Forward Motion From The Ground
Forward motion, for me, is the primary ingredient in a good reining horse. Starting with ground work, I want to
free longe a horse for the purpose of building a cue for motion. A round pen between 45 and 60 feet in diameter is
ideal for starting green horses. However, any arena or paddock will work. I have even used a three acre pasture
and a pick up truck before. A friend of mine was having trouble with one of his horses. All he had was a large
pasture to longe his horse in so he used his four-wheeler. The key is to get your horse moving.
Use a simple lariat rope or longe line as an extension of yourself. Toss the rope in front or behind the horse to
encourage movement. The rope will also act to sack the horse out a little. Start with the rope coiled at your side.
Cluck and step toward the horse. This is when you really see what you have to work with. At this moment the
horse starts to make decisions. I've had horses pin their ears and try to run me out of the pen. I've also had horses
turn tail and try to jump out of the round pen, or run circles around me as if they may never stop. The horse may
also stand and look at you. All of these reactions can be handled well by keeping one thing in mind, be as tough as
you need to be. The horse who charges you may need the fear of God put into him, whenever you decide to get
back in the pen. However, you better get back in there or he will own you. The horse who tries to jump out,
obviously needs very little pressure. For these just walk quietly and follow them until they have seen the whole
pen and know that the fences will keep them in. Remember the goal is to ask him to move, not to keep him from
moving.
Reverse him every once in a while, then begin to give a verbal command. I hum to my horses in a low monotone
hum to signal slow down. This, in turn, teaches the horse to relax. When I hum I step out in front and turn them.
When a horse turns they have to slow down and stop going one direction in order to go the other direction. Wait a
few minutes and repeat the direction again. This could take ten minutes or three hours, but hang in there. The
horse will figure out to move slowly and controlled.
By this time he has moved, turned, and moved by command and will be ready for a rest. Lots of people make a big
deal about stopping. Many times at this point, I simply climb over the fence and go to the barn. This gives the
nervous horse total relief from me. He has survived, he is uninjured, and he is wondering what he will learn next.
After a while put him up for the night and repeat the next day, and the next, and the next until it is a habit for the
horse to react intelligently into motion and wait for the next command. Don't be in a hurry. Thirty minute horse
training will get you hurt eventually, especially with a naturally skittish horse.
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