Whitesell Wisdom Connecting With Your Horse
By Larry Whitesell
better in his body. I want him to rock his weight to the hind legs and lift his Many riders work hard to learn how to chest, which makes him lengthen his make their horses and themselves bet- top line muscles, releasing tension ter. They watch clinics, read books and from his body. He will soften and lower study what they need to do to have his head and use his hind legs to back, a better connection with their horse. strengthening them. This is very commendable. So it can be frustrating when you are trying to do When we teach a horse to turn left and all the things you have learned and yet right, we don’t focus on the turning. you still don’t feel comfortable out on We want the horse to turn in balance the trails. so he is comfortable turning. If they turn out of balance, they tense their Sometimes you aren’t doing it wrong bodies. We use turning to help the but you don’t have the correct mindhorse understand how our hands and set. Often riders are taught how to reins communicate with his feet, so mechanically do things, but they fail to we never have to pull on his mouth to understand how the horse interprets turn. I would put a soft feel in the rein what they are doing. If you don’t get as I turn my seat and shoulders. In my the horse to believe that what you are mind, I believe I reward him when I doing is for the horse’s benefit, then feel his feet answer my feel. the horse is going to defend itself just when you need him. He may only take a step in the right direction. Most riders reward when the For example, if you shake a line and horse turns, whether in balance or not. hit the horse in the jaw to back him, It may seem the same, but the horse he will raise his head, hollow his back perceives whatever you believe you and push back with his front feet. He are rewarding. Are you teaching the will back, but he will lose trust of the horse to turn or understand how you rider’s hand and rein. I don’t want him direct his feet? Either way he turns, to back to avoid discomfort. I want but is he going to let you control his him to back because it makes him feel feet when he gets in trouble? 16 • The Sound Advocate • Issue 4, 2021
