THE HARRY WHITNEY CLINICS

Harry helping Connie with Dorado

Klarmond Farm, along with Ty Haas (www.tyhaashorsmanship.com) has been very pleased to host clinics with Harry Whitney (www.harrywhitney.com) in December of 2011 and 2012.

I have been attending clinics of Harry’s for the past 15 years, and have always taken many notes on what I observed. I hope you enjoy reading the postings below, and that they may help give you the answers you have been seeking with your horse(s)!

Harry Clinic June 04

On the bit: For every rein cue there is an equal reaction in the hind legs.

Harry Whitney circle: Lift up on the rein until the hind end gives- either moving OR standing- just keep asking until the hind end moves over. They don’t get to go straight until the hind end gives!!! With the Arab mare it solved her headshaking problem.

Don’ address when they holler for another horse- just work to get their thoughts back with you.

When the horse is nice and soft the inside front foot should be going to the inside. Rock the weight off the front. They can drag their inside hind leg over to their outside one, but are still pushing over the front end. Just keep offering them the opportunity- don’t try to make them do it.

Crookedness: back the horse to get the back up. They must back straight. If you take up on a rein and get a negative response (crooked when backing up) get them to back straight. Backing up is a good test for straightness.

The horse has to think “I’m going right” before they can actually engage and do it. Rock the weight back in order to take a good step.

They leak out the outside shoulder when they aren’t “thinking” to go in that direction. Their feet are going where their brain is thinking.

Don’t stop straight- it develops stiffness. Always bend to a stop.

Hind feet out behind- can’t get the weight on the hind end to do the transition to walking forward. Get the horse’s weight to the hind end with one rein. Just hold the other one steady.

In hand- Be intense with them until you have their attention- they have to be HERE mentally- get them to look right or left, then bring their focus back to you. Make their feet stay still.

Always stand your ground- be consistent. Be black and white- otherwise the horse is confused.

Work an idea until the horse starts offering. When you ask them to come forward, they should offer to come. If they don’t PULL! Back up to invite them forward.

When you get things clear you need to be good at making things small (subtle).

Harry worked with Tom Dorrance.

1)The horse has a GREAT ability to separate things out. Harry told about Bill Dorrance having a tremendous shake in his hand which made the line shake, but the horse could read signals all the same very accurately. She just weeded out the static.

2) Give your cues meaning.

3) Invite a response from the horse

invite them to come to you
invite them to back up- look for them to use their back, have a lowered head, and to back straight
invite them to look left and right, keeping their feet still

When a horse is very distracted, etc., work with the halter first, then turn them loose after you have had their attention for awhile.

When working on the lead, the horse should keep the slack in the rope- for every action with the rope there should be an equal reaction.

Don’t make a flag with too long of a stick- when it pokes over to the other side, it can cause the horse to shy right on top of you.

Harry Whitney June 2003

Round pen work- after getting their attention and keeping it, step to their rear and see if they will walk away or turn around and face you. If they walk away, they’ve just earned a lap around the round pen until they soften and decided to pay attention to you again. Do this on both sides, as they should turn toward you both ways.

Help them lose their anxiety over the flag- pet them with it.

On the lead- wave the flag to one side until they decide to move their feet away smoothly, relaxed and not locked up.

Touch around the girth area with the flag while supporting them on the lead line.

Stop them and change direction by touching their chest with the flag.

Harry has 2 whips- one shorter with a noisy flag, one longer with a soft flag. Whip is about 5 ft. long.

Horses that drag their toes usually spook easily.

Horses that are worried usually don’t know how to move their feet. Help them learn that, and they will relax.

Always see if the horse will tolerate everything while their feet are moving. They usually have a different reaction from when they are standing still.

Move the whip all over their body- head, girth area, between hind legs, etc. When they are anxious with the flag touching a certain area, go back to another area that is neutral. Keep going back and forth between the two areas.

Lead rope looped around hind leg- just wait until the reaction disappears. Move the loop up and down the entire leg- fetlock to stifle.

When working the horse on a circle, get them to stop when your feet stop- work to achieve this.

When on a circle with the lead, the nose, shoulder, and hip should all be the same distance from the handler, watching for them to step underneath themselves with the inside hind leg.

Keep repeating until it is smooth and soft- this is the biggest mistake of the handler, not following through all the way.

Don’t try to drive the hindquarters- just get them to step under themselves by pulling on the lead, then send them forward. Do all directions as though you were on their back. Keep walking!!!

Change direction on the circle with the lead. Walk towards them. If you walk in front of the horse and change sides, they haven’t really changed direction.

