| Horse round pen training was made famous by | | | | on the horse. You can lift and point your left hand |
| the Horse Whisperer, but the truth is you don't | | | | to direct her to the left, and then use the lead |
| have to be a magician to be able to do it yourself. | | | | rope or a carrot stick to put pressure on the hip |
| All it takes is knowing how to recognize the signs | | | | area. Eye contact is very important. Look directly |
| the horse is using to communicate with you. In | | | | at your horse to put pressure and give her the |
| this article, we're going to describe a process | | | | signal to move away. As she moves, put |
| anybody can use for round pen training that can | | | | pressure so that she moves at a canter. |
| be applied to any horse. | | | | Have the horse go around about five times. Then |
| For starters, before you begin you should know | | | | send her out the other direction. As she is going |
| what horse round pen training is all about. The | | | | around the other direction you can begin to look |
| primary reason this is done is that it's a way to | | | | for signs from your horse that she wants to talk. |
| firmly establish leadership with a horse. In place of | | | | In horse round pen training, there are four signs |
| traditional horse breaking methods, horse round | | | | we're looking for. These are an eye/ear on you, a |
| pen training utilizes techniques based on the way | | | | lick of the lips, going around in smaller circles, and |
| horses in wild herds act amongst each other. In | | | | lowering of the head. These mean in turn respect, |
| addition, we'll do a couple of things that are | | | | comfort/trust, trust, and submission. When she |
| designed to mitigate the predator-prey relationship | | | | lowers her head she's accepted you as her leader |
| that necessarily exists between a human and her | | | | and is asking to be let back into the herd, so to |
| horse. | | | | speak. |
| So basically we're dealing on two levels here. We | | | | When you've picked up these four signs from |
| need to convince the horse that we're the herd | | | | your horse, try taking the pressure off. Walk |
| leader, and we need to get her to trust us as a | | | | backwards away from the horse in a kind of |
| predator. That sounds like a tall order, but | | | | spiral pattern, and exhale. Now take your eyes of |
| understanding a few things about horses actually | | | | the horse and turn your body at a 45 degree |
| makes it simple. Round pen training of the type | | | | angle to the horse. |
| we're describing here is done "at liberty", that is | | | | At this point, you'll want to try walking up to her. |
| we take the lead rope off the horse (you can | | | | But don't do it all at once or directly. The goal |
| also remove the halter if you want to). | | | | here is to approach at a 45 degree angle, and |
| Lesson number one is that dominant horses in a | | | | avoid getting anxious about walking all the way up |
| wild herd move the other horses around. A round | | | | to her. If you apply too much pressure she'll get |
| pen allows us to mimic this in a controlled fashion. | | | | the impulse to take off again. So, avoid direct eye |
| We can control when the horse starts to move, | | | | contact by looking down at the ground as you |
| which direction she moves, how fast she moves, | | | | get closer, and stop when you sense signs she is |
| and when she can come to rest. By doing that | | | | going to run off. |
| we automatically assume a leadership position in | | | | If she does run off again, remember that is her |
| her mind. | | | | choice. Don't try to discourage it. Instead when |
| The round pen also allows the horse to explore | | | | she runs off again push the horse, and have her |
| her nature as a prey animal. As a prey animal, | | | | go around a few more times and repeat the |
| when threatened, your horse wants to escape | | | | process. |
| and evade, and she must investigate all options | | | | At some point you'll be able to walk all the way |
| for escape available. The round pen makes this | | | | up to the horse and you can assume a leading |
| simple because she only has two options to | | | | position so that she is off to your left shoulder. |
| flee-to the left and to the right. | | | | At this point, invite her to hook on, or follow you. |
| Start by sending her out to your left. In the | | | | If successful you will find the horse following your |
| beginning of the exercise, do this assertively yet | | | | every move. This is the conclusion of the |
| gently. Use your body language to put pressure | | | | exercise, as she has accepted you as her leader. |