Safety is one of our largest priorities in the lesson program. I take the rider's physical and mental safety very seriously. 'Mental Safety?' You may ask. Yes, our mental state is maybe even more fragile than our bodies are. Confidence can take a long time to create and only split seconds to shatter. In order to protect our precious bodies and minds, ensuring our horses have an obedient 'whoa' is critical.
Whether under saddle or on the ground, having a strong 'whoa' command can save you from a potentially very dangerous situation. Whatever the situation may be, we ideally do not want our horse travelling any faster than what we have asked of them - especially if we are young in our equestrian journey and still learning our skills. As the instructor, it is imperative for me to have an obedient 'whoa' on all of my lesson horses. This way, if I notice a rider getting off balance then I can stop the horse from the ground and give the rider time to get their balance back and regroup. I have prevented riders from slipping off by asking the horse to 'whoa' for the rider after they lose a stirrup, lose their balance, get nervous and shut down, or whatever the case may be.
So, you may be thinking now, 'Well how do I train my horse to have this reliable whoa that is so important to my own and potentially my horse's safety?' I can tell you it just takes time and consistency. Consistency is key with horse training and teaching them a vocal command is no different. I practice my 'whoa' with my horses almost every time I handle them, whether we practice it on the ground or in the saddle. If your horse ignores the 'whoa' command, a great reprimand would be to make them back up. They will learn to 'whoa' hastily for you to avoid the extra work of backing up.
Next time you ride, give it a test and see how good your horse's 'whoa' is! Play around with testing their 'whoa' in different situations like over a pole, or right before they step down from the trailer.
