It’s About The Feet

by Steve Rother

It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon. The soft rays of the sun are drifting through the trees as you ride up on top of the last hill toward home...and then, all of a sudden, for "no reason at all," your trusty mount "Brownie" is out of control. One sight of the barn and he is off at a fast trot, then a lope, pulling through your hands and the pressure of the bridle. He has one thing on his mind, and it is not you. It’s the barn.

So what do we do now? What kind of situation have we gotten ourselves into, and how do we keep it from happening again? The answers are simple, but they do take some time. However, not near as much time as one would think.

This is just one scenario that you might find yourself in with your horse. But there are many others, which may be closely related, that just happen to show up in other places. For instance, a horse that doesn’t want to load into a trailer, one that wants to unload way too quickly, a horse that does not want to cross water, a horse that drops his shoulder toward the gate...the list goes on.

The Situation
The horse’s mind is not thinking the same thoughts as yours, and he is not taking his feet where you want them to go. There is a reason why the horse made a decision that was different from the plan that you had. There is something that is pulling on your horse so hard that it has affected his judgment and his feet. It as if there is a magnet or some sort of gravity pulling at your horse’s mind and body. So let’s find the reason and fix it!

Identify the Problem
The problem in the case above is that "Brownie" wants to be back at the barn and is unwilling to listen to any of your cues.

Identify the Options to Fix the Problem
Option 1: Try to slow the horse down until you get back to the barn, pull off his tack as soon as you get there so he can cool off, brush him down, pat him on the neck, and put him away – with his feed bin full of course. Then you can thank him for not injuring you physically that day, but just giving you a small blow to your confidence level.

Option 2: Hurry the horse up and get back to the barn at a manageable speed, but when you get there, keep him moving. Move his feet, move his feet, and move his feet more. Have him trot around the barn, sidepass around the barn, lope around the barn, trot around the barn, etc…then lead him to a hitching rail (strategically placed away from the barn) where you can tie him with his saddle still on to rest.

Option 3: Work the horse at the barn for at least 20 minutes a day on a regular basis before you go on your trail ride, moving his feet forward, backward, left, and right. Next, ride out away from the barn about 100 yards, and then turn around and come back to…move the feet, move the feet, move the feet. Forward, backward, left and right, for at least 10 minutes. Then go back out to the 100 yard mark and rest for as long as he will stand. When he chooses to move back to the barn, head on back…and proceed with move the feet, move the feet, move the feet. Continue this until the horse decides it is better to be away from the barn.

Are you starting to see where things might have gone astray in the first place? The horse is a creature of comfort and play. Your horse has really come to like the barn. That's where the food, the shelter, and his buddies are. So the answer is simple. You have to make the barn a little less inviting at times in order to make the scary trail seem better. You have to be able to build your horse’s confidence. The trick is doing it in a manner that makes him think he is doing it to himself. The temporary answer would be Option 2; the fix-it answer would be Option 3.

So let’s turn this into another scenario to picture this a little better. Little Tommy is sitting in a classroom on a nice sunny day and he would really like to go outside. He is getting so anxious that he can barely sit still. The teacher decides to let him outside, but she has a plan. She decides that Tommy is free to go outside whenever he wants to, but he has to run 10 laps around the track every time he does. So Little Tommy is faced with a decision…to stay or not to stay, to work in the classroom, or to work even harder outside, but the choice is his.

In the end, the equation is very easy. If your horse is not willing to listen to you where you are, go to a place that he would rather be and work him there; forward, backward, left, and right, until he makes the decision to listen. After this, teaching your horses and enjoying your time with them will be easy because they will want to be there as well. After all...their feet took you there!


Steve’s dynamic instruction style sets him apart from many clinicians. Blending education with entertainment, he breaks down concepts for all to understand. Riders of many disciplines can be found learning together at his clinics. Whether they attend to overcome fear or gain more control, participants leave each clinic empowered and more excited about horse ownership. For more information visit Steve online at www.horseteacher.com for the 2008 schedule, educational products, online newsletter, and much more. For more keys to success, see Steve's Groundwork and Horsemanship Series DVD sets. Coming soon…Ultimate Water Crossing DVD Series.