I'm guilty of the "pot scourer" on the shoulder. I do listen to my horses, though, and I know they do not like to be touched on their faces so i always make sure visitors know that, and i encourage them to pet their backs and shoulders instead.

Ross. Do you use the rein a certain way for hind quarter movement and a different way to turn shoulders how does the horse know the difference. Is it out wider for front end movement

Used long enough- a fixed outside rein will cause a brace to start with - and then if it continues cause compressed back muscles- damaging the longus collii muscle and eventually kissing spines. Thats why dressage horses have to have so much chiropractic work- to repair the wreckage caused by messed up German dressage theory. best Bruce Peek

It gets worse for dressage horses if they are stuck with a dressage rider that uses a fixed outside rein.. The way to use the outside rein is to pulse it in the riders hand. The rider should open his lower finger- in his fist- in time with the horses inside hind leg coming forward. This is especially easy to use if the rider also takes a feel of the horses side with his inside leg as he posts up in the riding trot.. The rider should continue releasing on the outside rein in a pulsed way as they feel of the horses inside with the riders inside leg even when they are sitting the trot. So that you always ride the horses forwards in a continuos envelope of release.. The rider continuing to feel of the horses inside flank with the riders inside leg as the inside leg comes forward is something that the late Carl Mikolka - former chief rider of the Spanish Riding school used to teach - you can't get much more classical than that. best Bruce Peek

Thank you for the detailed explanation 🙏

Very well said, more please 🙏

I was the entier time in fact it was nothing me, comment at 5:12

Well said. No horse likes to be petted or touched, and scratching an itchy spot does not count.

This is so helpful and is an excellent demonstration video!

So good! It is definitely an honor when they want to be with you...

This makes so much sense. Very good!

Brilliant

Thank you so much for this video!

My take on this is that the more horse has to search for the right answer the bigger the release and the soaking time. That way there is more distinction between "how it felt before and how it felt after the release". Then, after we and the horse become more accurate, the feel is understood and there is no more reason to release at all, other than to terminate the transition. The original feel (the one we present before we have to explain ("drive") is not hampering the horse in anyway and it keeps light because the horse understands how to follow your feel. Thanks for the platform to develop thinking!

Thanks for this! I use the words leading(directing) and explaining(driving). In my mind this ties in to the clarity of the feel I'm presenting. If I allways end up explaining the same thing over and over I'd better to look into the various parts of the whole process. Maybe use some outsider to pinpoint what I missed.

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As a amateur, treet them like a dog. Go slow, let them come to you. If thay pull away leave them alone. Dont ignore the warning bite. Its a leave me alone sign. The horse i interacte with the most, argo, has taught me alot. Sometimes he runs up and nuzzles, licks and lips resting his head in my chest begging for more. And when i walk away he nannys and stomps away when i walk away. Sometimes he slowly comes takes a few jaw scratches and huffs and walk away. Like any body read there body language. And never ever approach from behind if you like living!

Excellent. I love this.

Loving to spam the G key

Good suggestions, but I have one other: if you use a real Mounting Block, it will solve that moving problem; proper Mounting Blocks don't move on their own :)

JEEEESUS CHRIST THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN ABOUT FOUR MINUTES

I came here from a thread with a comment you made, that I saw as observant. Thank you for that.

So, essentially, all we need to remember is: animals are like humans when it comes to being touched - we're ALL different. And none of us can bear being tickled or stroked until our nerve endings go numb. Quite a few years ago, I did a day as an extra (aka a supporting artist) for a TV drama. The 2nd AD briefed us all that there would be two police horses on set and that we had to remember they were working animals here to do a job and that we weren't to try to pet them. But as soon as we got on set, what happened? A bunch of people crowded round the horses and started petting them. What is it they say? You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. Eye roll.

