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Yielding the Shoulders

Yielding the horse’s shoulders gives you greater control over your personal space, and the movement of the horse. Teaching this exercise will move the horse out of your space whenever he pushes into you with his shoulders. Also, you can position him anywhere you’d like during grooming or washing.

Move the Shoulders With the Rope

  1. Stand facing the horse parallel to the center of his neck, about four feet away from him.
  2. Have your lead rope in the hand closest to his head. To move the horse to his left, you would be on his right side with the rope in your right hand.
  3. Hold the tail of the rope, with about three feet of rope or enough to swing,  in your left hand.
  4. Stand up straight. Be assertive in your body language. Step toward the horse’s neck, holding your right hand up to put pressure on his head.
  5. If he doesn’t move over when you take a step toward him start to swing the rope in your left hand toward his shoulder.
  6. Swing the rope closer until it taps him on the shoulder.
  7. Increase the tapping until he takes a step away from you to the left.
  8. When he moves over one step reward him. Release the pressure and let him stand.
  9. Let the horse step away from you, don’t continue to follow him after you take the first step toward him. You want him to create a distance between you.
  10. It’s ideal that the horse crosses his front leg closest to you over his opposite one but don’t worry about it too much at first as long as he is moving away from you.
  11. Once he can take a step away from you three times correctly repeat on the horse’s left side.
  12. Build up the amount of steps he can take at one a time. In a week’s time he will be able to turn around in a 360 degree circle.

Problem Solving

Pins His Ears– Continue to ask the horse to move over until puts his ears forward. Don’t release the pressure when he has his ears back even if he is moving over correctly. Soon he will catch on that he doesn’t get a release unless he works with a pleasant expression on his face.

Won’t Move– Let the rope tap the horse on the shoulder increasing the intensity until he moves away. Don’t take away the pressure until he steps away from you.

Doesn’t Cross His Front Feet– Once the horse is stepping away, refine the exercise by only releasing when he crosses his front legs.

Steps Backward– Keep up the same amount of pressure and stay with the horse until he stops backing up and steps over instead. When he does immediately release the pressure to let him know that’s what you wanted.

Moves Forward– Do the same thing as if he was backing up. Continue to ask him to step over when he moves forward. Bump him with your lead rope to discourage him from moving forward if he ignores you. Walk with him and stop asking right when he steps away from you. You may need to have him face a fence for a few times to prevent him from going forward.

Yield the Shoulders With Hand Pressure

  1. Stand on your horse’s left side.
  2. Use assertive body language, stand up straight squared to the horse, and apply pressure with your right hand right behind his shoulder.
  3. Use slight pressure at first, and gradually increase it until the horse moves over to the right.
  4. When he moves over, stop pressing and rub him until he stands still.
  5. At first only ask him to shift his weight to the right then release. Then ask him to take one step over.
  6. Ideally you would like the horse to cross the leg closest to you over his opposite one.
  7. When the horse can take one step over consistently when you ask, start asking for two steps and build up from there.
  8. Switch sides and start the process again.

This lesson works great for moving the horse over during grooming or tacking up.

Problem Solving

Moves Forward– Move with the horse; keeping the same amount of pressure until he finds the correct answer and steps over instead.

Doesn’t Move Over– Increase the amount of pressure you are using, hold, and wait. Tap the horse on the neck with your hand as well to encourage him over. If you have done the previous exercise first then it shouldn’t take the horse too long to understand what you want.

Pins His Ears– Again, hold the pressure until he steps over and brings his ears forward.

Backs Up– Stay with him; only releasing when he steps away from you.

Doesn’t Cross His Legs– Once he is stepping away from you, refine the movement and only release when he crosses his front legs.