If you have been following my round pen series - and please do read the other entries if this form of training interests you, one of the things I really dislike about the Roundpen is how it can actually form bad movement on the part of the horse.

I have seen people (both in person and in videos) spend way too much time, chasing the horse about, showing off inside turns, while meanwhile they are only training the horse to move in a poor and sloppy way that will, in the long run, be detrimental to the riding and advanced training of the horse.

Let’s examine some photos of ZZ, my young filly of three years of age, and her recent adventures in the roundpen:

In the above photo I have marked some interesting things to look at in red. The U-shaped smile over the horses’ back clearly shows she is hollow and inverted. With poor use of the back, it causes her stride to become short. The neck and jowl is stiff, indicative of being on the forehand.

If this shape were to continue you would have a horse trained into one of the poorest postures for riding – she would be heavy in the bridle, short strided, and probably would end up with a sore back and poll. It would be hard for her to move properly under a rider, and her rider would have the feeling she was stiff, short strided, and unresponsive to the aids.

In this second photo some of the same events are happening but with a bit of a twist – a nose twist that is! The back is still u-shaped, although not as bad, and the stride is short, though not as short as it was in the previous photo – do you see that?

In this second shot, the filly has tilted her nose to the outside, causing the left shoulder (inside shoulder) and neckline to stiffen. Here she is traveling in an incorrect bend or crooked. Inside of shaping her spine and ribs to the curve of the roundpen she has inverted herself.

When under saddle, this will not only cause on the forehand issues, but also great difficulty in trying to get the correct canter lead (in this photo it would be the left lead) because the stiff shoulder and hollow back will not allow the right hind to start the gait with the athleticism needed.

This is just the beginning of ZZ’s roundpen work, so we have many sessions to do to shape this sloppy, crooked and hollowed back horse… However, the next time you see someone chasing their horse about in the roundpen take a closer look and ask yourself what all that is really training their horse to do.

Although I have talked about the Roundpen and the positions, those were in diagrams. I thought it would be helpful to show it in still photos (and later in video) to aid in your understanding.

In order to slow or stop the horse, the position is in front. The photo here was one of the few I could get of Z still in motion even though I was in front, because her instinct is so strong to stop when I am in this position.

If your horse rushes by you when you are in front, try increasing the distance and getting further ahead. If the horse still rushes by, step back and let him – that is better then getting hurt by trying to enforce a stop from a horse who clearly is not going too.

In this photo, I’ve stepped out to the front, she has stopped and I have asked for the turn by placing myself in line with her outside shoulder. If you look closely at her body language you can see she is about ready to turn to the inside and go to her left. Since she is facing me for the turn, this is called an Inside Turn.

When asking for the inside turn, if your horse doesn’t give it too you (does an outside turn), try increasing the distance between you – a horse who feels you are too close will feel threatened and give a butt turn. Also, make sure you are aiming your energy and whip to the outside shoulder, not the inside.

The most common driving position to start the horse in motion is at the hip. Most people are actually standing at the ribs, when they think they are at the hip. So it’s best to actually be behind where you think you should be so you do not restrict the horses’ forward movement.

A parallel position is good if you and your horse are doing reciprocal movement. If you are looking for your horse to copy your body language and there are NO dominance issues, this can be a fun partnership position to be at.

In this photo, note how the horses nose is tilted to the outside and the body posture is U-shaped. She is uncertain about my intentions and not relaxed. Unfortunately, this is what you see a lot in the roundpen with the trainer never correcting or encouraging the horse to relax, round, bring the head down, and the back up – these are things we will be working on to improve Z’s self carriage.

Again, photos and video can help you improve as a trainer. These photos show me that I need to work on relaxing and shaping Z’s body posture. Here her back is still stiff, her head is up.

Unlike many RP trainers, I do not work the horse in the circle for long periods of trot and canter. I am more interested in the horse learning to mimic my movements, pay attention to what I’m asking and to seek out to be with me.

Because these are my goals, we do a lot of rest movements to bond. Here I have stopped, ZZ has turned to face me and I am inviting her towards me by having the whip behind and my hand outstretched.

She gets a good rub when she comes up.

