Lots of Miniature Horses are shown in halter classes, and most people who show them squat or bend down to move their feet into proper position. Having bad knees, I can't do this. And, coming from a Quarter Horse background (where it's not kosher to move their feet by hand), I feel that it's unnecessary.
So, I teach all of my halter horses to stand squarely with mainly halter cues. I'll teach you how to do the same.
First, make sure you horse isn't too fresh or too frisky before you start this lesson. If he's been in a stall or a small pen, work him a little first either on a lunge line or in a round pen. Let him get all of the buck and play out of his system. Then, put him on a regular lead rope, preferably with a rope halter, and start the lesson.
The first thing you want to do is to face your horse and move him forward a step or two until his right (off-side) hind leg is about where you want it. In other words, it's not too far behind him or too far underneath him. Tell him "whoa" and pet him briefly when he stops moving. Stand slightly to the side and look down at his back feet. You're going to move the left (near-side) back foot gently forward and back using pressure on the halter. Your goal is to have him stop with his left hind foot about even with his right one.
At first, his steps will likely be too big. He'll step past where you want him. That's to be expected. Hold onto your patience and keep asking, trying to use smaller and smaller movements of the halter. Eventually, he'll get close to where you want him.
Close is good enough at this point. As soon as his hind foot is somewhere in the vicinity that you want it, tell him "whoa" and reward him with a brief petting. Now, you should take a step backwards and look down at his front feet. This move on your part will eventually tell your horse "we're done with the back. Now let's move the front feet."
One of his front feet will likely be either too far back or two far forward to line up with the other front foot. For the sake of this lesson, we'll assume that the left one is too far forward. Gently push backwards on the halter. At the same time, use your right foot (the one which is closest to his left foot, since you're facing him) and tap the ground near his toe. If he doesn't move that foot, and he likely won't, reach further forward with your toe and step on his coronet band right above the front of his hoof. Do it gently. The object is to make him uncomfortable, not to injure him. Keep pressing backwards gently on the halter. Eventually, he'll move that foot, even if you have to increase the pressure with your toe to make him do it.
As soon as he moves it backwards, even a little, stop, straighten up, and tell him he's a good boy. If it's still too far forward, repeat what you just did, both the halter cue and the toe-tapping or stepping on him cue, until he moves it again.
Eventually, he'll get it close to where you want it. As soon as he does, tell him "whoa," straighten your posture so you're no longer bent forward, and reward him with a little pet on the face or neck.
When you do get him set up well enough, don't ask him to stand there for more than a few seconds. Later, when he learns the cues, you can increase the time he has to stand squared up. Right now, however, it will only bore him and discourage him. And, don't try to set him up a dozen times in a row. Once or twice is enough. Then, go do something else before asking him to set up another time or two for you.
Every time that you work on setting your horse up, he will understand it a little better. He'll get quicker and quicker to respond to your cues and he'll take fewer steps forward and back to get him set up squarely. As he improves, start asking for more perfection in where he plants his feet. In other words, as he learns, "almost there" will cease to be good enough and he'll have to learn to place his feet exactly where you want them.
Once I start teaching a horse to set up, I try to do it twice every time I handle him. If I take him to the round pen to work or to the pasture to turn him loose for the day, I set him up just before taking off his halter. When I take him back to his stall or pen for the night, I set him up again just before taking off his halter. This teaches him that setting up quickly means that he'll get turned loose quickly. It gives him some incentive to do his job.
So, I teach all of my halter horses to stand squarely with mainly halter cues. I'll teach you how to do the same.
First, make sure you horse isn't too fresh or too frisky before you start this lesson. If he's been in a stall or a small pen, work him a little first either on a lunge line or in a round pen. Let him get all of the buck and play out of his system. Then, put him on a regular lead rope, preferably with a rope halter, and start the lesson.
The first thing you want to do is to face your horse and move him forward a step or two until his right (off-side) hind leg is about where you want it. In other words, it's not too far behind him or too far underneath him. Tell him "whoa" and pet him briefly when he stops moving. Stand slightly to the side and look down at his back feet. You're going to move the left (near-side) back foot gently forward and back using pressure on the halter. Your goal is to have him stop with his left hind foot about even with his right one.
At first, his steps will likely be too big. He'll step past where you want him. That's to be expected. Hold onto your patience and keep asking, trying to use smaller and smaller movements of the halter. Eventually, he'll get close to where you want him.
Close is good enough at this point. As soon as his hind foot is somewhere in the vicinity that you want it, tell him "whoa" and reward him with a brief petting. Now, you should take a step backwards and look down at his front feet. This move on your part will eventually tell your horse "we're done with the back. Now let's move the front feet."
One of his front feet will likely be either too far back or two far forward to line up with the other front foot. For the sake of this lesson, we'll assume that the left one is too far forward. Gently push backwards on the halter. At the same time, use your right foot (the one which is closest to his left foot, since you're facing him) and tap the ground near his toe. If he doesn't move that foot, and he likely won't, reach further forward with your toe and step on his coronet band right above the front of his hoof. Do it gently. The object is to make him uncomfortable, not to injure him. Keep pressing backwards gently on the halter. Eventually, he'll move that foot, even if you have to increase the pressure with your toe to make him do it.
As soon as he moves it backwards, even a little, stop, straighten up, and tell him he's a good boy. If it's still too far forward, repeat what you just did, both the halter cue and the toe-tapping or stepping on him cue, until he moves it again.
Eventually, he'll get it close to where you want it. As soon as he does, tell him "whoa," straighten your posture so you're no longer bent forward, and reward him with a little pet on the face or neck.
When you do get him set up well enough, don't ask him to stand there for more than a few seconds. Later, when he learns the cues, you can increase the time he has to stand squared up. Right now, however, it will only bore him and discourage him. And, don't try to set him up a dozen times in a row. Once or twice is enough. Then, go do something else before asking him to set up another time or two for you.
Every time that you work on setting your horse up, he will understand it a little better. He'll get quicker and quicker to respond to your cues and he'll take fewer steps forward and back to get him set up squarely. As he improves, start asking for more perfection in where he plants his feet. In other words, as he learns, "almost there" will cease to be good enough and he'll have to learn to place his feet exactly where you want them.
Once I start teaching a horse to set up, I try to do it twice every time I handle him. If I take him to the round pen to work or to the pasture to turn him loose for the day, I set him up just before taking off his halter. When I take him back to his stall or pen for the night, I set him up again just before taking off his halter. This teaches him that setting up quickly means that he'll get turned loose quickly. It gives him some incentive to do his job.
Wow! This is such a great idea and really good information on horse training. I use many of the techniques you use, having learned round penning and having worked with Quarter Horses myself! Thanks for doing this. Can I add your blog to my blog roll list?
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