Halter Training – Keeping the Feet Still

Steve Edwards: It’s very important that the animal’s feet be quiet and still. We’re going to … (Whistles) Yah, yah, yah. Now, your feet moved a lot. (Whistles) Yah, yah. Feet don’t move. (Whistles) Feet don’t move. (Whistles) Feet don’t move. (Whistles) Feet don’t move. (Whistles) Yah, yah, yah.

Women: When we did that this morning, we wanted them.

Steve Edwards: That’s right. We wanted them to move, okay? Now, we’re going to come to a point to where he’s going to learn when to stand still, ie. with a lead rope and when to stand still with no lead rope.

Women: Okay.

Steve Edwards: You see? I know it gets mind boggling to you.

Man: You didn’t have a lead rope on him when we were doing it.

Steve Edwards: Exactly, you know? There’s different ways of moving around. I let you all do that because these guys are pretty gentle. You did good, okay? Here’s the thing, anybody can make their feet move because it’s natural for them to do it, but to get them to make their feet stand still, that’s hard to do. If you notice, I tried to do it with just a bump and let go to be loose. (Whistles) Yah, yah, yah. Don’t move that foot. Yah, yah, yah. (Whistles) On a loose lead rope, okay? Now, when I pick it up, I want to go somewhere, I pick it up and I bump him, now they can move their feet. Starts to go away, sharp bump, “No, you follow me.” What I’m asking is, “Will you follow me around on a loose lead or will you try to go do your own thing?” If you do, that’s the wrong answer to my question and I’m going to bump you. Okay? If you follow me around, I’m a loose … That’s right. That’s right, good. Okay, now come over here. Come over here. This is all halter work.