For more on Roundpen training, be sure to read the series with detailed instructions and diagrams.

Here are some of the beginning work on getting Z ready for me to mount. At this point she has been sacked out, is used to me standing on either side of her to groom while I’m on/off the mounting block, and I’ve trained her to be comfortable with me on both sides.

However, she is VERY resistant to having me standing over her back and putting pressure there. I am coming to the conclusion that, with this filly, it’s going to be one of those issues (i.e. like lifting the hind feet) that is going to take a LOT longer then I had thought it would. Just getting her comfortable with me taller then her, her standing beside the mounting block, me leaning over with weight on her back etc… is obviously going to take a lot of sessions before we get to the part of getting ON!

However, like some horses, particularly mares, if I rushed this part then we would end up in a needless battle. Better to take this part slow, get it down well, and then move onwards in order to instill confidence in me in her. I am doing this exercise loose in the Roundpen, though I have done it with her tied to the hitching rack. I am experimenting to see if she is given more freewill during the work, does her resistance lessen?

In the roundpen, loose, I just start patting and putting pressure on her back. Sometimes she will walk off and if she does I follow a few steps, still with pressure and then let my hands slide off.

Here I am using my hand as a Target for her nose to touch. When she does she gets a click and treat. Here the point is to move her up, so the mounting block is in an ideal place.

If she stands still while I get on the mounting block she gets a click-treat. If she backs up, I move her into position again with my hand (though I think I’ll bring out my target sock for a longer reach as then I wouldn’t have to get off the block).

In this photo she has been good and got her click, while she turns around for her treat, she pins her ears, still rather peeved about the entire process.

BTW there are some things I really like about this Roundpen: the big trees that give some shade and the rubber side “ropes” instead of boards or pipe. What I don’t like is that it is located quite a distance from the main working areas, has grass (that can be distracting), and is a bit too small for the big horses.

The Body Wrap uses two elastic bandages, each one is 4 inches wide (10.2 cm) and 5.3 feet long (1.6 m). Select the type that use clips – not the self-adhesive types. One will be used on the chest; the second across the hindquarters.

This video gives details on how to introduce the Body Wrap to your horse: 

He is not all that concerned about it and you can see him trying to snatch grass during all this boring videotaping! However, a horse that has not been sacked out – a mare in heat – a stallion – or a horse who is very reactionary to touches at the tail or hindlegs, may have a totally different reaction and why it is crucial that you put this on IN STEPS….

SAFETY TIP!! One story I recall is that another person had put on the body wrap – had experienced no trouble, and then when it went under the tail, the horse exploded! So PLEASE this is something to take in steps, and if it was my horse I would sack out or familiarize the horse with being touched under the tail, the hindquarters, and between the legs before proceeding.

Safety Tips:

• Don’t have the horse tied up. Have someone stand at the head, off to the side.
• Work in an enclosed arena so if the horse gets loose/panics you can catch him.
• Take it in steps and never assume your horse will take the wraps calmly.
• Take it slowly and make sure your horse sees what you are doing.
• When you put the tail over the back bandage, make sure you don’t have it tied on the near side. This allows you to release it if the horse panics.
• All knots should be safety tied so they can release in an emergency.
• It’s very helpful to have a second person during this entire process.
• I prefer the horse to be sacked out (or similarly trained) before using a Body Wrap.

The Body Wrap can be used with the ground work or in the saddle. Here you can find two videos, both using the bodywrap, as I work Big Guy through some pole exercises: The Labyrinth and The Fan (both TTeam exercises).

I’ll show a saddle use in the future when Big Guy and I get to that point. The Promise Rope is a similar tool, but it really needs it’s own post as I have found horses can react quite strongly to it.

Body Wraps often encourage the lazy horse to step through from behind with more purpose. Body wraps are helpful for:

1. Horses who trip and are clumsy;
2. Horses who seem disconnected from front to back, such as in horses that are heavy on the forehand;
3. Horses who need re-balancing;
4. Horses needing more impulsion from behind;
5. Horses recovering from neurological damage (EPM);
6. Horse who don’t seem to know where their body is, such as they bump into corners, stall doors, gates etc…;
7. Nervous horses that bolt/are afraid of things from behind;
8. Horses who shy;
9. Horses who feel comforted by the supporting bandages - this is a horse by horse call as some horses feel this bandage “hug” as supportive and it helps encourage them to try new things; others may feel it is too restrictive and become fretful.

