One of my favourite things to do when I was training horses full time for a living was to work a horse while riding another horse. Five reasons make it one of my favourite ways of working.
1. It gives my saddle horse a job.
2. It gives me an excuse to ride my horse.
3. It helps the client’s horse become well-mannered and quiet when working close to another horse.
4. There is less physical exertion and strain on my body (which is something only the older horse people can appreciate).
5. It is fun.
For me, the last reason is the most important.
I thoroughly recommend people teach their horses to be good saddle horses for working with other horses. One of the most important reasons for this is that it is one of the few jobs we ask of a horse where I see a saddle horse take a strong interest. Most of what we ask of our horses offers them little interest. How many times can a horse find the fun in yet another circle? But the focus a saddle horse can have when working another horse can only come from the willingness that is inside a horse. I see the same thing in horses that enjoy working cows or chasing polo balls. However, it is rarely seen in the dressage arena or running barrels or performing reining patterns, or on a trail ride. So working with other horses can be fun for both the rider and the saddle horse.
With the very best of saddle horses, the rider and the horse’s brain become one and the horse’s legs become the human’s legs. It’s like being a centaur (a Greek mythical creature with the head, arms, and torso of a man and the body and legs of a horse). As an idea to do direct the horse to do something the horse’s feet are already getting it done.
However, it takes time and training to achieve that level of oneness.
It begins by teaching both the horse and rider the art of one-handed riding. For most people’s purposes, this means teaching them how to neck rein. In neck reining the outside rein applies a feel to the outside of the neck, which causes the horse to bend to the inside and follow a balanced turn to the inside. For example, a turn to the left would come about by taking the reins (held in one hand) to the left. When the right rein is felt against the right side of the neck, the horse flexes to the left and turns to the left.
Once this is mastered, it’s time to teach a horse to move laterally off the rider’s leg. It’s important for the horse to move off the leg both with inside bend and outside bend to maintain subtle control. Sometimes this will mean moving only the hindquarters or only the forehand or both at the same time.
You want to teach a saddle horse the art of finesse. Many times it will be required to move just one foot and stop. It could be a hind foot or a front foot or both. It could be required to move at glacial speed or so fast that glass will shatter from the sonic boom. All this should be available with little effort from the rider.
In my experience, saddle horses are ruined because of two factors. Either a horse has insufficient confidence to work with other horses OR too much confidence and eagerness to apply pressure to a young horse. Both are problems relating to their preparation.
I have ruined a young horse of mine by introducing it to a strong-willed horse too early. After that, it was only good for working quieter horses.
I’ve learned that the best way to introduce a horse to working other horses is to first have the essential elements of focus, clarity, and softness well ingrained in the basics of stop, go, turn, laterals and snappiness. When that’s achieved, it's time to start working with other horses.
I have found it works well to just begin with leading or ponying a quiet horse from my saddle horse. It can help if the two horses already know each other and get along. Begin by leading from your saddle horse on the left and right sides. Make lots of turns both into the led horse and away from it. Try and get the stops and forward transitions smooth.
This is the time to correct those moments where your saddle horse starts down the wrong path. By this I mean if he stops listening to you and starts trying to direct the other horse ahead of you or shows aggression to the other horse, interrupt it immediately. Forget about the horse on the end of the lead rope and give priority to educating your saddle horse. Do not let it take over.
On the other hand, if your saddle horse shows anxiety and fear you could maybe start simpler. Teach it that when it approaches the horse, the other horse moves away. You might have to use a whip or flag or wave of your hand to move the leading horse, but if it moves when you ride towards it, your saddle horse will slowly gain confidence. You can also do this at liberty with no lead rope on the other horse. In that way, you can adjust a greater distance between the two horses to where your saddle horse feels safe.
As your horse gains confidence or begins to listen more to the rider, you can then teach it to push into the lead horse. Again, in the early stages make sure you use a quiet lead horse that won’t kick or attack your saddle horse. Teach your saddle horse that it can walk into the other horse and even bump it without getting into trouble or being attacked.
Over time, you improve both your saddle horse’s confidence and focus to be able to ask it to do almost anything with a horse in training that you would do from the ground standing on your own two feet. The saddle horse’s legs become your legs.
It’s a fantastic feeling to be thinking that you had better get in a position to ask the training horse to do something and realize that as you are thinking it the horse under you is already preparing to do it. I’ve had occasions when a horse stubbornly refused to move when I was on the ground and then rode my saddle horse to make the job almost effortless. I remember a young horse that had the habit of bolting off on the lead rope and couldn’t be held by a human. My saddle horse saved the day and made it possible to get a dramatic change in that horse’s thinking. Another horse was desperately afraid when other horses rode near. Within a short time, I had the horse cantering beside my saddle horse shoulder to shoulder.
Not all horses are suited to be saddle horses. Some are too aggressive and some are too timid. I have found temperament is a better determinant of what makes a good saddle horse than size or breed. I’ve worked 17hh horses from a 14hh pony. I’ve seen Michèle’s 14.2hh QH mare humble a 16.3hh Clydesdale with attitude.
But even if you own a horse that does not have the right stuff for working aggressive, tough-minded horses, there is still a lot of education and fun to be had by teaching them to be working the quieter horses.
