Sometimes I hold the lead rope very short - under the chin, at the point it attaches to the halter. Other times my hold gives the horse the full length of the rope to search for an idea.
I have often said, “Training is something you do with a horse, not to a horse.” If I want my horse to be my employee then doing stuff to a horse to instil obedience is fine.
Fred was quoted as saying (paraphrasing), “I can teach them the steps. I need to teach them the steps. But just learning the steps does not make them a dancer.”
