Shadowing

Shadowing - Shadowing is not an incredibly well-known technique. The Native Americans used a similar method called ‘running down’ to capture practically wild or difficult horses. Shadowing is sort of like a game of tag, except that you and the horse you’re shadowing never ‘tag’ each other. Here’s how you do it:

1. First, make sure that the horse you will be shadowing has been kept in his or her stall all day and night. This will ensure that he or she keeps moving. Now, put the horse in a medium-sized place like a small (1 acre at max) paddock or pasture. However, make sure it isn’t too big or you will never be able to keep pace with the horse.

2. Now, enter the paddock. Then, get the horse moving like you would have in join up. You could do this by running towards the horse. As soon as the horse is moving, start running after it.

3. Keep running after the horse. If the horse stops, you stop. If the horse takes a step backwards, you stay where you are. If the horse takes a step forwards, you take a step backwards. If the horse starts running again, you follow after it.

4. You can keep this up for as long as you can manage. However, if the horse is a reasonably tame, gentle one, after half an hour, he or she will stop. When the horse stops, start gently approaching it, making sure that you are not looking directly at it. If the horse stays where it is, you can go right up to it and pet it and make a fuss of it. However, if the horse goes running again, go after it.

5. If the horse allows you to get it, take it to its stall and give it a gentle grooming. The point of shadowing is that it shows your horse that you are prepared to chase it around the paddock for a long time just to be with it.