Step 17 – Common Problems You Might Encounter When Working On Flowchart
Step 17 - Common Problems YOU MAY ENCOUNTER WHILE WORKING ON THE SSAP Flowchart
You have tried the Standing Still & Present Flowchart for a couple of days now. Did you know that you can easily print it from the FAQ page if you haven’t already. The following videos are some of the common problems that you may encounter while trying to get to the Standing Still & Present phase.
As you continue to practice this foundational exercise, if you find that your horse isn’t standing still and present as soon as you enter your usual working area, continue to practice the flowchart until they consistently achieve this state.
Additionally, explore more videos that demonstrate the flowchart in action, often recorded at clinics and expos. This will provide you with a deeper understanding and more practical knowledge to apply with your horse.
Remember the valuable tip about recording yourself during these sessions. It’s an excellent way to further analyze and refine your technique.
Keep working on the flowchart exercises until your horse transitions smoothly from the moment you catch them to leading them to the working area, where they stand still and remain present for the majority of the time. You’ll know it’s time to move on when you no longer observe your horse twitching for extended periods, and you start feeling that it’s becoming routine. Trust your intuition and reflect on the insights from the passing grade podcast as you progress.
Then and only then will you move on to Step 18.
Remember how to navigate this course? Just click on the topics below under Lesson Content. Then at the bottom of each topic, there will be a button to move you to the next topic. If you click on Next Lesson at the bottom of this page without going through all the topics, you will feel lost! LESSONS = STEPS and the TOPICS = What we want you to learn about during that step.
When leading my horse from one paddock to another, he became very anxious…following the flowchart :- get the horse to follow the lead rope …instead he kicked out & ran off …i couldnt get his attention …any tips what i should do next time? Thanks 😊
h have you perfected this before trying to use it in this scenario?
have you dont the Creating Connection Through Change In Focus? How good was he with it?
I’ve been working through the 30 day program for several weeks and have felt that my horse and I have been doing well. Bandit is an 8 year old Appaloosa gelding that I’ve had since birth. He and I do trail riding in the Alberta Rocky Mountains and he is a good steady trail horse. I made the decision to restart his training this winter because last fall I felt he was becoming increasingly shut down. Lack of energy, unresponsive, disconnected.
So…the 30 day seemed to offer a positive program for rebuilding connection.
My problem- having made good progress, connection through change in focus, the Flowchart, moving into F & B and then Leading with energy – we have become stuck. I can no longer achieve the standing still and present. Bandit will not stand still. I get him in position and after a brief pause there (no longer any signs of let down) he walks passed me. I use both techniques of waiting for him to hit the end of the rope and then redirecting him back to me and the method of walking along his body to his hind end and bringing him back around. I can get him back in front of me again, but he very quickly walks passed me again, and again…. I have heard your message regarding if something is not working stop doing it, but have no idea what to do instead, or if I should just continue with the suggested methods. I also do the matching steps and the just hanging out.
Your advice on how to unstick us would be most appreciated.
It sounds like he is anticipating being asked to go, which is great for a horse that was shut down. When you say ” I get him in position” I think you are subtley cueing him that you are about to ask for something, in your energy or posture. Try lookin g at the ground, and not at him, and try keeping your energy low, like you are very tired and worn out. If he walks past you, redirect him back to you but make sure you then back up to draw him to you
Thanks for your response to my question. It had occurred to me that perhaps ‘getting into position’ had become a cue for the focus and bend exercise which I have spent a good deal of time on, I will try what you’ve suggested.
Thansk Wendy, let me know how it goes.
Update on progress with the standing still and present. I focused on completing relaxing my body and looking down not at Bandit. So interesting -worked like a charm. It seems that my stance and eye contact were cueing him to begin the focus and bend and then causing us both to become confused, me because “why won’t he stand still” and him because “why does she keep correcting me”.
Such a small thing and yet such a big difference. Many thanks.
Great work. Now you have an awareness of how much awareness they have!
Hello!
Any advice on working on the standing still & present with a 9 month old foal?
He lives in a stable with a terrace. I try to go grazing with him (to just hang around) or for walks around the ranch to stretch him out. He sometimes goes out to the pastures but that heavily depends on the weather. The closed roundpen is the only place I can turn him loose.
When trying to work on the flowchart I feel like he gets a bit bored and has outburst of energy. He will stand still and look around, or play with the ground then suddenly jump up, kick out and try to sprint away. It doesnt seem like he gets scared but rather playful.
I try to keep the sessions shorter 10-15 mins but I am wondering should I do something else or some pre-steps to avoid situations where he hits the end of lead rope with force and then comes to me.
Usually when we go grazing or for a walk he follow quite well, even trotting after me and stops when I do. He responds well to the pressure which also helps in those playful moments to stay around me.
