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"An Exercise For When You Can't Ride," from my FREE monthly newsletter

From the Horse Ground Training Series:

"Take your left hand and hold the lead rope as if it's the left rein. Pull the halter slowly toward yourself.

"Concentrate. Feel how much pressure it takes to bring that rope toward you. You should feel on your pinky how many ounces it takes. Throw it back out and do it again. This time close your eyes and really concentrate. If you get this lesson, horse training gets a whole lot easier. Really focus on what it feels like. How many ounces is it taking to bring that halter back to you? Think of a specific number. How many pounds? How many ounces? One or two? 5 pounds or 5 ounces?

"How would you like your horse to be that soft? A pound or two doesn't seem so bad, does it? Actually, it's terrible. Having to put a pound or two of pressure on the rein to get it to "come back to you" is just terrible. Take the halter off the lead rope now and throw the rope back out, snap end first.

"Do the same thing, drag the snap back to you. How does that feel? It feels pretty light, right? You feel a big difference. But that's still terrible. Now take the lead rope and throw the opposite end out, the end without the snap. That feels really light. It feels like nothing. It's still terrible.

The reason it's terrible is because…"

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From John Lyons Trainer Keith Hosman

Round Pen First Steps
A Downloadable Book

A sample from Day 2:

"A quick note about petting your horse in the round pen: Don't approach your horse like Wile E. Coyote, creeping up slowly, with lots of "there theres." Your creepy movements signal to the horse that something's amiss – and he won't trust you. Instead, just walk up and pet him; don't make a big deal out of it. If he runs away, remind yourself that you're in a pen that's round. He can run, but where's he gonna go?

Finally, position your horse against the fence, this time with his head turned in, his rear against the fence. Use a series of inside turns to stop him in that position if need be. Turn and walk toward the other side of the pen. If your horse follows you, and he very likely will, then "shoosh" him back into position, holding up your hand as if to say "stay" until he finally does stay in position. You may need to be aggressive about it (asking for rapid fire turns until he gets the idea to stand still), but it's important that the horse not decide on his own to approach you. He must learn that he is to approach only when invited."

- Print out from home
- 5 Days, 5 chapters
- Learn at your own pace

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Available Downloads:
"Stop Bucking"
"Rein/Speed" (for Nervous Horse Owners)
"Round Pen First Steps"
"Trailer Training"

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"Softening Exercises for Schooling Horses on Contact"
Written by Ron Petracek

Whether green or well schooled, many horses will lay in the rider's hands instead of taking true contact. Some may do so as a form of resistance or greenness; whereas, others may be traveling on the forehand, sore, accustomed to pulling the reins from the rider's hands, off the track or are unable or resistant of performing self carriage.

For horses that need a little help in learning how to stay soft and carry themselves, a few easy exercises are suggested below. All exercises are performed first at the walk, then trot and later, when you and your horse are ready, at the canter. Ensure that your horse is moving forward freely at all gaits.

First, warm your horse up on a long rein. Gradually take up your contact as you apply leg. Don't just haul the horse into your hands. At the walk, maintain contact on your outside rein and give with your inside rein every three steps by pushing your inside elbow forward. You should feel no contact on the inside rein. Give for three strides and softly take back contact. Repeat. Follow with the same exercise at the rising trot, giving with your inside rein while the horse is still on contact on the outside rein.

Next, prepare to supple your horse with some flex, counter flex movements at the walk. As you walk through a corner, bend into the corner using your inside leg at the barrel to bend your horse through his back and "sponge" your inside rein lightly to flex his head and neck. Hold for two strides. Straighten for two and counterflex your horse toward the rail using your outside leg at the barrel and sponging your outside rein. Hold for two strides and allow him to walk straight. Perform the exercise at the trot and in the opposite direction.

Now advance that exercise to a simple serpentine. Flex your horse through the corner again and instead of straightening the horse, ride the bend onto the quarter line of the arena, straighten for two strides and counter flex as you head your horse from quarter line to rail again. Do so only on the long sides of the arena and go straight through the short sides. Perform both directions at walk and trot. You may also incorporate full serpentines that loop across the arena from long side, across the center, to long side, changing direction with each loop. The goal for both serpentine exercises is to maintain rhythm and have three loops of equal size and equal arc of the horse.

Finally, the last exercise is a version of the first giving rein exercise. However, here you will give both reins, alternating between them. At the walk, give with your inside rein so you have no contact on that rein, pushing your elbow forward, for three steps. Gently take up the contact again on that rein while giving the outside rein for three steps. Repeat each side then perform at the trot.

If you follow these exercises, your horse should feel lighter in your hands, feel more balanced in self carriage, have a lower poll and softer jaw and jowl and be willing to stretch forward and down in soft contact as needed without pulling your reins out of your hands.

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Next, I'd Read:

Recommended articles featuring the methods of John Lyons:

• An Exercise For When You Can't Ride
• Keys To Improvement
• Three Step Stop Exercise

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