The photo: Here’s another thing to notice in using a rein for a back up. Can you see that if you just lift your hands UP, that you will actually be pulling on your horse’s head? You have to release your hand forwards a little as you lift them for the back up.
Can you ride your horse softly and melt to a stop and continue on into back up with just an ask?
Well you’re going to be able to – because that’s the goal of this Program. This Lesson is about teaching the rein that is the fall back position for that soft, melting back up in the saddle – and we’re teaching it from the ground where you can explain it easier.
When you teach your horse a soft back up from the ground, if they have experienced being pulled into a back up previously, then you might find yourself working with the three stages of rapid change again – RELEASE, RE-LEARN AND RE-PROGRAM.
The all important Not Quite Right
I can’t help myself. Here’s another reminder of that early warning signal that something is Not Quite Right so that you too can have brilliant communication with your horse at each stage of the Release Relearn and Reprogram:
Keep your mind and your heart open to notice how YOU feel inside, because that could be YOUR HORSE’s breathing tightening up, THEIR heart beating rapidly, that tension in your body could be THEIRS, that stiff posture you find yourself experiencing could be THEIR posture, that yucky feeling energy could be THEIRS, that anxiety and frustration you’re feeling could be THEIRS and those worries that you’re experiencing could be THEIRS too.
So what are you going to DO about any of those feelings that come up while you’re working?
You’re going to take action on them. In the early days of this program you’ll find it easier to stop what you’re doing, step back a little if you have to – and wait for your horse to lick and chew.
When you’ve attended to whatever it is that you need to know or do, the feeling will disappear – pffft! that fast, because it’s just a communication.
The video
Please note, the footage shown in this video is NOT Mimi’s first steps backwards from the rein. When I realized what they were doing I ran and got my camera. If they were the first steps backwards, Sue would have stopped and waited for The Chew at the very first start of her shifting her weight to go backwards. Baby steps…
In the video, the following two lessons are referred to:
1. The meet and melt lesson – about meeting and melting, giving your horse the “ask” with no pressure to lean on.
2. The lesson about rotating your body when you are using the rope or the rein.