Slide Stops by Sandy Collier
Horse and Rider November 2004, "Whoa-Back" for Softness

Last Month, in Lesson 1, you learned how to use lope circles to encourage your horse to pay attention to you and stay between the reins. This month, you'll use an exercise I call the "whoa-back" to teach him to soften in his face, round through his back, and engage his hindquarters.

"Softening in the face" is a common horse-man's term; another way of putting it is "getting back off the bit." It simply means becoming more responsive to your hand, so that only the slightest rein pressure is necessary to gain a response. When your horse is soft in the face, he's in a constant state of awaiting your next request. He'll relax through the jaw and flex at the poll with the lightest rein pressure--ideally when you simply pick up the reins. Getting soft in the face is one of the key indicators that a horse is becoming a tuned-in, compliant, well-broke horse.

A soft face can't develop in a vacuum. Your horse must also round through his top line (picking up his shoulders and his back) while positioning his hindquarters underneath him--actions that enhance his agility and quality of movement. The whoa-back--where you ask your horse to stop , then immediately perform a series of short back-ups--promotes all these abilities. As a bonus, t reinforces proper stopping position without having to stop as often, thus saving wear and tear on your horse's hocks.

1. After warming up your horse, lope him in a straight line and "build him into the bridle" by squeezing with both your legs wile maintaining soft contact with your reins. Then ask for a stop by sitting deep (sinking your weight in the saddle with-out leaning too far back or pushing your feet forward), closing your hands on your reins, and saying "whoa." If your horse isn't tuned in and responsive, he may do as my horse is here, and run through his stop, pulling back on you hands instead of giving to the pressure.

Or (insert left), he may toss his head up as he stops--another resistance. The remedy for both is teaching him to be softer in the face--the purpose of this exercise.

2. After your horse comes to a complete stop, remain deep in the saddle and ask for the back-up. Don't do this by simply pulling back on the reins--that just invites more resistance. Instead, "build a wall" with your hands by holding them soft yet steady, just at the point of light pressure on your horse's mouth. At the same time, bump his sides lightly with both legs to create impulsion. That drives him forward, where he 'hits the wall'" of your hands and must t therefore shift into reverse. Bump lightly with your legs at first, giving your horse time to understand what you're asking. Then increase what you're asking. Then increase intensity (without increasing the pressure on the reins--just "maintain") until he responds. Here my horse is resisting my request for a back-up, raising his head and bracing against my hands, and not rocking back onto his hindquarters. My solution is to maintain the rein contact and continue bumping with my legs until...

3....He softens and responds, flexing at the poll, lowering his hindquarters, and moving straight back. Note how round his top line is as compared to photo #2. Continue the back-up for three or four steps until your feel him moving willingly with little rein pressure, then release all aids and allow him to stop. Say "whoa" as you pick up your reins again and resume bumping his sides, to recommence backing. Continue in this fashion for three or four sets of back-ups before going forward and loping again. Remember to say "whoa" each time you ask him for the back-up' this will help him learn to stop in the correct position whenever he hears it. Equally important, strive to pick the reins up in the exact same way so your horse is clear about what this means. By the same token, don't lift the reins casually--as when chatting with a friend who shows up at the rail--or you'll dilute the responsiveness you're trying to develop.

4. After loping and stopping again, I've asked for the back-up and my horse responds even more willingly, with virtually no rein pressure at all. Make sure you use your reins and legs equally on both sides to remain straight. If he starts to swing his hind end to the right, for example, move your right leg back an inch or so and bump a bit more vigorously to straighten him out.

5. With time and repetition of the back-ups sets, your horse will improve his stops as mine is here. Note now his body position echoes that of the back-up position in photo #3. That's why good backing leads to good stopping, as well as to better all-around softness and responsiveness.