You may also want to check out Enlightened Horsemanship who wrote a pretty comprehensive post about the Body Wrap

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Note: The information about Linda Tellington Jones methods (TTouch and TTeam) is my opinion and interpretation of materials – numerous books, DVD’s, online YouTube videos, public blog etc… 

This post is in no way implies an endorsement by Linda Tellington-Jones of myself, my blog, or videos. I have taken a week-long TTeam training but at this time I am not certified by Linda Tellington-Jones.

TTeam, developed by Linda Tellington-Jones, covers horse training, with both ground and riding segments.

The Labyrinth and the Fan/Star, are both pole patterns that can be worked on the ground and in the saddle. I always prefer to start the horse in the pattern on the ground and when things are going smoothly, move to being under saddle, if desired.

Note: When doing the Fan under saddle you may want to lower poles and get them further spread apart to assist the horse.

These exercises are very helpful in aiding a horse to learn to wait for the Handler’s directions, gain balance, and move in non-habitual patterns which stimulates problem solving for the horse.

An interesting sidenote to these exercises – I often find after a pass or two through the patterns, the horse starts to lower his head, licking and chewing. Somehow the work changes a state of mind in the horse to one of acceptance and relaxation.

The Labyrinth

Using groundpoles, the horse is moved through the alley with two turns. It’s preferable that you stop the horse throughout, aim for straight body position on the parallels, and assist the turns so he doesn’t step onto a pole. Remember, to enter from either direction and then reverse.

This exercise seems very simple to do, however, I have seen many handlers and horses have problems, primarily because the Handler waited too late to give direction or the horse was not listening and blundered through. Take it slow and give verbal as well as gentle whip (taps and strokes) and lead rope signals to help the horse understand.

In this video, Big Guy is wearing a Body Wrap, another tool in TTeam to help the horse gain total body awareness.

Labyrinth helps horses who:

Don’t wait for the handler’s instructions – rush and are impatient;

Don’t seem to know where their body is from front – may be heavy on the forehand.

The horse who has a hard time bending – who pops out a shoulder or leans;

The horse who is not straight or who doesn’t stand properly;

and is helpful to improve the confidence of the horse.

The Fan (sometimes called the Star)

The Fan is a series of poles – 4-5 – that are raised on one end and which radiate out like the rays of the sun. The horse moves across them, on a slight bend, stepping over and following the handler’s direction:

In this video, you see how hard it is for Big Guy to stay straight and lift his legs over the poles. Because the horse is turning/bending during the work it can be very difficult for the uncoordinated horse – start with poles low and further spread out to build confidence before making it harder.

Fan/Star helps horses who:

are lazy with their hindquarters. This exercise increases the hindquarter lift;

who don’t seem to know where their feet are located, clumsy, uncoordinated;

introduces the idea of poles touching the legs (helpful for jumpers and despooking trail horses);

needing to bend properly while working the legs;

helps many of the same problems the Labyrinth does, however, the Fan is more difficult.

One of my favorite memories of my mare, Dear One, was working the Labyrinth, Star/Fan and a bridge in a huge jumping arena – with no tack. It showed to me how close our bond was and how much she would follow my direction due to her trust in me.

*~*~*~*

Note: The information about Linda Tellington Jones methods (TTouch and TTeam) is my opinion and interpretation of materials – numerous books, DVD’s, online YouTube videos, public blog etc… 

This post is in no way implies an endorsement by Linda Tellington-Jones of myself, my blog, or videos. I have taken a week-long TTeam training but at this time I am not certified by Linda Tellington-Jones.

Horses have amazing beauty when they move so it might come as a surprise to you that many of them don’t seem to know where their feet are! True! Here are a combination of TTouches you can do for the legs to give sensation and awareness and are helpful to the horse who:

• is clumsy;
• moves stiffly or trips;
• issues with placing his legs down correctly on the ground (i.e. strikes poles, clumsy through a jump etc…);
• increases the horses’ response to requests to turn and stop during groundwork;
• for trailer loading;
• encourages horses to cross tarps and go through water. 

