Working a horse with a lead, also called a lead, is a great exercise. The trainer remains in the center of an imaginary circle along whose circumference the horse is worked on the lead. The trainer leads and controls it with commands that make the horse go faster or slower, make it bend and move it towards or away from the center of the circle.
The commands to be given to the horse are given to voice, with the lead wire and with body movements. By working it on the lead, you learn to observe your horse from the ground, in such a way as to control its movements, its state of health and its physical structure. Working the horse with the lead a little before a ride decreases the risk of riding a horse that is too fiery and therefore limits the related risks. But be careful, because working badly with the lead could be dangerous for both the horse and you.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Knowing and Using The Lead
Step 1. Identify a delimited space, possibly a circular terrain or in any case a small circumscribed space
Make sure that the ground is suitable for the horse to walk on and that a circle of at least twenty meters in diameter can be defined. Do not work the horse for an extended period of time in too tight a circle, otherwise it could hurt the limbs.
Step 2. Before you begin, put work or polo wraps, or boots on the crotch
It is important to protect the horse's limbs when working in a rather tight circle, especially if the horse is young.
Step 3. The best thing is to use a lead rope halter, which has a central ring to attach the lead clip carabiner
Alternatively, you can also use a normal halter with side rings, or a bridle. When using a normal halter it is necessary to ensure that it does not slip off and crawl over the horse's eye. Be careful how to attach the carabiner of the lead to the ring of the bit of the horse's head, as you could damage its mouth.
Step 4. Never let go of the martingale or side reins pulled when leading the horse
To develop proper posture, the horse must be able to move his neck and back freely. In addition, it is important that the animal is able to stretch freely before starting to use the auxiliary reins. Instead of the martingale you can use the auxiliary reins, which do not force him to lower his muzzle towards the chest, but allow him to move freely despite the lead in any case forcing him to turn in circles.
Step 5. Prepare the lead by gathering it on itself, but without forming circular loops around the hand
Make sure it's not twisted and hold it firmly in your hand.
Step 6. Practice with the lead and shake it until you master and handle it with ease
An awkward movement could disorient and agitate the horse.
Step 7. Hook the lead to the center ring of the halter
Step 8. The whip should be used only in case of actual need and in any case it should never be used to scare the horse, nor to hit it or to hurt it
It should only serve to keep the horse at the right distance and not to eventually get hit with the hooves. To remove the horse, just snap the whip in the direction of his shoulder, but without touching it; while to make it move forward just snap it immediately behind the hind limbs.
Method 2 of 3: Location
Step 1. Settle in the center and, if you are working the horse counter-clockwise, hold the lead with your left hand and the whip with your right
Step 2. You have to keep the lead taut - the excess is kept wrapped in rings
You have to form a triangle between the horse's body, the lead and the whip.
Step 3. Keep the whip pointed slightly behind the horse and, when not in use, lower it to the ground
Relax your wrist, arms and shoulders; leave them as soft as when you ride.
Step 4. Look at the horse's body
If you stare him in the eye, you put him under pressure; as a reward for the work he is doing, look over his shoulder.
Method 3 of 3: The Commands
Step 1. Check the horse's speed and pace with your voice or by clicking your tongue
Use commands like "Aaaalt", "Vaivaivai", "Trot trot", "Galoppgalopp", "Stooop".
Step 2. Accelerate the horse by holding the lead slightly forward and push him with the whip high and close to his rear legs
Step 3. To slow the horse, hold the lead slightly back and turn the whip down and away
Do not yank the lead, put it slightly under tension and release it as soon as the horse obeys the command.
Step 4. To get the horse to stop, slow it down and then place the whip in front of it
This system is also useful when the horse refuses to slow down. Be careful though, as a horse that is particularly fearful of the whip may react badly and head in the opposite direction.
Step 5. Check the pace of the horse's steps with your steps
Move with him.
