Pushy Horses

Do not let your horse push you around

Many of the problems people face with their horses can be attributed to the fact, they are not the horses leader.

The term 'leader' can be interpreted in many ways, some trainers believe you have to dominate the horses to lead, others believe you lead passively and some think that you need to become the alpha member of the herd to lead effectively.

Mine is a mix of all of the above. I believe the type of leadership you need depends on the type of horse you have. I do not believe that a finite definition of a 'leader' can be drawn. Basically I want to lead in such a way that causes the horse to listen to me for cues etc without fear or resentment, and I wish not cause them to feel a need to get defensive.

For example: A more pushy horse may need to be lead in a 'stronger way' as they are less likely to become fearful or resentful, where as some horses are so sensitive or damaged that even a tensing in body language at the wrong time can cause fear in them. This right here is the true art of horsemanship, knowing what you have to do at each exact moment to bring out the best in your horse.

Leadership can be gained in MANY ways, one of the ways I like to show my horse I am the leader is through awareness of space. I want my horse to know where I am AT ALL times. If he is aware of this he is less likely to jump on me when he spooks, rush past me in small areas and put me in other dangerous situations.

When I first start out with a new horse or am working with a pushy horse my space is LARGE. I imagine I have a bubble around me with about a 2 meter radius. The horse has to prove to me that he can maintain that distance without trying to cut in and run me over, before the distance will ever get any smaller. I do what ever is necessary to maintain this space, normally it is just by waving a stick at the horse when he cuts in. This exercise can be done on a cidlc or simply walking in straight lines.

Success Tips
-Do not nag him, once he has moved out of your space leave him alone (remember back to our post on pressure and release: the same concept applies)
-Be consistent, do not allow him to crowd you one day, then allow it the next
-Do what ever it takes to defend your space. This is not to be mean to the horse it is to SHOW him the answer, if you are very clear about your space he will find the solution of where he needs to be.
-Do not let him dictate when he wants to come in close to you, eventually when your relationship strengthens this becomes an acceptable thing (in my world, not all people believe this and that is ok :)).
-It is easiest to show the horse this with a stick as you can do less with your body
-Have a clear picture in your mind of what you want the situation to look like, if you are picturing him in close that is what he will do.
-Do not make him stay away ALL the time, use a healthy mix of both, just make sure when he comes in close that it was your idea.