Simple Steps to Power Steering

© 2005-08, Keith Hosman - All Rights Reserved

Actual training covered in this article: Improving your steering.
Theme of this article: Learn faster when you concentrate on just one thing.
Training is simply a matter of stringing together small, simple concepts. And, when things are going awry, it's often because something small hasn't been taught, is being overlooked or is being dismissed as "unimportant." God (or is it the Devil?) is in the details, as they say.

Any time you set out to improve yourself, whether to be a better rider, a more accomplished pianist or a more "learned law student," you'll come out ahead if you challenge yourself to learn one specific thing that makes your time well-spent. From an equestrian's perspective, this means that you don't put down a training book till you've committed to memory some small fact that you can later put to use. It means that you keep querying the next pro trainer you talk to till you glean some piece of info that you can tuck away, something to call upon in the future. It means you sit in the stands at your next riding clinic, waiting, waiting, waiting for that single piece of knowledge that makes the cost of gas it took to get there pay off.

To put a finer point on this, don't go to your next clinic or through your next riding lesson trying to remember everything the pro tells you. You'll lose the trees for the forest. Information will wash over you and a day or so later, you'll throw up your arms in exasperation because you're not a tape recorder and you've forgotten what comes after this or that. You'll be frustrated and make zero improvement. (This is why training DVDs and books exist.) Instead, concentrate on picking up one, single thing. Wait for it, then chew it up in your head, imagine putting it to use, ruminate, ponder and reflect. Ask questions. You know something best when you're able to teach it to someone else, so repeat it back to your instructor or mention it to another student. You've invested time and money to be there; challenge yourself to find one simple concept that made your trip worthwhile – and make sure you really know it. (Buy the DVDs if you need a frame-by-frame replay.)

This holds true even if what they're teaching is something you "already know." Everybody approaches their training from a different perspective. Needs change, you change, your horse changes. There's always something to learn: a quicker method, a deeper understanding, even what not to do. I'm certified by John Lyons – but frequently attend clinics put on by other trainers. I never attend a Clinton Anderson or Craig Cameron event, for instance, that I don't come away with a ton of new things to try out. They have a different take on things and training methods are constantly evolving universally. So are my needs. Today I know 13 ways to get a lead departure but maybe tomorrow I ride a nightmare horse and I'll wish I had 14.

And I'm not talking about sitting there waiting to learn something huge ("flying lead changes") – I'm talking about picking up nuggets of information (how to get the hips to move a step to the right or why you'd even want to move the hips). Trying to learn everything will overload your brain and cause you to remember nothing. Strive to "understand," not to memorize. Once you've got your "one thing" down, begin listening for the next. Collect enough "info snippets," string them together, and you'll know how to get your horse to do x, y or z (or how not to do x, y or z). As a point of reference: When I attend a clinic, I can usually pick up two things, three on a really good day, that make it worth my time.

As an aside, don't forget that "learning what not to do" also qualifies as "something learned." Example: The guy riding in the clinic next to you has borrowed a horse. The owner assured him "little kids ride Flicka all the time." Seconds later, the guy gets bucked off. You might then think: "Note to self: If someone says a horse can be ridden, have them ride the horse first." Simple concept, big repercussions.

Note: Quite often what you'll learn is something somebody's tried to teach you before and it just now "sinks in." Or a fellow rider might dismiss your new understanding as "just common sense." Or maybe it's something you knew before, but forgot. Maybe it's something that everybody else at your riding level has known for eons and, frankly, you'd be embarrassed if the others found out that you just found out how to ask for a lead departure. Take heart! They're all legit "take-aways" if they matter to you today. Example: Maybe you never needed to know how to "move a shoulder" before but today you realize how they can help get your lead departures. Horse training isn't all that complicated, so be on the lookout for these small epiphanies – they can add up to significant improvements.

Many, many, many times I'll work with riders at my clinics that have had a problem with their horse for years and years. They've come to me out of exasperation and now they expect to see some sort of magic solution. I truly believe they think I'm going to push some secret hidden button on the horse and suddenly he's fixed. Two days later we've got them well on the road to recovery – but without making some deal with the Devil. How? Simply by running back through "basic training" to find what's been skipped. If a certain screw works its way free in your car's engine, it'll stop running. Same thing with your horse. Something very small can bring your training to a screeching halt.

