How well does your horse stop?
Does he just slow down and eventually
stop?
Does he stop at all?
The most important thing a horse
should know is how to stop.
Some argue the most important thing
a horse should know is how to move forward.
I understand that thinking but in my
book, the stop is the biggee because a good
hearty "whoa" can save your life.
If your horse isn't very good at it,
then you're just askin' for trouble.
Here's a good way to get a great stop.
After you get your horse to stop, do
this...
"Back him up
a couple steps!"
Why?
Because it cements in the horse's mind
that he won't be going forward.
Going forward is, of course, the opposite
of stopping.
So when you teach him he "won't" be going
forward, he eventually gets it in his mind.