Use a shorter lead, step towards the stirrup.

Change hands with the lead without asking for a change in direction to teach the horse not to anticipate.

Teach them to back up.

The yearling- get them comfortable with you controlling their head- dropping at the poll, move your hand over their face, move their head from side to side.

When riding- pick hand UP with the rein to move the hind end over.

Lariat around the hind legs, loop end coming up to rope coming over their back. Poly, not nylon. When they get good with that, loop it between their legs and bring up gently. Teach them that stopping their legs works, fleeing doesn’t.

Let them move off when they get bothered, i.e. a rope sliding off of their rear end, let them quit moving on their own.

Get the horse to give up feeling the need to defend themselves.

To measure the potential growth- measure from elbow to ergot with a string, then take the string from elbow to above withers. If the end is 2 inches above the withers, they should grow to within an inch of another 2 inches.

Harry Whitney Clinic May 2001

Always look for the horse to give- it is the basis of ALL training. The first step is to teach the horse to give with his mind and body.

Resistance- when the horse turns his topline off.

Circle tightly around on another horse to teach the horse to give. Hold their head close in and circle around the outside of the horse you are working. You have to give them an opportunity to stiffen.

Release the reins (or lead rope) as soon as the hind legs give.

Ask for FORWARD.

When asking to turn at first, use the same side leg as direction of the turn- don’t use the other leg, s it will distract them away from the direction you are asking them to turn.

Ground drive WITHOUT lines!

Uphill and downhill- 4-5 inches below topline on hip, middle of neck.

When you get the horse to give with his topline, you HAVE to release the rein at the right time in order for the topline to lengthen.

Get a give no matter what (don’t drive forward). Let him back up if need be.

The gait and direction DON’T matter- the amount of GIVE is what matters. Use STEADY hands, not intermittent hands.

Try walking straight forward and tipping the head to the right and left- that’s how the horse feels with unsteady pressure from the rider’s hands.

In teaching the horse to keep his attention on you, go behind in order to get them to turn themselves toward you.

The more fear they show the more you want to work them with the halter. The less fear, then turn them loose.

The trot is a four-beat gait:

1) diagonal pair

2) suspension

3) diagonal pair

4) suspension

The walk and the canter are also 4 beat gaits.

Don’t nag at them with your legs.

When a horse prepares to step off- the back moves first. So, use your back first to move your horse.

1) prepare your back

2) bump with your leg and release. Bump until you get a walk.

Halt to trot:

1) squeeze

2) bump

3) clobber

Trot on a totally loose rein- let the horse decide where to go.

On the bit- for every change in the reins there is an equal change in the hind quarters.

No connection to the hind leg:

1) above- the hindquarters are pushing out behind

2) behind- there is too much coming from behind, so the horse evades to protect himself.

Don’t take more in front than you have from behind- this applies when there IS a connection. When there isn’t a connection is when you shorten the reins to establish one.

On the lead, to get the horse to step to the right, stand more in front of the horse, not to the side. This makes more of a wall for them to turn along!

Put the rein behind the saddle and ask the horse to turn around- this simulates where your hand would be. Also you know he’s following the rein, not just responding to pressure on the hindquarters.

Ask the horse to bend and keep the line loose- don’t nag. Let them lose the bend and then get it back.

Get the shoulder to give and step over.

To turn on a leadline- whip in the new outside hand, step to the REAR of the horse.

Climb the side of the arena and ask the horse to step toward you and position the saddle so you can mount. PET THE HORSE A LOT!!! Present both sides of the saddle.

Simulate riding by walking alongside, pat the saddle noisily, play with the opposite stirrup and bump the near side with hips. Pull on the saddle walk on BOTH sides. Wave your hand, flag, hat in the air, etc.

To get on- have the lead short enough to be able to pull their head around I case they want to move off. Grab the saddle and jump up and down.

A horse afraid to tie- loop the lead around the bars of the corral panel, stand on the outside of the ring, ask to step from one side to the other with the flag.

Watch for the horse to keep breathing.

Work on SMOOTH transitions when working loose in the round pen, as well as when on the lead.

Keep on the lead- move the horse off, move the shoulder away both directions. Find stuck places- ask the horse to back until they back with very little asking.

Standing is the best deal- stand by the side and pet- as soon as the horse stands still, quit petting him and get out of his discomfort zone before he moves to reward him for standing still- this is how he figures out that standing still is the best thing.

