Playing the Passenger Game with Horses
- Suzy Maloney B.Eq.Sc.
- Nov 1, 2017
- 3 min read
Updated: May 30
This is a great game to play with any horse that has a rusty ‘go button’. It develops forwardness in the horse, gets snappy responses to leg aids, builds horse and rider communication/relationship and develops the riders’ seat. Horses that won’t go can seem ‘lazy’ when in fact they’re ‘blocked’, desensitised or don't understand. They don't respond to normal leg pressure. There are a number of reasons why this can be the case.
Some horses won’t move forward because their response to the go aid has been de-trained. These horses are the result of people riding incorrectly and not releasing when the horse responds to the go aid. Many school horses end up this way. With other horses when the rider applies leg pressure to ask them to go forward they may buck or pig root. Sometimes these same horses appear quiet and slow, but they can be the very ones that will suddenly squeal, twist, turn and buck. And a third category is horses that really don't understand leg aids. These may be green-broke horses, standardbreds straight from the track, or those that have always been whacked with a rope or whip to go and don't understand anything else. All these horses require understanding and patience.
I first came across this game in a Parelli book. I have used it extensively over the years with all sorts of horses and had great results. I also find it can have a profound effect on humans too. It's best done in a small enclosed area. We ask our horse to move forward but don’t steer at all. We apply the legs (or whatever your go aid is) until the horse moves, then release immediately. We don't hassle the horse to move faster at first, if they're moving even a little bit we leave them alone. Then they can go wherever they like. That’s all we have to do. With no steering and no stopping all our riding has come down to one thing only, going forward. Bringing something down to one component is the best way to teach horses. This exercise literally polishes the go button.
The rules of the game are no stopping, no eating (use the reins to prevent this then release) and no steering. At first our horse will be a bit confused as they have to decide for themselves where to go. Most will go to the gate, the corner, the adjoining fence where other horses are etc. If we find ourselves in a corner we need to resist the urge to pick up the reins. All horses are capable of getting themselves out of a corner. Some will go in tiny circles for ages before finally realising they can go further. All of this is normal, just relax and enjoy the ride.
Not controlling the horse in this way gives the rider an enhanced ability to ‘feel’ their horse. We will have no time to prepare for a turn as we won’t know when it’s coming. We will have to follow the horses’ body with our own in the moment. This helps us feel the horse under us better, we let go and let our body become one with the horses’ body.
At some point our horse will be moving forward freely. At this point we can pick up the reins and ask them to halt. We can leave it there if we’re happy with the progress or do it again, but remember not to overdo it, especially if it’s new, and try and leave on a high note. We’re all guilty of continuing when something gets really good, only to find that it starts going backwards a bit because the horse is losing concentration or is tired. This results in leaving that moment in the horses’ memory. It’s much better to stop just at the point where it’s going really well, and leave that moment in their memory.
Once we’ve entered a comfort zone with the above exercise at the walk, we can try it in a larger area, then try it at trot. This is so much fun and fabulous for teaching riders bodies to follow the horses’ body. Playing the passenger game with horses is fun, remember it's a game, don’t get too serious, just relax and enjoy the ride!
Happy Horses Bitless
Lismore, NSW, Australia
Ph: 0401 249 263
Email: suzy@happyhorsesbitless.com
Facebook: Happy Horses Bitless Bridles
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