Step 30 – Figure 8 Exercise
Step 30 The Figure 8 Exercise
You will be using some of your perfected tools (getting the horse to move and disengaging) to get them good with you on one side and the flag on the other, which you will need for the next steps. This exercise is a continuation of the Focus and Bend exercise and starts to introduce the horse to having you in one eye, and something else in the other. It’s not an exercise I would do with every horse, but the filly in the video had shown me all along that I needed to dot every “I” and cross every “T” in order to ensure we were successful together. If you are starting a young horse or restarting a horse with some issues, this exercise can really help you be sure you’ve covered all the bases before you think about saddling or riding.
Success Tips:
– Make sure your flag is long enough to reach the other side.
Common Problems/Mistakes:
– Not having a long enough flag.
Work on this exercise until it flows smoothly. As mentioned above we don’t do this with every horse but if you have a horse that you are thinking of riding that has been a little surprising at times during the training, this exercise is a great litmus test to see if they are ready to start the saddling process.
A reminder how to use this course: click on Mark Complete below and go to the next step when you and your horse are ready.
Did you make a long flag from an old lunge whip? It kind of looks like it.
That on is , yes.