Girthiness- use a rope with a ring so you can tighten and untighten it at will

Use a lead rope around the hind fetlock to get the horse to pick up his hind feet- as soon as he relaxes and gives, let it back down!

Wiggle the line to bring the horse down to a walk from a trot (or for a downward transition).

Walking into a stall ahead of you is parallel to the horse walking into a trailer ahead of you.

Have the horse walk between you and the round pen or wall to get them to go in a narrow span. If they rush through, work them until hey go one step at a time- ask them to back, turn, give in the poll, etc.

HARRY WHITNEY CLINIC

DECEMBER 2009

Get the horse to try SOMETHING! When you give a cue. They need to be attentive and pay attention. Make them look where they are going.

Back straight, go left, go right, step forward straight, just a few steps.

Get the horse to look “over there” without moving his feet. My experience: Make the horse look at what you are doing with them, or what they are afraid of.

When you get on, check out your whoa before you check out your go.

When their head turns left, their thoughts should be left also.

Rein back- ask and then let them figure it out.

Don’t use both legs at the same time- alternate them. Harry says he has yet to see a horse take a step with both hind feet at once.

Licking and chewing means more than when they stop after an ask. They could just be doing it because the ask (task) is over.

The best thing you can do for your horse and for yourself is to teach the horse to let go of his thought.

Bring the bridle around until the horse decides to follow it. Then release it.

Get on. If the horse doesn’t stand still, back him up.

Use one rein to ask them to give their head. Are they equally responsive on both reins?

The horse can be straight whether we are or not. They can be straight while dragging someone with a foot caught in a stirrup.

To stop the horse, just stop your feet. Don’t pull on the reins.

Lateral work: ask for the bend, get one step forward, then allow them to go the direction of the bend. Just add steps until you have a line.

Isolate the rein response- get the horse to respond to the lightest rein suggestion. Use the turn left, turn right, back up, go forward a few steps.

Backing up- the horse shouldn’t shorten their neck to back up. They should back up straight and relaxed- use the back.

Give the horse freedom to go.

To get a give to the right or left- ask and hold the rein until they give and move the hind end around.

Harry Whitney Clinic- on saddling:

Test first for girthiness-

Put the girth on, take it off several times- ALWAYS watch the horse’s head! Keep a hand near their head. When the girth is tight, ask the horse to gently move around until he/she relaxes.

Sit on the fence- move the horse with the stirrups let down. Turn with the lead behind the saddle to teach them to give to the pressure of the lead. While sitting on the fence, use the whip to touch both sides- get the horse to respond to both sides and used to your being above them.

When you have the horse on a lead, use a whip to point to their shoulder.

Hang on the saddle, move it around on the horse’s back.

Rub the saddle pad on the horse’s neck- put it on, take it off. Do from both sides.

Just ask for more (bigger) walk until they decide to trot- do this all on a loose rein. Then ask for a bigger trot until THEY decide to canter. That way it’s the horse’s idea, not yours. Do this all on a loose rein.

Harry doesn’t feel that you can tell the side of a horse that is going to be stiffest by the way they hold their tail.

Is the problem in the gait or in the transition to that gait?

Teaching a horse to lie down- this is a process of MANY STEPS of releasing the muscles that hold him up. Harry uses a rope around the fetlock, up over the back;, under the stomach, and back through in front of the rope. Use a bareback pad on the horse to keep the rope from rubbing their back. Pull the foot up, and release it when they quit struggling. You can help them to release by gently pulling back on the reins to ask them to give – pull on the outside rein to get them to roll on over.

Use a whip to tap on the hoof until they pick up the foot.

Work from a horse- turn the horse until he gives freely, and lightens up the front end.

ALWAYS be sure whether the horse is with you or mentally leaving.

When you ask for a bend with the rein and the horse only gives with their head but not with their feet, you are teaching them to not bend. The feet MUST follow!

When the muscle in the hind end is very developed but not the rest of the muscles, it is a sign of a horse who carries a lot of tension.

When the horse is breathing shallow and quick, give them time to think and start breathing deeper by leaving them to stand still and relax for a bit.

The horses that try really hard are the ones who get in the most trouble.

The outside rein is a block-why are we blocking them? Wait until they give completely to the inside rein- get their mind to the inside. When they are drifting out, they are thinking out.

Topline release- should go from the poll to the hocks.

Don’t pull hands back to stop- stop in relation to the Earth. Pick a spot and don’t let your hands go past it.

Give your horse a purpose.

Definition of On The Bit– for every change in the reins there is an equal change in the hind-quarters.

JUST WAIT while they search!