I know it is common practice, and while there is more information being circulated to the general public which supports the idea that starting a horse at 2 years old is premature I still get a lot of questions posed to me relating to issues that come up in training the 2 year old horse under saddle.

Dr. Deb Bennett seems to have paved a road of awareness for many equestrians that a horse simply is not physically mature at 2 years to justify starting them under saddle and ‘saddling’ them with the burden of a rider’s weight. There isn’t such clear advocates standing out who champion the horse’s level of mental and emotional immaturity as clearly as Dr. Bennett, but there are many standing in the shadows and peeking around the corner.

To me it seems obvious enough why the average age is 2 years for horses entering under saddle training, why many riders and trainers balk at the thought of waiting until the horse has grown to 4 or 5 years (or later) before saddling them and sitting on their back for the first time. I can see the reason why, but I don’t see it as a justifiable excuse.

Starting a horse at 2 years old is ‘simple’ if you are relying upon force in your training (don’t confuse this with abuse necessarily though). If you are using methods which rely on the horse’s mental capabilities then starting a horse at 2 is a bit like shooting yourself in the foot because you aren’t going to get anywhere fast unless your horse is like the genius kid who graduates college at the age of 10 (aka Doogie Howser Ph.D.) or is a member of MENSA.

Horse racing doesn’t help either because it advocates starting yearlings under saddle and entering racing at two. As a sport more available to the general public it gives misinformation to the actual appropriateness of these practices to those not in the know. When a person without a background in horses and who has not had any formal training from someone who has the education to know otherwise decides to get a horse this misinformation only helps spur potential road blocks in the riding and training of their horse, while also leading to more injuries which could be preventable.

Futurities promote starting horses at an early age with big prizes, or at the very least helping to promote the stallion who sired the futurity winner. It is a big money game for many. For the average rider who is not showing their young horse in futurities, or at the races or for some other known monetary gain, this misinformation prolongs a process which has since gained the reputation of being dangerous, difficult and a necessary evil – that of ‘breaking’ the horse under saddle.

Common problems that turn up for 2 year olds or otherwise immature horses being started under saddle is long, but if we understand the basic structure of how a horse copes with stress it makes it simpler to determine the problem and find a solution. The young horse bucks for example with the saddle but no rider, he is not ready to have a saddle on his back because the amount of stimulation was so great that it has elicited not only a response but an explosive one. See ‘Pressure and the Horse’ – November 2007

When a horse refuses to move freely forward, calmly (that’s an important part), it is a sign that they are coping with an over stimulation of stressful elements. For example, a horse who falls over or begins to lose their footing (i.e. collapsing) with the saddle on or a rider is a huge indicator that the horse is so stressed he is literally giving up to die. This can be evidenced in all prey creatures once they move beyond flight and fight stages is that they give up and collapse.

In starting a horse at 4 or 5 or even later, the risk of losing a physical argument with the horse is greater… but at the same time the learning curve when appealing to the horse’s mental capabilities is greatly diminished. This means that we have to train from a place of the mind rather than from a place of physical strength or intimidation. That is a difficult thing for many because it is not in our nature. We are predatory creatures, which is in part why we get along with other predatory creatures so well – cats and dogs. Dogs use intimidation tactics in order to control other members of the pack, when we train dogs we use intimidation tactics on order to gain obedience and submission. The problem of using this with a horse? He has about 1000 lbs of weight alone on us, and if the horse should at some point realize this there is nothing we can do to win the argument other than finding new ways to overpower him, which we have done. Bits which cause pain if the horse doesn’t submit to them, spurs, tie downs, draw reins, scotch hobbles, etc etc. If we do not rely upon tack which can help force the idea of domination our training techniques often back us up as well. Round penning a horse until they are physically tired, or lunging the energy out of a horse. Long warm-ups which do not promote strengthening the horse but rather train him in a way that will support his physical deterioration much more quickly.

Not only do the difficulties that arise in training a young horse who acts out because he is not yet ready for the task that we are giving him risk our own safety when training and riding, but in the long run they risk the horse’s well being. Joints which deteriorate prematurely, increase in chiropractic and massage for the horse shows more than just an insufficiency in the proper fitting of saddles, increased lameness problems. The actual performance of the horse can also be seen to drop, as anyone would expect if you are in physical pain because you haven’t been properly acclimated to the work you will not be capable of working at your full potential not to mention that you will be apt to hold back some energy so as to save yourself a bit at the end of the day. Arguments between horse and rider then increase and future training developments will be impeded.

