The Slack IS Important

Often I see horses respond badly to a rein or leg cue over and over. Rather than being ignorant or uncooperative, they just haven't received the message the rider intended to send. It is human nature to constantly hold onto a horse’s reins and to keep your legs firmly glued to their sides. It gives the rider a sense of security and control. However, it is a false sense of security because it dulls the horse to your cues to slow, stop or go. It is similar to riding the brake pedal in your car. Eventually the brakes will wear out and then when you need them they are gone. Remember that a horse is not a machine. The only reason that they stop when we pull is because they have learned by conditioning that when there is a pull they can stop and the pull will go away. If we continue to pull after the horse has stopped or pull continuously while the horse is going, the horse becomes conditioned to the pressure having no meaning and will simply ignore it. The same can be said for how you use your legs. Contact from your leg should mean “move” and NOW. If you are riding correctly you only need balance to stay on rather than grip. If you need to grip it should be from the knee up and should not include your hands. Relax, sit in balance, go where your horse goes and you won’t fall off.

If you ride in balance and you are not holding with your hands you can give your horse some slack in the rein and some relief from leg pressure. When the horse gets used to this freedom, it will have meaning to him when you take it away. You will be able to stop, go or turn on a subtle suggestion provided you only apply pressure when you are making a request and remove the pressure when you get a response.

There are only a few reasons a horse will respond to a request in a dull, stiff manner. Primary among these are tension. confusion and imbalance. you can eliminate a great deal of tension and confusion by allowing the horse freedom from pressure. When you do apply pressure, apply it in a slow, clear, consistent way. The main part of the cue to the horse is given as the slack comes out of the rein or as the leg approaches the horses side. Once contact has been made it is time to reprimand the horse by reinforcing your request with a kick, doubling the horse, etc. This is the main thing that will make the horse light to your hands and legs. It does not seem obvious to people but if there is no slack or if the slack is taken abruptly, the horse simply doesn't get the cue. How can you expect a response when you haven't made a clear request.

When you are directing or teaching your horse you should take the slack out slow and smooth. It shouldn’t be obvious to someone watching. This gives the horse time to respond. Similar to if you were asked “What is 5+18–13?”, you know the answer but you just need a little time. It wouldn’t help if you were asked faster or expected to answer faster. Likewise, having someone shouting in your ear wouldn’t help. Alternatively, there is definitely a point in time where you need to be sure the horse is taking you seriously, but reserve pressure for when their response says “I don’t care”, not to make the request. Always give slack with your hand or leg when your horse responds appropriately even if you know they won’t maintain the response. These are the building blocks to establishing a respectful relationship in which the horse is attuned to your requests and consistently tries to meet them.