Article #3 Harnett Farmer

I trust that you have had a productive January and you and your animals are fit. A new horse has come to my barn this week. Her name is Brenda and she has just retired from the Mounted Police. She is 19 and "fit as a fiddle". However, when I ride her, she throws her head if she is asked to get into a gait she doesn't want to be in. Therefore, I will proceed with all the ground work you all have been doing and get her mind into being my partner. Now, let's begin our series for the month of February. Please remember to stop the pressure instantly when the horse responds. Always do the exercises on each side.

    Week I & 2 - Get a plastic bag and hold it in your hand so there is air in the bag. With the rope halter on the horse and 14' lead rope slack in your hand with at least 6" of slack to the halter, begin rubbing and shaking the bag over your horse's body just as you did when you were rubbing the horse (January's session). If the horse moves, ask him/her to be still by just bumping the halter, please don't pull and jerk. Then continue with the bag all over until she/he is calm (head lowered and licking). You are desensitizing your horse. Do this in sessions of 15 minutes or so and don't move to the next part of the body until your horse is calm.

    Part 2 of Weeks 1 & 2 - Stand parallel with your horse at the horse's withers, keeping slack in the halter/rope lead line and place your flat hand on the opposite side of your horse's head between the eye and the nostril. Gently but firmly pull your horse's head down and around toward you and toward the horse's stomach below the withers. This point should be where your stirrup would lay. Imagine the horse's nose touching your toe in the stirrup. Hold the head there until you feel the horse lower his/her head ever so lightly. At the moment the horse lowers his/her head, release your hand and rub the horse's neck. If the horse moves the head (which will happen to begin), do the whole step again and again. At first, the horse may move in a circle and try to resist because he/she isn't sure what you are asking, just stay with the horse, moving with the horse util he/she gives. When you feel the softness of his/her giving and lowering the head on his/her own, instantly remove your hand. Praise the horse by rubbing his/her neck. Please don't pat him/her, rub the horse and gently.

    Week 3 - Add empty plastic bottles, empty aluminum cans or anything which makes noise but is not dangerous to your horse. Be sure and shake the bag around all parts of the horse, while touching the horse with the bag.

    Part 2 of Week 3 - Your horse by now may be lowering his/her head and easily flexing toward the stomach with a soft disposition. You are rewarding his/her good response by immediately releasing the pressure and rubbing his/her neck. Continue with this exercise and the horse will lower his/her head more and flex his/her neck better. Be sure that you are doing both sides and spend more time on the tougher side. This is an excellent stretching exercise for the horse prior to riding. It tunes your horse into you while it tunes the horse's body. Be patient, be quiet and calmly ask your horse for these movements.

    Week 4 - If your horse is calm and sure of what you are asking, let's continue with another exercise. If not, continue with the above exercises. Put a plastic tarp on the ground, folded to a 4' x 6' size. Ask your horse to walk around the tarp, over the tarp, back around the tarp, and back over the tarp. With each good movement, stop and praise your horse by giving him a gentle rub on his/her neck. Next, get a broom and swish it all over the horse. Please don't push your horse; if the horse isn't calm, continue with what you are asking until the horse can calmly complete the task. I am only suggesting time length. All horses are different and do not respond in the same time frame. That doesn't mean the horse is slow or dumb, it just means horses are like humans and everyone responds differently. Please be Patient. You are building a life long relationship.

    Part 2 of Week 4 - Continue with the flexing of the head. This builds shoulder and chest muscles so well.

    As you can see, stopping instantly when a horse does what you ask is the praise he needs - better than a carrot! A gentle rub on the horse's neck is an acknowledgement of love. Watch them affectionately play in the pasture. They nuzzle with their necks. All we are trying to do is become their partner and at the same time establish our selves as the alpha of the herd, of of your horse.

    I hope you all are enjoying these fun things to do with your horse. I did all of these exercises with Brenda over a week's time (she is 19 and well behaved and eager to please so it didn't take long). When I got to the flexing, she started going around. I stayed with her until she lowered her head and placed her nose to her belly. Now the first several times, she wasn't soft and she was not lowering her head, but I stayed with her and in a few days she knew what I was asking. In a month, her neck will develop nicely and muscle tone will begin if I continue these exercises daily, and this should help with her head tossing. I will just stay with her and ask until she understands and RELEASE IMMEDIATELY! We want our horse to be soft and supple and doing these thing with the horse will assure a quiet, soft horse.

Have a wonderful month. If you have a question, please write to me. mabryrose@earthlink.net