Post by Elaine on Aug 21, 2012 12:41:40 GMT
Ok - here's an exercise I do with Oz in case it's useful for anyone else. If Oz decides he doesn't really want to go to a certain place, I was doing small serpentines, but they weren't quite working because Oz still had time to think about other stuff while doing them. So, I got really specific. Imagine each rein starts at your hand and goes straight down to each front foot. Then imagine (in time with the feet) you guide each front leg, one by one, to the outside. So you can get the right leg to step sideways (turn) while you walk, and you can do the same with the left leg (again - has to be in time with the feet - put a rope on a persons foot and practise on them, they'll tell you asap if you are doing it right!). Now - the exercise. Your horses front legs are moving in the walk... right, left, right, left. You ask for a leg when the words are in capitals: RIGHT, left, RIGHT, LEFT, right, LEFT, (and then repeat again like this) RIGHT, left, RIGHT, LEFT, right, LEFT... Gets Oz totally focused & he stops thinking of everything else. In about 20 seconds I have him where he didn't want to go AND happy to be there and have a rest from this weird 'right/left' leg stuff 
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