse. Green meaning he isn’t trained nearly to our standards, a work in progress.

I rode him when we purchased him 3 years ago and determined he needed ground work, then we found the depths of his health needs for feet, teeth, chiropractic. We went on with some easy ground skills as he healed to help his mind heal. Then about a year and a half ago I rode him again and he was much improved. So I put hubby on him with reins but held the lead just in case (this is his first horse). We did that a couple times then I tied up the lead and Hubby rode solo in the pen. Soon we were riding together in the arena and out on the property. Hubby has a good relationship with Hawk, but was running into things that needed my help, especially understanding bit signals.

Hawk is in a comfort snaffle. So that day I worked from the ground, one rein at a time with the snaffle. I walked him forward then said whoa, paused, closed fingers on the rein if he didn’t stop, until he halted and released. He caught on with the left rein, but was not understanding the right (this showed up again later when riding). Will work more on the right for him to find the balance.

Then I mounted up to ride first. Hawk is not spooky, but remembers past riding pain. He is getting used to the idea that he doesn’t hurt when ridden anymore. When I first mounted, he stood but felt a bit “twitchy” with anticipation so I just sat with no energy or intention of going. When he tuned in to that, I flexed him laterally (asked him to follow a feel on the rein) which he did pretty well. He is an overachiever, but is beginning to understand how to wait for us and not anticipate. So I keep him guessing what the next project or job will be and often they are small things that lead to much bigger ones. He especially needs to connect the reins to the feet.

I asked as quietly as I could for him to move forward, just an easy walk. To do this I lifted the reins with one hand slightly and used my seat, thought, focus. Nothing abrupt that would suggest he hurry. He stepped into a walk just a little stiffly. I relaxed into his wonderful rocking walk (which is so different from Zorro’s) and he relaxed into my seat. YAY!

I got him going straight and balanced, then asked him to stop. He stopped pretty good for him. I let him relax a few moments then again asked him to walk out. He went right with me, not too much or too little. Then I started to work on our turns left and right. He wanted to go left sometimes and I just said how about coming to the direction I’m going, waiting until he turned with me (the rein/seat) to release. I rubbed his neck then reached back to rub his hip. He must not have had anyone do that. I was prepared for him to squirt, but he halted as if he thought I might fall. Good boy!

I felt little reactions when my legs would touch his sides. I asked hubby if he keeps his legs off. Yes, because of reactions. So I halted Hawkeye and without any idea of going, “loved” him with my legs. He started to move and I stopped him with the rein, then gently rubbed him with my legs back and forth. He settled and realized we were not going anywhere. My legs didn’t have any meaning in them.

I rolled him forward with my seat and intention. He felt the difference. It is just a beginning to the ability to separated intention from cues. Intention will create harmony, cues create mechanical and often wrong responses.

We rode and felt of each other for a little while then Hubby rode him and had a good ride. Talking later, we determined that Hawk is now ready for new things. He doesn’t know very much and hubby doesn’t know how to help him with maneuvers such as turn on the hind and fore, speeds within each gait, etc. Of course hubby is learning, too. Hawk has to learn how to follow the feel with relaxation and confidence.

Pamela DeMuth

Spurring or bumping the horse with every step is something that is so unnecessary that it causes me to inwardly wince. This becomes a quick habit starting perhaps from getting a sluggish or confused horse to step out. The rider kicks, bumps, or taps a spur every step the horse makes. I see it even with otherwise excellent riders.

Better to teach the horse to move forward, first on the ground and then in the saddle by timing a release precisely when the horse offers a try. When he is going well, ride quietly with the timing you want in your seat.

The rider sets up the go signals from thinking of going, life up (energy), then something pretty light like “rolling the ball” forward from the seat, just a touch but with intention (let‘s go that direction at a walk), then a light squeeze with thighs if needed, then down to a lift of the heels asking the HQ to go. The moment the horse thinks to go and is preparing himself to step up, the rider releases everything that was applied even if it was the seat suggestion or just the idea to go. The rider can reach up and stroke the horse on the neck when going well for her.