It is about looking at the bigger picture, even when the media and ‘common knowledge’ around us is saying one thing it is always a good idea to look deeper.

I love it when people find my blog with search terms that I haven’t addressed the issues for yet… gives me an opportunity to address them! This is in line with today’s search terms “of the day”…

Horses who buck while being lunged. There are several different reasons, which I’m sure many other trainers and horse advisers have mentioned – physical pain, playfulness or rowdy-ness, ill fitting tack, etc. One thing which I see is not often addressed, is the communication portion of interacting with the horse on the lunge.

Before I go down that lonely road, I want to first bring up the concept of a horse bucking. When we watch rodeos, we see horses do amazing maneuvers as they leap into the air – caused by a bucking strap. If your saddle is not equiped with one and you haven’t fashioned one by hand… then that is likely not the cause of your horse’s bucking – no matter how much it might resemble those famed rodeo horses! Bucking is not a maneuver of forward motion. It is a movement of upwards motion. It is just like rearing, with a little oomph, or a lot depending on your horse’s dedication. It engages more of the horse’s abdominal strength than rearing does.. but aside from the physical prowess your horse is showing, they are in essence the same ‘thing.’ (bear with me..)

Barring any physical issues or ill-fitting tack, that leaves playfulness and mis-communication as the key targets for why your horse is bouncing around on the end of that lunge line. Given that most of us learn how to lunge by doing rather than solid education taught by a professional (and not just your average riding instructor), it is not really that surprising that communication is still on the list of offenders. It is not a given when interacting with horses, least of all with 30 feet of line between you and a whip trailing at his feet…

Now, trying to link the two together – that bucking is an upward motion rather than a forward motion, and that most often mis-communication is a culprit… I’m going to give you the wham bam boogie! Not really, but…

The most common cause of a horse bucking on the lunge is that he doesn’t fully understand your desire that he moves forward, or is being blocked in some way shape or form (by you, his surroundings, or something imagined, you can decide on a case by case basis), while receiving increasing amounts of pressure from you (the ‘lunger’) until the pressure from behind is equal to the pressure in front, resulting in an upward explosion.

So… a simple solution? Clarify yourself by changing tactics. If your horse isn’t responding calmly and immediately from your request to move forward (or move *more* forward), perhaps go back to step one and teach him that you want him to move forward from the cue of the whip. Combine that with a double check that your position during lunging isn’t cutting him off (you should be behind the withers slightly if there was a straight line from the horse’s body to the center of the lunge circle), there is nothing blocking his way or path, or if needed do some confidence building to get rid of those scary ghosts (and I’m not talking about the confidence building that involves chasing him down with a blue plastic tarp… ).

So it’s icy out and I have work tonight so no time to play with the ponies. I figured I would post something written over the course of this fall. It was largely inspired by a Neuromuscular Therapy course I was attending, and also from the previous understanding I’ve had of the horse. Something to inspire the mind, I hope. Enjoy!

“Horses As A Whole – Ramblings”

…The horse world is not the only field where we dissect and divide into specialties, sub-specialties and a myriad of categories. Our entire modern civilization functions in just the same way. We look at our bodies as being suitable for this separation – if our shoulder hurts we do not link a connection to our feet with the pain.

For this reason, I propose a whole horse approach. I can believe that when the horse is healthy on the whole, that there is no reason he would resist, be inattentive, lethargic, anxious, aggressive, fearful, etc. These are the symptoms of a larger picture, which is often ignored or misunderstood. Too many “impossibilities” are proposed when it comes to the horse as a whole. When the horse has low energy, he is labeled as being lazy, dull, or disinterested. The question then becomes, “why?” What is it that is causing the low energy state?

Can the horse have similar tail bone injury issues as humans? What about their hyoid[1|2] bone(they do not have one)? If the nervous system is upset, the whole of the horse would feel it. Where then will the compensations show? How their diet is involved, for an animal made to eat grasses, but is fed grains? Gluten intolerance? What about chemical additives in grains, and even hay or pasture?

