By Dolores Arste
http://www.zenhorsemanship.com

I've had some trouble putting these pieces into words and into sequence. So, bare with me. I think this is the first step. But, I may change my mind as I write the other pieces.

Prior to beginning this exercise I would like to have in place the bend to a stop explained in passenger lesson. However, if you haven't done the passenger lesson, it can be built out of the ability to turn or preferably a give and a yield of the hip. In a turn towards the wall or rail there is a moment where the there is a stop. In a green horse, this may or may not be accessible. It depends on the level of excitement in the environment and the clarity and precision in riding and the level of understanding of the horse.

It is also dependant on a good, better, best, yield the hip. I believe this has been explained before, but as a refresher as you are walking forward you will ask for the jaw to give, then you will ask for a better give and a best give. Then you will look back at the hip and ask for a give which causes the hip to yield.

Now, you can spend your time riding to a halt. A single cone will do for this. Ride towards the cone. When you reach the cone stop riding. If enough time has been spent in passenger lesson the horse will feel that you have stopped riding and stop. C/T.

But, due to the conditions of the day, the excitement of the horse or tension that still exists in our bodies the horse may not stop at this point and the horse will continue past the cone. As he passes the cone, look back over your shoulder and slide down the rein to guide him in a fairly tight turn back towards the cone. By looking back at the cone, your body will be asking him to yield his hip. As soon as you turn, lower your energy again and stop riding. You'd like him to feel that you are not asking for forward. If at any time, he stops, allow him to do so and be still for a few moments. At this point, you may mark and reward him for standing still relaxed. And, remember "no unrequested forward".

He may still not stop even after passing the cone a second time. As soon as you are past the cone again, look back and slide down your single rein to turn towards the cone again. Continue to repeat the turns until the horse stops. In the beginning, feel free to C/T anytime he stops.

If he hasn't stopped at the cone, go ahead and start again after a short stop.

Your goal will be to ultimately to stop at the cone by him reading the drop in your energy. So, if he does stop by the cone, C/T. If you have been C/T'ing the stops that did not occur at the cone, be sure to jackpot the stops at the cone.

The cone will give you something to focus on in riding back towards it. And, riding back towards it will shift his weight onto the hindquarters to complete the turn. As you look over your shoulder to shift your weight and body position, use your rein as if it was attached to the cone and the cone is gently pulling him in towards it.

I do not attach a que to the stop at this point. You are riding along and the horse discovers the dropping of your energy, and the turns encourage him to drop his energy. I could call this "coast to a stop". You are not asking for forward. But, neither are you asking for stop. The horse finds the stop in you and in himself. And, you C/T him for the finding of it. There is precision to be learned in ourselves in riding this pattern. How long before the cone do we need to stop riding so that when he arrives at the cone his energy will have ceased. What is his "coast" time? Each horse will be different. Some horses will stop as soon as we stop riding. In other words, they may stop before we get to the cone. Others might roll right on by the cone.

For each the goal is still to stop at the cone. Adjust and try again. For those that stopped before the cone, off you go again forward. For those that rolled on by, turn and ride back to the cone again. Eventually, you will find the balance point.

I hope this makes sense.

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There are 3 posts in this series as the stop on the "click" goes without explanation. I will add that if the horse is not stopping instantly on the click, his understanding of the marker is incomplete or the conditions are such that he is not "with" us on the day. Use this as information. Its part of your toolkit for communication.

If we have been riding to a stop, the horse is prepared to understand that as we stop riding he is allowed and encouraged to stop. At this point we'd like to have him stop on the word que. I struggled all week to try to determine which stop came next after riding to a stop. I determined that stopping on the word "whoa" is next. The reason I chose this is that Part 3 actively riding up into a collected stop is the last thing in John Lyons Riding book and is built from hip, shoulder, shoulder. So, my understanding of this will be Part 3.

To learn and to teach the stop on the word takes time and patience and patterning. Please do not expect this to happen the first time you try. If it does, that's great. But, most often you need to build the pattern for him to understand the word. It also depends on your horse's understanding of your body language and the ability to bend and ride back to the cone to stop. You will also need to be able to ride straight along a fence line on a loose rein.

So, let's begin. Ride straight along a fence line or arena wall. Ride for only a few strides sit and relax and at the same time say the word "whoa". Do not pick up the reins.

On the off chance he stops the first time c/t and sit at a stop (no unrequested forward) for about 1 full minute. Continue to reinforce at a high rate for standing still. Its best if you've done enough passenger lesson so that the horse no longer wants to go forward again without being asked.

Chances are that he will not have a clue that he should stop when you say the word. So, after you sit and relax and say the word "whoa" all at the same time count to 1001 - 1004 and slide down your outside rein and turn towards the wall or fence and ride 3 or 4 small circles and head back the other way along the wall without stopping. When you turn towards the wall there is a moment of stop in it. This exercise depends on the pattern of him having to sit back to turn into the wall.

After you turn and go the other way along the wall, again only go 4 or 5 strides before saying the repeating the sit and relax and at the same time saying the word "whoa".

If no other lesson teaches you that we often don't stay with an exercise long enough this one will. It may take a lot of time for the horse to understand the pattern. Trust it. After a time when you say the word, you will feel a moment of hesitation. C/T the hesitation which brings him to a stop. You are saying yes, that's the right thought. But, even though you got the stop from the click this time, still turn towards the wall into 3 or 4 circles and head back the other way.

Now that he has asked the question, he is probably still is not sure what you want. So, you will still need to be very patient and focused. He may not ask the question again for some time. Unless you run into some trouble, do not c/t anything other than the stop on the word while you are teaching this. Stopping at the word is the only clickable action the whole time you are practicing this. The only exception to this is that if he stops at the word whoa and gets his c/t then he will be heavily reinforced for staying stopped for a full minute. Resist the urge to cut the time you stay stopped.

Now, even though he is stopping on the word, after standing still for a minute, you will still turn into the fence and circle a few times and head back the other way. You want to imagine that there is a cliff in front of you and if you take one more step you'll be over the cliff. You want your whoa to be that immediate. So, never during the teaching of this go forward in the same direction after the whoa. Always turn back and go the other way.

As soon as you are getting the feet to stop on the word even with even the slightest bit of consistency lower your count on how long you wait before turning into the wall or fence to 1001 - 1002. You want to up the ante fairly quickly so that he not only understands that whoa means stop, but that it means stop now. Remember there's a cliff in front of you.

After the horse understands the "whoa", I will want to train the whoa along the wall for at least 5 days or more before trying to take it into the middle. I like those 5 days to be pretty close together. If you find you have taken it to the middle too soon, that's ok. Repeat the ride to a stop using the cone idea if your horse does not stop on the word the first time you take it to the middle. Then, immediately go back to the rail or wall and rebuild.

Later, when the horse is good at "whoa" and you have taught hip, shoulder, shoulder I will always back up at least two steps after stopping at the word. In other words, NEVER go forward again in the same direction after saying the word and getting the whoa. He must feel that if he takes one step forward he will fall off a cliff. Before you teach hip, shoulder, shoulder simply turn back and go the other way.

Anyone who has seen Isle teach the Dutch word for circle will see the similarities here. The same principles are in play.

Good luck, have fun. This one really takes patience. Trust the process.