Restarting Monte, Past 5

When we started with ground work on Monte, I introduced him to following a feel on the lead rope moving to be able to control a foot with the lead rope and now in the saddle with a snaffle bit outfit, I continued that with asking him to step out with a front leg. With more of a horse's weight on their front feet, often when you ask the horse to walk off either straight or at an angle, a front foot may move forward and it seems like a stumble or a hard step and sometimes it seems like the back end is an after thought or follows like being pulled forward.

So for much of when I ask for forward movement after I throw a leg over a horse, I ask for the horse to step to out to the side a front foot. In the beginning it helps to rock a horse back so his body weight is shifted some to the hind end. This is much like a human rocking weight to one leg/foot in order to push off with that foot and step out with the other. Putting a change, even a small change, of the weight on the hind end makes it easier for the horse to pickup a front foot and place it out.

I think of it as picking that foot up with a direct rein, much like I did on the ground with the lead rope, and placing that foot outside and to the front. This is the beginning of a turn on the haunches and is going to help you be able to do turn arounds on the horse. With a horse having a difficult time picking a front foot up and out, it is sometimes beneficial to back the horse a step and as a hind foot makes contact with the ground going back an a front foot will be doing the same (as they back in the two beat foot fall pattern). Then ask for the front foot that is coming off the ground to step out. Certainly some will try to get a front foot to step out thinking it has to do so on a particular back foot making contact with the ground, either the same side hind or the opposite hind. I think both are actually correct. On turn arounds with forward momentum, I leave it to the horse to choose that hind foot but if he is sluggish, I'll often stop, back a step then ask for the turn, much like a roll back. But I getting ahead of myself, Monte was in the beginning of picking up a front foot and placing it out on an ask with the rein.

Onto side passing. This is something I'll normally work on later in a horse's development, I am including it for two reasons. 1 - because a lady wrote me a week before I re-started Monte asking for help in getting her and her mare to side pass, and 2 - Monte was getting capable at side passing as I had pretty good early control of his head and neck, front end and hind end which are all necessary to being able to side pass. I wanted him to have a basic understanding of this before he was shipped out.

In clinics I'll ask riders want they want to work on. When I get a response like, "I'd like to be able to side pass or open gates", I get the rider's to work on control over head and neck (lateral flexion and vertical softness), and moving front end independently from the hind end and vice versa. Sometimes I'll get a comment like, "I already do that, I'd just like to work on side passing". Invariably, or at some riders and their horses don't have an understanding of asking for the independent movements of those parts of the horse. Otherwise they would be better prepared to side pass and open gates.

When you ask for a side pass using your leg (calf) right behind the front cinch (think of it as stirrup position 2) the horse not understanding at first will likely move either the front end or the hind end over first. As the horse moves sideways, the front end or the hind end may lag behind hence being able to control and move the lagging part to catch up is necessary. The more you do this, the smoother the horse will get. In the beginning only asking for a small side pass and build on that and later don't be greedy and ask the horse to side pass 30 yards. Stop asking before the horse gets dull.

The side pass without checking the horse's forward movement or asking for continuous forward movement becomes a leg yield. That is sideways movement with forward momentum. This is also called two tracking. That would be another understanding for the horse and valuable as you can control the position of the horse much better and useful in everything from to controlling better and rounder circles, to leg yielding or getting forward lateral movement towards a gate or around an obstacles, to keeping a horse looking at something like a calf while you position his body with lateral movement.

Restarting Monte, Part 4

Once in the saddle, beginning on Day Two of Monte's restart, I worked on lateral flexion and untracking his hind end using as minimal leg pressure as I could because he was , at first, very reactive to it. I need the lateral flexion to control direction and the hind end untracking (often also referred to disengaging the hind end) to do so many things from stopping him to turn arounds.

In the beginning Monte would jump sideways from any pressure with my leg to untracking his hind end, but from Day Two to Day Three he made good progress responding softly to my ask for his hind end to untrack....again something we could build on. As for lateral flexion, Monte would give me his head and neck pretty softly, but would also untracking his hind end without me asking for that, which is real common.


