Icelandic Horse Connection, Ryder Draw and the Icelandic Horse

The Ryder Draw is a simple, easy, honest method to create the "draw" to you, from your horse.

The Ryder Draw has absolutely nothing to do with round-penning. It is simply a request of the horse to come to you.

Round-penning methods resulting in "hooking on", "join up", or "bonding" operate from a totally different place than the Ryder Draw.

A horse can be asked to "target" the owner/trainer. This is a great method as the horse focuses on a human rather than an object. In this method the word "target" does not mean an actual touch--it means the FOCUS from the horse.

Before the horse makes any type of physical change or movement, the spark in his brain needs to be re-directed to the new thought.

The Ryder Draw can be started with a horse in an enclosure or if it's your very own, very well known, no problem horse, you can start at liberty in the pasture.

For an unknown horse, go to the old, quickly written up description of the Ryder Draw, then return here.

Approach and stand at an oblique angle to the horse's eye, about 45 degrees behind and at whatever spot does not infringe on the horse's "comfort bubble". See if you can change his focus from whatever it's on at the moment, to you. Click and walk up to him and treat. Move back to the comfort spot. Try it again. Watch for his eye to "see" you. Click and treat.

The horse has now been rewarded for changing his internal focus and looking at you with his eye (and possibly his ear). Next we'll ask for the head to turn in our direction. This can be accomplished by recognizing the change in focus and the horse looking at you with his eye, and then backing up when it happens. Click and treat.

The horse will understand that the meaning of the "backing up" is to "draw" to you.

After the change in focus, the following of the eye/ear, we'll watch for the head to swivel. Click and treat.

The next normal progression will be for the neck to flex. This sequence happens fairly rapidly if all is in place (timing of the click, your recognition of the changes, and your backward movement).

Very shortly, when you leave the horse and then re-approach stopping at the comfort spot (or whatever spot you're working on) and back up, the horse should swivel his head and bend his neck toward you.

The next natural progression is for the ribcage to loosen up a little following the bend of the neck. This will lead to the actual disengagement of the hindquarters. Now we have the feet moving, we're backing up, and the horse should be "drawing" into us!

We have effectively gotten to the horse's feet thru his mind. Not only that, we have taught a cue for "come" (a hand signal can also be added), and created a "want" in the horse to be with us. All with no stress.

Working the Ryder Draw will lead you to Dancing With Your Horse (more information to follow). It is alot of fun to run thru the Parelli games at liberty. Once you have the Ryder Draw, you can position your horse's body any place and any where you'd like it.

You will be able to ask your horse to lift a certain foot without moving from in front of him, no lead rope/halter. It will be possible to ask him, at liberty, to shift his weight from front to back, or off one leg. At liberty and without touching him, he will be able to disengage his hindquarters by following your body position.

What fun!

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