Teaching the Backup to a Young Horse

7.33 minutes – In this video John works with a young filly that was started by someone else the previous year. She had a lot of time off and came back into work quite anxious. In this video he explains how he teaches the back up. He uses repetition of the backup cues and releases and rewards when the horse comes off the pressure. He is wanting the horse to start to anticipate the cue and backup off less pressure. The horse soon learns that when John cues her to backup, if she softens and backs up earlier she gets rewarded quicker. The end product will be a horse that backs up willing and has a low neck because their back is soft and round. It’s important that you draw smoothly on the reins with feel in your hands not pull quickly or be jerky with your hands.