The Mustang Diaries: Oakley Haltered Groundwork - Session 6

Yesterday, my focus with Oakley was on reviewing known groundwork exercises, refining hind quarter yielding, establishing clearer communication on the lunge line, and cultivating a more respectful leading position.

We began with reviewing the groundwork exercises that he is familiar with: Free lunging, haltering, desensitizing to my tools, and yielding his hind quarters. I am starting to increase my standards for his hind quarter yielding and am asking him to stay more planted with his front end while moving his hind. He is doing well with this, and you can see in the video how willing he is.

Then we transition into a newer exercise: lunging on the lead line. Here, the objective is to define Oakley’s response to halter pressure, encouraging him to yield away from it and maintain a consistent, balanced circle around me. The lead line is an extension of my arm, a conduit for conveying my intentions. I start by encouraging him forward, using the lead line to guide his head and shoulders. If he resists, I apply slightly more pressure, but always releasing the moment he softens. It's a delicate balance, a negotiation between encouragement and correction. The goal isn't to force him into submission, but rather to guide him towards understanding and cooperation. He’s learning to listen, to trust the guidance I offer, and to find comfort in the predictable rhythm of the circle.

Finally, we go into another new exercise: leading beside. His natural instinct is to either lead ahead or lag behind, constantly gauging his surroundings and asserting his independence. Up until now, I have only required that he lead behind me. But now, I want him to walk beside me, not out of blind obedience, but out of a respectful understanding of my space and my intention. Each time he drifts ahead or falls behind, I correct him with a subtle pull on the lead line, a change in my body language, and propulsion from behind with my stick. I want him to understand that walking beside me is not a restriction, but a partnership. It’s about being aware of a person's presence, about maintaining a connection, and about trusting that we will guide him safely. As the session progresses, I see him start to pay closer attention and maintain a position relative to me that is more consistently beside. He has a lot of work to do on this exercise, but it is coming along very nicely!