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Question:
I would like some information on teaching my horse to ground tie.
Answer:
Teaching a horse to ground tie is one of the easiest commands to
train. I’ve seen some elaborate ways of teaching a horse to ground
tie. Some trainers put a line on the halter and a second line
between the front legs and through a surcingle. If the horse moves
forward, the trainer pulls on the lines. Some trainers tie the
horse to an object on the ground which teaches the horse where it
needs to stand. I use a much more simple method.
There are some
prerequisites before you do this exercise. You first need to know
that the horse has respect for the halter. If you ask the horse to
back up and he shoves his nose forward and plants his feet, you are
not ready to go on with this exercise or any other method of
teaching this skill. You need to be able to ask your horse to back
up with a light cue and have the horse response promptly and with
some energy. Also, your horse must have a solid forward cue.
You need to be
able to control the horses’ shoulders. Stand facing your horse,
slightly off to the left. With your left hand under the snap of the
lead rope, use your right hand ask the horse to move and the
shoulder should move over. This applies to the right as well. Once
you have control of your horse in four different directions {we
actually do this by backing the horse, having the horse move
forward, and moving the shoulders to the left and right}, you are
ready to do the exercise.
There are a
couple of concepts we should discuss and timing is one of them.
If your horse is being rude and obnoxious, it is not a good time for
this or any other exercise. The horse is not going to listen. It
is not a good time to do this exercise immediately after taking your
horse out of the stall. If the horse is fresh, he is not going to
be motivated to stand still. This is a good lesson to do after
lounging a horse or under saddle after a nice ride when the horse is
tired. That would be a perfect time for this lesson.
Another concept
is that you must trust your horse. For example, I back the horse
with a verbal and physical cue, tell the horse to “whoa” and then
drop the line and walk away like I know he is going to stand where I
left him. I know he will not stay but I act like he will stand.
What most people want to do is back up the horse, say “stay” and
allow their hand to linger on the line and try to force the horse to
stay. You must allow the horse to make a mistake and come forward.
Once the horse
has made the mistake of walking forward, you can make a correction
in a way that motives a change in behavior. When the horse follows,
immediately {within two or three seconds} turn around and back the
horse two or three steps with energy, purpose and authority. That
behavior will give the horse a reason to make a change. Then
release the line and walk away six or eight feet. The horse will
likely walk forward again. Turn around, immediately use your back
up cue and repeat the exercise. If the horse moves to the left or
right, control his shoulders. If the shoulder has gone right, put
your right hand on the lead under the snap and with your left hand
ask the horse to move over.
I begin this
exercise by putting the horse on a twelve-foot line. I like to work
with a fairly thick dressage stick. I take the lash off so there
is no sting. You can use a training stick, a twig off a tree or, if
you are comfortable, the lead rope. The stick is used only as an
extension of your arm. You will need to reach out and tap the
shoulder to put it back where it belongs if the horse moves
sideways.
We begin by
standing in one spot, “X” and here there may be some confusion.
Because we have to make corrections, our spot will change. You may
start at one end of the arena and finish at the opposite end. It is
not necessary or even desirable to return to the original spot. The
exact spot “X” is where you finish each time. If you want, you
could place a cone to help you mark “X” but it is more confusing for
the horse if you continually return to the cone. If you move the
horse forward to return to the cone, you have disrupted your command
and that is counterproductive. It is easier to just start with a
new spot. If the horse moves to one side or the other, move him
over and say “whoa.” I like the word whoa but you can say “stay” or
“halt” if you are of the English discipline.
You may want to
begin the exercise with a regular lead line and progress to a
25-foot line which will allow you to move further and further back.
The cue for this command is the lead rope touching the ground. When
I ask my horse to stop, I put slack in the rope and immediately drop
it to the ground. Your horse should figure this out in a relatively
short time. To get the command solid, it may take three or four
lessons. The key is to mean it when you make the correction. Make
the horse work by backing him several feet with authority or you can
move his shoulders a few steps by controlling his feet. You control
the mind when you control the feet. You can also use this exercise
to teach your horse to stand away from you or to stand while you
mount.
Charles Wilhelm
It’s Never Ever the Horse’s Fault
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