She also notices that she hasn’t inadvertently tightened on the reins while also asking the horse forward. If the horse slows or stops on his own, the rider allows it and starts over from the beginning. It takes once to teach, but many repetitions for consistency so the horse isn’t untrained or confused.

If the rider THINKS step out and the horse does, she doesn’t have to use her seat. The rider moves with the movement of the horse from hips down. Her upper body is not stiff but remains vertical to the ground. There is a sweet spot of balance there, neither behind or in front of the horse‘s balance. The rider can feel for that point, refine it, and feel for the reaction of the horse when rider is out of balance.

An instructor watching from the ground can best help the rider feel for a new balanced position and remind when old habits kick in again.

Soon the horse learns to maintain the gait and speed within that gait without being bumped or spurred unnecessarily and the rider is moving in harmony with the horse.

Pamela DeMuth

author of The Spirit of Horsemanship

These blog posts and my book The Spirit of Horsemanship present specific subjects and principles that equal up to a terrific relationship with your horse. If the relationship is pretty good it improves with these ideals. But often it is not so good but becomes quite nice with advances in horsemanship.

Traditionally the horse is used as a “beast of burden” who works for a living. Even today he is competed, traded, bred, ridden, and often ignored or cast away. His interests and needs are frequently not considered or understood. The human’s interests are often all that matters, until there is a mental, physical, or emotional breakdown.

When a person begins to really consider her horse, and finds ways to help the horse perform his job, the horse is appreciative. Many “issues“ simply go away. A higher level of relationship in both the person and the horse lifts each equine activity and experience to a new level of joy. We first have to know what that relationship can be. If we are efforting in our riding or training, something is missing in that relationship.

We can ask these questions: Does the horse know I am his (or her) person? Does he have a bond with me that shows respect, interest, and willingness? Does he think he is safe and cared about? Does he wait for me and trust me? (How much?) Is he listening attentively and feeling for my next communication? Can he execute my ideas easily at a suggestion? Does he like to “hang out” with me?

Maybe more importantly we can ask these questions of ourselves. Do I know he is my horse? Do I show respect, interest, and willingness to him? Do I think I am safe and cared about by my horse? Do I wait for him and trust him? (How much?) Am I listening attentively and feeling for his idea and understanding? Can I execute my own ideas with quality? Do I like to be with my horse?

I now wince when watching riders who inadvertently put unnecessary pressure on their horses. They ride the horse out of balance and get in his way. They often pressure and push to try to get somewhere or to “win“. These things are counter productive to riding, but also to the relationship. The horse only wants us to learn enough to help him do a great job. He is happy to follow if I am a good leader.

The movements we want to ride are not really new to the horse. It is the communication between horse and rider and the rider position that creates healthy movement. This teamwork produces the lovely maneuvers we wish under saddle.

Many of my posts here explain simple features that produce resistance free, soft, accurate movements in the horse to that horse’s physical ability of the day. It is my responsibility to be what my horse needs me to be in knowledge and skill. The rewards are immeasurable.

When our horses are prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally, we improve our own status as well. No wonder we bond with our horse in trusting, compassionate honor. And it only takes a whisper and a measure of time.

Pamela DeMuth

-A Two Way Street?

When chatting to friends or family most people tend to focus on their own story. They may not really be listening to or for the other person’s thoughts at all, only thinking of personal points they want to make. This one-sided view can be a long time ingrained habit and is limits a person’s ability to work with others. It quite naturally extends to communication with four-legged friends as well.

True communication considers what others think, feel, or have to say. It shares ideas and molds new concepts from the added information. A language is developed and leads to a stronger connection. The main goal is there, but progress is fluid and depends on that moment and both minds at work.

Horses aren’t born understanding our cues or body language (which often doesn‘t say what we mean for it to say). We have to develop those clearly with each horse. By consistently using body language that means something specific and working with the horse’s ideas of our presentation, our goals become much easier to achieve together.

