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From our How to Train a Horse Series:
"Solve Every Horse Problem," Issue 9, part 1 of our FREE monthly newsletter
This exercise, Hip-Shoulder-Shoulder, has become a "classic" exercise for one very big reason: It gives you control of your horse's stop. Every horse-related problem you can think of comes down to "going and stopping." "I can't get my horse to cross the creek." "I can't get my horse to go in the arena." "I can't get my horse to go away from another horse." And people get hurt when they can't stop their horse: "I can't get my horse to stop bucking, stop rearing, or stop kicking." We spend most of our training time, (as in this exercise) dealing with, and practicing, "going and stopping" because that's where you need the most control.
If you pick up two reins to stop your horse, he might stop – but without the correct training he's going to get heavier and heavier on that bit. And that means his stop is going to get worse and worse. If you remember nothing else from this lesson, remember this: If it takes your horse two seconds to stop then back up, you can multiply that by eight to figure how long it'll take your horse to stop when he's running and his emotions are high. Your horse can travel a long way in those 16 seconds – maybe far enough to get you bucked off or seriously hurt. To keep you safe, you want to teach your horse to go from a walk to backing up with zero hesitation. And that's what this exercise gives you.…
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