Yielding the Forequarters from the Ground
A horse that performs a correct spin on the ground is worth having for several reasons, and the first is control of the front end. You can move him out of your space whenever you need to.
Taught properly, you stop worrying about a horse spooking into you or shoving you around with his head and shoulders. It is practical and it comes up constantly.
It carries into the saddle
Control of the shoulders on the ground makes control under saddle far easier. Spins and rollbacks come much more readily once this is taught from the ground.
Yielding the forequarters is part of my pre-ride checklist. I run through it with a horse every single time before I get on. It tunes him into you and sets the tone for the whole ride.
What you need: a halter and lead set — the feel and the weight are what carry the cue down the rope, which is why a heavy, stiff rope does this better than a soft one. The stiff four-knot halter and the 14 ft weighted lead are the same pieces sold separately.
The cues
- Crouch into an active body position.
- Tap the air with your hand or your stick.
You want the inner front foot to cross in front of the outer front, with one back foot staying pivoted. Get all of that before you release.
One or two good steps, then release and reward. It does not have to be pretty, it has to be correct — energetic and soft.
Desensitise between every ask, and pet his face after each release. Many horses will try to move before you have asked; follow them calmly until they stop.
This one takes study
More than the others, this is about your own body position. Most horses will try to back up or walk forward instead of moving sideways, so set him up to succeed by where you stand.
The goal is a responsive, correct 360 from nothing more than a tap in the air.