There are generally two efforts put forth in working with horses. One is a concept that the horse needs to be pushed and pulled to get his feet to move. This concept is like that one-sided conversation with people. It says to move or else or assumes the movement must come from the pull or push.

The horse moves from pain or pressure for self preservation, often not really knowing what the person has in mind, or understanding the task at hand. This method is limited in scope from the beginning but is a common human attitude (even when we are trying to be more “natural“). It still depends on the horse’s willingness and ability to move, and finding the intended answer. Much like our one-sided ideas with people, it prevents teamwork. It can lead to balking, bracing, bucking, and bolting. The four “B”s we really don’t want with our equine partners. Yet we often profess to want exuberance from our horses in competition.

Two way communication teaches the horse by showing and reward exactly what the human is thinking. It offers the idea much as a dance teacher does. The dance teacher could grab the new student and whisk them to the dance floor and hope the student can figure out the steps or she can stop and teach the student the dance from the beginning.

How much easier would it be to spend some time learning the language of dance? With gentle guidance the instructor shows the student how to move with grace and slowly gain suppleness and strength in the body. Then she can teach the steps as the student can grasp and execute them.

When discussing the dance, the teacher would share the new language until it is understood. Each term would have meaning. In horsemanship, each move of the rider has meaning, or not, depending on consistency and clarity combined with release to say “yes, yes, yes”. The horse feels confident in his lessons so is willing to try. The language between rider and horse develops until it is a lovely two way conversation, continually.

For specific communication suggestions, refer to my book: The Spirit of Horsemanship: Natural Training through Feel for Harmony with Your Horse.

Pamela DeMuth

It is easy for humans to be impatient when teaching or handling horses. We usually tend to think horses should respond within our own mental time frame or desires. Anything that a horse does that fast while learning is usually a reaction, not a response. The horseperson wants a thoughtful response that is well understood, willingly given, and will last.

Horses think and respond differently from human beings. The experienced horseperson uses three keys to his advantage. One is often called “set it up and wait. Another is “dwell time” or “soak”. The third is timing of the release.

When teaching the horse something new or using a new piece of equipment, the person will do everything she can to make it very easy for the horse to do what she is asking. She will have the horse in a place that is safe for them to try something new like a round pen or small arena. She will break down the lesson for the horse to understand pretty well before he moves on to something more complicated. Lessons are often built on small pieces over time until a natural progression leads the horse to the new idea.

It is possible to present the lesson more quickly, especially by a talented trainer, but it is easy for part of the lesson to be lost or misunderstood by the horse. A version of this is called “flooding” where the stimulus is quickly presented and pressured until the horse reacts or stands still, whichever is desired. Flooding is can cause some real issues in the future. Those pieces missed or misunderstood come out later and retraining is much more difficult. Much time is lost by trying to go too fast.

“Set it up and wait” means that the human positions the horse so he can do the required change naturally. He says oh, this is easy and finds the answer. He may try a tiny bit at first. Many people never see the first try. The skilled horseperson by experience, notices the horse when he is THINKING about trying. The suggested stimulus is released quickly for a try in the right direction. Then the next and better try will usually be with more confidence. The horse’s confidence in doing the right thing will build in time to a desire to be a good partner with the human and not be afraid to try.

As the horse correctly finds the answer he is offered time to think about the lesson. Horses register tremendous amounts of information based upon the moment they found discomfort or comfort. They will record what happened and remember much of it for the next lesson if lessons are very consistent. Horses digest this information especially well in a dwell time.

Some dwell times are just a few moments or minutes. Often the horse licks out of the bottom of his mouth. Blinking and licking are two ways to know the horse found the answer in his own way of thinking. If the release was timed well to the actual moment the horse executed a good try, he has learned part of the lesson. It is the release that teaches. He can learn the wrong response easily if the human releases at the wrong moment, when the horse is not executing the desired movement.

