Why the Round Pen?

     I have had many horses sent to me for training – some are young and just need to be started, some are old and need to be started – I’ve had 12 year olds that have been pasture ornaments and haven’t been touched. Some come to me with issues that the owner is at a loss to work out such as bucking, rearing, bolting, lack of respect, dangerous on the ground, charging, wont go, wont stop, etc.
Just as the eyes are the windows to the soul – the round pen tells me exactly what is going on with the horse. The bucking, rearing, bolting issues are all symptoms. I need to get to the cause whether it be fear, aggression, or a little of both and once I am able to fix the cause – I never have to deal with the symptoms.

     So regardless of where the horse is in his level of training, the round pen will help me build the foundation in creating a willing partnership. It establishes pecking order, and is the beginning of developing communication. This is where he first feels a release of pressure when he guesses correctly. He starts to think for himself. It teaches the horse specific movements with no contact – he begins to look to me with both eyes to see what it is that I want from him. It is the beginning of developing trust – he is in a safe place with plenty of room to get away if he needs to because he will learn that by doing what is asked of him, he will not get hurt.

     The inside and outside turns teach him to respect my space and teach him to lead like a gentleman or lady. He will begin to develop a longer attention span. When I walk into his pasture he will turn and face me and be willingly haltered. He will ground tie and learn how to cross obstacles such as cavalettis, plastic, tarps, bridges, etc. He will learn how to control his fears, spook in place and accept things touching his body, his legs without panicking.

     It tells me if he is sore or suffering from lameness because I can watch him move through every gait.
The round pen is a training tool that I use to start controlling the horse’s movements and sets the foundation for the total training process in a safe environment.

Before going into the round pen:

     You need to protect the horses legs, specifically the cannon bones and coronet bands, by putting on splint boots and bell boots. Please remember my 3 rules. I cannot get hurt, my horse cannot get hurt and my horse needs to be calmer after the lesson that when we started. If you do not feel safe enough to place the splint and bell boots on the legs, you may need to wait until you complete the Round Pen Basics and begin the sack out process. Once you have done this successfully, you should be able to handle your horses leg protection safely.

     When your horse is in the round pen for the first time you need to read the situation. Is he fearful, aggressive, dull, full of energy, no desire to move at all, dangerous, charging, trying desperately to escape. If you have a fearful horse, you need to back off and do not apply as much pressure or no pressure at all. If your horse is dull or calm you would need to apply more pressure to your cues in the beginning to get the desired response. If the horse is charging you and aggressive in any way – rearing, striking, kicking, biting, pinning ears – he should be made to do outside turns. This will eliminate the chance of forward thoughts towards you. These horses need to be handled by an experienced horse person, not a novice. Do not put yourself in any situation that would cause you harm.

     Horses that don’t want to move can pose a danger to you as well because you may need to get closer to them to get the desired response. Never get so close as to put yourself in kicking or stomping distance.

     In the round pen basics, the control points of the horse are the hip, the nose and the shoulder. As you begin to ask for direction and specific movement in the round pen, you will use the hip to drive the horse forward and the nose and shoulder to make his turns – whether inside turns (towards you) or outside turns (towards the rail).

     When working your horse, never get so close to the hip that you can get kicked, stay in the middle of the round pen.

Outside Turns

     Get the horse to circle towards the right. What we are looking for at first is just a trot, but be prepared for changes in speed and unwanted changes in direction. When he stops changing direction, then start with getting him to change in the direction when asked.

     Start with outside turns (turning towards the rail). As the horse is moving in a circle to the right move directly in the direction of his nose. If the horse does not respond to you and looks as if he will run over you, simply step out of his way and let him pass. Ask again when he approaches. Move towards his nose at a diagonal through his shoulder. When he turns into the rail and goes to the left go back to the middle of the round pen.

     Change directions again by moving towards the nose and have him go to the right again – when he does, release the pressure and go back to the middle of the round pen.

     Once your are getting your outside turns consistently, put up cones outside the round pen and ask for turns at the specific cones. Cue by walking directly and confidently towards the nose.

Inside Turns

     Get the horse to go towards the right. As he is going to the right, turn your body slightly in the direction the horse is moving and step back, opening up the space between you and your horse. Move away from the horse toward the rail – not in front of him but away from him creating as much distance between you as possible. If he makes an outside turn – stop him by walking towards his nose, closing the space between you to cue an outside turn and ask again. Have him go towards the right, slightly turn your body in the direction he is going – look over your shoulder in the direction of your horse and move away from him. You will open your shoulders and allow the nose to turn in front of you for the inside turn. When the horse chooses the inside turn, take a step back, point towards the left and cue the shoulder to move to the left and drive him forward from the hip.

Repeat many times in each direction for both the inside and outside turns.

     When the horse forgets, and he will, he simply requires more repetitions. Allow him to make mistakes – they are simply opportunities to teach. You can stop the lesson at any time. Finish a step or get a correct response and stop.

     Overwork can stress and damage the lungs easily. Make sure the footing is appropriate for working your horse; a deep sandy surface can tire muscles and overstress ligaments and tendons. A hard surface can also cause problems due to impact. Is the temperature too hot, is it too humid, make sure he is allowed to hydrate himself. Always follow your veterinarian’s recommendations on how much water to give to a horse that is working under any conditions.