Ask an Expert    Training/Problem Solving Back Up Basics       Full Stop       Training Troubles       Reluctant Performer Q. I have a young horse that I have been working with since spring and I've been having trouble getting him to back up. I might get one or two steps, then he'll stick his nose in the air, plant his feet and open his mouth while pulling on the bit. What am I doing wrong and how can I fix this? A. Bill Virden, who specializes in starting young horses using non-resistance methods at his facility near Almonte, Ontario, gave us his opinion and fielded this back up query. Many horses do not back up correctly. There are two reasons why. First, horses in general do not like to back - it is an unnatural movement for them, a loose horse in a tight spot will almost always move forward or try to turn around. On top of this, many horses are not trained correctly to move straight back readily with their heads in position and mouths closed. To back with agility, a horse must lighten his front end and get his hindquarter well under him. Because the front legs support about two thirds of the horse's weight, in order for him to back the front end must be slightly elevated to allow most of his weight to be shifted to the hind quarters and carried by them. A young horse's hind end muscles are not accustomed to carrying weight; the key to a successful back up lies in teaching him to shift his weight back and unlocking his hindquarters so he can push himself back. This can be accomplished by backing the horse from the ground. Put a halter on the horse and position him alongside a fence so you have better control. Stand facing the horse and slightly to one side and give the verbal command "back" as you move the lead shank toward his body. Be careful not to pull down on the shank, as bringing his head down will make it more difficult for him to get his hindquarters under him. If he needs more help, you might also push him on the shoulder or shake the shank a bit to help him get the idea. If he is still resistant, try flipping the shank up and back as you give the verbal command; this will elevate his head so he can more readily shift his weight back. If his hindquarters still remained locked, use a training whip to tap the girth area as you simultaneously say "back" and flip the shank up. Tapping with the whip coincides with the use of leg pressure and should get his hindquarters unlocked so he can reverse. Don't try to drag him back with the shank - you can't win that game. When the horse takes even one step back, stop and pet him. Then try again but be careful not to overdo it. If you can get a few backward steps during a session, stopping and praising him when you do, you will make progress that will transfer to the next time you work him, and he will gradually back farther and more freely. If your horse already understands leg pressure and the bit, once he understands your verbal command and is backing readily from the ground he should back with little difficulty when you are mounted. First, make sure he is alert and collected with his feet under him. With both hands on the reins, take the slack out of them until you can feel his mouth. If he leans on the bit, use leg pressure to push him up and drive his hindquarters under him. This should lighten his front end and get him off the bit. Again, take up the reins, shift your weight back slightly, and use the verbal command "back." Don't pull - you'll cause his head to go up and his mouth to open, but you won't make him back any better. Use a "give and take" contact with the reins, releasing slightly when he moves backward. If he is stuck, use leg pressure or tap with both heels. As soon as he takes a reverse step or two, drop your hands and stroke his neck. Repeat once and then quit and do something else. Back the horse only a few steps at a time until he becomes more proficient. Eventually, the verbal command can be eliminated, the rein cue will become more of a jiggle and the leg pressure you will have to use will be minimized. Leg pressure can also help to keep the horse backing in a straight line and indicate the speed with which you want him to reverse. Some horses are not agile enough to give you a lot of speed when backing and will sour if you keep demanding more, so know when to be happy. Remember that engaging the hindquarters is the key to making a horse back, and back well. Back to Top Q. I'm working with a young mare who's had maybe 20 rides or so. When I ask her to stop, she resists the snaffle by sticking her nose out and gradually meandering to a halt. I'd like to get a clean, soft stop on her but don't know how to go about it. Can you give me some pointers? A. This answer comes from Brian Griffith, a John Lyons Certified Trainer who specializes in starting young horses of all breeds in any discipline at Griffith Ranch and Training Stables at Gibbons, Alberta: The method I use to teach young horses to stop is to ensure that they will give to the bit. What I mean by this is that they are soft and responsive at all times. I begin to introduce this on the first couple of rides by using a method of pressure and release. By applying small amounts of pressure on the reins and releasing the pressure immediately with any attempt from them to drop their head and give to the bit, I will teach them to always give to the pressure and eventually break at the poll and collect. I also teach all of my colts to disengage their hindquarter by picking up on one rein and swinging their hip in the opposite direction, this is the beginning of my stop. Again through pressure and release they le arn to flex laterally (which will help get them soft) and when they disengage their hindquarter they must stop briefly. At that exact moment I release the pressure and they will associate the release with a pause in movement. As we progress I will only use this disengaging of the hindquarter to help the horses that are having a hard time with the stop or for a horse that tries to bolt or buck. Rather than pulling back on their mouth I will eliminate the source of their power 'the hindquarter'. Now once you have control of the hindquarter at a walk and trot and your horse is giving to the bit and starting to collect you are ready to stop straight. The fact that your horse is collecting will ensure that she works off her hindquarter and giving to the bit will stop her from poking her nose out and trying to take the pressure away. I always ask for stops or any maneuver for that matter in three stages: a pre cue, cue, and an enforcer. For the stop, moving at a walk with her head down and breaking at the poll, sit deep and say "whoa," pause, take the slack out of the reins, pause, gradually pull on the reins (not jerk,) stop, and back her up. By using this escalating method consistently and allowing a second or two between cues, she will begin to recognize your pre cue (sitting deep and saying whoa) and knowing what is coming next (the pull) she will begin to respond to the lighter of the cues. Your goal should be to stop her on a loose rein. A lot of people make the mistake of immediately trying to stop their horse by pulling and not asking them to stop with their seat or some method of pre-cue. Granted they will not always respond to the pre-cue so you go to the cue (taking out slack). If you go right to pulling