Placing Your Horse Where You Want Him and Having Him Stand Still

Before starting any specific training exercise always work the excess
energy off your horse by longeing them. This will also help you gain
control of their mind. As you longe your horse you will practice
reversing him and work at reestablishing the “whoa” in the horse.
The goal here is to have him stop immediately when we say, in a calm,
natural voice, the word “whoa”. When you can say “whoa” in a calm,
natural voice, and your horse will stop, you have his attention and
you can move on to your training exercise. It may take 2, 3 or 4
sessions on just the whoa to gain the type of attention from him that
you are looking for, which is an immediate response.

Test the “Whoa” - You will start by leading your horse off, on the ground,
and testing the “whoa” again. Stop walking and at the same time use the
verbal cue “whoa”, again you want to be able to say it calmly and with
your body language relaxed and calm. This can be done in a small area.
You don’t need much room or space to practice this. Once the horse starts
responding off your verbal cue, as soon as the word whoa is said, then
you are ready to move on.

In an open area large enough for the horse to move around freely, layout
2 or 3 three inch round cavalettis or pieces of pvc about 6 to 8 feet long.
Spread them out approximately 10 feet apart, parallel to each other.
You will walk the horse over the cavalettis and get him comfortable with
them. Once he is comfortable going over the cavalettis at a walk you are
going to stop with the horse centered over the first cavaletti. Have him
stand there for about 30 seconds and give him positive feedback, patting,
rubbing, whatever he responds to the best. No treats though, please.
Move to the next cavaletti and do the same, repeat this again with the
third cavaletti. This exercise will also teach you timing (learning when
to give the command to get the right response), and horse mechanics
(how each part of the horses body ties together as a whole).
Practice this.

When you have the horse stopping with the cavaletti centered
under he his body and he is standing calmly you are going to start
specifiying where you want the cavaletti to be between the front legs
and the back legs. Example, I want him to stand with the back of his
front feet a half an inch in front of the cavaletti. Pick your spots
and concentrate on achieving placing your horse exactly where you want
him. Get the horse to stand and accept this, giving him positive
affirmations. Every time you do this you are looking for a calm, quiet
horse that stands where you place him.

When you have mastered this take a 5 gallon bucket and turn it upside
down. Do not stand on this bucket, ever. You are going to walk you
horse back and forth next to this bucket, working to make sure he gets
comfortable with it and that the bucket is not going to eat him. When
he is good at calmly walking back and forth next to the bucket you are
going to place him next to the bucket, specifying where you want the his
feet to be in relation to the bucket. Your goal is to get him to stand,
without moving, exactly where you place him. Remember to be patient and
to give him positive feedback when he responds correctly. When you have
practiced this and you have him standing calmly every time you place him
where you want him you will move up to the equipment you actually utilize
to mount, such as a mounting block, etc. Practice the same technique with
your equipment.

Remember - after mounting, you also need to build on the stand still time.
The horse needs to remain standing until he is asked to move. He is not
allowed to move his feetuntil you allow him to move his feet.

Now you will have a horse that stands still and lets you mount or stands
still when you are just standing there. This is a process and it is not l
earned overnight. Be patient and consistent.

About Dennis Auslam.
Dennis has been a trainer for over 29 years, working with many different
breeds and disciplines. He grew up with horses and has worked with some
of the best trainers in the industry.
His passion is horses and people and he loves helping people learn how
to work with their horses, progress in their riding abilities and make
that connection with their horse.
You will find Dennis at various horse related events in 2011, including
the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison, WI., the Minnesota Horse Expo in
St. Paul, MN and the Red River Valley Horse Fair in Fargo, ND. He also
does numerous clinics and demos, concentrating on Confidence Building
for the horse and the rider.
For information regarding his clinics please visit his website at www.redwoodstables.com.

Interested in hosting a clnic? Call 507-525-6691 or email us at redwoodstables@mvtvwireless.com