To speed this process up, a modification of the Kel Jefferies method is used.  I put a rope halter on the horse with the 14-foot lead attached.

When the horse moves off and I am at a position beside the hip, as if a piece of pie with the halter lead as the point and the hip and me as the edges of the crust, I pull the horse around with a quick forceful pull on the lead.  This will cause the hips to disengage and the rear feet to step across each other as we want with whoa.  I say “whoa” as I pull on the lead.  When we have done this five or six times, I shorten the lead and apply lighter pressure say whoa and ask for the hips to disengage and rear feet to step across.  I always hold the lead in the hand that will be used as I ride, that is to say when I am on the horse’s left side I use my left hand to hold the lead and on the horse’s right side I use my right hand.

My goal is to get the horse to step his rear feet over with light pressure.  I let the lead pressure go as the horse’s face is directly in front of me.  Praise and rub your horse at this point and every time they stop on light pressure.  Continuing this until the horse no longer tries to run away and with a light pull the horse stops and faces me.  This aids in teaching what Whoa means, teaches the horse to give to pressure and gives the horse the knowledge that I am in control and I can control their feet.

When the horse is stopping on light pressure, I will begin to teach the horse to give to pressure and soften his neck.  This is done by me standing on the horse’s left side, having the lead come from the right side of the halter along the body and around the hip.  I stand far enough back as to stay out of the horse’s kick range and apply light pressure on the lead.

Give the horse time to follow the pressure to the right while yielding the hips to the left.  The horse will want to back and get confused walk with the horse maintaining the same light pressure and keeping them from getting tied up in the lead and letting them figure out to follow the pressure.

When you are done with these two exercises you will notice the horse tends to follow you around the round pen, stop when you stop and say whoa and turn to follow you as you turn left and right, just as they do after hours in the round pen without ever chasing your horse away from you.

When your horse stops and you rub them, be sure to rub all over them especially along their neck and main just as their mother did, this will give them a calming feeling.  We need to become human brushes and be all over the horse’s head, neck, withers, and back.

Jimmy Driver

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