February 2019 12 Backing your horse in a circle with his nose and hip to the inside focuses your horse’s brain, alleviates leaning issues, and enhances Feel plus Suppleness. Not to mention, it’s a lot of work, so your horse realizes it’s easier for him to maintain focus or stay straight in the first place than to back in circles. If I have a horse that’s antsy in the middle of the pen before a barrel pattern, I’ll take him to a Time Only and back him in circles in each direction in the middle of the arena when he gets nervous and dances around. If a horse is stiff, the exercise loosens him up. I also use it on horses that lean toward the barn when I’m riding in the arena; when the horse starts to lean, I stop him and back a circle on the same arc we were traveling, but in a much smaller circle. Here, we’re working the horse in a snaffle bit and riding with two hands. Until your horse is fully competent, stick with two hands on a snaffle for the best results. In this article, I’ll discuss tipping your horse’s nose and hind end to the inside of the circle. There are times when you might back him with his nose and hip to the outside, too. 1Here’s the hand position we’ll use to tip the horse’s nose to the inside. I liken it to going from a neutral hand position and then turning a key in a car’s ignition to tip the nose. To tip the horse’s nose to the right and stand Buddy Uldrikson Buddy Uldrikson Training at Rancho Rio Bonita: buddyuldriksonhorsemanship.com BEN AVERY SHOOTING FACILITY, PHOENIX, ARIZONA February 18-23, 2019 COWBOY ACTION SHOOTING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP More Than 60 Vendors of Western Clothing, Equipment and Crafts Competitive Events • Roaming Musicians • Trick Horses • Cowboy Fast Draw Authentic Chuck Wagon Cooking • Admission is Free!* For further information, pictures and complete details go to: winterrange.com Or watch a Winter Range video: youtube.com/watch?v=i9Mo-XoeaVk *Small fee for parking. up the right shoulder, we turn our right hand clockwise to a palm-up position, which shortens the rein just enough to tip the horse’s nose in that direction. We move the left hand out to the side to move his shoulders toward the outside of the circle. 2To teach a horse this exercise, we work incrementally. First, we ask the horse to back two steps, which we’re doing here. Hands are fairly neutral and soft, but we’re starting to turn the right palm upward. We place the right rein against the horse’s neck, the left hand moves to the outside, and the legs stay neutral but actively squeeze to ask for two steps back. 3Then we ask the horse to move his hips two steps to the inside of my “circle.” The right palm is turned up, we place the right rein against his neck, and the left hand is out to the left side. Keep the right leg at the cinch, and the left leg is well behind the cinch to move the horse’s hindquarters to the right two steps. Then move his shoulders out for two steps by pulling the left rein out and putting the right rein against his neck. 4Continue to work the way around the “circle,” working the two-steps-back/two-steps-hip-inside/two-steps- shoulders-outside pattern. As you go, start to blend the separate increments together, making more of a circle shape. It’s important to work slowly toward this end goal, releasing the pressure and giving the horse a break every few steps along the way. 5Here we’re loping the horse on a circle. He’s starting to lean to the inside. This is the perfect exercise to square-up his shoulders. I also use it when a horse drops his shoulder when working a cow. 6We’ve drawn the horse to a stop and positioned the hands and legs to tip his nose and hip to the inside to start backing a circle. This position will lift his shoulders, as well as supple his body and focus his attention back on what we’re doing and keeping his body in position to do what is asked correctly. 7Back him a couple steps, move his hindquarters to the inside, and then move his shoulders back out. After two or three circles, you’ll be able to feel the horse stand himself up. More backing in a circle is too much work! It’s easier for him to carry himself correctly. 8The horse’s shoulders are square, his body is supple, and his mind is focused on going back to work, loping that circle. Once he’s done this exercise a few times, he’ll be much better at backing in a true circle rather than working at it in three increments at a time. Backing in Circles