Page 72 - ST November 2013

education I

BY JULIA BELL

Circling Game:

The Deal Maker

T

he Circling Game is pivotal for your inds comfort. It’s also a great time to check out his
horsemanship. It can make your horse emotional itness; you can watch to see if his impul-

love you or hate you, and that is why it sion is equal, and whether he is right-brained or left-

is an immediate snapshot of your re- brained when he moves his feet. You get to assess
lationship, your savvy and your skills. what side of the corral your horse woke up on and

Your horse immediately knows what assess his attitude before you climb aboard. You

kind of leader you are by the efectiveness of how become the leader by getting your horse to move his
you play this game. If the Circling Game is done cor- feet. It also serves the purpose of physical exercise

rectly, it exercises the three systems of your horse: for your horse.

Mental, Emotional and Physical. The Circling Game The Allow is the meat of your Circling Game. This
also encompasses the Friendly, Porcupine, Driving is where savvy comes in because knowing when to

and Yo-Yo Games. Here is how:
stop is important. If your circles are getting out of

control and your horse is beginning to panic, you
Circling Game, Step 1: Send
need to shut him down. You can either disengage

After backing your horse out, send your horse of and wait for your horse to lick and chew, or you can

using a bit of Porcupine Game on the halter and lead put him on a small Figure 8 pattern so that he can
rope, backed up with Driving Game from your stick continue to move his feet but in a consistent, con-

if needed. You may have the words LEAD IT, LIFT trolled way. If your circles are getting monotonous

IT, SWING IT, TOUCH IT engrained in your memory and boring to your horse, you need to engage him
from an adamant instructor. The Send includes the mentally more by adding in variety. This can be in

Porcupine and Driving Games.
the form of transitions, changes of direction, travel-

ing circles, jumps, gullies, ditches, trees or other ob-
Circling Game, Step 2: Allow
stacles. These obstacles engage your horse mentally,

The Allow comes after you’ve sent your horse and emotionally and physically. You can use your ground
you stand still, passing the rope behind your back. play with various obstacles to measure how success-

When you allow, you get to hurry up and do nothing! ful your ride is going to be with those same obstacles.

It’s a Friendly Game because you are building your For example, if your horse is afraid of tarps on the
horse’s conidence that circling is what you want him ground, he will probably spook at them when you’re

to do. When your horse circles and you stand still riding also. The Allow also gives your horse responsi-

in neutral, he will quickly learn that this is when he
bilities to 1. Act like a partner instead of a prey animal

70 | Savvy Times November 2013