The horse’s craniosacral [1] rhythm? Connection between fixed organs, their inability for free visceral[1] pulse, and certain types of colic? More people are becoming aware of liver and kidney overload with feed. Mesentary[1] work? Physical imbalances in the horse? Poor muscle tone, poor posture? The violent force of rectal palpation, and it’s connection with difficult breeding, births, or behavior changes in mares? Behavior changes in mare in connection with the birth process? Sacrum alignment? What about the bone plates of the horse’s skull, do they also have a Sphenoid bone[1]? Fox cerebri? Cranial alignment, postural assessment? Changes in hooves caused by postural imbalances or compensations?

What are the top no-no’s when it comes to working with horses?

• No pulling – on the reins, on the halter, etc… leading into…
• No denting. The horse must be respected, we cannot change them by taking or giving, only by influencing them by our presence and actions. Note.. I don’t say “interactions” – let’s stay on the outside.
• Stronger does not mean faster. Strong legs do not mean go, they mean stop. Strong aids do not inspire the horse to intelligent responses, only reactions.
• Better out than in (I like that), if the horse is to react to something, always encourage an external response. Internal ‘stuffing’ causes disease – mental, emotional, physical.
• Never contain, compression creates pressure, that can be released either slowly like a pressure cooker, or suddenly – explosive.
• Resistance is a warning sign – moving past resistance damages. This is on all levels, physically the body breaks, mentally the mind breaks, emotionally the heart breaks.

• Pulling – what does pulling inspire? Give what we get, if we pull we get pulling in response. If we give, we are given to in response.
• Denting – if we dent we damage. Do we want to ride and train damaged horses?
• Strength – as above, give lightness, get lightness. We can never be as strong as the horse, so why try?
• Externalizing/Internalizing – when energy is compressed, it becomes pressurized and either explodes outwards or damages the container holding it together. If the horse’s body is used to contain this energy, the energy will either carry the body in an explosive manner, or damage the external structures holding it together.
• Resistance – falls along with the category of Denting. Resistance warns us that we are on the edge of denting. When we don’t explore with intelligent touch, our nerves never have a chance to warn us that we have met resistance until we’ve already moved into or past it. Careful, light exploration sensitizes our nerves, building our ability to recognize when we’ve met resistance and back off before denting the horse.

General : Force –

Force, a relative term, is so overused in today’s training of the horse. They are pushed, pulled, whipped, cranked, yanked, yelled at, kicked and in general, overstimulated.

According to Ardnt’s Nueurological Law ( Rudolph Arndt, German Psychiatrist, 1835-1900), “Weak stimuli excites physiological activity, moderately strong ones favor it, strong ones retard it, and very strong ones arrest it.” So, from weak to very strong, as the stimulation is increased, the physiological response decreases with the intensity applied. This is why strong force causes a horse to shut down, rather than exciting them into intelligent actions.

What does it mean to be a weak rider? Is it the inability to hold the correct posture and position in the saddle? Is it the lack of strength in the aids to apply them correctly and productively? What if weak riding were not a bad thing, but a highly sought after reality?

In weak riding, I am referring to the ability to use the mind & energy of the rider, over their strength. It is about connecting and communicating with the horse without reliance upon strength. That is weak riding. I brought up the topic of using only 5 grams of pressure in a previous post, and how it correlates with a person’s intention, and I want to build on that. To have an intention, the ability to feel and see the action you are hoping to create or inspire in a sort of psuedo-action type visualization. To feel the energy in your fingertips, but unable to see any movement stemming from them. The ability to sense a half-pass without seeing any chance in position, pressure or posture. That is intent, it is the ‘mind’s eye’ so to speak.

To be a weak rider gives the horse every opening at performing to his full potential. There are no interferences, no blocks, no force or energy working against, always working with. In particular I have been practicing this method also with my niece, when she doesn’t want to lay down for her nap or get ready for bed at night. I simply go through the motions without force – no force in my actions, in my words, in the tone of my voice. It is all calm, it is waiting, and still it has energy and movement. What I find is that in her resistance, she begins to attempt to help me. She resists, and when she is not resisted against, she then starts to help with whatever it is. Perhaps I am trying to get her changed for bed, she will help put her pajama top on. Or brushing her teeth, she will sit herself down so I can help her with her teeth better. Small things, but they break a cycle of resistance and temper tantrum. The same goes for the horse, he becomes engaged. We have caught his mind. The mind that we use when we are weak, we then attract the mind of the horse to.

