Lesson 1 (Cont) The Carrot Stick & String
This is not a whip. It is an extension of your arm and will become a very important tool. Notice that it is not flexible and therefore is very controllable. In this session learn to get handy with it:
The Carrot Stick and String are an extension of your arm. It is a most valuable tool.
- hold the handle and stroke it up and down the 12ft Line that you are holding with fluid rhythm. Stroke the top and then try stroking the underside of the rope. Get handy with both hands.
- use it to stroke the fence, the legs of a chair, see if you can put feel into it like its your hand. You will use this technique if you have a horse that doesn’t like his feet or head being touched. It’ll give you reach and keep you safe.
Use it to be Friendly. Use it to safely stroke areas the horse is defensive about – legs, head, flanks, etc.
Now attach the Horseman’s String to the leather loop.
Practice:
- holding the Carrot Stick straight up and catching the String as it swings towards you
- let go of the String and now throw it over the fence or chair in a rhythmic, hugging motion as if you were wrapping it over the horses back with a friendly attitude. Same around the legs.
Tie the Horseman’s String to the Carrot Stick for an extension. Get handy with catching the string when you want it. Practice playing the Friendly Game with the Stick & String.
Blocks
There are times when you’ll need to be able to block your personal space to prevent a horse entering it uninvited. A block is a martial arts type of move, it protects your space but is not intended to strike. It stops the other’s movement instead.
Martial Arts blocks help you defend your space without hitting horses.
Here’s an example: a horses’s favourite trick is to lift his head and swipe it across your head from one side to the other, preferably knocking your hat off. Two common responses are to duck out of the way or to hit the horse. Both are ineffective! If you duck, the horse turns it into a dominance game. You can bet he’ll do it again and again just to make you move out of the way. If you hit the horse at first you will upset him or frighten him. Then it can turn into a game: Let’s see if I can knock your hat off and get out of the way quick enough so you miss! Horses that bite do the same thing.
Disrespectful horses will knock your hat off and turn it into a game if you try to smack them for it.
So, instead of ducking and hitting, use a block like this: throw your arm straight out to the side or with a bent elbow to the front and have it stop at the extent of your personal space. Your horse will feel the energy of the block but your intention will be the thing he feels the most: “don’t invade my space”. It’s neither wimpy nor aggressive. It will take only a couple of these for your horse to realise you’ve a bit of savvy and his behaviour will change. You do need to be consistent though. Don’t think your horse won’t try you out again from time to time.
If you learn to use blocks your horse will stop playing these tricks on you.
Types of Blocks
There are 2 types of blocks: straight & rhythmic. Use straight blocks for up close situations and rhythmic blocks for when there is some distance.
There are two main types, the straight block which stops advancing infringement of your space and the rhythmic driving block. Use the straight block mostly for when the horse’s head tries to wipe you out and use the rhythmic blocks for when a horse goes to bite or run over you. By doing it three times (minimum) with energetic rhythm not only do you encourage the horse to leave your space but it keeps your emotions and aggressive tendencies at bay. Try to do this without looking your horse in the eye. In this way it won’t be read as a challenge and the horse is more likely to blame himself for lack of judgement. Learn to have eyes in the back of your head. In becoming a horseman, your peripheral vision and perception has to improve sharply just like a horse.
Using 3 rhythmic blocks helps you to control anger.
The reason we use “three” is because it’s hard to do something three times with anger, but a kick or a slap is one foul swoop that can be delivered with a great deal of aggression. This is something that has no place in natural horsemanship and once you find you have other ways which are much more effective, you’ll find your emotional fitness on the increase.
- upper body arm blocks:
straight: arm to the side, or arm with bent elbow to the front. Feet must be braced.
rhythmic: jumping jacks! (stops front and side invasion of space, horse running you over) elbow flaps (stops nipping).
- lower body leg blocks:
rhythmic: Lift your knee three times with rhythm (stops horse putting his head down in evasion)
Lift your foot with a straight leg three times with rhythm (stops horse coming into your space)
Kick your butt three times (stops horse invading from the back, or trying to nip you when you have your back turned)
