Horses That Pull Back or Won't Stand Tied
July 10, 2014
Written by: Josh Lyons & Keith Hosman
Written by: Josh Lyons & Keith Hosman
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Training a difficult horse? This issue is for you if your horse pulls back, won't stand tied, drags you off, or if your horse wants to bolt, buck or blow up.
Our clinics are based on foundation work. They help you build a foundation for whatever you want to do with your horse, whatever discipline you ride. On day one, for the first fifteen minutes, riders are encouraged to do whatever they normally do when they ride their horses. They'll lunge their horses if they normally start out that way. They walk the horse around if that's normal, they trot their favorite pattern, they ride in a shank, a side-pull or snaffle… whatever they typically do, that's what they do. Then we start making changes. If your horse pulls back or won't stand tied, here's an easy training tip that'll make life with your horse a lot easier. 
If you're attending one of our clinics, or reading this article, or hiring a trainer, then virtually by definition, you too are looking to make a change. That change begins when you "fall back to the basics" and place your focus on foundation work.
The training articles that follow form an "electronic textbook" mirroring what we teach in our clinics. They describe how to build a strong foundation by taking control of your horse, one "body part" at a time. When we're training, we don't specifically teach our horses to not pull back. Instead, when we're working on "giving to the bit," what we're teaching is to "give" in the direction of the pull, regardless of where it comes from. Up, down, whatever angle the pull comes from - it should make no difference to the horse. No matter where the pressure comes from, you want them to give to that bit, in the direction of the pull. If you want to stop your horse from dragging you off or pulling back, he needs to learn that when he feels pressure his head should go down or give toward that pressure. You do the same thing from their backs everytime you ask them to "give to the bit." In the end, it's your riding that teaches a horse to stand tied.
Print this article. (It comes backed with "What Not to Do When Your Horse Bucks or Rears"):
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