The reality is that only when we have strength do we rely upon it. When we lack strength we must find other options, other answers to solve the problem. What if we all rode as though we were too weak to lift a bale of hay, to pick up our horse’s hoof, to hoist the saddle upon his back? Would we also temper our strength with our hands, legs and artificial aids? They would find an action that relies upon the energy and movement over the direct or indirect force.

I wanted to post this video, because somewhere near the middle it shows the very obvious use of force to try and control/contain the horse. It fails miserably. So I pose this question, if presented with a situation like this and you did not have the option to use force, what would you change? How would you work to stay safe while handling this horse that doesn’t rely on strength to be successful?

Pressure is what we experience every day of our lives, either self-imposed or given to us by those around us and in our lives. For the horse it is a little simpler, from our perspective anyhow, the horse does not take ‘home’ pressure from the rider or trainer when the session is over. They don’t appear to agonize over learning something once they leave the work environment. Pressure however can be exerted on them by sources other than the mere training session they just finished. Pressure is what encourages the horse to do anything other than simply be.

Pressure:

noun.

1. The amount of force applied over a given area divided by the size of this area. (physics)
2. Mental strain caused by one’s own or others’ expectations on one’s own performance.

verb.

1. To encourage or exert force or influence.

Coupled with pressure, and vital to understanding its use and effects, is resistance. Resistance is the element of horse riding that is difficult to find in absence. Present in competition, backyard riding, trail riding, even the pursuit of riding as an art form, resistance is an element that some may consider a necessary evil. So prevalent is it, that trainers of all disciplines alike utilize some form of eliminating, or breaking the horse’s resistance, in search of their submission.

Resist:

1. verb.

1. To attempt to counter the actions or effects of someone or something.
2. To withstand such actions.
3. To oppose.

2. noun.

1. A protective covering.

Resistance:

1. The act of resisting, or the capacity to resist.
2. A force that tends to oppose motion.

Without pressure, the horse would have nothing to resist against. In reverse as well, can pressure exist as pressure – that is force, influence or encouragement – without some form of resistance? Pressure would simply become action, movement.

When we implement pressure, often we go beyond the resistance, into what is referred to as ‘denting’. When we dent the horse, we cause change in its shape, form, movement, energy, essence using pressure. This may not seem so terrible from the outside looking in, but if we look closer at the images so prevalent in current times of horses with tight nosebands, heads pulled in and held behind the vertical, straps for tying heads up or down, twitches, hobbles for training purposes, the list goes on and on, it becomes more apparent just how pressure and denting are being overused and misunderstood.

Horses are dented every day, and that is evidenced by the consistent presence of resistance, misunderstanding, fear, lack of trust, and evasions that riders and trainers experience with horses. Horse books and videos are full of problem solving techniques, each one custom built for the specific problem. There are numerous, freshly trademarked training methods and techniques each year that claim to do just what the previous methods before have failed to do, complete with new gadgets to influence more force with less effort.

These are all band-aids, to hide the fact that too much pressure was used in the first place, causing a cut that now ‘needs’ a band-aid. We forget to investigate the cause and get caught up in quick fix solutions for the symptoms. When the pot boils over you don’t put a cover on it, you turn the heat off and take it off the stove.

Pressure is a large component in most training methods, what they revolve around. The theory is that if enough pressure is applied in the correct area, it will motivate the horse to perform the requested action. This can cause very mechanical thinking in the horse, because he is not trained to be an intelligent contributor to the relationship, rather an instinctual creature. The majority of riding and training methods work off the idea that only with the use of pressure is an action obtained from the horse. Pulling on the reins to stop or squeezing the legs to go being prime examples; action equals reaction.

While using pressure as the key training tool works with some horses, there are many who fall in the cracks, leaving owners, riders and trainers frustrated, angry, fearful, sad, injured or killed. Pressure training with stallions turns into dangerous business, creates ‘hormonal’ and ‘opinionated’ mares, and geldings that fall into all sorts of impressions. Some horses may develop a seemingly lazy or “I don’t care” attitude, and others become hyper-sensitive, spooking, frightened and overly dramatic. Even those who go through the motions will likely show their resistance in the quality of the relationship.

Pressure as a training tool is not limited by disciplinary lines, sport, breed or gender. It is the key element in round-penning techniques, lunging, leading and riding. We unknowingly employ pressure because we are never taught what pressure is, how it influences the horse, and how to use it responsibly. Those who are termed ‘naturally gifted’ riders, often have an unconscious understanding of pressure, while the rest of us wander through the dark not realizing that we are in fact the pressure that has recently caused our horse to explode last week.