If the horse makes a mistake, the human waits until the horse keeps trying and approaches the correct idea. Then she starts over. If the horse gets upset, she just stops and starts over with less stimulus. Training requires far less “pressure” or cue, than the average person thinks. Time and patience are far better trainers than pressure and pushing. When teaching something new or improved, the person allows the horse time to decide what to do, guides with signal and release, and her idea soon becomes the horse’s idea.

There is no comfort for the horse in drilling an exercise or lesson. The horse can think he was wrong if asked again and again to do the same thing. An average lesson has from one to three good tries in the right direction, then the subject is changed to something easy for the horse before going back to a newer lesson. Both sides of the horse are taught the same lesson for balance.

At the end of the session the horse is rewarded by turning him out to his home paddock. Timing the turn out at a particularly good result (ending on a good note) will keep that idea fresh for the horse. The next day he will have dwelled on the important parts of the lesson (again in his thinking) and be quicker to understand the progression of the lesson.

Yes, this training can take days, weeks, or even months to begin to get solid. Great horsemen say slow and right beats fast and wrong. Once the person gets used to the feel of going so slowly, she will see that by setting the horse up and waiting for his try, the training actually goes much faster and with greater quality.

Pamela DeMuth
author of The Spirit of Horsemanship

It is quite natural for horses to be in rhythm. Their bodies and minds work as two horses in sync. If one side is not working with the other or one quarter with the others, there is crookedness and disharmony. Horses must coordinate all gaits with rhythm between both sides. Watching a horse walk or trot, see if you can notice a slight change in footfall timing or distance each foot travels when the horse is going straight. The well coordinated, healthy, and conditioned horse will move evenly.

It helps a horse to maintain gait and coordination if the rider is also in the same rhythm. Music is an excellent way to help the rider and horse time together in harmony. The horse can learn to follow changes in rhythm from the rider, but horses usually have a tempo they like at each gait and instead, change stride length for speeding up or slowing down within the gait.

How does timing fit in with rhythm? The rider learns to feel for the horse’s feet. She knows where the horse’s feet are falling within each gait and can feel for the timing needed to make a change. The rider cues a change of bend or gait within the rhythm and just as the horse’s foot is leaving the ground. In this way the horse has time to place the foot where it is needed to comply with the change and keep the rhythm. Watch excellent dressage pairs. The horse and rider fit together and are with the music. Execution is smooth and seamless.

Time to break out the CD player and ride the dance!

Pamela DeMuth

I have tried a number of riding simulations but the closest may be that of trying seat riding cues while seated on a medicine ball. The feel and understanding gained by these simulations may mean all the difference to the horse and the rider when implemented from the saddle. The beauty of getting the feel of correct seat use is the nice way the horse responds, very much like the ball.

Medicine balls can be purchased in a variety of sizes in sports sections of stores such as WalMart. When selecting a medicine ball for simulation, size it so you can sit on it with your feet touching the ground about shoulder width or a little wider. Feel for the movement of the ball. It is nice to have someone watching to verify what you feel. Sit carefully when learning so you don’t roll off of the ball.

Once settled, try a go cue while sitting on the ball just as when you ask your “horse” to go. The seat bones start straight down and should influence the ball to roll forward. We find that this takes just a touch of the seat moving forward under us (seat bones tip forward). When this feel is learned, we can transfer it to the saddle and use the seat as we did to tip the ball forward. The horse will probably easily understand to step forward. If needed the rider’s lower legs will ask the hindquarters to step up and lift the back rather than the horse leave with front legs and hollow out the back.

If not, we should verify that the seat is offering the same feel as it did in simulation. It is easy to think backwards so more ball practice is helpful. We also check that the rein hands do not hold or take up the rein when asking the horse to step out. We need just enough feel in the reins to be ready to direct. This goes for forward transitions as well.

