"COME HERE"

Before we can start to teach our horse anything, we have to 'catch' him! Soooo, the first thing to show you is how I've asked my horse to "COME HERE".

You can teach your horse to come to you by snapping your fingers. This sound is similar to what a Mother horse does to call her babies, except that she strikes a rock with her front hoof to make the 'snap/clicking' noise. Give your horse some TIME to understand what you're saying with your body language.....after all, you don't LOOK like their momma!! We have 2 legs & their 4 legs are ALOT bigger than ours!! By some TIME, I mean to say that since horses DO have a small brain, you'll have to repeat lessons a few times over a few days or weeks, depending on how often you can spend in the roundpen. And once they have learned, you may need to give them a refresher course! Remember, a horse is always testing you for the herd status, so this is one way he'll try to get away with things.....act like he doesn't remember the lesson! Another way to look at this is to say that we humans can learn something within the 'span of a quarter inch' (put your thumb & forefinger close together), while a horse takes the 'whole length of both your arms spread apart' in order to comprehend the same thing.

SO, bring your sixteen foot catch rope & let's go out to your horse's pasture! Now you may be saying, "If I'm going to learn how to get him to come to me, how do I catch him in the first place!" Good question! Food works well! But you've probably noticed in the past that horses are curious animals, so if you simply go out near him, maybe even take a lawn chair with you, & turn your back on him, he will eventually come over to you. Remember, you want to earn his respect as his herd leader, which will take lots of (quiet) patience.

Put the catch rope onto his head, face him & tell him to "STAND"  (one of only 4 words he needs to know).   Then back away from him slowly until you're at the end of the rope.  If he follows you, walk back to him & say "STAND" again in a forceful voice, then back away again, as slowly as necessary, so that he doesn't follow you.   When you get a rope's length away from him, 'SNAP' your fingers &, AT THE SAME TIME, pull on the rope, as pictured below.

    

As soon as he takes a step, let the pressure off of the rope & 'REEL' him in with it.  

When he gets all the way to you, rub him on his forehead.  

Do this 3 or 4 more times, so he gets the idea.   Let him "think about it overnight", & the next time you go out to him, do it all over again.   When you feel he's figured it out after a few days of repetition, "ask"  him to come to you without using the catch rope, just snap your fingers.   Be sure to reward him each time by rubbing him on his forehead.  At any time you feel he needs a 'refresher course', use the catch rope procedure again.

Someday he may be too far away from you to hear your fingers 'snap', so let's also teach him to come to you by using 2 of the ONLY words he needs to know, "COME HERE".   Put his catch rope on again, & repeat the process, but this time say "COME HERE",  instead of snapping your fingers.   Be sure to remember to allow enough time for him to understand over a few days, & to give him a 'refresher course'   if you aren't able to be with him again for an extended period of time.  

Remember, horses want to please us & we need to be PATIENT.