I think there are two basic things to remember here, 1 - when you ask for lateral flexion as soon as he gives you that and is soft, meaning no brace or pushing on you, then the release have to be immediate (the all important timing and recognition of softness) and the pause, before asking, again is sufficient. I have seen some riders ask for lateral flexion, left then right, then left then right, without any pause whatsoever, so the pressure just runs into each other becoming one long pressure where the slight and short releases and non existent pauses don't mean anything to the horse. 2 - when you ask for lateral flexion, if the horse untracks his hind end, wait for him to stop, then when he is not moving nor leaning, give him the release. With Monte he was not 100% consistent with always giving lateral flexion on the ask, but he understood enough to be able to build on that. I did not expect anything different, but he was better than I was expecting.

So now we are moving onto directional control with forward momentum. Since nothing I had done with Monte so far involved using both my legs at the same time, it was easy for him to quickly understand that slight pressure with both legs, using my calves, was asking him to transition from the walk to the trot. He is a naturally forward horse, unlike some, so it was really easy to get him to move out. In the beginning he would jump out being reactive to pressure, but I minimized that concentrating on as light as pressure as possible on his barrel and giving him a loose rein. What is not shown in any video is earlier is when I was sending Monte around from the ground I would pickup the stirrup with my free hand and touch him on his barrel preparing him for the cue to go forward from the walk to the trot. This is good to do on young horses as the first time they experience pressure on their barrel from the stirrup or your calf/heel on the ground they will better be able to handle that from the saddle....normally.

For directional control at the trot, I was first using a direct rein, then the inside leg to untrack in a turn, then I added a neck rein or using the outside rein first before the other two cues. Later on he could turn with just a neck rein. What we did not video was Monte's trot to canter transitions which were pretty smooth. Not flawless, but something to build on after just 10-12 rides.

Restarting Monte, Part 3

Although this is part 3 of Re-starting Monte, I began untracking him on the lead rope around his hind end on the first day of ground training. And on the second day of his re-start, wearing a saddle and carrying a snaffle bit, I continued to get him supple and untrack his hind end for those turn arounds and giving to pressure. While we did not shoot video on using the lead rope to untrack his hind end, you'll see the untracking using the lead portion of the mecate reins as I continue with Monte understanding to giving to pressure on a direct rein. You have to be careful with a green or very responsive horse, all horses actually, so that he doesn't step into you as he feels the mecate lead on his side opposite you, so the angle and distance to your horse and his hind end should be safe for the handler. Soon the horse may be anticipating this so be ready for him to move his hind end over before you pickup the slack or otherwise put a feel in the lead rope. Monte would sometimes step in the opposite direction and this was simply because I did not do enough of this untracking exercise.

As the horse untracks with the mecate lead across his hind end, you can do the same untracking with the mecate lead just looped over the saddle horn. He may struggle at first but give him time to search and find the release. The first time I did this with Monte without a saddle and just using the lead rope, he untracked really fast like a corkscrew as it worried him. A few more times and he was responsive but lost his apprehensiveness about the pressure. I just make sure the release is followed by a longer pause, perhaps 10 seconds before asking again.

Getting the horse to pick a rider up off the fence. I had first seen this over 20 years ago and immediately got my horses comfortable with this, as I had pretty bad knee pain that made mounting from the ground pretty hard. Since then I have healed my knees, but having horses pickup you when you ask them to is a good tool to have available. We all have seen young people climb into a saddle......someone 5'1" tall mounting a 16 hand horse, like monkeys climbing a tree for a banana, but trust me when I say if you are an old person you will be grateful getting the horse to do this.

This is best to start with a lead rope. Sitting on the fence, with the horse usually perpendicular to you, I will bump the lead rope until the horse searches for a release by moving his back end or even starting to just lean his hind end towards me. Its important to give the release with good timing and give the horse a good pause before bumping again. Continue until he is close and parallel where you can mount. If you did a good job with the horse on following a soft feel on stepping forward and backing, you can direct a step or two forward or back for easier and safer mounting from the fence.

