In this module we will take the horse from being tame, having learned basic husbandry tasks, to being ready to safely ride.
| Number | New Criteria | Measures |
| 30 | Target Indicated Objects | |
| 30.1 | Horse will target to fingers on random objects with no latency | Latency |
| 30.2 | Horse will target to object indicated by fingers with no latency | Latency |
| 30.8 | can target indicated objects in new area close to pens (in sight) 10x | X-Omg |
| 30.9 | can target indicated objects into nature | Level |
| 31 | Interact with Guider Ball | |
| 31.1 | Horse will target nose to guider ball with no latency | Latency |
| 31.2 | Horse will allow trainer to rub with guider ball esp. girth with no evasions |
Map |
| 31.3 | Horse will stop, back, and walk-on in response to cues from guider stick (10 cycles) |
X-Omg |
| 31.4 | Horse can be lead in “flight of homing pigeon” into new areas without evasions. |
Evasions |
| 31.9 | can do homing pigeon out of sight of pens and other horses | Level |
| 32 | Targeting Cones | |
| 32.1 | Horse will touch nose to cone 10x per minute | Frequency |
| 32.2 | Horse will move feet to put nose on cone without latency | Latency |
| 32.9 | Go outside gate to new area to target the cone 10x | X-Omg |
| 33 | Respond to Walk-On Cue around circle of hoppers | |
| 33.1 | Horse steps forward in response to walk on and pointing around circle | Latency |
| 33.2 | Horse will walk half way around circle | X-Omg |
| 33.3 | Horse will walk full circle | X-Omg |
| 34 | Respond to Whoa Cue | |
| 34.1 | Horse will respond to signal: “whoa” by stopping feet and standing still with low latency while trainer is next to horse. |
Latency |
| 34.2 | Horse will respond to signal: “whoa” by stopping feet and standing still with low latency while trainer is away from horse. |
Latency |
| 35 | Respond to Back Cue | |
| 35.1 | signal: “back cue” , pull back on lead both feet 1 step with no latency | Latency |
| 35.2 | signal: “back cue” , pull back on lead both feet 6 steps | Duration |
| 36 | Desensitize to Arm Over Back While Walking | |
| 36.1 | arm can be on back 10 seconds | Duration |
| 36.2 | person can walk next to horse 100 ft | X-Omg |
| 36.3 | person can walk with arm over horse 100 ft | X-Omg |
| 37 | Walk on, whoa, back with arm over back | |
| 37.1 | initiate walking with a learned cue while AOB with no latency | Latency |
| 37.2 | initiate whoa with a learned cue while AOB with no latency | Latency |
| 37.3 | initiate back with a learned cue while AOB with no latency | Latency |
| 37.4 | WWB with arm over back in alley, between cones, and familiar places | Level |
| 38 | Direct rein pressure (natural rein alignment) | |
| 38.1 | Bend neck without stepping (nose to girth) | Level |
| 39 | Move Front Feet | |
| 39.1 | indirect rein pressure, pushing/pulling, R and L sides | Level |
| 39.2 | one lateral step | X-Omg |
| 39.3 | one cross over | X-Omg |
| 39.4 | partial circle with only fronts (3 steps) | X-Omg |
| 39.5 | lateral movement 360 degrees with hind legs not walking, both directions |
Level |
| 40 | Move Hips in Response to Belly Taps | |
| 40.1 | Horse will move hind feet laterally in response to tap behind girth without front feet walking 7 steps |
X-Omg |
| 40.2 | No latency in stepping laterally | Latency |
| 40.3 | Horse will cross over hinds during rotation 3x | X-Omg |
| 40.4 | Horse will continuously move haunches as long as stimulus is applied | Level |
| 41 | Ground Tying | |
| 41.1 | horse targets rope on the ground immediately | Latency |
| 41.2 | horse stops when trainer drops rope immediately. | Latency |
| 41.3 | horse stations at a coiled rope on the ground while trainer walks around for 30 seconds |
Duration |
| 42 | Desensitize to Blanket | |
| 42.1 | target blanket with nose alternating with blanket moving immediately. | Latency |
| 42.2 | target with shoulders and withers 5x | X-Omg |
| 42.3 | CDP with blanket on all parts | Map |