And: Many times the problem can be caused by including a particular step in your horse's training – but doing it "wrong." Examples: You don't release at the right time; you apply too much pressure, restraining the horse's natural movement; you're too timid, you're too aggressive; the horse's (body part) is here when it should be there... Basically, you're glossing over a step, not being as precise as called for in the horse-training recipe. Often, if you're honest, you'll admit that a trainer or instructor has told you the same thing hundreds of times – and you've blown off the advise with an "I tried that." If I had a dollar for every time I've made a suggestion only to hear "I did that" or "I'm dong that" – when I can clearly see they're not doing diddly, I'd be a rich man. Bottom line: If you follow the instructions in one of my how-to horse training articles and your horse still hasn't got it, then you're not doing one of the steps correctly – you only think you are.

Ready for today's epiphany? (Drum roll, please.) It's this: Horse training is easier – not harder – for you and your horse when you're precise and objective with your requests. Stop. Reread that last sentence; it's what you're trying to learn today. You'll do your horse no favors when you release the rein when "he's almost got it." We'll discuss "steering your horse" below, but this underlying current of "precision" flows through every bit of your horse training.

The Subtleties of Steering: Bearing in mind that if you can't steer your horse, you haven't got much of a horse, let's find out how well we're doing in that department. This particular tip has everything to do with "What we ask for" vs. "What we accept." How many times have you asked your horse to turn right and looked down only to realize you're "just barely doing so"? Are you turning your horse's head to the right and thinking "right," but going straight or even left? (If you can look right, but walk left, so can your horse.) Or is "the leakage" more subtle? Maybe the two of you just need a little fine tuning.

Regardless, the point of this entire article is the importance of learning (and consistently applying) single, one-dimensional concepts. To that end, your take-away at this moment is this: We don't aim our horses and hope we end up somewhere. You can train your horse to step on a precise spot when you ask him to. It's not about "turning right." It's about "put your foot exactly there, at that angle and do it with your very next step." Anything else is aiming and laziness. If you ask for a precise, 30 degree turn with the very next step, shuffling loosely over at 12 degrees is just not acceptable.

Get on your horse, pick out a rock and circle it. Use no more "steering" than you would normally. As you complete your circle, ask yourself if you've drifted in or out. The odds are pretty good you've got a lopsided circle. Your horse should stay between the reins (which necessarily means no drifting). If you walked a perfectly round circle (smarty pants), do the same at a trot or lope. Better yet, try using zero-to-no rein pressure and just signal the turn with your body. Do so by simply "looking where you want to go." Looking will naturally twist your body and will cue a more finished horse. How's your circle now? Lopsided? (You should be testing with a snaffle bit. Outfitting your horse like Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs" with 600lbs of leverage bits, tie-downs and misc. hardware will make you feel more accomplished, but it's not a fair test.)

Lopsided circles tells us we have some training to do. It may also tell us that we've been kidding ourselves about the maneuverability of our older, more finished horse. We may very well find out that they're not turning as perfectly as we thought. Translation: We don't have the control we thought we did.

I'll briefly describe some fixes. (The "fix" in the context of this article isn't as important as the concept outlined above, namely that you can and should control precisely where your horse puts his feet, that we don't have to accept shuffling and "aiming.")

To perfect our steering, we'll practice the following: For exactly twenty intense minutes, I want you to walk about, never stopping. No talking to your friends, no bathroom breaks. As you move pick up the right rein, apply pressure, look down and pick a spot to the right and slightly in front of your horse. Hold your pressure until the horse steps exactly onto that spot. The moment he does, drop your rein and pet your horse. Walk exactly two steps and repeat. Make sure that you relax your posture and put a droopy bow into those reins for those two steps. It's critical that you signal to your horse after each repetition that "That's all I wanted, that step right there." (If you don't relax for twenty minutes, he'll naturally think it's a twenty minute exercise. It's not, it's a simple step followed by a release.)

How the heck is he going to know where to place his foot? At first he won't have a clue – but he can only go 6 directions (including up and down), so motivating him by applying pressure to the rein will cause him to guess, searching for a release. Your timing will tell the horse "Yes, that's what I wanted." With a bit of consistent practice he'll be routinely stepping where and when you want.

No, you do not use your legs to cue the horse to turn. At this stage you only use your legs to tell the horse to move. Your reins say which direction. If your horse stops walking, use your legs to ask him to move. If your horse doesn't turn correctly, use your rein to tell him (with your release) exactly where to move.

