Pressure and Release:
The Principal of Natural Horsemanship

In the main concepts behind natural horsemanship working with horse behavior/psychology which leads us to how horses learn. By the release of pressure. Pretty much everyone who has looked into natural horsemanship knows this statement. But what is rarely explained without buying expensive training media is how to apply pressure, where to apply the pressure and when to apply the pressure.  As well as what I think is most important when to release the pressure. I want to expand on these concepts you may still have questions and please feel free to email us or contact us on our social media pages to ask those questions. We will answer and likely post a video or photos, article to help anyone having trouble work through it. So here we go.

Pressure:

What is pressure?

Pressure is how you ask your horse to perform an action. It can take many forms like starring at their quarters to get them to turn and face you, spinning a lead rope, wiggling a stick and string, raising a lounging whip, whacking a rope against your leg, wiggling a lead rope to ask your horse to back up, running your hand down your horse leg to ask them to pick it up. Pressing the butt of your stick against the girth to ask for lateral movement, heel pressure, seat pressure, bit pressure the list is endless. All of these are pressure.

How do I apply pressure?

Pressure is always applied by asking with the least amount possible and gradually and steadily getting stronger until your horse responds with the right answer. Then as immediately as possible release the pressure. This is the point where your horse starts to learn what you are asking. They are looking for the break you give them when they get it right so make sure you reward them every time and when they are having difficulty reward the baby steps towards the right answer. Like if you are asking the horse to back up but your horse is struggling to figure out what you want reward when they shift their weight backwards, reward the half a step back this will help lead them to the right answer to your pressure.

Where do I apply pressure?

This is a broad question with a few right answers. First the broadest answer horse move away from pressure. Then here is some more information also pertaining to where to apply pressure to attain the desired reaction.

Divide your horse into two sections with the line at the withers. Anything from the withers back to the rump will make the horse go forward. Anything from the withers to the head can be used to make the horse go backwards.

 Pressure just behind the girth on the ribs asks for lateral movement pressure at the quarters makes the horse to shift weight the shoulder to get the quarters moving around. Pressure in the shoulder will cause weight to shift to the quarters to allow the shoulders to come around. (In the saddle the opposite is true because the pressure is applied from above)  

When should I apply pressure?

You should have your horse’s attention (unless the point of the pressure is to get their attention) and have your horse engaged with you. This makes it easier to achieve the goal of the session. But if you are just starting out with your horse then you need to make sure your area is clear of things your horse could run into, over top of or get hurt on.  Have a clear goal in mind of what you are asking your horse to do. Keep it simple and well defined. Take baby steps towards your goal. Small steps make for faster progress than big ones. Ask as clearly as you can to get your horse started on the right track.

Pressure should be painless, never intend to harm your horse. Discipline is fine but is swift and happens at the time of the problem and only then. Never should any type of pressure you use ever injure your horse, they should never limp, bruise, get abrasions or lacerations, welts or sores. While some of the things you will use as corrections will be uncomfortable none are painful or harmful. Like making your horse back up quickly by striking their lead rope with your lounging whip making firm pressure on their halter and moving them out aggressively at a lope swinging the end of the lead rope or whip because they charged you is not pleasant because it is work but it is neither harmful or painful. But whipping your horse with a lounging whip to back them up and whipping their quarters to move out at a lope and whipping them to keep running is painful and harmful you will have ruined a lot of good solid work by using excessive painful pressure compared to the what you think accomplished by not letting the horse run over top of you.

Now you have a horse looking for you to attack and will be ready to defend themselves. Not to mention the trust you lost in the lounging whip as a tool to cue with and it in your hand. Next time you go to ask for them to move laterally with the whip the horse is likely to react or even attack.

So to some it all up pressure is a force you use physically on your horse or in the area near them as a sound or movement to achieve a goal. This can be movement or the lack of movement like in desensitizing. Pressure is applied gradually from least to greatest and released as soon as the horse respond correctly. It should never be painful always have a purpose. Pressure should be applied as clearly as possible to assist the horse in making the right choice in actions. Pressure is a tool that we use to communicate with horses.