Follow my feet - a Holsitic Horse Handling Program Lesson Plan Preview

“Follow My Feet” is a great way to establish leadership and connection with your horse, and can be used to in a variety of different scenarios.

When a horse forces our feet to move, they are taking a role in leadership. When we move their feet, we take the leadership. Follow my feet allows you to expand on that leadership and turn it into a partnership.

This can be a good exercise for our pushy, bully type horses as we can be a bit more assertive when we have the halter on but is also a light, connective exercise for our more sensitive horse and when we get a break through with our bully type horses.

As with all Holistic Horse Handling Lesson Plans, it is groundwork, this time focusing on leadership and connection.

Who Should Move Their Feet?

One of the things we talk about at Equestrian Movement is showing up for your horse as a good leader.

Being a good leader means your horse can be a good follower and look to you when feeling challenged, uncomfortable or scared for direction rather than just reacting.

However, one of the big ways a horse will test you and challenge your leadership qualities is by trying to move you and push you around.

If your horse can move your feet, they are controlling where you are going so that makes them the leader. You are following their cues. However when you recognise that your horse is moving your feet and can firstly stand your ground and secondly step into them to move their feet, then you become the leader. They are following your cues.

This can feel like it’s easier said than down with some of our bold, pushy horses, but with consistency and follow through, over time it really does work.

Our favourite exercise for this is walk when I walk, stop when I stop, go when I go. This has been a huge game changer for many of my students and what we always go back to when we start to lose our horses engagement in their work. We go into a lot further detail about this in our Facebook group if you are having trouble implementing - feel free to join and ask questions (click here).

For some of our nervous horses, or horses that have experienced trauma, you may find that initially they aren’t trying to move your feet but are trying to get away from you.

If you start working on your relationship and establishing that connection, they WILL start to relax and bring their walls down around you. This is when they will start to challenge you as a leader, because they are becoming comfortable and confident with you.

This is also something that can happen when you just buy a horse. It will take them time to get used to the change and settle into the routine. I call this the honey moon period and they can be on their best behaviour. Normally by about 3 months they will start to relax and as they relax challenge you to see if you are effective enough to be a good leader or if they need to take over.