Tami McAdams wrote:
>
> I looked back at what I wrote and think I left out a part of the description
of
the bump that would make it more clear.
>
> >>> Now, sharply snap your hand back toward yourself, right back to the place
in
'space' where you first observed your hand to be .... so again only a few
inches.
(this is the release). This creates a crisp bump that the horse FEELS. He gets
all
the energy of that bump and the subsequent complete release. <<<
>
> [moderator's note: brackets point >> INTO << the quoted text.]

Yes. This is what a 'snatch' is, as in 'snatch' his (the horse's) head back.

I was auditing a clinic, and a couple had a mare there that seemed to enjoy
tossing her head up and down... in the stall, or handheld by the halter rope...
she was bad.

The non-horsey husband ended up holding her, and the mare spent her time tossing
her head, just for fun (she was otherwise relaxed), jerking the husband's arm
each time.

I asked if he (the husband) had been taught a 'fixed' (non-pulling) hand (in the
Baucher sense, and Dorrance was aquainted with Baucher's methods), and he said
no... since the clinician had spent time showing the riders how to center their
weight below their navel, we started with that concept. Within five minutes, he
had it down. No pulling, just resisting. (This concept appears to be quite
difficult to learn from what others have written... so this guy was pretty
good!)

One way to practice is with another person and a rope/rein. Let them pull hard
against your hand. If your hand jerks backwards when the pull is release, then
you are 'pulling'. If your hand stays in the same relative space, then you are
'resisting'. If your helper pulls really really hard then releases suddenly,
your hand may move slightly, but not much. :D

One visualization is that of a wall in front of your hand which prevents your
hand from moving forward. Another is that you are a tree. Trees don't 'pull',
they resist.

And last but not least, your muscles should _not_ be tensed. Relaxation with
awareness is the key.

A 'fixed' had should be used on a loose lead/rein, in the sense that if the
horse moves and hits the end of the lead, the hand resist, and as soon as the
horse brings their head back, the lead loosens and the hand stays relative to
where it started.

Anyway, the mare settled down a bit, then got back into her game. She had on a
flat nylon halter, so didn't mind bumping her nose up against it. :)

I then asked the husband if he had heard of 'snatching' a horse's head back. He
said yes, the clinician had told him to do it, but that he didn't really know
how.

So I showed him how, if the mare starts to jerk, to turn his fist (starting with
knuckles in a vertical position) to a horizontal (flat, with knuckles up)
position, and then, just before the mare hits the end of the lead with her nose,
to bring it back down in a quick movement. A 'snatch'.

The hand itself is 'fixed' so there is _no_ 'pulling.' (Throughout this, the
lead rope is held just like English reins, with the lead coming up from the
bottom (little finger end) of the hand, and out thru the thumb and first
finger.) And as the horses hits your hand, and the nose comes back down, the
lead rope relaxes. Instant release. :)

This is the same type of action used when playing with a yo-yo. :D except one
keeps the hand flat, and jerks the hand slightly up as the yoyo gets near the
end of the string. And returns the hand to its original position once yoyo hits
the end of the string. When you are really good, just the finger the yo-yo is
tied to moves.

And another example of a 'fixed' and independent hand is when you try to carry a
full to the rim cup/glass of liquid on uneven ground _without_ spilling a drop.
Or carrying two buckets of water full to the brim across uneven ground without
spilling any. :) Your muscles have to be relaxed but ready, AND 'fixed' in
motion or the water sloshes over. :)

At the first 'snatch', the mare stood in shock as in "What happened!??)

It took only a couple of times, and the mare ceased tossing her head and stood
quietly. Politely, on a 'loose' lead.

Once this method has been practiced enough to become muscle memory, it will be
an automated response on your part.

And, when working with horses, your weight should always be centered below your
navel, and your hands should always be independent, and 'fixed' (in the sense
that they 'resist', and never pull.)

A good way to practice centering your weight is to have a large dog unexpectedly
throw itself against the back of your knees. If your knees usually keep a slight
'flex' at all times, and your weight is centered, your knees will flex slightly
with the weight of the dog, but you won't be knocked to the ground. ;>

And again, this is very difficult for most people to master. :( But with enough
determination and practice...

AnitaW who has a great deal of admiration for those that clearly explain in an
easily understood way what is meant....