Equestrian Network Magazine

Lead Line Leadership (Part 1 of 2)

Lead Line Leadership Part 1

The first five articles in this series on Natural Horsemanship (NH) were about understanding the principles of NH, the tools utilized in this style of training and working in the round pen to establish a respectful attitude from your horse. In this article, and next month, we'll explore the groundwork you can do with your horse from the lead line, to refine your relationship with your horse and bring it to a whole new level.

This type of ground training is done with a rope halter and a minimum 12' training lead (you can order one from www.juliegoodnight.com ) and involves standing, leading, circling and lateral work. Lead line work is done to establish what I like to call the "Three R's of Training: Respect, Relationship and Responsiveness."

Lead line work is all about moving the horse out of your space to achieve subordinance and respect from the horse and establish yourself as the leader of your herd of two. Through this type of training, you will learn to control the horse's entire body, his feet, his nose, his shoulder and his hip. This month we will focus on the feet, and nose and next month his shoulder and hip. As you gain more control over the horse, you will be less reliant on the halter and lead and the horse will respond to simple hand gestures.

Horses are very good at following rules when the rules are clearly defined and consistently reinforced.

CONTROL THE FEET

The first step is to gain control over the horse's feet so that they only move when you ask. You'll start by asking the horse to stand still like a statue. It is important to give a clear signal with your body language that you want the horse to stand by positioning yourself in front and to the side of the horse, with your toes facing the horse's shoulder. This is a clear indication to the horse that you are not going anywhere. Do not stand close to the horse and do not try to hold him in place with the lead. Stand back with plenty of slack in the lead and simply correct him every time he moves.

If the horse moves any foot in any direction, snap the lead hard (do not jerk the rope, just pop it, sending a wave through the rope) and firmly say "whoa." When you snap the rope, the halter knots will bounce on the horse's face, giving him an aversive stimulus. If your horse has moved in a direction that he wanted to go, you need to back him up to where he was originally so that he is not gradually creeping toward where he wants to be.

In short order, with consistent, calm, but firm correction, he will learn to keep his feet still when you ask him. Gradually increase your distance from the horse so that he is not under the impression that you are holding him there, but instead he is standing voluntarily merely because you asked him to. Practice this for sometime every day until you have total control over your horse's feet.

CONTROL THE NOSE

As you begin to get control of your horse's feet, you can also begin to control his nose. My rule with all horses is that "you must keep your nose in front of your chest at any time that I am working around or riding you." Horses are very good at following rules when the rules are clearly defined and consistently reinforced. As you are working on your horse standing, also insist that he keep his nose in front of his chest, by giving a simple and mild correction every time he moves it in either direction.

When the nose moves away from you, simply shake or oscillate the rope until it comes back into place. When the nose moves toward you, it is a bigger infraction because he is moving into your space, a cardinal sin. To move the nose away from you, simply twirl the tail of your rope like a propeller blade, slowly moving it toward his nose. At this point, he has two choices; he can move his nose out of your space or get hit by the propeller blade. You are not hitting the horse with the rope; you are using the rope to define your space and if the horse chooses not to move out of your space, he may get hit with the rope.

Again, with a clearly defined rule and consistent correction, in short order your horse will learn to keep his nose in front if his chest. Be sure to enforce this rule at any time that you are working around the horse or riding him. Often the first thing that happens when a horse misbehaves is that he moves his nose in the direction he wants to go or into your space. Controlling the nose will lead to a well-mannered horse that is entirely focused on you and not looking around for trouble.

CONTROLLING THE FEET WHILE MOVING

The next step in this process is to work on leading. A truly subordinate horse will prefer to walk directly behind you, but this is not a safe place for you. He who stands in front of a horse has never been run over by a horse before. We want to teach the horse to walk beside us, not behind, so that your torso is positioned halfway between the horse's nose and shoulder. We want the horse to stay in that position, matching you step for step, without you pulling him forward or holding him back. Again, we need to set the rule and boundaries for the horse and correct him any time he is not in the right place.

There are basically two types of horses: one with too much go and one with too much whoa; push to go or pull to whoa. I am more concerned with the horse that is getting in front of you dragging you everywhere. A subordinate horse would never get in front of a dominant horse so if your horse is dragging you around, it is an indication that he does not accept you as his leader.

For the horse to stay behind you at the same time that he walks beside you, it is important that you keep your leading hand up and out in front of you. This leading hand will indicate the most forward boundary your horse is allowed to cross. Do not try to hold him back. Instead, when the horse gets in front of your hand, simply snap the rope hard and turn around and back the horse vigorously out of your space. Once you have consistently reinforced this forward boundary a few times, your horse will learn to watch your hand and you can give him a warning by simply lifting a finger up and he should slow down and back off. Soon, your horse should be taking a step back every time you stop.

If your horse is lagging behind you, simply bump the lead until he makes an effort to catch up. As soon as you see the slightest effort that he is trying to catch up, be sure he finds a release; you can always bump again but he needs to understand that if he keeps up with you, the halter knots will not be bouncing on his face.

As you practice leading, do lots of transitions from halt to walk to halt, from walk to trot to walk. Be sure to use your body language to signal the horse and take several seconds for each cue. Don't just slam on the brakes and stop, your horse will never be able to move with you. Instead, to cue him to stop or slow down, lift your shoulders, then slow your feet, then gradually bring your feet to a stop. For the upward transition, move your eyes, shoulders and hands forward first, then slowly begin to move your feet.

You'll also want to turn the horse a lot as you lead him, always turning him away from you, to reinforce the horse moving out of your space. Keep your hands up and in between you and the horse and poke him in the face with your fingers if he doesn't get out of your space. As he turns better, make your turns smaller until the horse begins to pivot on his hindquarters. You should practice all of this leading work from the offside of the horse as well, so that he leads equally well from both sides.

Be sure to check out Julie's newest book: Ready to Ride? Finding a Program and Getting Prepared for Your Adventure. The 51-page book published by the Certified Horsemanship Association details the questions many new riders (and parents of riders) ask Goodnight during her nation-wide clinics.

Also be sure to check out her new lead rope and halter designed to the specifics Julies set forth for efficient training. Please contact http://www.juliegoodnight.com or call 719-530-0531 to purchase the book, or to see or purchase her new halter and lead rope.

Julie Goodnight, internationally known speaker and clinician and an equine professional for more than 25 years, has a varied background ranging from dressage and jumping to racing, reining and wilderness riding. Julie is known for her logical and straightforward style of teaching and her ability to bridge natural horsemanship techniques with the principles of classical riding. Goodnight's upbeat and personable style ensures success for every horse and rider. Goodnight's teaching focuses on balance, rhythm, use of the natural aids and developing a harmonious relationship with the horse. Goodnight appears at about 40 horse fairs, clinics and conferences a year in North America and Europe and is regularly published in Western Horseman, The Instructor and Equus magazines.