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the horse to put more efort into the relationship by

giving them more responsibility – which means us
doing less and them doing more! Once you’ve taught

the horse something and have practiced it enough

times that you’re convinced they know the game or
pattern, you’re ready to move into the reinforcing

stage. As Pat always says, “horses can learn 7-10

times faster then we can,” and most people get stuck
in the teaching stage and are well overdue to move

into this stage.

The fourth stage is reining. In this stage, you
would focus on reining the quality of the games

and maneuvers you’re asking for. This could mean

releasing towards the goal of various things (lexion,
rhythm, relaxation, distance, etc). In order for the

horse to be able to understand what you’re asking

for, the phases have to be light. This is why you would
only be using Phases 1 and 2 in this stage. If you

needed to use a higher phase then going back to the

reinforcing stage would be necessary to increase your
responsiveness, in order to be able to ask for things

with Phase 1 and 2, and then release on a degree of

reinement in the maneuver. If your phases are too
horse these things during the teaching stage in what high, they will take the horse’s mind of the reine-

we call “get to” situations, in order to set us and the ment of the maneuver and on to you. An example

horse up for success and only go into this stage for of this could be playing the Circle Game: while the
those “got to” situations.
horse is circling, you could wait to bring the horse of

The third stage of development is the reinforcing the circle until he has given you proper lexion to the

stage. In my opinion, this is the most commonly inside. If you’re still building responsiveness on your
misunderstood and unpracticed stage. I like to think circle, either in your send or in maintaining gait, then

of the reinforcing stage as reinforcing Phase 1. In the phases would usually be too high for the horse to

the reinforcing stage, you will be using a long Phase be able to look to the inside towards you. This is why,
1 and then Phase 4, but it would be signiicantly for reinement, your phases would need to be low.

less pressure than in the teaching phase. The other So my challenge to you is to notice when you’re

unique aspect of the reinforcing stage is you don’t using Phase 2 or 3 instead of a new Phase 1 and 4 to
continue to apply pressure until the horse responds build towards better responsiveness and then reine-

correctly, as you would in the teaching stage. Rather, ment. This will help you be more progressive with

you would actually stop and go back to neutral or your games, and ultimately, have a better relation-
“reset” once you’ve had to go to Phase 4. In other ship with your horse.
ST
words, once you use Phase 4 - regardless of whether

the horse moves appropriately or doesn’t move at all
- you will stop, go back to neutral, and reset. Then ask

again until the horse gives you the correct response
at Phase 1.

The reinforcing stage allows for the human to spend

more time operating at Phase 1, which increases the
horse’s responsiveness to your phases. This stage

is similar to the teaching stage in that it’s a “get to”

situation, but now we are going to start expecting

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