When the horse resists our initial pressure, we dent him even further by increasing the pressure – force or influence – possibly even causing physical pain. We do not stop and observe we are denting the horse to which he is resisting, instead we behave as though the horse is resisting therefore we must dent him to prevent further resistance.

Pressure in itself is not evil, it is used as a motivator, to encourage the horse to change himself and perform as we would like. When pressure crosses the line from motivator to force is what denting refers to. To balance the thin line between too little pressure and too much is the art involved in motivating the horse without denting or being completely action-less. For most of us, to know where the middle line is, we must explore both extremes of pressure – too much and too little – before we can recognize the balance, the motivation without force.

Pressure is not linear; it cannot be measured in a scientific manner when it comes to its influence on the horse and human relationship. How the horse interprets our pressure is based on many factors, and likewise our interpretation of pressure we apply. These include their individual character, previous relationships with humans and the current one they have with you or I. This interpretation is in constant flux, because other smaller factors bear heavily on the horse’s perception.

Being a prey animal, the horse is more or less tolerant of pressure based on the weather, season, herd status, physical condition, health, terrain, etc. There are few horse owners who haven’t become acutely aware that their horse is on eagle watch during a cold windy day, than when the temperature is mild and wind calm. This is why measuring an amount of pressure to work on every horse at every moment for a predictable result cannot be successful.

Pressure is not always physical, that is, involving touch. Most pressure begins well before any contact takes place, however most of it goes unrecognized. If you’ve ever noticed how some people make horses leery well before they are within touching distance, and others couldn’t make a horse walk away if they had an air horn, you’ve witnessed the non-physical affect of too much or too little pressure. We all give off a level of energy that directly relates to pressure from the horses perspective.

The way we stand, look, move and otherwise interact are all being read by the horse. He is fully aware of your every move, are you? The ultimate observer, even the horse you may think has checked out or dozed off, has their attention on you. It is their nature to observe, in the wild their very life depends on it.

Much of the observational skills we had as children have been trained out of us, coupled with our childhood curiosity. Being aware of the pressure we are applying to the horse involves the use of both observation and curiosity. We must be able to observe the horse’s responses to accurately judge our pressure, and have the curiosity to pursue the effort involved.

Summary – When we fail to dent the horse with pressure, the results are quite exciting. We develop a horse which trusts us not only because we are consistent, but because we also have respect for them physically, emotionally and intellectually. The horse has a level of confidence in trying to do what it is we ask, they are not afraid of the consequences of being wrong because being wrong doesn’t give reason to be dented. In short, we find a horse which is engaged, intelligent, and committed to a relationship with humans.

Defining and Solving

Resistance in the horse can come in several forms, at times violent and on the other end of the spectrum, passive. Both forms are harmful, frustrating and a sign that the horse does not fully understand what is being asked of him. Let us take a deeper look at the forms of resistance in the horse, and how they need to be approached to restore a healthy relationship.

Resist:

verb

1. To strive to fend off or offset the actions, effects, or force of.
2. To remain firm against the actions, effects, or force of, withstand.
3. To keep from giving in to or enjoying.

As shown, resistance includes both forceful means and passive. It is easy to see examples of this in horses, more commonly we think of resistance in the forceful manner. More difficult to work through however are the horses who take their resistance inwardly, and do no express outward with emotional outbursts. It is because they are quiet that it can be easy not to recognize their resistance, or lack of understanding. Often these are the horses which are labeled as stupid, stubborn, lazy, etc.

Symptoms

Some symptoms of resistance can include an on the following list, it is incomplete but gives some examples.

1. heavy in the bridle or on the forehand
2. slow to increase speed or maneuver
3. slow to respond to aids in general
4. slow to respond to aids, followed by an over-reaction in the wrong direction
5. habits or evasions, especially running backwards, balking, rearing, bucking
6. moving away from a direct rein, rather than towards
7. stilted, reserved movement, or out of control speed

Some other signs of resistance include overproduction of saliva, or chomping the bit, and on the opposite end is locking the jaw. Tail swishing and a lack of relationship interest in the horse are all symptoms of resistance. Resistance to what you are asking of the horse, and resistance to the horse-human relationship.

Four Resistances

There are four distinct types of resistance that the horse can display, two of which are physical, and two are mental/emotional.