When we ask the ball “horse” to halt, we again roll the ball forward but this time into our hands. Why not tip and roll the ball back? Because that would hollow the horse’s back, and cause him to dump his weight onto the forehand. By rolling our ball forward, into the downward transition or halt, the horse stays in balance and uses the hindquarters. The hands do not come back to the horse, but fingers close on the reins and wait for the horse respond then open for the release. Feel for this takes time. If I work on my correct communication my horse naturally follows. Continued success with this in actual riding will create a better movement and smoother transitions up and back with the horse.

If we want to turn our ball “horse”, say, to the right. We try to turn as we ride. Where does the ball want to go? If it goes with us to the right then we create a good turn feel. If it goes out to the left behind, most likely we are turning more from the waist up than using the whole body core. When riding, this doesn’t take much of a turn, just move your head, shoulders, and body core toward the inside rein or horse’s inside eye. The outside leg naturally will be more behind (rider doesn’t have to think to move it) keeping the hindquarters from drifting out. The inside leg will help influence the horse’s ribs to move over naturally without pressure. The less the rider does, the easier the horse can remain in balance in the turn. No pushing is needed. Set it up and wait, feel for it. Release for a try in the right direction.

The final exercise on the medicine ball is to simulate backing up. What movement in the seat causes the ball to move back? Did your try make the ball move back or forward? The ball moves back when the seat bones tip more backward, just a bit. Sitting on the ball we try and feel for the ball rolling back. When riding we add a lifting of the body weight from the saddle slightly and slip legs back and the horse will lightly back up on the hindquarters.

Riding simulation on the exercise ball can go a long way toward gaining our horse’s engagement, balance, softness, relaxation, and willingness to follow our suggestions.

Pamela DeMuth
Author of:
The Spirit of Horsemanship

I try to never let my horse’s mind go wandering off when I am working with him at liberty, on line, or under saddle. This has been greatly reduced by having him bring his head back when he takes it away, or putting his feet back if he leaks off a step or two. I do this without attitude but with patient persistence.

If his eye/ear is not looking at me and watching for my direction in a task, I get the attention back before continuing. It usually means I am not that engaging or important, or he doesn’t feel I can keep him safe. By getting him back on task (whenever possible), he gets out of the habit of looking around or wandering off mentally and into a nice habit of engaging with me or waiting for me.

By making our sessions enjoyable, with something to which he can look forward, he gets more and more connected to my intention and feel. He is ready to respond earlier, when there is just a whisper of a directive. Then I can release quickly and make everything comfortable and easy for us both.

Though I like to trail ride, I don’t just sit on the saddle and allow him to pick the pace or direction, either. I am always the one to suggest how we go. I ask for a little faster walk, now a very slow walk or a gait, now a circle, now a shoulder in or a halt. I direct and support a green or tense horse holding slight contact on both reins, but only one rein is signaled at a time on the snaffle bit. One supporting and one directing rein when needed. Contact is neither tight nor very loose for the young or green horse. My body does the most suggesting of changes in speed, direction, and body alignment.

There is a difference between using too much energetic and pressured “work” and in directing and supporting. Everything is presented to the horse as a project we do together in a quiet, relaxed, thinking manner. Time is offered as needed for the horse to connect the idea and respond. I consistently reward for relaxation, softness, and correctness.

When resting if the horse looks like he may be needing to move his feet, I give him another small job to do and he loses his rest time. Soon he makes an effort of relaxing when halting.

For bigger upsets, I can signal him to put his head down. I indicate with the lead (on ground work) for him to put his head below his withers. As soon as he does, he feels better, relaxes, and licks. Or, I can ask him to bring his hindquarters under and forehand through, watching for relaxation.

In the saddle I can hold one rein steady (usually the outside) and milk the inside rein to ask him to soften and drop his head. The supporting rein (outside) suggests he isn’t to turn so he more easily finds the head down position. As he begins to lower his head I allow it down, but take up the rein slack if it comes up and start over. Handy thing for my horse to know when out on the trails. By teaching several signals for head down and practicing when the horse is quiet, he will be better able to follow that signal when upset.

