Working in the round pen

Let me share some round pen tips with you. Hopefully my view will be a different twist than what you are used to seeing. This will let you develop a deeper understanding of how the horse's mind is working in the pen. Keep in mind my goal is to leave an impression to the reader that the round pen at liberty, long rope, neck rope, snubbing horse or post, and the first few rides are the same thing to the horse. I call the theory rear end under, front end across.

First off, round penning and getting the horse to hook up on you, has been around for a extremely long time. The method use to be called push and retreat. Round pens of brush, logs, and rock, have been used for hundreds of years.

When you first start, push your horse off by applying pressure to the hip. I demonstrate using a flag to apply pressure. (See picture #1.) Later in this series I will use a lariat. Sometimes I begin with the lariat, but that would defeat the building block process I wish for you to see.

When the horse moves off, lower your flag down and rotate your body with the horse. Raise your flag back up or make a suggested movement with your body only if the horse doesn't move as you wish. Otherwise the horse will just think your chasing after it. The slogan how much does it take, how little does it take, referring to the pressure being applied to move the horse, is now being introduced to the horse's mind. Be particular how you control your reaction to the horse's action.

Understand that the arc of the round pen is going to help the horse arc his body and offer an inside eye to you. As you start to see the inside eye watching you, move and travel straight back towards the edge of the pen, making a pulling motion on your horses eye with your hand. I refer to this as pulling on an eye. You are retreating and removing the pressure from the horse. (See picture #2.) As the horse turns to the inside step forward towards the horse, making a gesture for it to go in the opposite direction. (See picture #3.) If the horse turns to the outside turn it back immediately. If you let the horse turn towards the pen to the outside at this time you will loose it's attention. It will be extremely hard on the horse to get it back.

As you step backwards making the pulling motion on the horse's eye--you are pulling the horse's rear end under, bringing the horse into you. When you step forward toward the horse, you are pushing on an eye, asking the front end to come back across and away from you.

After you get a few good inside turns in each direction, choose a time when the horse turns to the inside, then back away, release all pressure, and give the horse an opportunity to stop and rest while looking at you with both eyes. Eventually work your way up to the horse or let it come into you. Once you can touch your horse, begin to sack it out. (See picture #4.) The reason this theory works is when the horse turns to the inside his vision has to pass on you. Catching the eye looking at you gives you the opportunity to release pressure. This procedure let's the horse figure for himself that stopping, resting, and looking at you is a good place to be.

At last depending on what your goals are, once the horse is sacked out without using restraint, now is a good time to saddle or halter break your horse. (See picture #5.)

Round penning at liberty is a good tool for handled or domesticated horses. The point I'm trying to drive home is the round pen is not a fix all. It's just a method and a very good tool to use. I hope now you can see it used in the terms of rear end under, front end across.

Until next time may the good Lord bless you, your family, and your livestock, and always remember "There is one bit that works on all horses, a bit of knowledge."

God bless, Pat

Pat Hooks is a day working cowboy from Texhoma, Okla. Hooks has taught clinics at national horse expos 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, DVDs, and clinics please go to www.hookshorseranch.com or call 580-423-7482.

Photo #1	Photo #2
Photo #3	Photo #4
Photo #5

Date: 7/16/07