TTouch is part of Linda Tellington-Jones’ TTeam system for horses. TTouch is a systematic hand (you) to body (horse) contact that seems to stimulate the nervous system and the cells of the horses body. It’s strongest point for me is that it promotes a healthy change in the horse’s attitude and ability with the least amount of force on the handler’s part.

Although, TTouch may massage muscles to a certain degree, it is not per se a massage system. By stimulating the cellular structure and nervous system though non-habitual movements, it is effective in changing the horses’ emotional and physical state.

Rainbow:

Both hands are used and are placed on opposite sides of the leg, They move in opposition to each other, on an arc, all the way down the leg to the hoof. This is a quick TTouch you can give to wake up feeling in the leg, pre-workout.

Tip: be sure you go all the way to the hoof with your hands. This helps grounds the horse and increases his feeling of stability.

Front Hoof Circles:

Front hoof circles are done by picking up the hoof and making a clockwise circle all the way to the ground. You can do a second one, clockwise, or mix them up with clockwise and counter-clockwise circles. The size of the circle should be determined by the horses’ comfort level. In addition to providing a sense of stability/grounding and leg awareness, front hoof circles can also relax and improve the athleticism of the houlder.

To do this correctly, keep the horses’ toe pointed downwards. Hold the leg securely, and relieve weight on your own back by supporting your arm with your own leg. Ideally, the circular movement should be generated from your own hips and pelvis vs. your arms (which will tire too quickly).The leg should be maintained in a position that is neither behind or in front of the stablizing leg.

Personally, I like to do both the front legs before proceeding to the back. I think going front, back, front, back would give the horse a feeling of being temporarily lopsided.

I might put a nice knee-up hold but I don’t stretch the hoof forward (like you see some massage therapists do) as I have heard negative responses about this extension.

Hind Hoof Circles:

In esssence, the same as front circles, however, you can encourage the horse to move his leg farther forward and back. If the horse rests his leg on his toe, you can gently rock his leg to give a nice ending to the work.

The sizes of the circles should always be decided by what the horse is willing to give.

Stroking Legs with a Whip:

This works well when the whip is exceptionally stiff. An interesting sidenote is that we did this to each other during the TTeam clinic and it was amazing to have it done and then walk off – the feeling of the leg – tingly – and the awareness of how the stroked leg moved and a spatial awareness is greatly increased as opposed to the leg we did not do.

A great exercise to do for improving groundwork, trailer training, wash rack training, and prior/during work with groundpoles or cavaletti.

Tapping the Hooves with the Whip’s button:

At the end of the leg stroke, reverse the whip and tap the hoof with the button. This increases the horses’ feeling and awareness of being grounded. He gains a better knowledge of where his hooves are and it increases his ability to place them correctly while moving.

Especially helfpul for the horse who trips or bangs into poles – and a horse who jigs or walks tip-toes.

*~*~*~*

Although, I do want to show some of the basic TTouches that I do on my horses, I won’t, in any way, be covering the entire program that Linda Tellington-Jones offers. Be sure to check out the other posts about Linda Tellington-Jones, and the Bookshelf tab which gives links to her books I have in my own library.

Note: The information about Linda Tellington Jones methods (TTouch and TTeam) is my opinion and interpretation of materials – numerous books, DVD’s, online YouTube videos, public blog etc… 

This post is in no way implies an endorsement by Linda Tellington-Jones of myself, my blog, or videos. I have taken a week-long TTeam training but at this time I am not certified by Linda Tellington-Jones.

TTouch is part of Linda Tellington-Jones’ TTeam system for horses. TTouch is a systematic hand (you) to body (horse) contact that seems to stimulate the nervous system and the cells of the horses body. It’s strongest point for me is that it promotes a healthy change in the horse’s attitude and ability with the least amount of force on the handler’s part.

Although, TTouch may massage muscles to a certain degree, it is not per se a massage system. By stimulating the cellular structure and nervous system though non-habitual movements, it is effective in changing the horses’ emotional and physical state.

