Welcome back, equestrian friends! Thanks for squeezing in time to read my blog amid the hustle of everyday life. We all search for moments to relax with our favourite drink, soaking up a good read or getting lost in music. Your time here means a lot, so let’s dive in.
As autumn comes to an end and winter starts here in Australia, it casts a warm, colourful palette across our Queensland hinterland farm. It’s the perfect backdrop for training our young horses and prepping our show horses for the competitive season.
An invaluable skill to start with is teaching your horse to stand still. It’s a common hurdle for many, often birthing frustration. But don’t worry, in this guide we’ll navigate the nuances of instilling this vital discipline, leveraging patience, empathy, and persistence.
The Power of Patience
Patience is more than a virtue; it’s the linchpin in horse training. It’s crucial when teaching your horse to stand still. Remember, your calm demeanour can anchor your horse’s focus and help it learn. Progress is about celebrating small victories and nurturing your bond through consistent, gentle guidance once step at a time.
Reflect on the patient bond our ancestors formed with horses. Channel that same endurance in every session. This slow and steady approach paves the way for trust, laying down the cornerstone for all successful equestrian training.
Our two foals, Noddy and Banjo learnt in their first weeks to stand still just for a minute to be groomed without trying to push, nibble or even bite the groom.
North Start aka Noddy and Banjo
Their reward was a good scratch where they like it the most. Which of course one has to find out first. Noddy loves a good chest scratch where Banjo loved it under the jaw. After a few short sessions each day with patience they understood how to stand still for a moment.
Understanding Your Horse
Understanding your horse is the heart of effective training. Like piecing together a puzzle, recognising your horse’s body language and behaviour is essential. Every ear flick and weight shift is communication. By comprehending this equine dialogue, you set the stage for a strong bond of mutual respect.
Consider yourself an explorer delving into your horse’s mind. Observing their reactions in varying situations forms a clearer picture of their personality. This insight allows you to tailor your training, transforming each session into a two-way conversation, enriching the partnership between you and your horse.
Bringing back our performance horses is always an interesting few weeks. Imagine you were on a 6 month holiday overseas and it is your first day back at work. How do you feel? Well, Jewel and Music were excited to come back up to the stables and get ready for their first session. Both had to be reminded to stand still for grooming and a tidy up and preparation for their next day training in hand and light riding.
Understand your horse and be patient with a clear end in mind. Here is a step by step guide that might assist you further.
Step-by-Step Standing Still Training
I thought I share with you some simple steps in how to approach the training of a horse to stand still in addition to the preparation tips in the previous sections.
The Right Attitude
Training your horse to stand still is an artful journey. Start in a peaceful setting, free from distractions, where your horse feels secure. Depending on the horse you might chose an enclosed or open space. Overall your composed presence influences the tone of the training.
Employ positive reinforcement liberally. Reward your horse’s stillness with praise, treats, or affection, reinforcing that this behaviour is desirable. Gradually extend the duration of stillness, approaching each milestone with patience and recognition of progress. Please note that food treats are only used on horses that are trained to receive it and able to keep their emotions in check during it. You might otherwise create a non desirable outcome.
The Right Use of Equipment
Equipment should be thought of as tools to enhance communication, not replace the connection you’re working to build. Use gear like halters and lead ropes with intention, as aids, not as the crutch of your training philosophy. The goal is a partnership where your horse responds to your cues, with or without equipment. We ask our foals from a very young age to try to stand still, to bend and walk on and stop without any equipment.
Foals
When asking our foals to stand still we use body language and verbal voice commands to provide the guidance and direction and a brush or massage glove to give scretches for their reward. Usually, the session is performed near their mother in a safe space. We try to keep the sessions very short, interesting and fun.
Weanlings
Once our foals turn into weanlings we often bring them into a yard to get their feet done, wash and groom them and maybe even plait their tails and manes. Usually we bring along one of their older aunties to instill some calm, just in case. During these sessions they are asked to stand still and be patient in a more confined area.
1 – 3 year old
Once a young horse is ready to start the first level of ground work we chose a safe and comftable place usually a round yard, arena or paddock for the exercise. The equipment used is a halter and lead rope safely attached while we rub them all over with our hands, training stick/flag or whip. Next step is to ask softly for a slight bend of their head to the right then the left. Increase the bend over time while standing still. The aim is to do as little as possible to get the outcome you seek. This exercise will turn eventually into a movement of the hindquarter yield. Later used in most of the ground work warmups and initial sessions under saddle.
3 year and above
Progressing the horse under saddle we expect it to learn to stand still while we are mounting. The preparation to mount is broken up into many smaller steps for the horse to accept. Remember, the horse is a flight animal that will guard his neck, back and rump from predators to jump on to. Therefore reward each incremental step with praise.
I only progress to mounting any horse if they are mentally accepting of that step. They need to stand still, be calm and relaxed. Once in the saddle I do not ask for movement. Sit, wait and breath and get yourself into the groove. My next step is to ask mindfully for the horse to follow the feel of my hands on the reins. Guide the nose slighty to the right and then to the left. Use this as a safeguard as well as preparation for your rides. I call this step the ”pre-flight check”. Over time the bends become slight flexions only to release the poll and jaw of the horse and soften their rib cage in readiness to move on. More on this is shown in the video clip here (Mindful Horsemanship – Standing Still)
Riders that hurry into the saddle might cause the horse to walk off as they are already thinking it will. A hurried rider causes a horse anxieties and unrest and it most likely wants to walk or even run away. As most of us are not participating in a relay at Mounted Games we should make an effort to get the horse to stand still. It is after all a safety precaution. The other pet hate of mine is when I see riders keep moving the ‘step up’ with the horse instead of parking the horse next to the step up and continue to do so until it stand still next to it. A horse walking away from a step up is often trained behaviour so be aware.
My two old boys standing still being ground tied while I had to get their rugs at the stables.
Troubleshooting Training Setbacks
Challenges are normal and serve as a test of your resolve. When issues arise—be it restlessness or distractions—use them as opportunities to strengthen your understanding. Adjust your approach as needed without succumbing to frustration. Overcoming these obstacles reinforces your horse’s trust and respect. Usually frustration is a sign of having run out of knowledge. Get support and help when this happens. You are not alone on this journey. Send any questions you might have on this topic to FTP Horsemanship Coaching and we are happy to assist you.
Celebrate Each Achievement
Every advancement, no matter how small, is a victory in horse training. Celebrate these moments with your horse, as they fuel motivation and highlight the positive behaviours you aim to instil. It’s the series of small, consistent steps that lead to mastery, so cherish them all.
In this journey to help your horse stand still, we pair patience with practice, understanding with tenacity. Together, we’re unlocking the immense potential of our equine companions. Happy training!
Hope to see you all again next month for a great topic.
