"It is the start that stops most people (and horses)" - Unknown

Last months article Learn To Act With Horses discussed the fact that to control a horse in a effective way a rider must be able to enact and cause change in a horse through certain types of pressure signals. This in-turn procures leadership from a rider to a horse. However, beyond merely causing pressure to parts of a horse to enable a rider to control it, there must be a motive for a horse to act with a rider. A horse needs a reason to respond to pressure. The secret is to give Back to a horse something in the form of a reward. It is not tangible or sweet; it is a release of pressure. Causing and releasing pressure in the right measure at the right time for the right reasons offers the horse a fair deal. In essence, a rider's timely release rewards the horse for doing something.

By negotiating control in a horse through release and reward versus arbitrarily making a horse do things, it then preserves itself by constantly achieving place of contentment and knowing where to be with the rider. This is a place were outside pressure or physical changes cease to drive the horse to act. Negotiating with a horse by the release of pressure sets a foundation for the horse to trust and relate to when confused or scared. The idea is that giving and/or yielding to pressure, while not fleeing or resisting it, is the way to go and it has benefits.

For a horse to want to find a release in the first place, the rider should set the horse free in some way. For instance, let it move away until it realizes it doesn't have to move for any unconditional reason. Then the horse will learn the difference to moving away from pressure and drawing back into pressure which is a form of giving to pressure. It subsequently will know when to move for the right reasons and would have a reason to comply and give to the pressure that the rider causes.

Propping a horse together with 'strings and things' in order to stay in control really forces any horses will and is an attempt to derive form before a horse understands how to function in a given environment. Instead, a horse should learn to control itself by having the opportunity to relate to the rider; function should be derived first and foremost. This is done by learning how to relate to different sources of pressure caused to it. It is like 'show and tell' whereby a horse learns how to respond to pressure on its own terms. I would negotiate this control in a horse in the following way:

First I would by causing pressure to a specific part of the horse, show it what I would like it to do by example i.e. different types of pressure signals to different areas of the horse cause different functions to occur. Not all pressure means all things to all horses! Then I must release all pressure - quit asking - as a reward when the horse responds. This sets the precedent in the horse that it is rewarded every time it does what I had asked it to do. It depends what is asked of the horse but a horse is then rewarded both ways; by a release for moving and not moving. Both are places a horse is asked to get to with a rider. Once it gets to that place where the release - reward is a second time then it will want to get there for the anticipated reward the third time. Conditioning this positive result and refining the horse even more is all I do since the horse understands how to do a certain function and is motivated to do it.

Pressure points are actualized through the rider's leg/body/rein effects along with movement to negotiate control with a horse. The usage of pressure to counteract opposition in a horse is an empowering approach because it thinks that it made the decision to change. Basically, if a horse is resistant to doing what the rider wants, it then is naturally opposing pressure. Now the horse is set up for learning to take place. Remember horses are not mind readers they communicate by action and intent. If a rider passively resists the horse back until it tries a step in the right direction then the horse knows what it is to do and it subsequently knows the difference of what not to do. The act of releasing - rewarding a horse then fosters respect in a horse as well because it made a voluntary choice to respond. The release of pressure controls a horse not the usage of pressure itself.

If a horse is conditioned to be somewhat cheated, betrayed, or forced to do things the rider then has to break this limiting pattern. Offering a horse the use of what it knows naturally to guide any change is extremely effective. I call the Golden Rule which means that any pressure caused should = a response = a release = a reward, which = respect in a horse. It means, "I'll give if you give; I'll take if you take. I'll be patient to allow a change, each time and so on. I'll reward you for any type of response." The result of any change in a horse is then a release and reward.

Instilling the idea of control comes from understanding how a horse responds or reacts to pressure and associating this with release and reward. This is a way to negotiating control with any horse. A rider has to offer the horse a new deal. This comes first through establishing the horse's will to give to pressure instead of resisting, avoiding or moving away from pressure. This is a precedent to build on what I call The Pressure Principle - a horse's natural tendency to give to pressure after first reacting and/or opposing it. A rider should not betray the horses natural will to want to give to pressure in order to establish trust.

A rider should assimilate as a Herd leader with a horse and in this role he or she must not ignore, coax nor force the horses will. A rider's intentions should become focused goals that the horse understands and responds to. Respect is established from direction and movement of the horse. Control is developed by a response to a specific action that has a reward. The horse respects you for offering it a place to be and understands a rider's message. A win-win, two way street is developed between the horse and rider. Then you can sign a contract with your horse which implies consistency and positive values to live by. When developing a horse by applying the Golden Rule (a pressure signal= response = release) control actually comes from the inside then out; the back end then forward; and from each side of a horse at one time. This means a horse should believe in what it is doing, engage or disengage its hind-end first and to respond on each side independently to what is expected of it. Balance and refinement would come later on. This is inside out - backward - lateral thinking. Thinking like a horse makes anything possible.

Anyone can make a horse run or simply move away from pressure signals and anyone can force a horse to stop; but the secret is to develop a horse that combines function and control by the ability to give, go and yield when pressure is caused. This implies that responsive movements are derived in place of reactionary movements.

Horses know the difference between giving, driving and fleeing from pressure naturally among themselves. A horse often reacts when a rider first causes pressure to it. Therefore, the means to negotiating control with a horse is through the use of causing and releasing pressure for certain responses. This technique is used at each stage of negotiating control in a horse. For example, if a horse yields - gives way - to pressure thus respecting it and the person who causes it a release must always follow the response the same as when a horse gives to a pressure point.

A responsive horse that yields to pressure that a rider causes is then in the final stage of negotiating with a rider i.e. the horse gives and goes on pressure fluently. This stage is ongoing and dynamic for as long as the horse and rider are together. An example of how this works in a horse is as follows:

Give - Draw into  +  Go - Drive From           =          Yield
     Trust                        Respect                           Balanced Responsive Movement

A yield is a delicate balance of these core ingredients to get a horse to function effectively. The end goal in all Horsemanship is to have a horse yielding. This is the sign of a highly functional - responsive horse. At any time a rider could tip the scale and ask for only a give or stop in a horse by releasing. But, a rider should not make a horse tip the scale the other direction to moving unconditionally. This would be a horse that moves out of control most of the time. It is held in control because there is no 'give' in the equation. The give to pressure element is the missing ingredient in most horse - rider relationships. And, often go is misinterpreted by horse and rider as reactionary movement such as, moving away from a pressure point which the horse is turning 'off' instead of 'on' to a rider's signal. A responsive horse is one that turns onto a riders signals and knows what to do. The horse, more importantly, stays under control and connected to the rider while being on a release of pressure.