Before you mount for the first couple times, while maintaining a solid foot and hand on the fence, use your other foot touch the horse where you can, rub your foot on his barrel and butt, and place weight on his back or in the saddle. You want to avoid spooking him seeing and feeling you above him once you are committed, so get him used to some feel of your boot and weight in the saddle and your foot in his opposite eye.

I don't get on a horse that is moving. I work with him to stand still while I mount, but still have control of the mecate reins or lead while I am mounting, and once I throw a leg over if the horse starts to move out, I'll check him. I try to be light but smooth getting in the saddle as opposed to a sumo wrestling flopping on a couch. With re-starting Monte, I mounted from the fence maybe four times. The first two times he began to walk off, but again I asked him to stop and wait on me. When I am in the saddle, and he is waiting on me and I am ready to walk out, I rock his hind end back or step back then ask a front foot to step away from the fence then move out. If you gave the horse a decent understanding from the ground work with connecting the lead to the front foot, this will be easier. Be satisfied with the smallest step out. The important thing is that he tries and is not moving forward without your direction. In fact, I rarely mount and have the horse step right out to the front. This helps alleviate anticipation down the road.

Sometimes it only takes a few minutes to get a horse to understand his part in picking you up from thr fence, a trailer fender, a mounting block, etc. In clinics I have started many rider's horses on this, although it has to be reinforced to be reliable. Once a horse is good about this, they sometimes become anticipatory and move to pickup up before you ask. If this happens I just re-set them, as by now I can control their feet with the mecate lead, and have the horse wait until I ask to be picked up.

Restarting Monte, Part 2

Continuing with Monte, I worked with him to understand the slight differences in asking for a front foot to step out and being sent following a loose lead rope. This was really just checking in on him as I had been leading him to turnout almost on a daily basis and he was good about following a soft ask to step out past me and walk off. However, I did spend that time going back and forth being asking for a front foot to step out and being sent so those slight changes in the feel of a lead rope were very evident to him. In clinics I often ask riders on the ground to send their horses past them and continue at a walk a fairly small circle. Many people will step out of the way of their horses and abruptly take up the slack in the lead never giving their horse a chance to follow a soft feel on a loose lead. And in annual Arena Challenges I ran, I sometimes had a final a task where the rider dismounted and sent their horse past them between two barrels. Often, the vast majority of riders could not do this simple task as they always led their horses someplace as opposed to getting them good as being sent. Being able to send your horses is a valid deal as you may have a gate or a trailer where can't go first and lead your horse through or into. So the short video below was just a reminder to checkin with Monte from time to time on being sent, and untracking him as if you send a horse through a gate, I want a horse to be able to untrack and face up as I latch or close the gate.

Being able to get forward momentum is very necessary to make progress with a horse. They need to be able to trot and lope and to do so without the rider constantly pulling on the horse's mouth. I want to be able to make subtle cues to go from the walk to the trot and want the horse to softly, but responsively go into that gait. I would think everyone wants that. In the beginning Monte, being very reactive, would be troubled when asked for the trot he would jump into a stilted, choppy anxious trot. Not what I wanted but I would let him continue until I saw the slightest sign of anxiety reducing then ask him to face up. Then ask again. Also in he beginning I would give him a good pause before asking his front to step over and go the other direction. His head going up and bracing, soon gave way to a much softer head and neck, something we could build on both on the ground and in the saddle.

Restarting Monte, Part 1

Monte is a registered Arabian from Polish Arab stock and was used an on the track racehorse before my late my wife bought him when he was 15 years old. A really handsome Bay Gelding, she could not pass him up when he became available as she was, then, successfully passing cancer treatment and was looking for an additional trail horse to complement her steady Sorrel Gelding Charlie who was then in his late 20's. But just as soon as we brought him home, my wife's cancer came back. Subsequent brain surgeries and radiation made riding, especially a very reactive Arab, a dangerous proposition. So Monte basically became a companion horse for my wife's two other horses for just over 7 years.