| 42.4 | stand stationary for blanket approach to the sides 3x | X-Omg |
| 42.5 | respondent conditioning to associate blanket with food or game without evasions |
Evasions |
| 42.6 | horse stands while blanket is flung on 5x | X-Omg |
| 43 | Desensitize to Girth | |
| 43.1 | respondent condition velcro noise + food without evasions | Evasions |
| 43.2 | target rope or velcro strap 10x | X-Omg |
| 43.3 | calm with belly lifts 10x | X-Omg |
| 43.4 | calm with moving girth 10x | X-Omg |
| 43.5 | respondent condition buckle noises + food without evasions | Evasions |
| 43.6 | stands calmly while girth applied 10x | X-Omg |
| 43.7 | walks calmly while girth is on | Level |
| 44 | Desensitize to Saddle | |
| 44.1 | target saddle with nose, alternate with saddle moving immediately. | Latency |
| 44.2 | target saddle with shoulders and withers 5x | X-Omg |
| 44.3 | stands stationary for saddles approach from both sides 5x | X-Omg |
| 44.4 | respondent conditioning to associate saddle with food/game without evasions |
Evasions |
| 44.5 | stands calmly while saddle girth is fastened 10x | X-Omg |
| 44.6 | walks calmly saddled with girth on. | Level |
| 44.7 | respondent conditioning to slapping leather and moving stirrups without evasions |
Evasions |
| 44.8 | Horse stands calmly while saddles is put on and walks calmly with the saddle on 20x |
X-Omg |
| 44.9 | can go into nature under saddle being led | Level |
| 45 | Tapping as Easy Cue (guider ball and/or hand) | |
| 45.1 | Immediately get in easy posture in response to tapping | Latency |
| 45.2 | Horse will do 10 second duration easy on verbal cue | Duration |
| 46 | Desensitize to Human over back | |
| 46.1 | human can change elevation with bouncing/jumping 5x per side | X-Omg |
| 46.2 | human can stand on block and feed over back 10x | X-Omg |
| 46.3 | human can stand on fence and horse can immediately target withers to human knee on request |
Latency |
| 46.4 | human can put leg over back (holding fence) 20x | X-Omg |
| 46.5 | human leg over back and horse does easy 20x | X-Omg |
| 46.6 | human can sit on horse and hold fence 20 seconds | Duration |
| 46.7 | horse can stand calmly and do “easy” (10 sec) with human on back | Level |
| 47 | Mounting and Dismounting | |
| 47.1 | Human can be across or along back on belly feeding horse 10x | X-Omg |
| 47.2 | Human can slide off on both sides and over rump 10x | X-Omg |
| 47.3 | Human can mount from a block and horse can stand still while human dismounts 20x |
X-Omg |
| 47.4 | Assistant can stand on off side (to stabilize saddle) while rider steps up on stirrup from ground 20x |
X-Omg |
| 47.5 | human can mount and unmount while horse stands still (both sides) 20x | X-Omg |
| 48 | Halter Driving | |
| 48.1 | Horse can circle at appropriate indicated distance 7 steps | Duration |
| 48.2 | The horse will immediately turn on the forehand (swing away haunches) when trainer pulls lead toward hip | Latency |
| 48.3 | The horse will immediately transition from facing up to lunging circle with turn on the turning on the haunches | Latency |
| 48.4 | horse can circle, face up, turn to hip pressure move away in opposite direction or as directed (or horse can lunge, respond to lead pull by swinging haunches and then move front end away from pressure to go back to lunge circle) 10x | X-Omg |
| 49 | Lunging (free or on lead) | |
| 49.1 | Horse will walk on in response to verbal cue with no latency. | Latency |
| 49.2 | Horse will whoa in response to verbal cue with no latency. | Latency |
| 49.3 | Horse will back in response to verbal cue with no latency. | Latency |
| 49.4 | WWB on the lunge 10 cycles | X-Omg |
| 50 | Off Side Circle | |
| 50.1 | Horse can target with no latency to rope that is alternately waved around |
Latency |
| 50.2 | Horse can have rope rubbed all over them | Map |
| 50.3 | Horse can do easy with rope along side of body 5x | X-Omg |
| 50.4 | Horse can do easy with rope along body and legs 5x | X-Omg |
