Crazy Name = Common Sense: Journey of the Homing Pigeon

I can never figure out how she does it. Her inspirations are distillations of pure common horse-sense, informed by classical horsemanship in the kindest tradition. They seem to come from Linda Tellington-Jones as modern-day transmissions from a kinder, gentler age.

Take a look at this image:

This 1648 illustration shows how timeless the "Homing Pigeon" leading position is! Note the use of a training bit, wands, and people leading the horse from both sides.

While there are many creatively-named positions and techniques for teaching people and training horses to do a number of basic and more advanced tasks, the most basic and versatile of these is the Journey of the Homing Pigeon. Linda’s crazy names for TTouches and leading positions puzzled me for a while. I get it now. Not only are they excellent mnemonic devices, but they also force us to use both sides of our brains while working and thinking about what we are doing. The image of a homing pigeon, guided by instinct and the care of expert training, is particularly applicable here.

By using two people on the ground at 45° from the horses’ eyes, plus a potential rider, the Journey of the Homing Pigeon guides a horse rather than directs a horse. It is a calming position for learning a number of tasks, because it virtually eliminates the anxiety of trying to decide what the handlers want. That’s pretty clear if the handlers communicate well. Another exercise in effective nonverbal communication for riders on the ground! Because there are handlers on both sides, the horse uses both sides of the brain. Telltale licking and chewing (“I’m thinking!”) begins much earlier. EEG studies on horses support this. Relaxation and real learning occur with surprising speed.

At first I thought it an impractical exercise. Who has the time and manpower to lead a horse in tandem all the time? What I have found is that it only takes a few times for the horse to learn what you need, and to gain the necessary confidence to move out with a single leader or rider.

According to Linda Tellington-Jones,

The Journey of the Homing Pigeon keeps a horse from leaning on or crowding you. It is useful for horses who have never been led, or who pull or are difficult to control. It speeds learning by influencing the horse from both sides, and it helps horses who are one-sided, or reluctant to being led from the right side.

This leading position is done with two people, two lead lines and two “wands.” (This is somewhat like a dressage whip, but very supple, white in color and never intended to strike a horse. They know the difference.) It’s important to designate the leading handler who will be in charge from the very beginning. The leader’s chain lead line is fastened in the usual TTouch way — over the noseband and up the opposite side. The support person’s soft lead rope (called a Zephyr) loops through onto the side ring of the halter nearest her and is twisted back on itself.

Both handlers should be far enough ahead of the horse so that they can see each other in front of the horse’s nose. This is vital for communication between leaders and so that the horse can keep each handler in view. Both wands are held at the level of the horse’s nose, well out in front, which helps the horse to focus on where he is going. To walk forward, the leader gives the voice signal, and both people “open” their wands in front of the horse, leading gently away from the face with their leads.

Here is a bird’s eye view of Linda and Kirsten Henry leading a horse in the Journey of the Homing Pigeon:

You can see how the handlers can keep the horse between their wand and hands, as well as between one another. A horse led in this way can learn calmly and attentively.

Changing directions and stops and starts takes coordination between handlers, but the result is a calm and very attentive horse. I have used the Journey of the Homing Pigeon to calm and focus fractious horses who have a tough time being led for whatever reason. After a few tries, the skill seems to stick. Of course there is always the possibility of returning to it in times of stress. It is an infinitely more effective technique than hanging onto the halter or being the swinging knot on the end of the lead rope I’ve seen so often, especially at horse shows, when horses are high and people are nervous, and all training seems to go out the window. It is adaptable to use with a single person (my next post will address this) as well.

© 2010, hurric@nekim. All rights reserved.