on them and they resist by trying to take the bit, then you have nowhere to go to enforce the stop so you must back up and try to have them respond to less. Keeping your horse soft throughout will help to ensure they are working off the hindquarter and once you can do it consistently at a walk, then proceed to the trot, and eventually the canter. Back to Top Q. I have an Arab/Thoroughbred paint. She will be two in April. I've rode western many times before but this is my first time training and breaking a horse and I have a few questions. First of all, she is quiet in pasture, easy to catch and be around. In pasture, we have a good trustworthy bond; she lies down and I rub her belly. She is comfortable with me there. I feel comfortable walking behind her; she stands fairly good for farrier and bathing. But any time I try to take her out of our three acre pasture for a walk she gets very nervous especially if she loses sight of the other horse. When we walk, she drags me where she wants to go. Also we had a hard time longeing her so my friend walked about 2-3 feet behind her clapping her hands to keep her longeing. And she kicked her. Now anytime she gets nervous she starts to longe herself and always stops and turns her rump at you to kick. Anytime we try to longe her she does this. I've had the saddle on her and cinched up and she was good. But with the ground work I feel like maybe she doesn't know who's boss. What do you suggest? Am I in trouble? At what age is it time to get in the saddle? A. Swift Current, Saskatchewan-based Chris Irwin (check out his web site at www.chrisirwin.com), internationally respected trainer, writer and clinician, had these comments about your problem: "Am I in trouble?" you ask. Well, that depends on your definition of trouble. However, if you had asked me if I was confident that you and your filly are destined to go forward and develop a trouble free bond that develops into a willing partnership I would have to say, with all due respect, no, probably not. If you hope to develop a safe, enjoyable, willing partnership with your horse then you'll need to learn to master the basics of what I call 3-part harmony. In essence, you'll be learning to think like a horse, speak like a horse and ride very well. There are a myriad of complex issues that involve the inter-relationship between the body, mind and spirit of the horse as it interacts with the body, mind and spirit of the would-be trainer. This is how I like to explain what I believe to be true horsemanship: the body of the horse is like the hull of a sailboat attached to the body of the rider, which is tall and balanced as the mast and sails of the boat. The mind and spirit of the horse will blow around like the wind while the mind of the rider is the Captain of the ship. Does the Captain attempt to train the wind? Of course not, the Captain has the knowledge of how to adjust his or her sails to reach a desired destination no matter from where the wind may blow. So the bottom line here is do you really believe that you know how to sail well enough to set out to ride solo upon the stormy seas of an Anglo/Arab filly who is already kicking and threatening people? Even if neither you nor the horse gets hurt do you still believe that you will do her training justice and bring out the best in her potential? My advice is for you to ask for as much guidance and hands on assistance as you can possibly find. Ask around your community, especially at every local tack and feed store, and see whose name comes up the most often as the trainer who is the most respected trainer for the job of starting young horses under saddle. Please, I can't emphasize this enough, spend the extra "bucks" to get the job done with as much wisdom and professionalism as possible. Both you and your horse deserve no less. Although she obviously trusts you if you can rub her belly while she is lying down you also need to recognize that trust is a separate issue from respect. Horses are like kids. I can trust you but that doesn't mean I won't kick you. A child can fully trust its parents but trust is balanced with respect. Without respect there is no emotional authority that can learn the focus that is essential for learning to occur. Respect is the cornerstone of the teacher student, parent child, coach athlete relationship and it is the cornerstone of all animal training. Without respect there are no firm boundaries. Without boundaries you have no hope of real control. If you can't find a professional who can start your horse under saddle (and also teach you the basics of how he or she has done the job so that you can then take her home and continue to clearly communicate with her in a manner she can relate to and understand), then I recommend you take her to a colt starting clinic with a recognized and respected clinician. As a valuable resource to any hands-on coaching you receive at the clinic be sure to study all the books, videos and magazine articles that you can get your hands on. In closing let me just say take heart and keep the faith, I don't want to discourage you. It is only my intention to motivate you towards seeking as much guidance and assistance as you can possibly find. As I said, I strongly believe that you owe it to both your filly, and yourself, to approach your future together with an ongoing awareness of the fact that starting young horses under saddle can become a dream come true or a terrible nightmare, depending entirely on "how" the path is approached. Back to Top Q. I have a top-notch reining mare with whom I've been very competitive, but for some reason, she never seems to give her very best try in the ring. She always comes in second. She has a lot of talent and when we train, she is brilliant, but that never comes out at a show. It's like she's holding back just a little. I'm pretty sure it's not anything I'm doing; I'm well-seasoned and have had lots of success with different horses. I just can't seem to get this mare to come through for me. Any ideas? A. Animal communicator Linda Collins of Vernon, BC, an experienced trainer and riding instructor, was consulted about this problem: Horse owners often bring training or behavioral puzzles such as this to me when they have run out of places to look. My approach is to ask the horse about the issue. I communicate with the horse through an exchange of energy that often yields surprising answers. In this case, I've found that your mare is afraid to win. She thinks that once she's shown that she's capable of winning, she'll have to keep up that level of performance or be sold. She doesn't want to leave the family that cares for her. As selling her is probably a real possibility at some point, I suggest that you tell her that if she is ever sold, it will be to a loving home where she will be appreciated and that as a winner, her value to her owners will be great and will ensure that she will be treated with care, kindness and respect. Hopefully, once she understands your intentions, she will give you the performance youčre looking for. Back to Top IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: At westernhorsereview.com our 'Ask an Expert' page is not intended to replace diagnosis or treatment of your horse by your veterinarian or other professionals; westernhorsereview.com does not assume any legal responsibilty.