Summary: Any good pilot checks his aircraft to insure it is flight worthy before boarding. Why shouldn't a good rider check the safety of his mount before climbing aboard? Before I even think about putting my foot in the stirrup, I have a check list of maneuvers I put my horse through on the ground to insure he's safe to get on. Like people, horses have good days, and they have bad days. I like to find out what kind of day my horse is having before I mount up. Some days my pre-flight goes great. My horse does everything I ask of him perfectly without hesitation. Other days my horse may be feeling a little frisky and requires a little more ground work before we go for our ride. To perform my pre-flight, I saddle and bridle my horse. I don't tighten the cinch completely. Just have it snug enough to keep it secure. I then fasten a 15 to 20 foot long rope (I use nylon rope bought at a farm supply store) to the curb strap of my bridle using a bow-line knot. Since the bow-line knot won't pull tight, it will allow my rope to move to what ever side of the horse I am working on. Flex My Horse Laterally √ First on my pre-flight check list is making sure my horse will flex when asked. There will be several times during my ride that I will ask my horse to flex, so I like to make sure he is flexing well. To do this I pick up the rein on the same side that I'm standing and pull it up to the swell of my saddle. If all goes well, my horse will tip his nose over to me as pictured. If he doesn't I hold pressure on the rein until he turns his nose to me. Once he does one side well, I check the other side in the same manor. Disengaging the Hindquarters √ After my horse is flexing well to both sides, I disengage my horse's hindquarters. To do this I tip his nose slightly towards me with one hand, and using my other hand I cue him with the stirrup where my foot would be if I was riding in position three. We go around in three circles with his legs crossing well. Stop and back. Then go three circles the other direction. Stop and back. If your horse is being a little stubborn, you may have to cue him a little harder. If he is being a little naughty, make him turn three more circles to each side. The reason I like to disengage my horse's hindquarter is because it is part of my emergency stop. I want to make sure my breaks are going to work. Yielding the Front End √ Now that I have the back end of the horse moving like I want, it's time to move the front end. Standing by your horse's head, start, leading him forward. Turn and face your horse's head and walk towards him. I typically put my hands up, one by his face and one by his shoulder. Start by asking for one step, where your horse crosses his front legs. After one step, turn and walk forward again. Take about ten steps forward then turn and step toward your horse again. If my horse is doing well, I perform five or six turns each direction, more if he is not doing well. The first few times you perform this maneuver with your horse he may only take one crossover step. As he progresses he should be able to take more crossover steps. Horses that I have been working with for awhile can easily turn a half to a full circle. Until you and your horse get the hang of this exercise it may seem a little tricky. At first if my horse doesn't want to turn I will take my thumb and push on my horse where his neck and shoulder connect. I only push hard enough to get my horse to move. Moving Hind End and Following the Rein √ This is another test I perform to get my horse's hind quarters moving. However, this time I'm going to use rein pressure to get him to move his hind end around. While my horse is standing still, I take my rope and run it down his side opposite of where I'm standing. I then bring the rope around my horse's back legs, making sure to stay above the hocks, and stand a couple steps away from my horse's shoulder.
