Summary
This completes the fundamental of the Seven Games. As you progress with your horse along the Levels Pathway these games will reveal themselves to be more and more important.
The 7 Games is the basis of the communication with horses, everything you ask is one of, or a combination of , these games. This is how playing with horses can yield outstanding and abundant results without anything becoming a “trick”.
Warning!
Don’t become a master of one or two games and let the others be mediocre. An imbalance will greatly impact on results, especially as you climb the levels.
As you progress each week, some games will need less attention than other, Learn how to check you horse out for responsiveness to the fist three Games in just a few minutes. then use the next four to become more creative.
How long should you play theses games on the ground with your horse?
until your horse can do it all in his “left” brain.
For some, this may mean only a few days, a couple of weeks. For others, particularly if the horse is afraid or is you are nervous with horses, it may take a few month.
We often tell people with difficult horses to resolve the need to ride for at least three month. If you dedicate yourself to getting very good with your horse on the ground it will make a profound behaviour change in the horse, create a bond between the horse and you and therefore produce ten times better results when it becomes time to ride. The horse will actually be better for it, and human will have infinitely better skills.
Challenges and Tasks
…get imaginative!
Don’t be boring for your horse! Remember that horses, once they feel safe and comfortable, enjoy play. Its important to them. By challenging yourself and your horse will these games and a little imagination, you can become recreation for your horse. Not only will he become calmer, smarter, braver and more athletic, he’ll get the mental and emotional stimulation that most horses in humansville lack.
- Back your horse up and down small hills: with Porcupine Game/DrivingGame/Yo-Yo Game.
- Back your horse into his stall or pasture: with Porcupine Game/Driving Game/Yo-Yo Game.
- Back your horse between two barrels or poles: with Porcupine Game/Driving Game/Yo-Yo Game.
- Go backwards a long way, like 20 to 40 feet.
- Squeeze over a jump or two.
- Squeeze between all kinds of things and even under things like soft tree branches, curtains, tarps, dangling strips of plastic, etc.
- Go sideways a long way.
- Send your horse sideways and then start walking backwards and Squeeze him back past you.
- Stand on something and play the Circling Game.
- Sit in a chair and play the Circling Game.
- See if you can play the Circling Game with your eyes shut, develop your sense of feel.
- Go for a walk using your Carrot Stick to drive your horse around, change directions, circle and back up.
- Kneel and play the Yo-Yo Game.
- Sit in a chair and play the Yo-Yo Game.
- Play Yo-Yo with your eyes closed.
- Try to stand on something and back your horse away from you between two poles set wide (18′ apart).
- See if you can play the Friendly Game using a sack, a hose, a sweater, a stool, a hat , a pad. etc.
- Ask your horse to step over a pole with his front feet and stop, then go back.
- Stand in one spot and send your horse around a barrel or chair and back to you.
- Send your horse into a wash bay or stall forwards while you stay outside. When you can do this, see if you can back him in.
Get to where all of these become easy!
