This message is from: "Karen McCarthy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hi Everyone,
Beth Beymer should really be the one talking about this subject, as i know
she uses it almost exclusively when grooming etc., not so much as the end in
itself, but as a way to have the horse really direct its attentions on you
at all times when you are working with him/her.
I am a practitioner of ground tying (and hobbling), albeit a lax one, and
yes, it needs constant re-inforcement to be effective.
If I know I have a Trail course coming up that will have a ground-tying
effort in it, I will practice allot beforehand with a horse, but it is
pretty much an extension of what I allready teach them about standing "whoa"
in a harness or under saddle anyway.
This may sound a little dorky, but if you have ever taught a dog a downstay
or a sit, especially when working around (honoring) other dogs, to me it is
almost the same as teaching a horse. Verbal/body language comand, "whoa"
park, re-park, re-park, etc...but never "loose" it or else game is up &
effort is a wasted one.
When I am in the arena, sometimes I get off and want to move a cone or
adjust a ground pole: a great excuse for making a horse ground tie! Or, if I
am really working on this, I sometimes walk in ever expanding circles,
picking up stones in the arena as I go, being VERY careful to ignore the
horse (or make the horse believe this, by avoiding all eye contact.) When
make my way back to the horse, I still do not really look at any part of the
horse, rather I just walk up, usually into the zone behind the shoulder/in
front of the haunches, and then go about my business, maybe adjusting
something, but NEVER, EVER appearing as if I am in any kind of a rush or
hurry to get on or move off.
Dwell a bit, and you shall reap the rewards of a patient, listening horse.
I do praise the horse allot at first, then less as they "get it", but always
with some kind of a scritch or scratch at the withers, behind the jowl or in
front of the saddle gullet at the withers, whatever, just a reaffirming,
"thank you, we're back, OK?"
When I showed Catherine Lassesen's mare Lupin in the advanced driving test
at the '98 Eval in Eugene, we were required to unhitch/re-hitch, in the
arena, un-assisted.
we had to do this test on grass, LOVELY grass! and she nary moved a muscle
the whole test, she was awesome, and several folks commented to me at how
obedient she was for this portion of the test.
I had taught Lupin to hobble, and so the ground tying thing became easy, as
I just made barely a motion as if to bend down, touched her coronet bands on
her front feet w/ my hand, and later just the toe of my boot, and Lu thought
she was hobbled - Voila!
Karen McCarthy
Great Basin Fjords
Carson City, NV
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