Drawing towards you and touch your hand as a target
Original Question
Angie can I ask why you don’t go to his tail (hindquarters) to draw him in? Or is this specifically about touching a target? Thanks
Question Elaborated:
It’s like the catching game, where you make an arc around them if they aren’t looking at you and head for their back end or tail. If they don’t give you 2 eyes then you create a little bit of pressure behind them, if they make even one step towards you or look at you, then you widen out on your circle or arc around them, or you turn away and take all pressure off. If they move away from you again you spiral in a little closer aiming for the tail again, it’s a connection exercise, hope I explained it ok.
Just haven’t seen this way of doing it before although it’s similar to drawing them in off a circle rather than disengaging them .
Angie’s Answer
I know what you mean now, when you said ‘go to his tail’ I wasn’t sure.
SO yes I would go to the hindquarters or tail but more so out wide to the hindquarters in an arc, as long as you are directing energy out behind the drive line to help draw them forward.
This exercise is probably more advanced and someone would have to already have connection with their horse.
If I had a really disconnected horse I would probably use these strategies below in order to work on draw (again it would be a feel thing)…
- move their feet more (create drive to help create more draw), then;
- do a partial disengagement on an arc (I think the one you were talking about) to help create draw, as soon as I have them locked onto me ie. get their attention raise my hand or click so you are tag a cue. Only partial, if you put too much pressure on the HQs/tail area then you will loose the forward needed for the draw.
- do something to get their attention, as soon as I get their attention, raise my hand and draw (what I am doing in this video). Though you will notice that I still arc out to the side and create a little energy with my stick (I just don’t crouch or make it obvious) but I am still pushing energy towards his HQs and tail, it’s just very subtle as that’s all I needed to help get his attention a few times.
When you say similar to drawing them in off a circle is correct (as it’s a very soft spiraling- hence partial disengagement, BUT the only difference is that it’s more about getting their attention. As I am explaining this I would call it ‘Catch their Eye and Draw’.
The other way would be ‘Catch their Tail and Draw’.
The ‘Catch their Tail and Draw’ one is easier as you can get out behind the drive line on an arc and then draw forward.
The ‘Catch their Eye and Draw’ one is more difficult as you are trying to stay out in front of the drive line and draw (if you have to you can walk around in an arc but you are thinking about getting their attention, not so much getting behind the drive line).
This exercise could be for people wanting to test their draw. But first teach it in close like this. It really helps put a cue on your horse to get their attention. It also puts a cue on your horse that whenever you raise your hand and click (optional) it means draw. That way you don’t have to rely on big arcs and obvious cues. My goal is to work on draws from 40-70 meters away so I eventually need a cue where I am WAY out in front of my horse, so when I raise my hand from a long distance (and I yell their name in an excited voice ), then they come running.
Hope that makes sense Nat, great question!
Bud – Touch My Hand Exercise from a Distance – Get Attention, Hand Up & Click then Touch my Hand – Session 4