Remember, be sure your fingernails are not long or jagged and hands should be clean of lotion, fly spray, shampoo etc…

Nostrils

In this video, I am doing the Nose TTouch work. Nostril work also aids in vet procedures (tubing etc…) and as you can see from this video, can be rather relaxing and calming to the horse.

Horses take in much of their world through the nose, and a horse with small nostrils – or pinched nostrils, is shutting themselves away from the greater world around them. You may find these types of horses more difficult to bond with, are shut back behind a wall or in a shell, and don’t interact with their fellow horses as much.

ZZ’s nostrils are rather small and narrow in a squarish muzzle. Working the nostrils can actually change and enlarge them; I noticed this with my half-Arab Beautiful Boy.

Mouth

Mouth TTouch can help the horse in many areas such as the everyday needs of dental, worming, and bridling.

With Mouth TTouch, it is simplest to start with rubbing the flat of your hand across the front of the horses’ gum and then work to pulling out the lip with the thumb and forefinger. You must be careful of horses who may nip and be aware of exactly where you are putting your hands.

Here ZZ is very resistant, which is not surprising as this is the first time (other then dental work) she has had a human touching her mouth. It was interesting that she was more resistant to the right then the left, which may play out later when we get to turns on the riding work.

If the horse gets too upset, I go back to other TTouches called Lying Leopard and Clouded Leopard – although I don’t discuss how to do that on the videos, when I do it, you can see ZZ relax again, sinking her head.

When I do Mouth TTouch, it’s interesting to note if the horse has a dry or wet mouth. If really dry (compared to other horses), I ask myself if this horse has fear or tension? Are they a personality that is rather reactionary and over stimulated?

I also like to work and lubricate the mouth with water when a horse is undergoing a colic attack. I don’t know if it helps but I would like to think it encourages them to relax the jaw and perhaps even get interested in water. I did this during pony’s last colic and rubbed her mouth with a liquid electrolyte mix, within 30 minutes she finally started drinking – whether that was just a coincidence or not I don’t know.

What I find the most fascinating about Mouth TTouch work is the idea that horses hold tension, fear, pain, and even emotional trauma, in their mouth. This seems logical as you seem the same thing with people (grinding teeth, TMJ) and we do know that horses grind their teeth, work their tongue and do other displacement behaviors in the mouth when stressed.

Ear Slides and TTouches

If there was one TTouch you were going to learn, please learn the Ear/Slide Touches. Stroking the ear can activate acupuncture spots which can help your horse become calmer during moments of shock, colic or just stressful situations.

It is also one of the simplest to learn and contributes directly to training: helping in bridling, ear clipping, lowering the head and inspecting the ears for health purposes.

Watch how relaxed ZZ gets during the work – and how Pandora comes up for some ear action (way too cute as always)…

The Ear TTouch is generally given with the thumb and the first two fingers giving a firm but not pinching stroke from the base of the ear to the tip. I like to make sure I finish with a definite touch on the tip of the ear – most of our own acupuncture spots are on the human lobe.

If you’re horse is too sensitive, try using the back of your hand in the stroke or lightening the pressure. Also, it’s not unusual for abused horses to have been hurt at the ear area – so proceed slowly and with caution – you may get an intense reaction if your horse has a history.

*~*~*~*

Although, I do want to show some of the basic TTouches that I do on my horses, I won’t, in any way, be covering the entire program that Linda Tellington-Jones offers. Be sure to check out the other posts about Linda Tellington-Jones, and the Bookshelf tab which gives links to her books I have in my own library.

Note: The information about Linda Tellington Jones methods (TTouch and TTeam) is my opinion and interpretation of materials – numerous books, DVD’s, online YouTube videos, public blog etc… 

This post is in no way implies an endorsement by Linda Tellington-Jones of myself, my blog, or videos. I have taken a week-long TTeam training but at this time I am not certified by Linda Tellington-Jones.

I have to admit that my reason for making this rather long video about such a simple subject, is because every time I am at a show, clinic, or even at a big barn, and watch people hose off their horse, it just frustrates me!

