The Young Horse: Ground Manners

If you have to take a break from training at any level, always begin again with a part of training that the horse accepts and understands. Always try to end the lesson on a positive note.

Tying to a solid object:

After halter breaking, your horse needs to learn to stand tied. This will be extremely important throughout it's life. You must be able to tie your horse to groom, trailer, tack up and so on. This can be a dangerous lesson for both you and the horse. NEVER leave a horse that is tied unattended. When I was in high school my best friend lost her new Quarter Horse filly to a broken neck the night she got it for her birthday. She only left her for a minute to go to the house & get a brush. She learned a hard lesson that night.

If your horse pulls back while tied, the problem is that it hasn't learned to respond correctly to the pressure it feels on it's head. We must teach it to give to the pressure it feels. This lesson will help you in leading your horse also.

Step 1
Teach your horse to turn toward the pull of the rope. Using a long line, in the arena or round pen, lead your horse around. Making wide turns, with you to the inside of the turn, gently turn the horse's head toward you as you walk. It should give it's head, bending it's neck toward the direction of the turn. Practice this until your horse is giving easily to this lesson. Do this leading from both the left and the right.