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.