Zen Horse

Training Tip of the Week Dealing With Your Horse's Natural Magnets

By Clinton Anderson
Clinton's website
www.outbackhorsemanship.com

All horses have them - some worse than others, and they've probably given you your fair share of problems. I'm talking about magnets your horse is naturally attracted to like the gate to the arena, the barn, other horses in the arena, his buddies back at the barn, the trailer, etc. No matter what the magnet is, they all have the same affect - making the horse go off course, whether that be leaving the circle and trying to go back to the gate or taking off in the middle of a trail ride to get back to the barn. All magnets involve the horse wanting to be somewhere other than where he is, doing something other than what he is doing.
The simplest solution when it comes to dealing with your horse's magnets is to make the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy. Meaning that you make being next to the magnet hard, and being where you want the horse to be easy. If you're riding in the arena and the horse wants to be next to the gate, let him go there and then hustle his feet in front of the gate doing a series of rollbacks and serpentines. The more you can make the horse move his feet and change directions, the better. Work him hard for five to ten minutes or until he's huffing and puffing and then go rest him where you want him to be. Let him catch his breath and relax, and then go work him again by his magnet. Keep repeating that cycle: hustle your feet; rest and relax, until the horse wants no part of going near the gate.
Rest away from the magnet.
Fighting your horse's draw to magnets will require time and consistency on your part, but is something that can be corrected if you chip away at it a little every day.