I hope your round pen training is going great. I guess the things you always want to remember at this point with your young horse is to teach while having fun and make sure he is enjoying the time you are spending together. What's great is that you have this time to take. I want to discuss teaching him to turn towards you and away from you in the round pen. This should be fairly easy if you're using your body position to move, stop and turn him. When asking him to turn away and around, start him off moving to the right, step forward and towards his head asking him to slow and stop, then take another step towards his head to help him move away (towards the pen) and turn back. He has probably been doing this most of the time. Although this time you will be asking him to do it. If he slams on the brakes and flies off in the other direction, let him move around without chasing him and ask him to stop again, give him a second to relax and then step towards his head and ask for the turn again. When he moves off easy and relaxed tell him good job and let him slowly go around. Then ask for the stop and turn away going in the other direction. When he is doing this relaxed let him take a break and touch and rub him. Next ask him to turn in towards you. Do this by moving him off and around, ask him to stop, then you take a step back and toward his hip, not into his hip that will push him forward. (Remember the invisible line from the September issue) What you want to do is open up a space for him to turn into without going forward. He should be stopping and looking towards you this will get his head going in the direction you are wanting. When he turns to look, step back again asking him to come towards you, at this point its okay if he take a step out, but not moving off, you can step in front to stop forward movement around the pen. He will be confused at this point. That's to be expected he has no idea what you are asking yet. Take your time. Once you see he has made the commitment to move towards you step forward towards and out in front of his head to help him finish the turn towards the inside and around. As soon as he makes this turn tell him good job and let him move on around letting him know this is what you wanted. You can use your coiled up lunge line to help move him off or stop movement without scaring him. Kiss to encourage him when you see his is thinking about doing what you are asking. Sometimes this is not as easy as it sounds. Take your time and don't over do this or switch back and forth. You want to start with the turning away because this will be easiest for him to do. Then ask for the turn in, when he is getting it stop and take a break, do something else that he has learned to do well. Do more sacking out from the Dec. issue. Or brush him down touching him all over. Start asking him to pick up his feet. Start at the front feet run your hand down and hold his pasture area under the fetlock. Have your arm running down the side of his leg. So you'll be on his left side, stand facing his hip slide your left hand down his front leg and hold his pasture lean your shoulder into his and ask him to lift his foot while picking it up. If his even starts to pick it up tell him good job. And start over. If his gives it the first time bend his hoof up towards you, this will give you more leverage. If he wants to pull it away hold it till he relaxes just a second then let it down. Do not drop it. Tell him good job. Repeat this. Then ask on the other side the same way. On the back feet start out the same when he lifts it take a small step out towards the back this will be more comfortable for him and you can rest it on your knee when he is giving it relaxed. Remember not to drop his foot. I know horse shoers do it all the time, but you shouldn't. Okay work on everything from the beginning in the Sept. issue through now and have fun. In February, we'll start using the lunge line in the round pen and the on to trailer loading.
Tip for the New Year: If you're having problems with your young horse or an older established horse being preoccupied and your having a hard time keeping his attention. Take a look at your feeding program, there are a lot of feeds and supplements out there and it can get very confusing. I find a lot of my clients tend to over feed and over-supplement their horses. In my opinion a good lower protein feed and (maybe) a simple supplement with good quality coastal hay is all you'll need. Think of sending your child to school on a high fat/protein diet and add sweets. It will be very hard for them to sit still, study and keep their attention. A horse that seem to have way too much energy probably does and it effects their mind the same way. It's just too much to keep in. Because you are training your horse's mind you must have his attention. Happy New Year and Happy Training!
