Lesson 4 – Review and expand the first three Games.
Tools required: Basic Kit
The best way to consolidate learning is to go over what you’ve just learned.
Review Lesson #3
Run through the first three Games and see how well your horse responds. If you find any sticky spots, fix them up before moving on and don’t worry if it takes a little time. Getting things right in the beginning will help everything else to go easier.
Then its time to get a little creative with your Porcupine and Driving Games.
Practice the first three games and improve them. Taking the time it takes in the beginning makes everything else go better.
Porcupine Game #2 Teach your horse to lower his head to the ground and raise it back up.
To lower your horse’s head to the ground, this is a yield from pressure on the head behind the ears. With your fingers and using the four phases, press downwards and squeeze with your fingers steadily until the horse finds that the only way to find comfort is to move his head downwards as a yield from the pressure.
Use the Porcupine Game in zone 2 to teach your horse to lower his head. Teach the horse to find release when he makes the right moves.
Two things are crucial here – timing and passive persistence:
- TIMING: the moment (4 moments to a second) the horse makes a move in the right direction, immediately slide your hand along his neck towards the wither and rub him there gently. Do this every time your horse moves his head downwards. Again, be as dependable as a fence post, show the horse that he can move away from the pressure, even if at first he is only move is to stop pushing back against your hand!
- PASSIVE PERSISTENCE: maintain the pressure stimulus evenly while your horse experiments sideways and upwards in his search for the right place to find comfort. If you make the pressure harder when he’s experimenting, and you don’t quite time it right, your horse could feel claustrophobic or even think that you are being aggressive. Develop your perceptions highly around this.
To raise his head up, press your fingers into his jugular groove just behind the cheek bone until he raises his head. Stop and rub.
Remain passively persistent while your horse experiments with every direction but down!
Troubleshooting
If your horse raises his head too high and won’t let you touch him, you’ll need to get the Friendly Game in the delicate zone and the top of zone 2 a lot better. Use your Carrot Stick to help you reach. Once you have got the Friendly Game in place, you might start by getting on your knees and using the halter and 12′ line as an extension. Start gently combing the rope, hand over hand in a downward motion growing steadily firmer until your hands stop and maintain a steady pressure which is affecting the junction of the delicate zone and zone 2 where the halter lies.
Hold steadily until the horse gives downwards and instantly release. Then begin again.
If your horse throws his head up in alarm, dont trap him and pull down harder as he’ll fight for feeling claustrophobic. Instead, try to keep the pressure the same, releasing the rope slightly so it can slide through your hands, then regain your methodical combing of the rope.
If a horse tries to out position you by raising his head, use the Carrot Stick as a extension of your arm.
Driving Game #3
Drive him forwards toward something while in zone 3
Put your Carrot Stick over you horse’s back. Play the Friendly Game and then ask him to move forward by lightly tapping him on the top of zone 4. Walk with him and see if you can turn him towards you with the use of the Carrot Stick and then away from you by stretching out your hand and driving him with that, on your side. Pick targets like barrels, coats or saddles on the fences, a tree, a bucket etc. to drive him toward. When you get there relax and rub him until he relaxes and realises his goal. Pretty soon he’ll be looking for things to go towards.
Learn to drive your horse forwards with the Carrot Stick over his back while you walk in zone 3.
