| Who knows a horse that pulls or drags on the lead | | | | you with both eyes, but its easy to work on. When |
| rope, or goes past the handler one or two steps when | | | | one eye drifts off, his nose is going to follow it so his |
| the handler comes to a stop? | | | | nose will either be slightly to the left or slightly to the |
| Chances are if you've been around horses any length | | | | right. Bump the lead rope gently in such a way that it |
| of time you've seen either or both of these things or | | | | brings his nose back centered on you, so that the |
| experienced them yourself a thousand times. But while | | | | horse will have to look at you with both eyes. When |
| most of us are inclined to hurry up and get to the barn | | | | his nose is centered, take the pressure off-stop |
| with our horses-so that we can get to the important | | | | bumping the lead rope. You can also praise verbally to |
| work like grooming and riding-ignoring leading signs like | | | | let the horse know that looking at you with both eyes |
| these is missing a huge opportunity. That's because | | | | while working is the right thing to do. Keep repeating |
| leading is all about getting respect from our horses. A | | | | until your horse stays focused on you for longer and |
| horse that doesn't respect you is not a horse that is | | | | longer periods. |
| safe to be around or safe to ride-so why not start | | | | Now let's think about leading from a normal |
| with teaching proper leading? | | | | position-you're walking forward and your horse is off |
| Let's start with a horse that positions himself a little in | | | | by your right shoulder. To ask for a stop, turn |
| front of you while leading or after you've come to a | | | | completely around, stop, raise both hands in the |
| stop. A horse that does this thinks of himself as the | | | | air-open palms facing the animal and exhale. If your |
| leader-and we need to correct that perception. | | | | equine takes one or two steps forward after you've |
| Fortunately this can be done using gentle and simple | | | | asked for the stop, then wiggle the lead rope side to |
| methods. | | | | side to ask him to backup a couple of steps. |
| One easy way to do this is to walk backwards when | | | | A good way to deal with problems like pulling or |
| leading your horse. Picture yourself standing still next to | | | | gradding while leading is to periodically ask for stops. |
| your horse, with his nose just past your right shoulder. | | | | Plan 10 minute leading sessions where you walk |
| Let out some lead rope and begin walking backwards | | | | around with your horse following you and ask for a |
| toward his hind end, and give a few gentle tugs on the | | | | stop once every 30 or 40 seconds. Make sure you |
| lead rope. This will bring the nose of the horse around | | | | vary the time in between asking for stops, and change |
| towards you. Keep walking backwards, away from | | | | up your leading position so that sometimes you're |
| your horse. Now you should have several feet of lead | | | | leading normally but at other times you're walking |
| rope between you and your horse, and you're walking | | | | backwards. When walking backwards you can ask |
| backwards while he is following. When you're | | | | for a stop the same way-just plant both feet, raise |
| positioned like that, the horse will start to see you as a | | | | both hands in the air open palms facing the animal, and |
| leader and will game some respect for you. | | | | exhale. |
| While leading backwards, the horse should be looking | | | | Leading is an excellent, easy, and gentle way to train |
| at you all the time. With both eyes. If he isn't, this is | | | | your horse. Improvements in leading will carry over to |
| another sign of disrespect, because he is focusing | | | | all your work with your horse including catching, round |
| some of his attention elsewhere if he isn't looking at | | | | pen work, and riding. |