| By Heidi
J. Potter
Wouldn’t it be nice if every
time you went to halter or bridle
a horse it tipped its nose in and
down so you could easily reach it?
Teaching your therapy or lesson horse
to do this is not difficult. However,
it does take patience to teach it,
and consistency to keep it. This one
technique will allow the smaller or
wheel chair bound students to play
a more integral part in the preparation
of their equine partners.
Here are the steps you can take to
teach your horse this valuable skill.
Using a rope halter will make this
work easier for your horse to understand.
- Stand on your horse’s left
side and begin by resting your right
hand on your horse’s poll.
Your hand should feel heavy, but
it should not push down. When his
head drops even the slightest amount
you need to remove your hand quickly.
Horses learn on the RELEASE of pressure.
Your cue provides the pressure,
the horse offers a response, and
you reward by releasing.
- If the head does not drop down
after several attempts you can help
him understand by applying SLIGHT
down pressure on the knot (or buckle)
under his chin with your left hand,
simultaneously with the poll pressure.
- Repeat this exercise until he
will drop his head every time you
ask. Wean him off the pressure under
his chin once he understands to
drop just slight poll pressure.
- Once accomplished, switch it
up and make sure that he will drop
from slight pressure applied only
under the chin. You want him to
give to pressure in all ways.
- His head should drop down each
time you request it and stay down
for a couple of seconds or more.
Ideally, you would like him to leave
it down until you pull up slightly
on the halter, asking him to bring
it back up. You should be able to
get him to drop all the way to the
ground.
- Once the head drop from both
locations is consistent you will
ask for the nose tip. Stand at his
left shoulder, wrap your right hand
under his jaw and apply gentle pressure
to the right side of his cheek.
Release your hand completely once
he softens to that pressure, even
if it is only slightly. Practice
so that he will reach way around
and leave his head there for you
when asked.
- Remember, horses learn on the
release. Therefore, you must reward
even the smallest try that he offers
you.
“Calm, Clear and Consistent”
are the mainstays of proper training.
Make sure that all of your horse handlers
are taught to ask the same thing,
the same way. Once the horse understands
what is expected of him, he will try
his best for you. Enjoy!
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