Dear Friend and Horseman,

Welcome to the Rollback & Spin Cheat Sheet, Part 2.
If you missed the video in Part 1, go watch it before continuing on.

Part 2 consists of an audio plus a written “cheat sheet” which lists some of the key elements for teaching your horse to rollback and spin. You can print it out and take it to the barn with you as a reminder of what to do when schooling your horse. Don’t forget to check out the special offers I have for you at the bottom of this page.

Also, be sure to listen to the audio instructions. The audio contains additional instructions that are not listed in print. Well worth listening to.

Key Factors Your Horse Must Do To Learn To Spin

A. The horse must move forward, quickly and immediately when leg pressure is applied (impulsion).
B. The horse must move his front end away from rein pressure (moving the shoulders).
C. The horse must move away from individual leg or spur pressure (yield to the leg).

Play the audio to hear Larry Trocha explain even more about the spin… Plus the ONE BIG SECRET that enabled him to go from not being able to spin at all… to SPINNING LIKE A TOP only ONE DAY after hearing the secret!

It’s important to listen to the audio below.

1. Turn your horse, then ‘immediately’ accelerate forward and leave the turn.
Start by doing 90 or 180 degree turns only.

This “turning and leaving” is key for teaching the horse to plant his pivot foot.
If you let the horse hesitate between the turn and leaving, he won’t get the idea.
If needed, pop him on the butt (outside hip) right after the turn.

Important note:

When you drive forward after the turn you must accelerate immediately. If you turn and just stand or turn slowly all the time, you will either teach the horse to swing his hind-end out of gear or pivot on the outside (wrong) pivot foot.

2. Your horse ‘must’ move his front end away from rein pressure. If he doesn’t, use your leg as a reprimand.

Example:
Pick up the reins and move your hands to the left. If the horse doesn’t move his front end to the left, press him with your right spur as an incentive for him to “move away” from the rein. (You could also just bump him with your leg).

3. Use your hands with ‘rein and release’ action. Do not use steady pressure.

Cue for the spin with light touches and releases (rein and release). Using the reins with the “pull and release” method, keeps the front end free and moving off the rein. Using the reins with steady pressure will cause a horse to lock his front end and swing his butt out of gear. Be sure to keep your rein hand low and use the correct angle when applying the reins — rein towards the horse’s hip.

Important note:

Make sure you are using your hands correctly. When riding, your hands should be in front of the saddle swells. Many people ride with too long a rein, causing their hands to travel too far back to signal the horse correctly. This is a biggie.

4. Remember to sit in the middle of your horse. Do not lean into the turn.

Leaning will cause your horse to kick his butt out instead of using his pivot foot. Turn your head and look towards the direction you want to spin but keep your body centered over the horse.

5. When spinning, make sure to correctly “time the reins”.

When the horse’s outside front leg is just starting forward, apply rein pressure and then release. Repeat this timing with every step of the outside front foot. Applying the reins at the correct time is what allows the horse to do a smooth cross-over with his front legs.

6. To add more speed to the spin, cluck to the horse.

If he doesn’t respond to the cluck, pop him on the “outside hip” with the end of the rein. Sometimes a crop is easier to use. Remember to cluck before you pop him. You want to teach him to speed up in response to your voice command.

7. A spin is very similar to trotting a circle… The smallest circle you can do.

Don’t let all the technical instruction bog you down. Start trotting your horse in a circle and bring it down smaller and smaller until the horse goes into a spin (remember you have to keep the impulsion going). After only one revolution of spinning, jump out and trot a circle again. Repeat this lesson until the horse can stay in the spin two or three revolutions (this technique will have some horses spinning the very first time you try it).

8. When doing a rollback, it’s critical to slack the reins between the “stop” and the “turn”.

Be sure to jump-out into a lope after the turn. This “jump out” is what makes the turn clean, fluid and correct. Make sure the horse starts the turn “nose first”.

Important note:
When asking for a rollback, use your rein hand decisively and a little more elevated to slightly “lift” the horse’s front end and encourage him to turn a full 180 degrees.

9. In the “stop” part of the rollback, the reins are handled the same as if you were asking for a good stop on the hindquarters or a sliding stop.

You must ask for the stop when the horse’s hind feet are in the air and on the way forward. This timing of the horse’s stride is “critical” for a good hindquarter stop. Miss it and you’ll force the horse to stop on his front end – ruining the rollback. Its also important to “sit” the rollback just like you would a sliding stop.

Okay, that wraps it up for part 2.

Check your email Inbox tomorrow for part 3. If it’s not there, check your spam folder.

In part 3, we go through some of the QUESTIONS related to rollbacks and spins which were sent in by my members.

Be sure to read the ANSWERS carefully as they contain solutions to specific “trouble spots” which we haven’t covered yet. Including…

The #1 Mistake Everybody Makes When Teaching Their Horse To Spin!

There is a good chance you are making this mistake too so definitely don’t miss it.

Click here to go to part 3

Back to the Menu

Larry Trocha
HorseTrainingVideos.com

Want to learn more? Check out the video titles below.

Some of the titles are DVDs and some are online streaming videos. All are really good and you’ll learn exactly what to do to get your horse working well.

These videos show how to train a responsive, well-reined horse!