For those seven years, I had been taking Monte out of the pens and turning him out. In doing so I had to get him to lead on a soft feel, rate his speed and position, stopping, and backing. Subsequently he became soft in his face and generally a gentleman. That was the extent of his handling and his understanding. So, that routine along with the farrier trimming his feet every 8 weeks, getting brushed and groomed, and, Vet calls for annual Coggins, health checks and teeth floating, were Monte's life. After my wife passed away late last year, her best friend Arlene, who was holding my wife's other hand when she passed, asked me if I would let Monte go to her. I readily acquiesced as that was a great idea and Monte would go to a great home. So we made plans for me to restart Monte and get him safe for her to ride and ready to ship to his new home. That day has came a few days ago. Although I had a seven day trip away from home followed by a 10 day bout of Sepsis which kind of set me back restarting Monte, I was able to work with him and ride him for almost 2 weeks prior to his ship date.

When Arlene flew in for a few days prior to shipping Monte to get exposed to what I had been doing with Monte and to ride him where I could watch and help. Day One was basically a demonstration on how I approached re-starting Monte, demonstrating both on the ground and in the saddle. Day Two was a repeat of Day One however we filmed much of it in short sessions, which I am including in this five part series, then having Arlene ride Monte so I could watch and help her and him. It was important that Arlene was here riding Monte before he was shipped because in my experience, working with a horse without the owner is much less effective than working with the horses and owner/rider. And Day Three was spent trailer loading, showing how I prepared Monte to load and backout, which would be useful as a basic template for loading other horses in the future.

In the beginning Monte was pretty reactive.....big, quick movements with the minimal pressure. It wasn't my first rodeo with an ex race horse as when I ran a large public barn people were bringing in ex racehorses from the local racetrack all the time. Some I helped when asked, others sadly enough were regulated to owners who wanted an immediate trail or roping horse without doing the work or understanding how to go about it. As I worked with Monte on following a soft feel on the reins to lead up I saw right off that Monte could come down emotionally and slow his reactions. And by leading up or becoming halter broke, I mean soft to halter; understands a neutral lead rope to stand and wait for a signal; to move forward on a soft feel; to back up on the same; responds when I start to connect the lead rope to directional control of each individual foot, and, gives to pressure when applied slowly and measurably.

Although seemingly a very basic way to re-start a horse, I think the understanding the horse gets from being softly asked for a response and given the time to respond really sets him up for success, as I'll be asking for the same, in the same way as I progress to the saddle and that occurred on day two. The text article and videos I'm posting through this five part series, are snippets or highlights of the 10-12 rides I put on Monte to get him ready, and safe, for Arlene. And these short videos were intended for Arlene to show I spent the time getting him ready for her. I hope this helps someone else.

We all need a horse to stand still until we direct him, so I worked with Monte understanding what neutral is. That is no feel on the lead rope. I call this neutral as eventually a horse will move, but he'll learn and become more and more responsive to a gradually pulling the slack out of the lead rope (and the lead rope will become a rein or the lead portion of a mecate soon) and move towards me. Many people don't worry about a horse understanding backing until later on in the starting process as forward momentum is so important. However, I like to get that working early on, as backing is useful to positioning a horse up in so many ways.....backing up to get room to open a gate, re-position from crowding you, re-positioning on the shoeing stand, and much more.

As I have on 2 and 3 year old's as well as older horse's being re-started, I can move right to connecting the lead rope to a foot by asking a front foot to step out to the side. This allows me and the horse a better start from the saddle when I ask the same with the rein. Then I move to the back end, standing right by the stirrup, or where the stirrup or front cinch would be if the horse has no saddle, with a loose lead I will rub and pet on him, sometimes making noise with the saddle until I pickup the lead alongside his body maybe slightly tipping his nose until he steps over and away from me, with the rear foot nearest me stepping underneath himself in front of the other rear foot, untracking his back end. This will be more and more useful as we go forward, doing turn arounds, facing up, practically everything.