Train Your Horse to Disengage
August 26, 2008
Easy tips from renowned horsewoman Julie Goodnight
Disengagement of the hindquarters occurs when your horse crosses his hind legs. Your horse’s “motor” is in his hind end. So, when his hind legs cross, the engine is in neutral; your horse stops forward impulsion. Disengagement also encourages your horse to have a submissive attitude. You’re taking away his flight response. Disengagement is a natural, voluntary behavior for horses and it signals contrition. In natural settings, it’s only seen in neonatal foals. Use disengagement as a tool to refocus your horse and stop his forward impulsion. You should be able to disengage your horse from the ground and from the saddle – both are easy to do. Simply drive your horse forward then tip his nose up and to the inside as he steps up under himself with his inside hind leg.
The one-rein stop is an example of how you might disengage a horse from the saddle. Horses actually stop better off one rein than two, because when you pull on two reins to stop, the horse braces his neck, leans into the bit and might even run through the bridle. He can’t lean on one rein, and he can’t lean when his neck is bent.
By lifting one rein, toward your belly button or opposite shoulder, you lift your horse’s nose and shoulder as he crosses his hind legs. You’ll know when your horse disengages because you’ll feel his legs cross. His back will feel crooked underneath you. As soon as your horse begins to disengage, or even slow down, release the rein to reward his response. You should be using less of a rein aid every time you ask for the one-rein stop. Try to alternate between using the right and left rein, so your horse is working balanced on both sides of his
For more information on this and many other important topics, click here to visit Julie Goodnight’s Web site.
Comments
5 Comments on “Train Your Horse to Disengage”
Add a Comment
August 21st, 2008 at 10:22 pm
Hi Julie,
You’d think it would be common sense to teach a horse to disengage at a walk.
Here in Arizona, a woman watched a video, went out and cantered her horse, did a one rein stop, with tragic results.
I think everyone teaching this technique REALLY needs to emphasize
the importance of teaching this at a walk, then progress to faster gates.
Take good care
Patriz
August 24th, 2008 at 8:01 am
CAn you give me some tips to create impulsion? I always heardto disengage so your horse will engage more? Is this so?I have a very lazyhorse and I need to really work on his impulsion at all times.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
Let’s take this very important idea one step further . . . Teaching your horse to “ride” on one rein–to “engage” and then “disengage”.
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:14 am
I have a mare and have done everything from trail ride to team sorting and cutting on her, she has always been very easy going and predictable exept just recently on a trail ride she decided to rear up with all her might and get real squirley, would this be a good manuver to put a stop to this behavior?
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:52 am
A horse that can move well sideways can also move forward. Anyone who practices disengagement on a “hot” horse best be sure that the stop button is very much in place. The more one practices disengagement, the smarter the “forward” horse becomes at “engagement”.
Best practice–start your horse slowly, and teach them to respect voice commands. Don’t use voice commands to make YOURSELF feel better, use them to help get the job done, whatever that job might be. I hear riders all the time clucking, kissing, “easying” and whoaing without ever following through on the request. After a short period of time, voice commands become useless because the rider doesn’t really intend to acheive the goal of the word…..stop, go, trot, walk, canter, lope, GET!!!, whatever. They are chanting to themselves to calm THEMSELVES.
Horses survive by staying ON THEIR FEET. Horses that feel they can not stay on their feet at will become nervous and want to flee. Horses that fall down when the herd is running are horses that get eaten by predators. We can not domesticate an alternate behavior without thousands of years of breeding in special circumstances. Not many of us have a horse with bloodlines that tight.
Disengagement works best when done with respect for the horse’s balance. Any horse feeling ridden off balance will do one thing…..run away. Therefore, be careful and seek guidance when learning to apply this skill. A professional trainer who has used this skill effectively and with compassionate results should guide you every step of the way.