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How to get a soft horse, the beginning

One of the foundation ‘moves/ cues’ to teach your horse of any age is to give in their face, poll, neck, shoulders, rolling out to the hinds. This move teaches your horse how to soften, give to your pressure, move their feet, and control their feet. It does this when you pick up your lead and ask for them to give their nose. Once they give their nose, the poll softens, then the neck, the shoulders roll out and the inside front foot takes a step out, following the lead rope. As the horse follows the feel, its hind end kicks around. This exercise gets the entire body involved. It is good to regain focus when a horse gets distracted.

A woman with long hair in a braid is grooming a brown and white horse in a dusty area with mountains in the background under clear blue skies.

It does this when you pick up your lead and ask for them to give their nose. Once they give their nose, the poll softens, then the neck, the shoulders roll out and the inside front foot takes a step out, following the lead rope. As the horse follows the feel, its hind end kicks around. This exercise gets the entire body involved. It is good to regain focus when a horse gets distracted.

A woman gently interacting with a brown and white horse in a rural outdoor setting, with hills in the background under a clear blue sky.

To start, you get the horse going on the circle. This might take a few tries with a greener horse, but keep at it, they learn quickly. With a green horse, stand a few steps back from their shoulder and take your hand with the lead in it (the one towards your horse’s head) and pick up your hand and the lead and point your finger straight out in the direction the horse is pointed. When the horse steps forward, drop your hand 6-8 inches and bring your finger back in, letting the horse move forward. More advanced horses can start standing in front of you and you pick up the hand in the direction you want them to go, and the horse should step out onto the circle. That wlll be a separate article. Once the horse is moving on the circle consistantly, pick up the lead, transfer if to your other hand, pick it up towards the horses hip, keeping a soft feel, not pulling. Your horse will likely stick its inside leg straight into the ground and stand up on it. That’s ok. Just hold your hand and the lead up towards its hip and ask for forward motion. Hold until the nose comes down and in, the poll will soften, the neck will follow, and that inside leg will let soften and step forward and out. The hind end should follow through and roll out and away from you. Be sure to practice both sides. It is a good exercise to evaluate your horses mood or focus level. This is a basic exercise I use every time I get my horses out to see where they are at today. I use it when they have extra energy that needs and outlet, or they get distracted by their envirmonment. That helps teach your horse to focus back to you in all situations.

A brown and white horse stands on a dry, sandy surface, with a person holding its lead. Two dogs are walking nearby against a backdrop of mountains and a clear blue sky.

Once the horse is moving on the circle consistently, pick up the lead, transfer if to your other hand, pick it up towards the horse’s hip, keeping a soft feel, not pulling. Your horse will likely stick its inside leg straight into the ground and stand up on it. That’s ok, just hold your hand and the lead up towards its hip and ask for forward motion. Hold until the nose comes down and in, the poll will soften, the neck will follow, and that inside leg will let soften and step forward and out.

A person in a blue shirt is holding a rope attached to a brown and white horse in a dusty outdoor setting, with mountains in the background.

The hind end should follow through and roll out and away from you. Be sure to practice both sides.

A person gently handling a horse in a rural setting, with mountains in the background and clear blue sky.

This is a good exercise to evaluate your horse’s mood and focus level. This is a basic exercise I use every time I get my horses out to see where they are at today. I use it when they have extra energy that needs and outlet, or they get distracted by their environment. That helps teach your horse to focus back to you in all situations.

A woman gently strokes the neck of a brown and white spotted horse while holding a rope in an outdoor setting with a clear blue sky.
A person with a braided hairstyle embraces a black and white horse while looking out over a landscape with mountains in the background and sparse vegetation.

I have been training and showing horses for 30 years. I started in grade school with formal lessons at Rainbow Farms. I, also, helped in the therapeutic riding program. I progressed on into showing in eventing with another local trainer. Through her, met and trained with Alan Fox, coach for the German Olympic teams in the 80s. I trained with him until I bought my 1st horse, a yearling. I chose to dive into western speed events at that point and trained my colt and rode a friends horse to several belt buckets and a ton of feed. I cut back my riding time when I went to Architecture school at MSU. After I left MSU, I started training again. I got my first appaloosa. Through him, I fell in love with them. I took him from Mississippi to Montana to get my bachelors degree in natural horsemanship. We have been here since.

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