Teach Your Show Horse to Back Up Properly
Posted: Saturday, October 31, 2009
by The Old Gray Mare
www.DressYourHorse.com
Backing up is a simple request of the show horse but we often overlook it during training sessions.
Lets say we are showing a fantastic English pleasure horse who is a fine show horse and a real pleasure to ride and exhibit. We concentrate on his conformation and brilliance, his gaits and movement, his willingness to take the correct leads at the canter. The horse delivers a stunning performance in the class and may well be the winner. We line up and then, oh no! He is asked to back up, and he doesn't or won't or sidles around.
Teach or reinforce a good backup during ground training sessions. Once your horse understands your signal to back up, he will easily respond; then you will ask him to back up from the saddle.
Here are the basics.
Halter your horse, snap on a leadrope and stand at his left side facing him. The hand holding the leadrope should be fairly close to the horse's chin.
Observe how your horse is standing. Never attempt to back the horse if he is in the classic English "park position." If he is even slightly stretched, ask him to step up and stand him squarely. Then, when he is standing squarely, apply slight pressure on his chest with one hand while simultaneously moving the leadrope hand with a steady pull -slightly down and back - toward his neck. Give the command "Back!" If he willingly takes a step or two backward in response to the slight pressure, that is a wow and he deserves a good pat and praise! If he did not pick up on the cue, do it again and exert slightly more pressure and exaggerate the backward leadrope pressure as well. Repeat the command "Back!" Reward your horse when he successfully responds and moves backwards a step or two.
Repeat this several times, rewarding your horse with a pat and praise each time he gets it right. After a couple of sessions, he will step back without difficulty.
After he understands the word "Back," and he readily complies, continue his ground training while he is in tack. Repeat all the same steps and be lavish with praise and patting. Your goal is to have the horse react solely to the verbal "Back" command.
The Old Gray Mare's note: As soon as my own horse obeyed "back" command, I substituted "back" with a soft "sssssss" sound as if I was mimicking a snake sound. He soon responded to my barely, split second long sssss. From the saddle or from the ground, my horse backed easily for as long as I asked.
Now you are ready to mount the horse and continue to practice from the saddle. Use an assistant at the beginning to make it easier for your horse. Apply a slight backward pressure on the reins followed by quick release and slight pressure and quick release to signal your horse to back up. Tell him to "Back" (or make that sssss-sound) while your assistant applies slight hand pressure on your horse's chest. Repeat the rein pressure/release each time you want your horse to back.
Use leg aids to keep your horse backing up in a straight line. If he pivots to the right, increase pressure with your right leg; if he moves too far left, apply pressure with your left leg. Repeat the training over and over for several days until your horse puts the cues together. Eventually your slightest tug/release on the rein will be enough.
Teaching your horse to back up easily and freely is useful in many ways. Everyday situations require your horse's willingness to move forward, backward and sideward. Stepping into a horse trailer and backing out is just one example.
Throughout this training, remain firm but gentle. Never yell, lose your temper or use a whip. Reward him lavishly for good behavior. In no time at all, he'll move back like a pro or a champion Quarter Horse. And, you know, it may even be a class win!
This article and other how to horse articles written by The Old Gray Mare can be found at www.DressYourHorse.com .
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Top-level comments on this article: (3 total)I've not been around horses much because I am very allergic to them. I enjoy reading your stories, tips and tricks. Teaching "sssssss" for back is genius.
Thanks for reading and the comment. You know why it is so great to use the "ssssss" really? Because you can do it so softly that the horse can hear it but no one else - The horse is queued to listen for it but what with the noise in the arenas and so on, everybody just thinks this horse is incredibly well trained. My guys used to pop backward, straight, without fussing on the reins or anything. I honestly think that in a couple of situations, it was the win in the class too.
Hi Heidi.
I've seen just that very thing happen. Until I saw it the first time, I didn't even know a judge might ask me to back my horse. What a difference doing it well can make.
"My" horse backs with a finger wiggle at his chest, first left and then right and the word back when I am on the ground. That's the way he was trained. In the saddle, I pull and release first one side of the reins and then the other while putting my weight way back in the saddle. But until I figured that out, he wouldn't back worth a darn!
I've had to back him at shows and do all sorts of other things we'd never done before so the judge could pick a first place (we'd usually lose out :)), but luckily I have as yet not been asked to back him through a 90 degree turn. Not sure I could.
Great article! Explains the process very well.
Hugs,
Dianne P.S. Still looking for that article about helping fearful horses. :)Dianne, I very much appreciate your support. Thanks for reading and commenting.
It happens once in a while after judging. I believe backing up in a pleasure class or trail class is very important. The horse should be able to take obvious steps backward on command and react to a clear thank you for backing up from the rider. Anything less is points off. All too often I've seen judges crank the classes along for expediency and taking the time to study conformation and backing up becomes a quick task. On the rails the horses performed well. How is that top contender doing on the backup - if he's not quickstepping back, then he's not the one in first. Unless, of course, the others aren't even close. In any case, a polished show contender that does everything perfectly and glides around with his rider in show prowess should also practically fly backwards. What a complete and perfect picture that makes.
Glad you gave the example because it happens. You also have a specific signal that works. Right on!
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