People make some common mistakes when bathing and they really do effect the overall welfare of the horse:

Jetting cold water up the tail. Inevitably, the horse tucks it’s tail and hindquarters and almost collaspes! Then people laugh… the same people that will say later, “I love my horse” or “I don’t understand why my horse doesn’t bond with me…?”

Jetting cold water over the sweated muscles of the back without adjusting the horses’ body to the water first. These same people will later find their horse with a sore back, or lament, “I don’t know what I can do to strengthen my horses’ back!!” Hint – hitting it with cold water and having the horse hollow his back does not strengthen his back.

Spraying the horses’ head even though he is obviously protesting. People seem to think the horse should just suck it up and let them do whatever they want with them as if they were some sort of toy…. and the same people later moan: “my horse is so head shy!” or “why doesn’t my horse trust me?”

General Guidelines:

1.) Hose the horses’ front and back legs first.

2.) Next, the chest, shoulders then neck, but don’t do the head, ears or face.

3.) Hose the hindquarters but don’t do the tail. Always stand to the side for safety.

4.) Rinse the stomach. If stomach muscles pull up dramatically, then go back to legs, chest and hindquarters until your horse is ready.

5.) Rinse the back – if the horse drops away, go back to the other areas immediately. If the back hollows, you are hurting hot muscles and increasing the possibility of later soreness.

6.) Wet the tail by bringing it away from the butt. Start at the end and work your way up the tail bone (I’ll be doing a separate video on tail care).

7.) Rinse the inside of the hind legs and butt cheeks last. Start from the lower point of the leg and move up.

8.) Handwash the face with a towel and water.

9.) At this point you would apply shampoo, brace etc… give time for the shampoo to set if needed (this is for color shampoos and some white-out conditioners) by hand grazing your horse – or time him up and wash the face and treat the tail while waiting. Then go back to rinsing. Make sure water rinses clear.

10.) Always be standing to the side, never the back of the horse, for safety’s sake.

11.) Before sweatscraping, check the body temperature to make sure coat is truly cool to the touch. If hot or warm at the girth, chest, ribs or back, repeat hosing off steps.

12.) Sweatscrap… If soap is evident in the run off, return to rinsing until it squeegee’s clear. Soap left in the coat will cause coat and tail rubbing.

In the summer, my program is to hose off after every workout if temps are above 85 degrees or if my horse is evidently sweaty (I rinse off more often; this is just a guideline for a barn without hot water). 

Generally, I rinse off, put on a liniment brace, and then sweatscrap and hand walk till dry – or tie the horse up to treat hooves, wash face, etc… I only shampoo about twice a month. Shampooing too often gets the coat dry, losing the natural coat oils, so using a brace or a mix of Apple Cider Vinegar is better during those days you are not getting ready for a show or clinic.

Bathing your horse may seem like a simple thing… but if it is so simple, then why do so many people get it wrong?

On my other blog  I had given some details about how I use a massage tool called The Stick, and another tool, The Trigger Wheel.

In this video, I once again show some work with The Stick – both on the hindquarters and on the shoulder. If you don’t have a tool, that is okay! You can use your hands as shown at the end of this video.

The purpose is to warm up the muscles and prepare them for work. You can do this post or pre workout – and I like to do a bit of both if it is going to be an intense workout for the horse.

If you are like me and consider your horse a true athlete, really consider learning some basic massage techniques that can help your horse perform better and lessen the chance of injury. Even just a little work before, with a good warmup program can greatly help your horse.

After three months of enforcded stall rest due to his pelvic fracture, Big Guy’s hooves did not emerge unscathed. He ended up with some crumbling hooves and thrush. The thrush has moved into the frog of his right fore – this often causes a slit to form which further houses the thrush.

This little video shows how I treat it: a combination of Neosporin antibiotic ointment mixed with a fungal foot cream for humans. This is placed in a syringe (no needle) and then pumped into the frog opening. I’ll do this every time I get done with work.

Every 3-4 days I’ll soak the entire foot in warm water mixed with some Borax.

I am not a big fan of commerical horse products for thrush treatments. They are very harsh and often do dry out the hoof… but then lead to other issues.