Training Tip of the Week: Stopping a Grass-Snatcher

A horse can only think about one thing at a time. He’s either got his attention on you or on his next snack. If you’re walking down the trail and your horse grabs a mouthful of grass, he’s obviously not thinking about you. You need to redirect his feet and make him hustle. As soon as he snatches grass, bend him around in a circle and kick his side with your inside leg. Wake him up and get his attention back on you. You’re saying to the horse, “Hey, you don’t have time to be eating grass because you’re too busy listening to me and hustling your feet!”

After you make your point, put the horse on a loose rein and dare him to take another bite. It’s important to ride on a loose rein so the horse can commit to the mistake. If he wants to take a mouthful of grass, let him, and then immediately put his feet to work again.

When I say, hustle his feet, I do mean, hustle his feet. This doesn’t work if you let the horse graze for five minutes and then barely get him to move. If you let him drag his feet, he’ll be too busy chewing on the grass and dreaming about his next snack to pay any attention to you. If he grabs a mouthful, make him hustle his feet like his life depends on it. Do serpentines, lope him in a circle, gallop him in a straight line, it doesn’t matter what you do, but get some energy to it. Remember, horses are basically lazy creatures and the worst punishment you can give them is hard work.