The round pen has become a very popular tool in natural horsemanship.
A true horse person uses the pen for liberty work.
Liberty simply means to teach the horse using body language only, with no physical connection of any kind between the horse and person. This liberty work is the only method of communication any horse knows instinctively. It is the universal language that all horses speak. The round pen is a crucial tool for me at my facility to teach horses at liberty.
The second thing I’m always thinking about when I’m working a horse in the pen is creating my idea to become the horses idea willingly. In other words, a great attitude in my horse without any physical connection, the horse never learns to brace against me. thus never entertaining the “fight” instinct in the horse.
Another thing I’m always working on in the beginning stages of round penning is: can I get the horse to just walk the first few days? When I ask and where I ask with only using body language? The pen is instrumental to getting these things done with a willing attitude from the horse.
After I have created a willing student in the horse, we are ready to go outside when the horse knows what is expected from him both on the ground and in the saddle. There is no calendar or watch in horse language. So there is no big hurry, but there is a fine line of not boring the horse in the pen also. Right now, as I’m writing this article, we live in
Southern Minnesota where we just got a lot of rain and then froze. So I can’t ride the horse’s that are in teaching with me. I’m having to invent obstacles to develop an interesting subject for the horses, so they don’t get bored. It’s been fun to come up with some new ideas!
Another key thing I look for as I’m working in the round pen is for the horse to walk at any given moment. So in other words, can I turn the horse on (which anyone can do easily!) and most importantly, can I turn the horse off at any given moment all with only body language?
If you can’t do any and all of the above without being connected with your horse, then you need to get some professional help to aid you in developing the skills to do these things. Or in my opinion, you won’t ever have a willing student in your horse friend. Then when your horse perceives trouble while your riding, he will rely on his own instinct of self-preservation. Then the horse gets called names that aren’t too becoming.
To learn how to become a leader for your horse or to just simply become more responsive with your cueing system, sign up for our winter progressive building block clinics in Lakefield, Mn. Call or e-mail: 712.330.8585 or rannerranch@yahoo.com.
Combined Training
A New Approach and Meaning
by Cathy Larsson ©
Many of you may be familiar with the traditional term, combined training, and what it means. Today, come explore with me a different journey. Let’s take a fresh look at how our horses would like to be ridden; hence my definition of combined training follows.
Remember when you first got into horses? You were probably a kid…you got on without a saddle…you may have even jumped up on his neck to get on and slid off down his rump! Remember those days? Well, did you ever remember that horse being "ring sour" or "barn sour?"…not a thought.
Listed are many options for you to choose from to get your horse reconnected to you and put the fun back in riding for the two of you! If you are unfamiliar in any of these exercises or your horse is inexperienced in them, get professional guidance prior to attempting some of the more challenging exercises to ensure safety for both horse and rider.
1) Arena Work
I do this on days when the weather isn’t great. I work on many lateral flexion exercises. When I have mastered them, I move on to longitudinal flexion exercises. From there, I work on whatever "we" need to work on - it may be collected canter departs from a halt.
2) Cross Country Hacking
Just as it says, I let the wind blow through my hair and have a relaxing trail ride. I will work with doing many transitions between gaits and within gaits, without using the reins as an aid.
3) Working Up and Down Steep Embankments
This is a great exercise to develop hindquarter strength and front quarter lifting of the legs. This (development) is a key to collection. When I am working with a young horse, I use the embankments to start my collection work. The environment is doing my work NATURALLY for us! It works great! I do not have to use my legs or reins to develop the "feel" for the young horse.
4) Dragging a Log
This activity comes after you can use a lariat rope successfully. It is great hindquarters work for a horse to do. It also gets a horse prepared to do cow work. The log is lighter than a cow and you can control when you want to stop the log. With livestock, you can’t ask them to go at your speed either!
I always start by backing up first, so the horse can see the object. If my horse were to get scared, I could just pop my dallies. Use a slick horn for this! This exercise is best done with help from a professional who has experience with ropes.
5) Flag Work
This is a form of desensitizing a horse; it works their emotions. I use this exercise instead of "sacking out" a horse. This is a professional’s only exercise!
6)
Liberty Work
It is best if you can do this in a round pen and should all be done at a walk. You are going to be working on learning horse language, i.e., body language. Experiment with this and have some fun! Move just the shoulders over, then just the hindquarters. After that, work on being able to disengage the hindquarters. Then ask your horse to back up, just from your body language.
7) Rope Work
Teach your horse to be able to handle ropes around him – from his head to his feet. You would be surprised how much barb wire I see out there on the trails! If your horse were used to the rope around his feet, he wouldn’t panic if he got a foot in some wire on the trail. It could be the difference between a safe ride and a three-legged horse.
Practice roping off your horse. I used to think I didn’t need this stuff. I studied with all the guys who used lariats, and I said I didn’t need it for what I did with horses. However, I finally do see greater improvement in the horses that I am now using rope work with; they are so much better. They are so much more let down, relaxed, and predictable!
8) Cow Work
Learn to have your horse cut a cow from the herd and follow him, which is called tracking. After you have mastered that, teach your horse to circle a cow. This is helpful to contain a cow. It teaches your horse to be dominant over a cow. It is also helpful for real life situations to be able to contain a cow in a large pasture or if you had a sick cow that needed to be doctored.
9) Jump Logs or Ground Poles
This could be done in an arena on the bad-weather days or outside on your trail ride. I use my natural environment of downed trees or brush to jump also. Use ground poles that are evenly spaced to teach your young horse to pick up his feet. I also use this exercise on an older horse that needs to be retrained to slow down. This is the start of getting your mount ready for jumping.
10) Pony Another Horse as you are Riding
This exercise is pretty self-explanatory; however, work with experienced horses and/or get guidance from a professional horseperson first. Be sure to work in a controlled environment until both horses are comfortable with this exercise.
11) Snub a Young Horse off of your Saddle Horse
Learn this by using one of your older horses first. Teach your saddle horse to help you get a job done with the other horse. It’s best to work with a professional first in this area also.
12) Bridge and Water Crossing
This is a lot of fun! I have a bridge that we use in my clinics. I ask the riders and horses to cross the bridge. After they have gained their confidence, then we make the bridge into a teeter-totter! We have some interesting looks from the horses (some riders too). But when they have successfully crossed the teeter-totter, the horse and rider partnerships are so much more confident.
Cathy Larsson ©
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