Working the fence

There is a lot going on behind the scenes in this article. I would like for you to grasp onto the idea were targeting the horses vision with this exercise. Horses see through trifocal vision and each focal is designed by nature to see different distances and angles. This go round were focused on the top tri focal. What has helped me stay on top and in the middle through the years has been prepping (sacking out) the horse above it's head (top trifocal) before I ride a new colt or a horse that is strange to me. Most folks spend a lot of time underneath or beside their horse when sacking them out. That's good medicine and should be accomplished before saddling, general ground manners and handling the feet, but I've learned it doesn't count for much when you throw a leg over and take a seat.

Here is the way I'm thinking on this deal and what works for me. I usually accomplish mounting my horse's bare back before I saddle them. That let's me know if the horse is afraid of the human, being cinched up, or the saddle itself. I do everything I can possibly think of to sack out the horses eye above it's head. I jump up and down beside the horses eyes until their calm with my movement, use the following exercise, pony with a snubbing horse. Whatever it takes, I try to safely reach what I call the "point of no return." Have I been bucked off using this method? Is a frog's butt water tight? You bet, but not as often as I did before after I started sacking out the horses eye at all three levels of sight.

Here is the catch if there is one. When you raise up or set down to take your seat you come into a different focal point of the horse's vision than when you were one legged in the stirrup or laid down on it's back bareback. As you take your seat the horse will now see you from the top trifocal of the eye which is made to see far away, not up close and behind it's head. In my opinion, unless the horses top trifocal of the eye has been previously sacked out before you take a seat, to the horse you will just be a blurry predator on it's back. Welcome to the point of no return, be ready because the horse doesn't understand if your ready to ride or not. The following actions of the horse and the riders dismounting abilities should go without explanation or imagination.

Before you start this exercise keep in mind horses do not like tight confined places. Their instincts tell them they are in a trap where a predator can attack them. Some horses, when they feel trapped, will choose to run over you as an escape route, rather than passing by or between an object. For those of you that have followed along and accomplished a little rear end under front end across from the previous articles on the long rope, teeter totter, and the snubbing post. This exercise will be just another building block. For those that are just now joining us, you might consider taking a peek at the previous articles.

Photo A Photo B Photo C PhotoD Photo E

In photo A, I'm asking the horse to pass between myself and an object. I have chosen to start the exercise using a safe panel for the horse to work between. After your colt or horse has passed between, by, or over an object, lift on your lead rope to remove the slack and ask the horse's hindquarters to roll under. This will cause your horse to face you. (See photo B.) At this time you can either give your horse a rub and verbal thank you or continue with fluid motion and bring the front end back across and travel in the opposite direction.

A piece of advice: Even though this looks very simple be prepared for some quick action by your horse as in photo C. This exercise will raise the emotions of any horse that hasn't experienced it. Don't be surprised if his instincts to flee aren't more important to him at this time, than your cue to roll his hindquarters. You may have to hip lock the rope in order to roll his rear end under. If too much action or problems occur, such as invading your space, bolting, charging, or cow kicking, give the horse a little space from the fence or object and let the horse continue in the direction they are traveling. Make a full circle and pass by the object again before rolling the hind quarters. Don't pass by the object more than two full circles at any one time. You will accidentally create an escape route in the horses mind. If the horse shoulders in on you to run you over rather than pass by don't be afraid to use the tail of your lead to get them off you.

After your horse has rolled his rear end under, release, reposition your hand cues and bring the horse's front end back across, sending him back in the opposite direction. A horse has two sides to his brain. Each eye affects the side of the brain it is on. Left eye, left brain. Right eye, right brain. You need to understand that your horse will respond differently on each side. Your horse may seem perfect going in one direction but scared to death in the other. You will have to teach both sides of the horse. This is one of the reasons why we work a horse both ways, back and forth in front of the object.

Next we raise the ante, to by which I mean we are going to add more "pressure" to the horse by changing our position in relationship to his eye. This makes the exercise more of a challenge. Even though your horse might have passed by the scary fence panel and rested there perfectly while you were on the ground, you will find it is a building block to accomplish being on the panel above the horse, while performing the same exercise. Continue with the same sequence of rear end under, front end across as before, but place yourself on the panel above the horse as in photo D.

The final building block of the fence work should end up with the horse below you as in photo E resting and accepting your presence as you love on him. Let him enjoy this, for the horse, this must become a good place to be. The reason that the exercise will become more difficult is due to the horse's vision. The horse has trifocal vision, with each focal point of the horse's eye designed to see different distances. By moving in different locations relative to the eye, the horse's depth of field is affected, taking away from his defense system. We are asking for the horse to work against his nature in order to accept things against his God given spirit and instincts.

A couple of tips: Get a little help and have someone sit on the fence as you work the horse underneath them from the ground. The person on the fence has one job and one job only, to rub on the horse once it makes the decision to rest underneath them. Be sure and spend as much or more time making the right thing easy (resting underneath the person on the fence) for the horse as you did making the wrong thing difficult (working the rear end under front end across exercise).

And in closing thoughts; when no one is watching, sometimes it's easier on us used up and older folks to mount from a fence, trailer fender, mineral tub, ect. This exercise will help accomplish that for you.

Always remember "there is one bit that works on all horses, a bit of knowledge." See you next month. Until then, I hope the good Lord blesses you, your family, your livestock and gives us a little rain in the Panhandle.

Pat

Pat Hooks is a day working cowboy from Texhoma, Okla. Hooks has taught clinics at national horse expo's and private ranches since 1989, and writes how-to articles for various national magazines, websites and is a published author. For more information on his books, DVD's, and clinics please go to www.hookshorseranch.com or call 580-423-7482.

Date: 6/20/08