Photo: The first task is to weave the rags together.

INTRODUCTION

Maintaining mobility is an important aspect of keeping horses in captivity. Usually they live without the freedom of movement over large areas with varied terrain. We can take a small step to encourage whole-body movement with short routines done often but never turned into a drill.

AIM

To combine weaving (serpentines) with sidestepping, backing up and recall using rags as markers.

PREREQUISITES

1. ‘Walk on’ and ‘halt’ transitions staying shoulder-to-shoulder. Smooth Walk and Halt transitions: https://wp.me/p4VYHH-5TT
2. We have established clear mutual signals for weaving obstacles. https://youtu.be/mjBwyDsVX6Y. As well as this clip,there are several more in my playlist called Weave and Tight Turns.
3. Horse understands a signal for sidestepping. Sidestepping: https://wp.me/p4VYHH-5RL
4. Horse understands a ‘wait’ signal to stay parked while we move away so we can do a recall. Park & Wait: https://youtu.be/UvjKr9_U0ys
5. Horse understands signal for backing up face-to-face with handler. March 2018 Challenge: Backing Up Part 1: https://youtu.be/6YYwoGgd_0Y
6. Horse recalls after staying parked. https://youtu.be/XuBo07q8g24

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 the rope but not so long it gets in the way. 12′ (4m) is a useful length.
• Six rags laid out in a straight line far enough apart to allow comfortable weaving of the rags walking the pattern together. As the horse becomes more supple, the rags can be put closer together.

VIDEO CLIPS

#203 HorseGym with Boots: Routine 8, Rags as Focus:  Click here.

#204 HorseGym with Boots: Routine 8 at Liberty: Click here.

NOTES

1. It helps to memorize the sequence of tasks by walking the pattern without the horse. If you have a willing human friend, take turns being the horse or the handler. Usually, as handler precision improves, horse precision improves.
2. 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. We want the horse to find his own balance rather than be pushed or held into a certain outline.
3. 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.

TASKS

1. Handler on the horse’s left side, weave the rags together.
2. Turn at the end of the rags and weave in the opposite direction.
3. Walk a circle around the last rag to end up between the last two rags plus several steps beyond them.
4. Halt, then ask the horse to back up between the rags. If he backs up on his own, go to the horse to deliver a click&treat.
5. Ask the horse to sidestep to put him in line with the middle of the next two rags.
6. Ask the horse to ‘wait’ while you walk between the rags to the end of the rope.
7. Ask the horse to ‘recall’.
8. Ask the horse to sidestep so he is in line with the middle of the next two rags.
9. Halt, then ask the horse to back up between the rags. If he backs up on his own go to the horse to deliver a click&treat.
10. Ask the horse to sidestep so he is in line with the middle of the next two rags.
11. Ask the horse to ‘wait’ while you back away to the end of the rope.
12. Ask the horse to ‘recall’.
13. Ask the horse to do the final sideways so he is in line with the middle of the last two rags if you are using six rags.
14. Ask the horse to back up.
15. Do an established ‘end of routine’ celebration. I use a ‘Triple Treat’.

GENERALIZATIONS

• Repeat with the handler on the horse’s right side for the weaving.
• Practice in different venues.
• Use more rags.
• Play at liberty.
• Have only the horse weave – handler walks a straight line.
• Practice on a slope.
• Carry out the same sequence of tasks without marker rags.