And finally, I check for magnesium deficiency. It is more common than people
think and effects the “spookiness” of the horse, as can too much protein and starch in the diet on some horses. I recommend a book called Beyond the Hay Days by Rex A. Ewing for “Refreshingly Simple Horse Nutrition”. It takes some of the guesswork out of diet needs.

Pamela DeMuth

The horses I owned years ago were pretty good to tie, probably taught by someone earlier in their lives. Zorro, however, came to me very likely to panic and pull back at any time. This stemmed from how he was tied when started (before I bought him) combined with his hotter temperament making it difficult to ever change the habit.

He pulled back once or twice when I first went to tie him fast. It really scared me because I once saw a three-year-old, saddled colt pull back, break a lead, and flip over backward. I didn’t want that sort of thing to happen to Zorro. I also didn’t want him to become a confirmed puller, testing and breaking ropes.

I heard from more than one experienced horse person to dally the lead a few times over a tie up post (this worked with round, wooden, horizontal hitching posts) with just enough tension to give the horse good resistance, but loose enough to release if the horse really pulled (emergency). The dally worked for me for a while. I stayed pretty close and over time I could leave him tied for a little while with more confidence he was safe. But I didn’t like the possibility he could get free and have a lead rope dragging the ground that he could trip on or worse. Also he might figure out how to work the dally. Note: I never tied a rein attached to the bit!

Then I wished to tie more places and leave for longer times and along came Tom Dorrance and Brent Graef with a more natural method of training the horse to be tied. I watched Tom’s guidance on DVD showing horsemen and women how to teach a horse to “tie”. Then later Brent Graef gave his students detailed directions and demonstrations of this same procedure. It teaches the horse to:

1. Come off of poll pressure.
2. Soften and disengage when reaching the end of the line.
3. Step forward toward the tie.

I highly suggest obtaining Brent Graef’s assistance for a horse that pulls back.

I consider any horse that pulls back one that has not learned to follow a feel with pressure on the poll. They pull against it. They are not really halter trained! They may follow the person leading them, but if they were to feel pressure on the head behind their ears from the halter or bridle, they would pull instead of follow. For more information on teaching to lead, read my book: The Spirit of Horsemanship.

The Dorrance method for his students is to have one person dally the lead (about 15’ yacht or tree line rope and no clasp, tied securely onto a quality rope halter) loosely one time around a secure pen fence panel about horse shoulder high. That person was outside of the pen and in charge of taking up slack or giving release to the line (and keeping the horse from taking off or getting into a panic). They did not tie the horse to the panel or fence! They usually wore leather gloves with a green horse or colt.

Then a second person used a stick and cloth “flag” to stimulate energy behind the hindquarters of the horse, to the side, and asked the horse to move down the pen fence. The intention was not to frighten the horse but just to move him. Sometimes a colt becomes frightened anyway. Horse and flag person are inside of the round pen. THE FLAG PERSON STAYED OUT OF KICKING OR STRIKING RANGE.

Pressure was let up as the horse moved down the fence and ran out of slack on the rein, but the flag person stayed out behind the hindquarters to be able to send back the other direction next go. At first the horse might hit the end of the line pretty hard and felt pressure on the poll from the rope halter. He needed to disengage his hindquarters to compensate for being out of balance. When he did, he naturally softened and relaxed some, and was facing the place where the outside person held the lead end. It was best if he took a step or two forward toward the dally on the fence. When he let some slack come into the line, the person holding the end of the lead gave some slack in the line to help him find the right answer. The colt licked his mouth and learned.

Time was given for the horse to think about what just happened, then the flag person stimulated the horse’s hindquarters again to send him the other direction, disengage, and step forward. Back and forth until the horse was not really moving off very far or quickly and not even taking the slack out of the line.

In my opinion a horse person needs to be shown how this works by a pro, first, then they can learn to use appropriate feel, timing, and balance to teach horses to come off of poll pressure and keep slack in the rope. The result is a horse that can be tied safely in most situations.

Any new skill is naturally reinforced with time and practice.

Pamela DeMuth