VIDEO Training tip about the stop and back up featuring Mojo!!

Focus on balance and not on fancy movement....that idea runs strong in our barn. I see many people use the flip flops, or chains, or bungees, or some other gimmick to get their horse moving a fancy manner, and I think they are focusing on the wrong thing. The focus should be on getting the horses to move in a fluid, supple way, with his weight on his hind end, and the movement will come if it is in the horse.I am not completely against the gimmicks, but I do believe there is a time and place and that not every horse requires the same formula to be successful.

So, how to get the horse's weight on his back end?  The stop/back up is just one drill used to help the horse develop a balanced carriage. When a horse stops well, he rounds his back. IF a horse stops correctly, he is in the ideal position for backing. When he backs up, his carriage should not change.

You do not want to pull a horse back using your hands and force. Miniatures especially are often forced back by pulling merely because we can do this to them.....but don't! Your goal it to get your miniature to back up using his own effort and not you pulling him back.

We want a miniature to travel with his hind legs pulling well underneath him; reaching towards his front feet. When a horse rounds his back, he engages that hind end,  his legs are underneath him and his balance is improved.

Developing a good stop becomes essential to the half halt. If your horse does not position himself correctly in the stop, he won't do it in the half halt and your half halt is useless. Driving horses get ahead of themselves and you will see many "skip" to compensate. While in training, they need to be rebalanced. By that I mean that their hind end needs to be reengaged. Some horses do this because of being lazy, some because of temperament (ie they lean and are chargey), some do it because of their lack of coordination or weakness.... But, you can often feel it coming when you are driving. The half halt causes the front end to stop for a brief time and the hind end can catch up and engage. A powerful hind end engages and actually pushes that front end forward again.