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[RC] Ed's one rein stops Part I - Betty Edgar

 


 
To all those who wrote me asking for a copy of Ed's one rein stops instructions here it is.  I emailed him for specific permission to post it on Ride Camp and he was happy to make it available to any who were interested.
 
Betty
-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Kilpatrick [mailto:whytrotfarms@xxxxxxxxx]

hi betty,  thats it basically, but some foundation work in this is best.   i recommend more repititions than that in the beginning, but after your horse gets good at it, just a few might be ok. start with this and let me know how it goes. 
 
teaching  your horse the one rein stop, also called lateral flexion excercise will enable you to teach your horse to relax, rely on you for cues and make your horse softer, more supple and easier to control.   it is great for horses that need to learn speed control, problem horses that rear, buck, refuse to cross water, barn sour, buddy sour, spook at objects, and just about any bad behavior you can think of.
 
start with just a halter and leadline on your horse.  the basis for the one rein stop is a lateral flexion excercise.  here is what you are trying to accomplish, you want your horse to stand still,flex his neck around calmly, relax by tipping his nose toward his ribcage, then be rewarded by having you release the pressure and let him return his head to the normal resting position.  stand on your horse's left side, near the hip, facing across his back.  grasp the leadline about a foot to foot and a half from the halter with your left hand, keep the rest of the leadline in your right hand resting on the horse's rump.  gently pull the horse's head around with your left hand until you can grasp the horse's withers.  you do this because it helps keep your hand steady.  you might have to adjust the distance on the rope with your left hand, depending on the length of your horse's neck.  you dont want his head pulled so far around that it is jammed against his side, but to where he has some room to move it toward his ribcage. if you have never done lateral flexion work with your horse,  he will probably be somewhat resistant, and will more than likely circle away from you.  if he does this, just move with him.  this is why you position yourself near the hip, so that you can move with the horse and not get stepped on by the front feet.   it might take a little while, but he will stop moving and begin to relax.  at this point, watch his head closely.  you want him to tip his nose toward his ribcage and relax his neck.  this is the "give". as soon as he does this, release with the left hand and let him return his head to the normal resting position. this is the "release". repeat this excercise about 8 - 10 times on the left side, making sure that your horse stands still, doesnt move his feet, and relaxes before you release the pressure.    then switch to the right side, (reverse your hand position) and do the same excercise with him on that side.  with some horses,  it will be just like starting over when you switch sides, so be patient with him.  again, repeat 8 - 10 times on the right side.   take a couple of minutes rest, then go back to the left side and repeat another 8 -10 times,  then to the right side for another 8 - 10 times.   by now your horse probably has it down pretty good, but this is one simple little excercise that you cannot overdo!   you want him as soft, flexible and responsive as possible.  i have some horses that i might do a total of 50 -75 repititions in a single training session.
     once your horse is doing this excercise very well, you can now do the same thing from the saddle.  it is best to use some type of snaffle bit,  dee ring snaffle or full cheek snaffles work equally well.  these bits are designed to be pulled in one direction.  just make sure you have a curb strap on your bit to prevent it from sliding in the horse's mouth, which of course is usually not a problem with a full cheek snaffle.
      now the great thing about doing this lateral flexion excercise from the saddle is, you can alternate sides easily.  do the left one time, then the right one time, then repeat a dozen times on each side.  in order to gauge where to hold the rein,  keep in mind that it is best to grip the rein at a point that allows you to pull your hand to your hipbone, and properly position the horse's head for the "give"  and "release".   again, pay close attention to the horse's head.  it is very important to "release"  as  soon as he "gives".
make sure the "give" is a good honest one, though.  you want him standing still, not moving his feet at all, giving and relaxing.  if he just tips his nose in quickly, then pulls his head away, or seems distracted, tosses his head around, nibbles on your foot or anything like that, just hold the pressure until he relaxes, tips his nose toward his ribs, keeps it there, and waits on you to release him.  repeat this excercise for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how well he does.  do it longer if you think he needs it.  again, you cant overdo it!