1. Resistance of Force
2. Resistance of Weight
3. Outward Resistance
4. Inward Resistance

Resistance of Force

This type of resistance refers to any actions the horse may make the uses his muscular strength or effort. This can include pulling against the rein, changing bend and rooting.

Resistance of Weight

Common especially in young horses, resistance of weight is just that – when the horse uses his weight to create momentum or passive resistance against you. Traveling on the forehand falls into this category.

Outward Resistance

A mental/emotional resistance, outward resistance refers to the actions the horse makes actively to let you know that he does not understand or is not comfortable with the request you are making. Rearing, bolting, running backwards, striking, biting, not letting you catch him, and spooking fall into this category, as does over-salivating and chomping the bit.

Inward Resistance

When the horse resists inwardly, he is shutting down emotionally and mentally, to protect and preserve himself. This can be the most difficult form of resistance because it can be difficult to pull the horse outward without triggering him further. Inward resistance often includes refusing to move, moving slowly in the opposite direction desired, lack of response from aid or cue, and locking the jaw are all part of this form of resistance.

Why Resist

There can be several factors to a horse’s habit of resisting. It is important for us as equestrians, to keep in mind that horses are prey animals, and we are predators in their eyes. It is natural and normal for the horse to resist our attempts to control, direct or relate to them. Often this is easily overlooked because so many horses who are bred and raised in captivity have very little of this natural resistance to humans left. In young foals it is easy to see how they resist our attempts to communicate, but depending on their experiences with humans at that young age they either learn to trust very early or they develop various forms of resistance in different amounts.

There are other influences that can further develop the horse’s resistances, including abuse, advanced training too early on, injury, working through pain, poor fitting tack, and improper handling.

Horses Are Smart

Believe it or not, horses do not generally resist because they enjoy making our lives difficult. The truly miraculous feature of horses, is their innate tendency to obey if they understand what is being asked of them. Horses today are trained to perform in every walk of life, in huge stadiums full of people, in crowds, shooting guns off their back, pulling carriages, carts and coaches, performing in the circus, in the show ring, hunting trips and more. They perform tricks that boggle our minds at times. Working alongside other predatory animals for the sake of entertainment. We ask our horses to go against every instinct and natural reaction every day that we handle and ride them. This is the key to keep in mind, when the horse fails to obey our request, it is driven by either fear or misunderstanding.

You might ask, then what is the excuse for the one horse who constantly pulls the reins from his rider to eat grass along the trail? He is not driven by fear or misunderstanding. True, however he understands perfectly well that his rider will allow him to do that. He doesn’t need fear to motivate him, and he is free from misunderstanding. He is well trained, to eat grass along the trail after pulling the reins out of his rider’s hands.

Working Through Resistances

Of the four forms of resistance, the most difficult to work through is Inward Resistance. The reason is that the symptoms may not be very large or obvious at times. Inward Resistance needs to be approached from various angles. Because the horse is trying to shut down and disassociate with what is going on around him to some extent, the question becomes how do you work through the resistance without triggering the horse further into disassociating. One method is the use of a distraction, getting the horse to relax or move a body part before addressing the area that causes the resistance.

Inward Resistance can also cross over at times to Outward Resistance. Take a horse who shuts down for a period of time until the stimuli becomes too great for him to shut out, and then he explodes. This is a common reaction in some horses when they are first learning to get trimmed by the farrier. These explosions are often much greater than they would be in a horse who is consistently in Outward Resistance.

Outward Resistance presents many dangerous and frustrating actions on the part of the horse, while expressing his misunderstanding or fear. Often Outward Resistances are triggered by too great a stimuli, and is easy to address by slowing down, reducing your actions, taking longer to advance the horse’s training.

Physical resistances, that of Force and Weight, can be addressed by two different actions. When the horse presents both resistances at the same time, Resistance of Force is always addressed first. The horse may move into a Resistance of Force when you attempt to address a Resistance of Weight, and again you always address the Resistance of Force first.

Resistance of Force is always solved through vibration or inconsistent contact. The vibrations can range from subtle (the opening or closing of the fingers) to strong (movement through the wrist), depending on the severity of the resistance. There is no pull on the rein in vibrations. It is not pull, give, pull, give. Pulling on the rein will only increase the amount of resistance that the horse presents.

Resistance of Weight is addressed through the half-halt. Because the half-halt changes the horse’s posture, it realigns the way the horse carries his weight.