When you begin, this is what's going to happen: You'll pick up the rein and, inside of two minutes, you would have done one thing at least twenty-seven times that you never should have done even once, namely release, flutter or waiver, your pressure. THIS MEANS YOU. YOU WILL DO THIS! DON'T DO THIS! The pressure you apply with your rein must remain constant until the horse steps correctly and you release. This means that you must work with the natural movements of your equine steed; you must be careful not to bump his mouth. If you begin with four pounds, you keep a consistent four pounds as if your very life depends on it. If a suitcase fell out of a passing jet and hit you square on the head, I'd expect them to find you lying there, with four pounds of pressure between you and the horse.

So, you'll keep your pressure even and you'll wait. Time will pass. You'll start to second guess this very article. And, being only human, you'll begin to make this more complicated then it really is. You'll think: "This isn't working. What angle should I be holding the rein at?" Answer: Don't think about "where to hold the reins" – just stare at that foot, keep your pressure and concentrate. See, the horse just wants you out of his mouth. You can pull from any direction and the horse will eventually stumble upon the answer. Staring at a small spot on your horse and "willing it to move" will put your body in a posture that signals to your horse (with practice) that you want him to step here, there or anywhere. It makes your cues consistent by placing you (repeatedly) into the same position without you even realizing it.

What if you're just wandering around and there's a very good chance your bladder might explode before he makes the correct step? Glad you asked. Just as Teddy Roosevelt, you'll be walking and carrying a big stick. Your big stick is this: Should you go, say 30-45 seconds – asking your horse to take a step to the right with his right front foot and your right rein – and the horse just doesn't seem to be getting it (or doesn't want to participate), then change the angle with which you hold your rein and ask the hip to take a step to the left. (In effect, you'll be doing a mini-turn on the forehand.) You can use one or both of two angles to make this happen: Either bring your right hand toward your left shoulder (bringing the horse's nose toward yours like your steer wrestling) or bring your right hand down and toward the horse's right hip (bringing the horse's nose toward his right hip). Apply a tad more pressure if need be and concentrate on holding the rein till the hip takes a single step to the left.

Now, when you go back out and work on perfecting your circles, you can correct your horse when he begins to drift in or out by picking up the rein and "placing the foot" where it should be. As you do this, try to use your big stick (swinging those hips rather than placing the front foot) only about every fourth time the horse "blows it." They hate disengaging (moving) their hips (it's extra work), so with practice they'll learn that it's far easier to simply walk "straight" on a curve, so to speak. Remember: Your horse will only get better if you allow him to make mistakes – so be very, very careful to use less and less rein, less and less pressure.

Warning: If the front end of your horse begins to "get light" and you think he might rear, you're using too much pressure for that horse and that moment. Put aside the task at hand for a moment and step back. Begin with far, far less pressure and hold the rein out (to your right or left, away from the horse's head/neck), coaxing him slowly to relax his neck. Keep moving, but pick up the rein, apply very light pressure until the horse relaxes his neck muscle however slightly then release. Repeat this, gaining your horse's trust until you feel it safe to proceed. You can very quickly teach your horse to rear (one of the most dangerous vices) if you repeatedly release the reins at the wrong time because you're scared. The rearing started because you're either using too much pressure or moving too quickly or both. If the situation doesn't improve or you're in the least bit hesitant GET A PRO. It's not worth a broken shoulder and you need to be shown in person how to deal with this. Trust me here: Forget articles, hire help.

This article is part of the "Natural Horse Training" series. To read more, or to find a clinic or Certified John Lyons horse trainer near you, visit horsemanship101.com.

About the author:

Keith Hosman: If your horse won't speed up, slow down, stop or turn, you missed the latest training methods from Josh and John Lyons.  Have you lost your confidence?  Want a horse to brag about?  Invest one weekend to make big changes with John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman.  Keith is based near San Antonio, TX and is available for clinics, private sessions and training.  He frequently conducts clinics and demonstrations — with an event coming soon to a town near you. For more horse training articles, or to attend a clinic or find a John Lyons trainer living in your area, visit horsemanship101.com now.  

No part of this article may be reproduced without the express written permission of Keith Hosman.  To contact us regarding reprints or syndication of our articles (in print or online), please contact us via www.horsemanship101.com.