08/12/2026
This is the single most important thing I can ever teach you!
INTRODUCTION TO “THE CODE”!
When applying pressure in a cue
Ask → Increase → Response → RELEASE
It is the release that teaches your horse what you want. Not the pressure.
Remember this…
Whatever the horse is doing at the precise moment you release the pressure, that is what he thinks you wanted him to do.
Example 1 — Rein pressure
Bad: You’re holding pressure on his mouth. He pulls the reins through your fingers and makes them longer. He just created his own release. He learns, When I pull, the pressure goes away. You may have just taught him to pull on the reins.
Better: You’re holding pressure and he pulls. You don’t allow the reins to slip through your fingers. Instead, you maintain the pressure until he gives to it. The instant he gives, you release. Now he learns that giving—not pulling—creates comfort.
Best: When you aren’t asking for anything, there is little or no pressure to begin with. Pressure has meaning because it appears when you ask for a change and disappears immediately when the horse gives you the correct response.
Example 2 — Asking the horse to walk
Bad: You squeeze for three seconds, the horse doesn't walk, and then you release. You meant, Walk forward. But the release told him,
Standing still was the correct answer.
Better: You squeeze and maintain the pressure until he walks, then immediately release. Now the timing makes sense to him.
Best: Start with the lightest possible squeeze. If he doesn't respond, increase the pressure. Continue increasing as necessary until he takes one step forward—then completely release. With repetition, he learns that responding to the lightest cue is the easiest and most comfortable choice.
Horses love to have a rider who knows The Code. They speak their language, literally!
“But there's another piece to this: pressure isn't meant to physically put the horse where you want him. That's next.”
