Re: Re: Whoa!

["Heidi Smith" <heidi@sagehillcmk.com>]

> The deepening of the seat part is for a finished horse.

Actually, the "deepening of the seat" or whatever you want to call it is
integral to teaching the whoa to the green horse.  One needs very little
pressure on the mouth to teach the whoa, and certainly doesn't need a wall.
What happens when one sits down and drives forward with the seat and legs is
that it causes the horse to drive his rear legs underneath him, which is
what produces the stop.  All one does with the hands is control the forward
movement.  A good stop is simply an exercise in "extreme collection"--which
is something that comes from the back and the rear, not from the mouth and
the head.

Think about riding a bicycle.  If you are motoring along and apply the front
brakes, you are apt to go tail over teakettle, as the momentum is still
there from the rear end.  Likewise, if you try to stop a horse by yarding on
his mouth while his body is still in forward mode, he will throw his head,
fuss, and stop in an awkward fashion.  But if you drive his rear end under
him, you are stopping the forward progress of his body, and just putting
some finesse on it with your hands.  And THAT is how you get a whoa, not by
simply telling his front end not to go forward while his hind end is still
in gear.

I agree with all who have suggested that teaching a verbal WHOA! from the
ground first is very important.  They tend to stop in a somewhat balanced
fashion when they are riderless, and knowing that that is what you are
asking them to do will help them to do it properly when you are on them as
well.

Heidi