We often talk about ‘feel’ in the training of horses. Good horse people learn to have a good feel. It’s one of the essentials. Not everybody has it - even some professionals fail the ‘feel’ test. But let’s just take it as a given that presenting a feel to a horse and having a feel of a horse is paramount to becoming the best we can be.

When it comes to discussing feel, the two topics most discussed seem to be focused on (i) how much pressure to use, and (ii) when to apply or release the pressure. But there is one aspect of feel, one aspect of feel that is rarely talked about in any detail.

I want you to consider the abruptness with which we apply or release pressure.

I define abruptness as the length of time between the minimum and maximum ends of the scale of pressure we might use. If we assume an arbitrary scale for pressure of zero to p10, then the abruptness is how quickly we move from say p0 to 5 or p3 to 4 or p8 to 0. The interval of time it takes us to move from one level of pressure to another is the abruptness portion of our feel.

Why does abruptness matter?

The function of pressure is to transition a horse’s thoughts from one idea to another. Abruptness plays a role in getting a horse prepared for the new idea when pressure is applied AND giving clarity to why the pressure was applied when it is removed.

There is a book’s worth of information to discuss about this topic and I don’t want to send you out of the room screaming in frustration. So, for the sake of your sanity, I’ll talk about abruptness in less detail and accompany it with examples.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the right amount of abruptness is between too much and too little. The right amount varies from moment to moment in the instance that we apply or remove the pressure. There is no interaction with a horse that abruptness does not play an important role.

When I mention abruptness, most people probably have in their mind images of being quick to apply pressure, eg. when we rush picking up the reins or girthing a saddle. This is certainly a common problem. But what does it mean to be too abrupt?

Being too abrupt means we apply pressure or ask a question that a horse is not ready for. For example, if we are saddling a horse and reef the girth tightly without our horse being aware and prepared for what is coming, it’s a really quick way of training our horse to be reactive to being saddled. But by going slower and checking in that the horse is aware and acknowledges we are saddling at every step and we tighten the girth with a smooth and steady action, our horse is less likely to become bothered with saddling.

Another common example is by applying the reins too fast. A horse needs time to register and process the feel of the reins. To apply rein pressure from p0 to any pressure in one-tenth of a second does not allow a horse time to prepare to give to the pressure. But if the rein pressure moves from p0 to p5 over a 2sec period, most horses have time to get ready to change their thought and prepare their body by the time the reins reach p5.

This concept of giving a horse time to get ready to answer a question not only applies when we apply pressure but also when we remove the pressure. I have discussed previously the importance of the timing of a release and how many people make the mistake of releasing pressure abruptly and completely. The release of pressure should be just as smooth as the application of pressure to allow a horse time to process and prepare for the new change of thought.

Is there ever a time when an abrupt use of pressure is a good idea?

Yes. The most common example I can think of when I apply pressure abruptly is when I have a horse that is shutting me out and I need their attention. 

When a horse is not trying most of us think that increasing the pressure by raising our energy is the answer. However, we can also increase the pressure by being more abrupt in our use of pressure. By being more abrupt, we are increasing the pressure without increasing the energy. For instance, imagine I am riding a horse that does not listen to my seat/leg pressure to trot until I get to say a pressure level of p5. I start by using p1, then p2, then p3, p4 and finally he trots when I get to p5. But now I want him to listen and trot when I apply p1. I can teach him this by starting with p1 and if there is no try from my horse I then abruptly apply p5. I bypass p2-p4 and abruptly go from p1-p5 in an instant if I don’t feel a try when I apply p1. The abruptness of the change in pressure suddenly makes p1 important to my horse. They now become aware of p1. With repetition, my horse trots to my first polite ask (p1) and I non longer need to use a firmer pressure (p5). But be aware, the abrupt shift in pressure from p1 to p5 is to get my horse to focus and give importance when I use p1. Getting him to trot is secondary. The abruptness of the shift in pressure from p1 to p5 is what opens his mind, builds his focus, and changes his responsiveness to the feel of my seat and legs.

These are just a few examples for you to consider of how pressure can be applied with feel by altering abruptness (or lack of). I talk about it at clinics because few people understand it, yet I know everyone can learn it.