INTRODUCTION

This routine has us alternating frequently between the left and right sides of the horse. The objective is to develop our ‘walk on’, ‘halt’ and ‘turn’ signals to make them as clear and precise as possible.

AIM

To improve handler precision by linking a series of tasks into a sequence.

PREREQUISITES

1. Smooth ‘walk on’ and ‘halt’ transitions staying shoulder-to-shoulder. (Smooth Walk and Halt transitions: https://wp.me/p4VYHH-5TT)
2. Smooth 90-degree Turns: https://wp.me/p4VYHH-5VM
3. Horse understands a signal for sidestepping. (Sidestepping: https://wp.me/p4VYHH-5RL)
4. Handler has developed a clear ‘Zero Intent’ signal so the horse knows when standing quietly is what is wanted. (‘Zero Intent’ and ‘Intent’: https://wp.me/p4VYHH-5RO)

ENVIRONMENT AND MATERIALS

• A work area where the horse is relaxed and confident.
• Ideally, the horse can see his buddies, but they can’t interfere.
• The horse is not hungry.
• Halter and a lead long enough so we can keep a nice drape in it but not so long it gets in the way.
• Six or more rags marking out a roomy circle. Have an even number of rags.

NOTES

1. For this routine, it helps if the rags are a different color.
2. Make the circle as large as you like. It is small in the clips for ease of filming.
3. I like to memorize the sequence of events by walking the pattern without the horse and then visualizing the sequence often (a good substitute for counting sheep to go to sleep!) If you have a human friend, take turns being the horse or the handler. Usually, as handler precision improves, horse precision improves.
4. Walk should-to-shoulder with the horse for all the tasks except the last two.
5. The aim is to keep the rope with a nice drape or loop as much as possible, so the horse is getting his signals from our body language and signals rather than rope pressure.
6. Click&treat at a rate that keeps your horse being successful. As a horse learns a pattern through frequent short repetitions, we can gradually ask for a bit more before each click&treat.

VIDEO CLIPS

#196 HorseGym with Boots: Routine 6, Rags as Focus: https://youtu.be/tqmY4RPKLrc

 

#197 HorseGym with Boots: Routine 6 at Liberty: https://youtu.be/KnXk8WEhXiA

 

#198 HorseGym with Boots: Routine 6 without Rags: https://youtu.be/ZSfK3i2Zq04

 

TASKS

1. With the handler nearest the rag and on the horse’s left, stand together beside one of the rags.
2. Walk a full circle around the rags (anticlockwise).
3. On completing a full circle, turn into the middle of the circle and halt. Move to the horse’s right side.
4. Vary how long you stay at the halt each time you halt in the circle’s center. Be clear with your ‘no intent’ body language during the standing together, and your ‘intent’ body language when you want to walk on again.
5. Walk forward and curve around to circle the rags in the opposite direction (clockwise). Handler walks closest to the rags.
6. On completing one full circle, turn into the middle again, halt and change to the horse’s left side.
7. Walk forward and curve into an anticlockwise circle, but this time halt at every second rag. Vary how long you stay parked at the rags.
8. After one circuit halting at every second rag, turn into the center of the circle again and change to the right side.
9. Repeat 7 (stop at every second rag) but walking a clockwise circle.
10. On completing the circle, turn into the middle of the circle and halt.
11. Ask the horse to back up between two rags, halting when his belly is between the rags. In the clips, I face Boots to ask her to back up, but we could back up shoulder-to-shoulder.
12. Ask the horse to sidestep either right or left so that one of the rags passes under his belly.
13. Large Celebration on completion of the sequence.

GENERALIZATIONS

• Practice in different venues.
• Change the size of your circle.
• Add more rags to your circle.
• Build in walk-trot-walk transitions.
• Repeat each task before changing to the next task.
• Add walk-trot-walk transitions.
• Add halt-trot transitions.
• Add trot-halt transitions.
• Play with it at liberty.
• Carry out the sequence of tasks in an open area without marker rags. For the three halts along the circle (tasks 7 and 9), halt after each quarter circle.
• Practice on a slope.