HORSE ASSESSMENT CHART
By being aware of how your horse responds to
contact on every part of his body you can take the necessary steps to help improve his
health, behaviour and well being. To aid in this please use the HORSE ASSESSMENT CHART
which is available to download as a *pdf file here or a zip file here.
Use the diagrams to mark areas of tension,
'ticklish' places, no-go areas, and places that are over or under developed. Mark patches
that are cold or hot or areas where the coat is worn, raised, coarse or scurfy. Note which
is the higher nostril, ear, shoulder, hip, and so on.
Watch your horses reactions at all times and
only carry out the flat hand assessment if it is safe to do so.
Date the chart and repeat the assessment every
few weeks to follow your horse's progress. You may be amazed at how the simple TTEAM and
Connected Riding body work exercises can change your horse.
Resistance only comes from resistance. Educating the horse
through TTEAM is a peaceful, rewarding and highly successful way of improving both
performance and behaviour.
TTEAM offers many ways of teaching horses to overcome their
habitual behaviours. Adding a second lead line and handler enables the horse to start
learning how to move in self carriage. The second handler is there as a support - this
helps teach the horse to move in a straight line and starts educating the horse from the
offside. Teaching horses to work on both reins in hand automatically helps them when under
saddle. Care must be taken to ensure that both handlers are not fighting for control since
this will merely confuse the horse more. Communication is vital between the handlers who
can alternate who is giving a signal on the line to help the horse release in his poll and
neck.