Should I perhaps continue with the walks and grazing where I dont ask much of him and wait till he is bit older to try this again?
Many thanks in advance!
I would not suggest working the flow chart unless he has been turned out prior
Hello again, :)
The turning out before the exercise was great and we have no longer situations of sudden playfullness.
I have an additional question:
He seems to like to play with the sand so when we do this exercise he will line up in front of me, and then starting to play with his upper lip with the sand or start digging. Sometimes this leads to him rolling, sometimes to his feet following his mind and he slowly walks away. So far, I have ignored/didnt do anything while he was playing until he walked away where I either match the steps with him or wait till he hit the end of the lead rope and get back his attention with the flag, what works quite well.
I wanted to check: in this step we are not requesting his attention on us, right? So if he is standing and playing with the sand, this is something to let be. He will sometimes take a small step to the left or right while playing which I have not corrected/ lined him up again. Should I do that?
Many thanks in advance!
The reason I redirect their attention when it gets to the end of the lead rope is there is a separation of mind and body. His mind is a long way from his body. If hes sniffing the ground and walking, I will match steps, because his mind and body are in the same place, at the same time
Hi Warrick,
I have been working the flowchart with my mare for several weeks, and still have a few questions after watching the videos again this week. This mare who likes to direct me where to scratch her by motioning to the area with her head. She really likes udder scratches, and bends her body while lifting her back leg into the air to tell me she wants udder scratches. Since flowchart is all about responding to them, I have been honoring her requests. Not doing so would seem against the principle of attunement…
I was wondering how/when I should then disengage with the scratching and return to our positions. She would happily have me scratch there for an hour nonstop… The last few evenings when I have stopped scratching, she has gotten very frustrated at me: charging past me, shaking her head, and even kicking out in my direction. I’m torn, because not scratching that area at all would also make her feel unheard and frustrated.
Additionally, she often walks off with nose to the ground. I match steps, but she will walk until we are at another horses paddock or an area to graze. When we get to those places, she will engage with the other horse or would be content to graze for hours. How/when can I redirect her attention to me? Can you go from matching steps to attention follow leadrope at a certain point?
Thank you,
Liz
The only scratching in the standing still and present flowchart is for those horses who go inside their head. Its about them being present, which means they arev perfectly happy with whats going on right now, in the moment. If shes wishing you were scratching her, thast not present.
It seems you want to know how to solve the problem youve created, and the best way to do that is not create it.
As far as the walking off, if you know shes going to another horse just stand still and redirect her attention when she gets to the end of the lead rope.
Yeah, I know it doesn’t fit the scratching for connection box.
Would you suggest just ignoring the request then?
Yes, a big part of thios exercise is to have the person around the horse and not doing anythgiung. So many people have to be touching and brushing and scratching and fiddling constantly, and thgis actually causes disconnection.
I was told when I got my horse that he was hard to catch. I have been working on creating connection for 5yrs. Lots of hanging out matching steps and now CCTCIF. It’s working but I feel like we’ve reached a plateau. He comes over to me even follows me but if I want to put the halter on gives signs that he doesn’t want it and if I subtly push he walks away. We match steps and eventually he allows me to approach. This can take 1 minute or 20 minutes depending. The video of Rey with the fly mask 1/2 way off reminded me a lot of how my horse acts. Is there some other thing I can do. If I have an emergency I use treats and can usually catch him quickly. He is a horse wilth all drive and very sensitive.
Hi Sally
“but if I want to put the halter on gives signs that he doesn’t want it”
What does this look like?
Hi Warwick
My boy (Q18 yo coloured cob) always walks towards me as he’s ‘coming down’ I e. Licking and chewing. I’ve increased my energy but he’s almost in a trance and will ignore my energy, whereas when he’s outside the trance he’s very responsive to changes in energy. Question is: should I walk back as he walks towards me or stand still and let him stand next to me for comfort. I remember one of your Vids a couple of years ago says that you’d want them to relax “by themselves over there”. Has that opinion shifted?
He may be walking towards you to engage with you. Or he may be coming to stand next to you to feel comfort. If he’s an anxious type, Id let him stand wherever he wants to feels safe, at least for a bit. then you want him to stand away from you.
Thank you. As we’ve just picked this up again, I feel we could start working on him standing a short distance from me but no amount of energy will stop him walking towards me in the trance like state. Do I walk back during this time until we can increase the distance between us?
Walking back draws them to you, and will only encourage him to come more forward. Watch this video
https://videos.warwickschiller.com/all-access/what-to-do-when-you-horse-wants-to-engage-too-much/
I’m not sure you got my last 2 comments since you didn’t respond but I have continued to spend time with Leo especially waiting for him to lick and chew before doing more. One thing I have noticed is that Leo walks away from the horse living in the pasture with him also. The other horse is acting like let me come hang with you and Leo is like leave me alone