Re: excitable horse

[sharp penny <penelope_75647@yahoo.com>]

   You can teach this cue from either the ground or
the saddle. I'm assuming since you want him to lower
his head at PR's you will want to teach it from the
ground.

  To teach the head down cue, place your hand on his
poll. Don't exert any pressure just lay your palm on
the poll. When he lowers his head remove your hand. In
the beginning you may have to reward him by removing
your hand when he just thinks about lowering his head.
He will explore all options to find a release, up
and/or to the side. Only remove your hand when he
lowers his head. When he finds what works he'll do it
again the next time. If you can't reach the poll,
pressure from the halter will have the same effect.
The halter puts pressure on the poll just like your
hand when you pull down on the lead rope. Likewise,
when the horse lowers his head release the pressure on
the lead rope. Keep asking him to lower his head
untill its where you want it. Everytime he picks it up
higher than what you want ask him to lower it again.
Pretty soon he will leave his head where you ask him
to until you move him causing him to raise it again.
An added benifit of this training is that if the lead
rope ever gets over the horses head when tied, he will
have learned to lower his head to pressure, avoiding a
major wreck.

   Once you can dictate the elevation of his head, you
teach him how to relax his head and neck muscles. You
do this by asking him to hold his head in a certain
spot of your choosing, which is off to the side toward
you. Why? think for a minute, when a horses head is
lined up in front of his body it's easy for him to
stiffen his neck. So gently bring his nose to the
side, hold it there until he relaxes, then let the
nose go. this will take alot of times of positioning
his head, holding it til he relaxes slightly, then
releasing it,and if necessary, immediatly asking him
to bring it back again. Doing this until he leaves it
there. 

    Remember this is not a quick fix, it will take
alot of repetitions - bringing his nose around,
relaxing,letting his nose go- as many times as it
takes until he accepts and no longer thinks of pulling
his head away from you. If in releasing his nose, he
also raises his head,remember to ask him to lower his
head first before bringing it to the side.

    As in every training situation, when he's learned
this in a calm environment, up the excitement level
around him and review the lesson over and over until
he leaves his head where you ask it to be. Then up the
excitement level again and repeat.

    For some horses this takes weeks and others
months. Don't get discouraged, just keep working on 
it every time your around your horse.

Penny & Daisy (who has been known to fall asleep when
asked to keep her head lowered and to the side)
Texas


   


--- Nicki Lawson <lawson@htcomp.net> wrote:
> Hi Penny,
> How do you teach your horse to lower head on command
> everytime.  I really 
> have one that needs to learn.
> NL
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: sharp penny <penelope_75647@yahoo.com>
> To: Myna Cryderman <mcryderman@escape.ca>
> Cc: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
> Sent: Saturday, October 28, 2000 3:35 PM
> Subject: RC: excitable horse
> 
> 
> >    Teach him to lower his head on demand. A horse
> > can't be excited when his head is down by his
> knees.
> > 
> >    When a horses head is up his excitment level
> will
> > build. Have you ever seen an excitable horse with
> his
> > head down and neck stretched out and relaxed? For
> some
> > reason, if you can get him to drop his head and
> relax
> > his neck, he will calm down.
> > 
> >    All you do is teach him to do this on cue no
> mater
> > whats going on around him. It's very easy to teach
> but
> > takes lots of repetitions, some times weeks or
> months.
> > 
> >    Most people are impatient and don't want to
> invest
> > the time it takes, they would rather find a quick
> fix.
> > I just don't know of any quick fixes that work in
> > pressure situations. Once trained this one will
> work
> > 100% of the time in any situation.
> > 
> > 
> > Penny
> > Texas
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >  He
> > > usually is not an 
> > > excitable horse only in this situation. Does
> anyone
> > > have any suggestions 
> > > for getting his mind back to business in  this
> > > situation?
> > > 
> > > Myna
> > > 
> > > 
> > >
> >
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