Day one: Getting control of the feet

This exercise is one that Stevie has had a little bit of exposure to, although not recently. I use a similar method in haltering breaking my colts, so the concept of yielding the hips is not completely foreign.

Stevie did fairly well, although she could stand to be quite a bit lighter! Her main focus was getting back to her buddies rather than working with me. All in all though, she did quite well.





Pre-signal, Direction, Motivation













Here, she has moved off from my request, at a walk.












Yielding the haunches for a change of direction (and showing quite a bit of resistance).












And, a much softer rendition.











Please use caution and common sense.  Horses are large animals, with an exceptional amount of power and strength.  They are also concerned above all with their own personal safety, and will do whatever they feel it takes to keep themselves from harm.  Being individuals that act and react differently, the only certainty you have when working a horse is uncertainty.  I am a professional trainer with twenty plus years experience, yet even with the knowledge I possess, I still get hurt from time to time.  This blog and the accompanying media are for entertainment purposes only.  No responsibility will be assumed for injuries or damages incurred while trying to use these methods at home.  Please ride responsibly; protective gear can save your life!