| 50.5 | the horse can turn away from trainer in response to rope pressure on the off side of its body and legs CALMLY 20x |
X-Omg |
| 51 | Ground Driving | |
| 51.1 | Horse can walk with person on side (2 people, 1 leading) 100 ft | X-Omg |
| 51.2 | Horse can be “whoa”ed with neck rope with driver on one side (2 people) with no latency. |
Latency |
| 51.3 | Horse allows rope along body (2p) | Map |
| 51.4 | Horse turns in response to rope pressure on hindquarters (2p) with no latency. |
Latency |
| 51.5 | Horse can walk with lines along boths sides of body at at once (2p) 100 ft |
X-Omg |
| 51.6 | Horse can drive with one line at a time on near or far side (2p) 100 ft | X-Omg |
| 51.7 | Horse can walk calmly with driver in position but reins crossed on back getting direction from lead rope 100 ft |
X-Omg |
| 51.8 | Horse stands still when lines placed on ground 10x | X-Omg |
| 51.9 | Horse can be driven with lead rope unattached but assistant still there 100 ft |
X-Omg |
| 51.99 | Horse can be driven calmly around familiar areas | Level |
| 51.999 | can go into nature being driven | Level |
| 52 | OMG Stress Training | |
| 52.1 | Horse will go to trainer to avoid aversive stimulus immediately | Latency |
| 52.2 | Horse stays with trainer at liberty in the r.p. | Level |
| 52.3 | Horse stays with trainer being led in alley | Level |
| 52.4 | Horse stays with trainer being led in yard | Level |
| 53 | Going Into Nature | |
| 54 | Direct Horse From Saddle | |
| 54.1 | Horse turns in response to combination of direct and indirect rein | Level |
| 54.2 | Horse stops immediately with “whoa” (verbal and seat adjustment) | Latency |
| 54.3 | Horse backs immediately with rein cue | Latency |
| 54.4 | Horse immediately moves hindquarters in response to leg cues | Latency |
| 54.5 | Horse goes where rider indicates with reins and legs in a med size area |
Level |
| 55 | One Rein Emergency Stop | |
| 55.1 | Horse will respond immediately to direct rein pressure during forward motion by turning head to release rein tension |
Latency |
| 55.2 | From a forward moving action the horse will respond to direct rein and inside leg behind girth by stopping with no latency. |
Latency |
| 56 | Go Riding | |
| 56.053 | Can go into nature ridden and led by assistant | Level |
| 56.1 | Directed riding in yard | Level |
| 56.2 | Directed riding into nature | Level |
| 56.3 | Horse can be ridden out of sight of pens with another horse completing turns as requested |
Level |
4 thoughts on “Saddle Training”
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Thank you for these guidelines. My mustang was gathered at 10, gelded and sent to two different trainers within his first year off the range. Stress caused severe ulcers and he almost died. He got the first year off with me – no demands, just building trust. He is still extremely reactive if I walk through the paddock with anything new (a hat, the halter and rope, etc.), although feeding and winging hay nets around is okay with him. I’m hoping by following your guidelines, step by step, he will become calmer and safer to ride (which I haven’t done yet).
are there videos showing this process?
It is all about building a history of positive interactions. The more times you can interact in short happy sessions, the better he will get. Longer sessions don’t you more trust, so keep them short to prevent errors. Spend 5 minutes 10 times a day…. one day you will realize that you have a different horse. Spend many sessions on Task 10 and get to where you can give him pleasurable scratches everywhere. Especially the midline of the belly and under the tail….. it will take some time, but you will be glad you took the time to get it done. Require the relaxation of the easy posture on 10 so he has to tell you yes.
Update: Autumn 2020. I will be linking this page to Task pages where all the videos and instructions will be available.