"Respect is appropriate response to pressure." I heard Pat Parelli
say this once, and the ring of its truth is undeniable. Whether working
on the ground or in the saddle, a horse's appropriate response to
pressure is essential to any activity. Brody definitely needs
(re)education on this!
Maybe lack of cooperation is
his passive-aggressive platform for establishing dominance, or maybe I
haven't been consistent enough in establishing my expectations and
requiring him to meet them. Whether Brody's ornery or confused, or some
combination of the two, this basic element is the foundation of our
work, and my focus this week.
I'd started off this season back at the beginning, with basic ground work exercises-- backing, circling,
sidepasses. But at the root, Brody's inconsistent response to pressure
(lack of respect) still needs to be addressed. Somehow, I received
this week an e-mail from Equine.com of the May issue of Horselink
Magazine. In it is an article and video by Clinton Andersen on teaching
your horse to yield his forequarters. Don't you just love when the
universe does that?
Today we got a break from the rain, and by the afternoon part of the pasture was dry enough for some slow, close groundwork. I
read the article, watched the video, and headed out to the paddock. I
looped the end of the 14 foot rope around Brody's neck a few times,
leaving enough slack below the clip for me to hold it about 12" out.
Following Mr Anderson's instructions, I then stood next to Brody, facing
him with my navel on line with his eye. Holding my stick horizontally
in two hands, I tapped the air four times towards Brody, then moved
closer. When he moved his forequarters away from me, crossing his left
(near) front leg over his right, I relaxed and rubbed his neck with the
stick. We did that a few more times, and Brody began giving me the desired response after only two or three pushes on the air and taking two steps away before I relaxed and rubbed him.
As
so often happens, Brody's other side was a different story. He turned
away from the pressure, but didn't step away. First he tried to walk
forward, but I yanked back on the clip a couple of times and backed him
quickly for a few steps. I tapped the air again, and Body began
pivoting away, but his front legs didn't move-- he was moving his
hindquarters, not his forequarters. I positioned myself a little
further back by his shoulder, and signaled again. Brody turned and
mouthed the stick, pinning his ears and glaring at me. I moved in
closer, still tapping. He took one step away, crossing his right front
leg over his left. I immediately relaxed and rubbed his neck. Brody
sighed and licked his lips. I smiled, knowing we were getting
somewhere. The very first brick in our new solid foundation.
