By Jody and Susan Cunningham
First published by the National Foundation Quarter Horse Journal; reprinted by permission of the authors
First
of all I feel the need to define the term Ground Driving. This is the
art of controlling the horse’s motion, speed and direction from the
ground. This is where the lessons learned at liberty in the round-pen -
dominance, respect, and trust - are put to practical application. My
common sense tells me that if I cannot control my horse’s motion, speed
and direction from both the right and left sides, he is not ready to
mount. Many people I know skip this cornerstone of the foundation only
to pay for it later. This is when they find out that they are an
unwelcome passenger on an unguided missile. Set yourself up for
success by preparing both your horse and yourself from the ground.
The
NFQHA’s In Hand Trail is by far the most practical class for yearlings
and two-year-old horses I have ever seen. Every move, every skill
developed here will in turn prepare the young horse to some day be
ridden. It is clear to me that a horse rides only as good as he leads
or drives. Again I stress, if you have no control from the ground the
situation will only get worse when you get on his back. If you cannot
send him over a bridge, tarp, jump or any other obstacle from the
ground chances are you will not be successful mounted. The horses
that excel in this class are really being prepared to ride and have an
excellent foundation when someone finally steps on them. I feel sure
that anyone handling these young horses would agree that they start
under saddle very easily because of the preparation they have had. At
this point it seems logical to me that you can expect some success when
you step up on his back. The alternative is at best frustrating and at
worst very dangerous for both man and horse. Remember, put yourself in
the path of success by being prepared! The life in a horse’s feet is a
gift from above and learning to control it is the true essence of
horsemanship. For now let’s call this life "motion". Without it humans
would not be so enchanted by horses. The rest of the article will deal
with three simple things: causing motion, directing it and stopping
it. Subsequent articles will deal with refining motion to a high
degree. For right now lets Keep It Simple!
Being
able to send your horse to, through, or over a specific point or
obstacle is the key. Think in terms of open and closed doors. The
average horse wants to move anyway, just show him an open door. Remember that he has no concept of right or wrong as you define it. He
is only going to do what comes natural to him. So make what you want
comfortable and what’s not wanted uncomfortable.
In this case, I want
him to move around me in a circle to the left; I will create an open
door in that direction. I hope it is clear by the photos that I am
using a rope halter and 14-foot lead. If you are unskilled at handling
lots of rope, you may prefer a 12-foot lead. Clear direction is being
given by my left or lead hand, the hand I am directing with. Then I
will take my right or driving hand and swing the tail of the lead in
an overhand motion aimed at the opposite side, thereby closing the door
to the right. One thing I want to make perfectly clear, when you get
ready to send your horse off do not walk around him to gain better
position to drive him from. Instead always drive him out of your
personal space using the tail of the lead. Cause him to walk around
you thereby reinforcing the mental dominance you earned in the
round-pen and keeping him respectful of your personal space. Here’s
the deal: you eat meat, he eats grass. The horse needs to yield his
space to you in order to keep you safe. Never let him back you up. The tail of your lead is both sword and shield. It is used as an
accelerator to initiate motion and as a shield to protect your personal
space. Always step forward using the tail to keep the horse out of
your way. Horses communicate through body language and it is the odd
horse that will not take the open door when offered.
