STTDP Horse:
ORDER OF TRAINING CHECKLIST – THIS IS NOT HOW TO DO IT, THAT IS ON THE VIDEOS IN
Started W/O Gd. Ex.
THE SUBSCRIPTION.
LEADING
● Walk a respectful distance (several feet) behind you, with slack in the lead rope on the same side
as the lead is in your hand (if in right hand, should be on right side).
● Stop as you stop (like a shadow).
● Back up as you step back (like a shadow).
If the horse is dangerous at all, do whatever is necessary to get to a place where you can do
Hooking on or FAB, do not try to perfect the leading as a first step.
FOCUS & BALANCE (IF YOU DON’T HAVE A ROUND PEN)
● Yield front end 90degrees and go off with energy around you.
● When asked to yield hind end, steps under and stops facing you.
● Stands facing you without creeping forward towards you.
Equally good on both sides.
HOOKING ON (IF YOU HAVE A STURDY ROUND PEN)
● Establish and maintain forward motion.
● Change directions to inside while maintaining forward motion, yield front end, not cut into centre of
RP
● Forward motion in other direction. Change directions as above.
● Turn in and rest facing centre but not coming in.
● Send off in each direction from standing.
● Keep attention on you and step under behind as you walk around (to hindquarters) each side,
without blocking or leaving
● Step hind end under and take forward steps towards you as you spiral away.
● Follow you at a respectful distance.
● Change directions following you, stepping over behind and staying on outside of turn, not cutting
GROUNDWORK
● Desensitising (both sides, perfect one side before moving on to other)
○ with lead rope over back.
○ with whip/carrot stick over back. First without noise, then with.
○ with whip on the ground, starting perpendicular to horse.
○ with flag.
● Sensitising (both sides, perfect one side before moving on to other).
○ Disengage hind end, including untracking front feet and doing more than you.
○ Send from a standstill. Front end must yield away before horse moves forward.
○ Maintain forward motion on a circle after sending, keeping slack in the rope.
○ Disengage to a stop.
○ Stop and change directions, yielding front end.
○ Maintain a good quality circle, with inside bend and straightness.
○ Yield hind quarters while travelling forward on circle.
○ ‘Rope around hindquarters’ exercise, with correct bend and disengaging.
● Be able to switch between Desens. and Sens. with no dullness or reactivity.
● Lateral flexion both sides.
● Calmly travel between you and fence.
● Approach fence, staying parallel, with you above.
● Be desensitised to your movement, touch, weight etc. from the fence.
● (Optional but useful: lead by a hind foot.)
● (Optional but useful: calmly travel over tarpaulin.)
● (Optional but useful: yield front end while you are at the horse’s side.)
● (Optional but useful: sidepass.)
ORDER OF TRAINING CHECKLIST Started W/O Gd. Ex.
SADDLING
● Desensitised to pressure around cinch/belly/flank.
● Accept saddle pad/blanket.
● Accept saddle and cinch.
● Move freely while carrying saddle with no bucking, kicking out or pinning ears.
● Get all groundwork as good as it was without the saddle, while carrying saddle.
FIRST RIDES – IN ROUND PEN OR SMALL AREA
● Be calm when you jump up and down beside horse.
● Be calm when you place foot/weight in stirrup.
● Be calm when you stand up and lays weight over saddle.
● Be calm when you lay weight over saddle and swings free leg.
● Be calm when you sit down in saddle.
● Lateral flexion both sides – mentally present and can easily go from one side to other. Get 1 side
good then other.
● Disengage both sides.
● Disengage then spiral out into forward motion, both sides. *
● Bend to a stop from a walk, both sides.*
● Trot on a loose rein, both directions, no steering. *
● Bend to a stop from a trot, both directions. *
● Canter on a loose rein, both directions, no steering.*
● Bend to a stop from a canter.*
*Do all in one direction and make sure it is good before going to the other side.
● Minimise attraction to specific places e.g. gate/other horses (destination addiction).
FIRST RIDE OUTSIDE
● Lateral flexion both sides – mentally present and can easily go from one side to other. 1 side good
then other.
● Disengage both sides.
● Disengage then spiral out into forward motion, both sides.
● Walk and check for destination addiction.
● Trot and check for destination addiction.
● Canter and check for destination addiction.
● Walk, trot, canter on loose rein.
● Bend to a stop well in both directions at walk, trot, canter.
BODY CONTROL
● Steer using one direct rein, with lateral flexion and straightness.
● Left/Right exercise (if horse tends to be straight do LR first and FF second).
● Follow The Fence exercise (if your horse tends to duck and dive do FF first and LR second).
● Point To Point exercise.
● Cross Hairs exercise.
● Circle exercise.
● Slow down off the your seat (can be introduced anytime if your horse has really good forward and
bends to a stop softly)
● Back up. (First break at the poll, then rock back, then step back.)
● Sidepass by turning into the fence.
● Sidepass on the fence and offering multiple steps.
● Sidepass facing the fence from a standstill.
● Sidepass without the fence.
● Back up from all 3 gaits (no gaits are missed in downward transition)
● Disengage and bring the front end through, on the fence.
ORDER OF TRAINING CHECKLIST Started W/O Gd. Ex.
● Disengage and bring the front end through, off the fence.
● Stop off a verbal cue, on the fence (walk, trot, canter).
● Stop off a verbal cue, then back up and turn on the fence (walk, trot, canter).
● Stop off a verbal cue, off the fence (walk, trot, canter).
● Move away from inside leg. (Can add earlier if horse has a tendency to drop his shoulder)
● Halfhalt/ collection.
● Counterbend, both directions (walk, trot, canter).
● 4 circles exercise in trot.
● Countercanter.
● 8 circles exercise in canter.
● Flying lead change.