You can control the horse's gait in the same way even when you are in the saddle: the horse follows the rhythm of your legs
Step 6. Flick the whip or crack it to remind the horse of the orders you are giving, but only if necessary
Pay attention to the horse's reactions; eventually wait for him to relax and resume following commands.
Step 7. Have the horse move towards the training hoop and, as it moves away from you, let the lead slip between your fingers
Warning: never leave the lead too loose, otherwise the horse could step on it and get hurt or hurt you. Tighten the lead as soon as the horse reaches the desired position. Usually a circle with a diameter of about twenty meters is considered sufficient.
Step 8. Prevent the horse from turning or heading towards the center of the circle; keep him at the right distance by pointing the whip towards his shoulder
Step 9. To make the horse change direction, as they say "to change hands", first stop him
Put the lead in your right hand and the whip in your left. Lift the whip in front of the horse to prevent it from continuing to move counterclockwise and move the lead to your right, away from your body, to invite the horse to move in the opposite direction to the previous one. Wait until the horse has turned and then have him walk clockwise.
Step 10. When you are done, stop the horse and approach as you retrieve the lead
Be careful to fold it back and not roll it up, to avoid the risk of it tightening around your hand if the horse makes any sudden movements.
Advice
- Practice with a reliable and already well trained horse and under the guidance of an experienced person. The pairing of an inexperienced trainer with an inexperienced horse should be avoided.
- Use your body language more than the whip.
- Work the horse calmly but firmly and never when you are agitated, nervous, anxious, angry, demoralized, restless, impatient or insecure, because in these cases it is possible that the horse does not want to respond to you and your movements as readily as you do. would do when you are calm and relaxed.
- Never get impatient, neither with the horse nor with yourself. If you start to feel disheartened, stop for a moment and calm down.
- Always leave the horse an 'escape route'. Leave the slack lead, direct it where you want the horse to go and keep the whip behind him.
- More advanced techniques of lead rope work also include: hooking the lead to a bridle with one or two reins, the use of training commands, pole exercises, jumps with the lead.
- The use of the lead has a high value in training, as long as you don't just let the horse run around in circles. Also practice changing gaits, standing, walking, trotting, collected canter, etc., with a change of pace every half turn. You will need to teach the horse to be responsive and obedient; you will have to see that it engages standing on the bite, that is with the head neither too high nor too low. Thanks to these exercises you will get a better fit and better changes of pace.
- If it is convenient for you, you can hold the lead in your hand together with the whip. But then you will have limited movement; however, it is impossible to do this when you use two leads.
Warnings
- Don't let the horse make fun of you. Don't allow him to stop and face you, or to change direction without your command. It would be a show of disrespect and, if you allow it, you will only get useless training!
- Have the horse move if you stand behind its rear legs. Be careful not to crack the whip, otherwise you risk catching the horse by surprise who, kicking just as you are behind him, could injure you.
- Never work the horse with the lead in only one direction, as it is quite a stressful job on the joints, and it will surely cause lameness.
- Do not leave ever and never that the lead will roll up anywhere on your body, including your fingers, hands, torso, neck or feet. Some people have been injured with the lead in this way and some have even lost their lives.
- Lead work is a training technique as advanced and complex as horse riding itself. Don't use it with an unfamiliar horse, or at least if you don't have enough experience with horses.
- Always wear gloves and a helmet when working a horse's lead. There is always a danger that it may try to snatch the rope from your hands or drag you.
- Leading a horse is a profitable way to train it, but beware, the horse could get injured in certain cases, for example when it moves strangely due to a lameness.
- Never lengthen a horse in too tight a circle. You would strain his joints too much and he could get injured.
- Never lengthen a limping horse, except to assess lameness with a veterinarian. The stress caused by the circular motion can make the injury worse.
- Knowing how to crack the whip or tap your horse requires skill and a lot of practice. And they shouldn't be necessary with a reliable and controlled horse anyway.
- Always use a whip when working a lead horse. This is the easiest way to stop the horse. It is also a useful aid in avoiding kicking.
- Do not allow the horse to throw tantrums. He may try to rear or kick.