If, by this time,
he has not moved, I will use one of my only two voice cues; I will cluck
to him to aid in moving his feet. Cause motion first, then try to
direct it. Keep in mind it is almost impossible to steer an object
that is motionless. Get his feet moving first, then direct them. As
he begins to move, let him. Stay behind the drive-line which is from
his withers to his heart-girth. Behind the drive line, you are in a
driving position; if you are in front of it, you are blocking forward
motion. This is a common problem for people having trouble sending
their horse. OK, we have him moving off to the left, feed him some
rope and let him go. At this point, unsure or frightened folks will
often drag on the lead. Any horse that leads reasonably well will take
this as an invite to stop. Avoid stomping on the gas and the brake at
the same time. This only serves to confuse your horse. Keep your
intentions clear through body language. If you become flustered and
frustrated, just slow down, relax and breath. Speed has nothing to do
with this exercise. Speed comes naturally through repetition. Pushing
too hard, too fast, is the root cause of resistance. Remember the
difference between an instinctual reaction and a thoughtful response. Again, body language is the key. Step forward to his hip, keeping your
shoulders parallel to your horse's body. Keep moving. He will begin to
synchronize his movement with you, his herd leader. The same thing
happens with a mare and foal or within the herd. You move slow, he
moves slow. You quicken your pace, he follows suit. You quit moving
your feet, his also stop. Now you are dancing with him and nothing
could be more natural.
Now,
I will change direction 180 degrees. I will do this by disengaging his
hindquarters and accomplishing several things at once. (The photos
show from right to left but the result is the same, so bear with me.) I
have my horse softly moving around me in a circle. In preparation for
disengaging the hindquarters, I will make full contact with his head by
taking the slack out of the line, all the while keeping him in motion. Then using the tail of my lead directed at his hip in an overhand swing,
I bend forward steeply from the waist and mock charge his near hip,
keeping hold of his head, causing him to pivot on the forehand and move
the hindquarters away from me. This is a sign of respect. Out in the
pasture a subordinate horse would never show his weapons (his
hindquarters) to the dominant animal or herd leader.
By now I should
have him facing me squarely. I will keep facing my horse and cause him
to take a step or two backwards by putting a wave in the lead by moving
my lead hand from side to side and stepping directly forward. At this
point, I am looking for any little try. The smallest positive change
will cause the pressure to go away. Remember horses learn on the
release of pressure, not the application of it. Now is the time to
rest for a while, let him think over what just happened. You will
likely see him drop his head, begin to lick his lips and blink his
eyes. If not, you are pushing too hard. Slow down and relax. What I
do not want to see is that thousand-yard stare and rigid posture of a
highly defensive and scared prey type animal that is being stalked by a
predator.
We
started to the left and now that I have caused him to cease his forward
motion and shift the hips away from me and take a step or two
backwards, it is time to go to the right. Now my right hand becomes
the lead hand. I will make contact and give him some obvious direction
to the right, making my intentions clear and showing him an open door. My driving hand is now my left hand. I swing the tail of my lead in an
overhand motion directed at his near hip and closing the door to my
left. I will cluck to him if I need to. As he begins to move, quit
swinging the rope and clucking. Get off of the gas as soon as he
responds. Mindlessly swinging the tail of the lead and clucking will
only serve to dull him to these aids. Use them only when you need
them, then stop. Timing the release of pressure is one of the main
keys to having a soft responsive horse.
I
view stopping and standing still as a privilege, a reward, and that is
how I want my horse to see it. Stopping and standing still is the
comfortable thing to do. The natural thing for a predator to do is to
grab and hold. Far too often I see people try to physically drag their
horse to a stop and then try to hold him there. Folks, if there is one
sure thing I have learned in the last 35 years, it is this, when the
life bubbles up in a horse's feet and he feels the need to go somewhere,
you cannot stop it. You cannot smother it. You cannot contain it. Our only choice as the predator in this predator/prey relationship is
to redirect this energy until the horse decides that stopping and
standing still is the easy or comfortable thing to do.
Now we are
coming to the end of our workout, my horse is driving smoothly and
softly in both directions and I can disengage his hindquarters and back
him off of me a step or two. This is when I will soften my body and
turn my shoulder to the horse in a non-assertive gesture that invites
him into my personal space. If I have done my round-pen work right, he
will then be happy to come to me to be rested, relaxed and rubbed. Again making me, the herd leader, the safe comfortable place to be.
That
just about covers it for now. We sincerely hope that this information will be of some help
to you and yours.
Stay A’
Horseback,
Jody and Susan
