10/31/2026
𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠! ❤️
One thing I’ve been working on with Kenzley (and all my kids) is learning to not get into a pulling match with a horse. Especially when working with weanlings!
I want my kids to understand that it’s not about how much pressure you can apply, but how little pressure it takes for the horse to understand and respond. When teaching a young horse to give to pressure on a lead rope, I like to keep things very simple.
𝐂𝐮𝐞 #𝟏: Slide your hand down the lead rope. That’s your first ask. Give the horse an opportunity to respond to the lightest possible cue.
𝐂𝐮𝐞 #𝟐: If there’s no response, simply hold that pressure. Don’t start pulling harder or adding unnecessary force. Wait for the horse to search for the answer.
The moment they give, YOU give! If you have been to one of of my clinics you will hear me preach about "ITS A HAND THAT HOLDS & AND HAND THAT GIVES"
And here’s something I really want my kids to understand…A GIVE DOESN’T ALWAYS MEAN A STEP! Sometimes that first try is simply a softening in their face, a change in their eye, or the slightest release of tension.
REWARD THAT!
You don’t always need their feet to move to recognize that they’re beginning to understand. Those tiny moments matter because that’s where you’re developing FEEL.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make with weanlings is asking with too much pressure, too soon. Instead of allowing the c**t to search for the answer, they start pulling, forcing the movement, or demanding a bigger response before the c**t understands the smaller one.
And then we wonder why horses learn to brace against pressure!Pay attention to the horse in front of you. Watch their facial expressions. Watch their eyes. Notice when the tension leaves their face. Learn to recognize the smallest try instead of waiting for the biggest movement.
I want my kids to develop the ability to FEEL when a horse is thinking, trying, softening, or beginning to understand. And just as importantly, I want them to learn WHEN to release.Because the release is what tells the horse, “Yes! That’s the answer I was looking for.”
As the horse begins to understand, we can gradually build on those small tries and ask for more.If you want to develop a horse with good feel, start teaching it at this age.
If you want to become a horseman with good feel, start learning to recognize and reward those tiny changes.
Remember, we’re not just teaching a weanling to lead. We’re teaching them how to understand pressure, search for an answer, and find comfort in the release.
𝐒𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞.
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫.
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Elsabe Hausauer