Genuine comment here....to the horse...how is this not just 'moving the feet'? Also why do you use your voice so muc? Is it or the benefit of the recording or do you think he understands your words? I'm properly interested in your answers....not trying to be clever :)

I know this is an older post, but I wanted to comment on another aspect. Gaining a thought and tucking it away. I walk my horse from the barn to the arena. As we turn around the barn, he always looks up hill and his thoughts leave me except for just a small portion needed to follow the lead (not much). But, he only leaves for a second. But when his thoughts come back to me, he brought a little worry about uphill. I've seen the pitcher and the water but a missing part (in my experience) is that the fuller the cup of worry, the harder it is to empty a bit. More importantly, all horses are, of course, different. Mine is a worried horse, that holds his worries very tightly. It's who he is. It's frustrating trying to manage those worries, as they are a full time job (for me at least), so much so that it's hard to teach him anything else.

Remarkable.

I have a worried PRE that I've worked with for years trying everything under the sun. I've watch tons of videos and read many books. Most say the same thing and maybe that helps some horse, but not mine. Your comments here make good foundational sense that I never considered or encountered. One of those things that you say "duh," how could I miss that? For my horse (dressage), it's clearly an issue of distractions and desensitizing the world hasn't worked. This, at least, gives a good direction. I knew I was leaving him in the wind, but couldn't figure how to help.

Irrelevant but who's alice

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Harry, I don't know if you'll ever read this, but I want you to know that the remark you made about touching our horses as an "honor," touches me to my core. Hardly a time goes by when I'm with my horses (even just going out to feed!) that I don't feel the joy and awe of being in the presence of such majestic creatures. We are indeed honored to be their partner.

Thank you Ross for discussing this subject. Feel your horse. Feel your animal, whatever animal it is. It all amounts to being gentle in my opinion, it all amounts to letting the animal know you, to letting the animal understand that it can trust you. Look into the animal's eye, fall into their gaze, touch the animal in a gentle way, and let the animal learn to trust you. Don't go past the animal's boundaries, don't attempt to control the animal, but rather learn to "lead" the animal, if this is what makes them feel secure.

This man knows what he is talking about. What animal wants to be "slapped" or "smacked" on the side of its head? It doesn't even make sense. Or what animal wants a "vigorous scrubbing", anywhere on its body? I don't know much about horses at all, but I intuitively know that they love a "gentle and loving" touch from a human.

its is man, especially white anglo-saxon type, who is the real jackass here... much like the proverb "putting the Horse after the Cart"

Lov it😊

Excellent information! I live in North Texas and all the “cowboy” trainers are trying the Old School methods and driving to excess. I’ve always thought they were comprising their relationships with the horse. I’m told I’m too soft with my mare, but I feel we have a relationship that many don’t. I will be directing my girl with as little driving as I can. Thanks for your work in sharing these videos. They are appreciated!

This was really helpful to me, I’m new to horses and our yearling (we just got her a few months ago) sometimes does this to me so I need to be firmer and let her know she has to follow my lead!

I pet the horse whenever I want to and whenever he allows. If he doesn't want it I respect that and don't pet.

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Horses are individuals like us.

"Leave them wanting more"

horses have sensitive skin, this allows them to twitch and get insects off them. Also they need that sensation, as their eyes do not go back wards without the movement of the neck. Thus the sensitivity are their eyes. If one watches horses as they are their grooming habits, everything you are saying is right, thank you.

Yay!! Please resume videos if you can. So appreciated.

Would you do the same type of exercise with an intelligent, pushy, mouthy stallion? Would you change anything in this approach?

The abruptness in the hands is something I’m really working hard on…..on the release mostly & it’s exactly as you say, it’s not all or nothing. I’m much better at the walk, but definitely need work at higher speeds when things are moving faster. Rebuilding muscle memory is tough……,🙃

Very insightful! Thank you <3

Omg! You are like the queen of no hands! You’re SO good at it! I actually never went no hands yet! The closest thing I got to no hands was a pat in canter!😂

Goodnight Alice.

I breed Kerry ponies and keep a stallion who runs with mares. I had someone come to look at him and the first thing she did was pat him on the neck. Now we never pat our horses, and he showed the lady in no uncertain terms will he be patted. I had to explain to her that the way she patted him, which was akin to a slap and was in his view an incursion. He is the sweetest horse I have ever owned in the 40 years, but he wasn't going to have someone invade him and then slap him too!

Beautiful story Ross and a stunning horse.

Thank you