The Importance of Backing (on the ground)

One of the first skills I learned when studying natural horsemanship was how to back up the horse-away from me on the ground.  When I need to correct a horse for rude or bad behavior I get him to back up.  To teach a horse to stand still at a mounting block, I get him to back up when or if, he moves away.  It will even work to teach a horse not to be mouthy with their tack on a fence.  (Tansey, watch out!)




From Clinton Anderson:


Backing up is very unnatural for a horse to do. Think about the number of times you’ve seen a horse backing up across the pasture. It’s rare, isn’t it? Other than taking a few steps backwards to warn the horses next to him to get out of his space, most horses don’t practice backing up on their own. They’re addicted to forward movement. That’s why teaching them to back up on the ground and under saddle is one of the best things you can do. Teaching a horse to back away from you on the ground reinforces to him that he needs to stay out of your personal hula hoop space and respect you. Backing from under saddle teaches the horse not to run through your hands and respect your cues while laying a foundation for more advanced maneuvers. To put it plain and simple, a good backup is the foundation for everything you do with your horse - stopping, collection and being able to rate the horse’s speed, to name just a few.







Loretta
 the natural horseman
 clear communication/visible results