“Teaching ‘WHOA’ From Driving”
Let’s talk about teaching a horse to act
on the command whoa from the ground.
This uses the driving technique.
There are different ways to teach a
horse to stop, this is just one of them and
it Kenny Scott described his way to me in his
interview.
This method is very simple yet very
effective.
I find more often than not that simple
works the best.
Less is more.
So let’s say you’re driving your horse.
You’re in the round pen or outside in
a bigger pen.
If you don’t have a pen, use a fence
that’s safe. (In other words, don’t use a
barbed wire fence)
You’ve got your horse turning good
and backing up.
Now drive your horse into a circle to
the right. (Note: When I say pull on the rein
in the following description, I’m referring
to “driving line”)
When you do this you’re reasonably
close to the fence or rail because you’re gonna
use it to stop your horse.
Just after your horse passes by the
fence, pull your left rein and turn him toward
the rail.
While holding your left rein getting
him going toward the rail, pull on the right
rein.
Say whoa just before you pull the
right rein because you want to alert him you’re
about to ask for something.
While you’re holding that left rein
in place, pull on the right rein until he
stops.
Don’t yank it.
Don’t pull hard.
Just pull enough to signal him.
When he stops…all rein pressure
is off.
Just stand there a few moments and
let it sink in to your horse.
Don’t go pet him.
Don’t say “good boy”.
Nada.
Why?
You’ll interrupt his thought process.
You want him to think about what just
happened so he starts understanding what all
this means.
Now after he’s thought about it, back
him up a step or two.
Then take him in a circle to the right
again.
Do this two more times.
Then circle him the opposite direction
and teach him whoa using the same process.
Stop him three times.
Why three times?
Because three seems to be the magic
number that teaches the horse what you want
him doing yet it’s not asking him to do it
over and over and over and over and over
where he gets sour on it.
For safety sake, drive him the next
day again (after you warm him up).
Repeat this process and see how he’s
done with it.
You’ll be able to tell if he understands
it and is complying.
If he understands and complies, then
you’re at a good point with him understanding
what whoa means.
Just remember, when you get on his back
then it changes things.
So as you’re doing the “whoa” from his
back, do exactly what you did from ground driving.
Why?
Because this is familiar to him.
When you’re on his back doing it, it’s
new to him. It can confuse.
Confusion can turn into fear and panic.
But do what you did from the ground and
he’ll kinda think
“Oh…this is what we did earlier.”
Then he knows.
When you’re on his back teaching it,
start at the walk first.
Get both sides doing it.
Do not work on whoa until he’s got it at
the walk.
Make sense?
Good.
Now if you wanna know more of what Kenny
reveals, click on the following:
OK – that’s it for today. Stay safe out there….
Charlie
P.S. There’s still quite a few Beery 4-Way Bits left.
Read more here:
http://www.horsetrainingresources.com/BeeryBit.html
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“Charlie,
I absolutely LOVE these emails! Keep up the good
work– I learn something everyday. Even tho I
have been training for 30+ years I know I will
always need to learn.
God Bless,
Doreen G.”
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