Training Exercises: Join Up

This is Part 2 of a two-part Lesson. Part 1 is Round Penning

The object of Joining Up is to confirm that your horse has accepted you as his leader. By “joining” he affirms his respect and friendship. Watch the short video of the Caspian stallion as he “joins up” and follows his trainer as the trainer leaves the round pen.

Joining Up is the first step in a partnership between you and your horse. It shows his trust and his understanding of his place in your partnership.

This exercise is the place to start with any horse, whether it is a new colt or an older problem horse. You have gained his attention during the Round Penning exercise. If you have not seen that discussion, read it first.

Horses are herd animals. They WANT to take a leader. When “joined” with you, your horse has decided to give his power to you.


Horses (like humans) are inherently lazy and dislike physical exertion. Given the choice between circling the edge of the round pen or standing quietly watching or with you, he will realize the comfort of the latter. After several trips around the round pen he would like you to stop pushing him, and he would like to stop exercising to catch his breath. We accomplished this much during Round Penning.

Now we fine tune his rest. We want him to stop and face you, paying attention to you with two eyes.

How many times do you think it will take for him to realize that when you ask him to stop circling the round pen, he should turn and face you? Give him an opportunity to stop and look at you. Wait to receive his attention, THEN back up a little to ease the pressure.
Lesson #1 learned: Face your trainer and stand still. It’s a lot more comfortable.
The Caspian stallion in the movie has started to give his full attention to the trainer.

Hold his attention and begin to shape his behavior.

When he stops, he will probably not be facing you squarely. As he stands and looks at you, move ever-so-slightly toward him in an arc with your shoulder to his side, looking slightly at his hindquarters. Stay out far enough that he is not panicked at your approach. Don’t tip toe. But don’t be aggressive. “Saunter” the arc with your gaze toward his fanny.

He will be torn between running away (which means more work around the pen) or standing still but uncomfortable at your approach. He is suspicious of you. What are you doing?

If he wants to keep his eyes on you and protect his hindquarters from your stare, he must turn his head to keep you in sight. In fact, he will have to move his hindquarters away to get a more fully-front view of you because you are moving toward his side-rear. That is exactly what you want. You want his hindquarters to move away and his head to come around to you squarely. This is subtle. If you are too fast or aggressive he will move off and circle again. Done correctly, he will move his rear feet away just a step or two to keep an eye on you. Accept just one step away with his rear that brings his face around. Stop! Let him rest but keep his attention on you.

There is no grey area here. He will either turn to face you more squarely (excellent) or leave (wrong decision).

If he takes off again, allow him to make that choice. Encourage him to continue to move around the pen again repeating the first exercises until you ask him to stop again. (That doesn’t mean “beat his butt”. Just send him again.) The contrast between standing placidly (your desire) and moving around the pen again is black and white.

whole sequenceIf he stands, turns, and watches, relax your posture noticeably. Then repeat your slow approach to his rear – approaching with gentle, firm gaze, not predator-attack eyes.

Keep your energy calm. Use your “hindquarters”-hand or stick to gently pressure his rear away and your “head”-hand low. If he leaves, send him around again. If he stands, accept 15 seconds or some sign of relaxation (such as chewing or lowering his head and softening his look) and then back away to the center of the pen to allow him to rest for another minute.
Shape his “stand-and-face” into longer and longer time. (Remember: reward baby steps).

At this point, many horses will automatically join up. Standing near the center of the pen, relax your body, turn your gaze away from his eyes to his feet. This will lower the pressure so he has a chance to risk coming to you. If he seems reluctant, try turning your side to him or even your back and stand still. He may leave the fence and slowly walk to your back until he is standing practically on top of you. Join-up complete.

When he gets to you, give him a chance to relax and think about it. Then reward him by letting him stand with you quietly. Gently turn to pet him and talk calmly.

If you can’t get this step, than go back to his “stop, stand, and watch” at the fence and approach him in an arc again. Come around to his rear. Then follow his body toward his head. Eventually you will be parallel to and next to him; maybe close enough to touch. It’s tempting, but don’t touch him. Just stand there relaxed or even turn your back to him. All pressure must be gone when he stands in close proximity to you!

Gently maneuver until you are standing barely in front of him with your back to his head. Stand and relax.

Take Me as Your Leader

Now slowly take several steps away from him, assuming he is following. After a couple of attempts he WILL follow you. He will move forward when you do, head low and body relaxed, stopping when you stop. At this point, he has “Joined Up” with you.

denim and louis

When “joined” with you, your horse has decided to give his power to you. Denim has joined with Louis and is following as a member of the herd follows the leader.

If you have a particularly dominant horse, you may have to repeat this exercise more times than with a more laid-back animal. Stallions, late (proud) gelded geldings, head mares take longer to come down to a partnership because they are used to being a pasture leader. Hot bloods (like Arabians) because they are inherently more skittish and tense.

Watch the movie at the top of the page of the little Dun-factored Caspian stallion as he joins up.

At the end of this exercise, your horse should seek you out when you enter the pen, joining each time you approach. When he is good at standing and facing you, following you, turn and rub his neck and face, talking low and giving him some genuine affection.

This exercise is the cure for a hard-to-catch horse.

Thank you Kristull Ranch in Austin, Texas for letting me use your horses to demonstrate: Half Friesian gelding, Cadence. Rare-breed Caspian stallion, Terrani. Appaloosa mare, Denim.

Horse training can be dangerous. Not all methods work on all horses. Instruction presented here is not meant to be prescriptive in nature, and Horse-Pros.com takes no responsibility for the welfare of any animal or person using our methods.

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3 thoughts on “Training Exercises: Join Up

  1. Actually very useful exercises! I liked the way you described them from the point of view of horse psychology. Great article, I’ll definitely share it with my friends-horseriders.

  2. I was taught to not step backwards away from a horse who is coming towards you because it is teaching them that they are pushing you away. What are your thoughts on this? Would your process work if one stepped to the side towards the horses tail end but still facing the horse causing them to turn towards you to follow and engage? Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks

    1. Hi Kerri: You are correct if you are talking about the join up maneuver. I made that very mistake with a small wild stallion once. He decided that if he faced me I would be intimidated and move back. Eventually he actually charged me when I moved in. This is not usual even if you make this mistake, but a stallion (particularly wild) is a horse of a different color. If I still give that advice on this page, I will re-work it a little.
      When he stops, you should stop (not back up). Then approach from the side taking care to keep your eyes on him, but not to act aggressively or even look directly at his face. As I approach in an arc from the side toward his rear, it causes him to turn his head, then turn his fanny away as he keeps his eyes on me. I don’t try to touch. At first I don’t even get close enough to touch. Just accept the baby step of keeping still and watching me. Then go back to the center of the ring. (When he actually joins he will follow you to the center)
      If he breaks at your approach he must circle the pen again. If he stands, he gets to rest.
      If you eventually get close enough as you approach his rear and he turns, come parellel with his body, walk off from his rear past his front as if you are going to lead him. At this point many horses will come right along. (The bay 1/2 Friesian in the animation on this page is demonstrating his turn-and-face maneuver).

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