The Round Yard
(be sure to scroll down for pictures)
The round yard is affectionately known by us as the 'circle of truth'.
It is predominantly used to start horses or for horses that have been poorly started and require re-training.
The term 'starting' is a more modern term and better describes what we do, instead of the old term 'breaking in'.
The big plus for a round yard is it is easy to commence at liberty, which means not having the horse haltered or lassoed.
The round yard is initially used to develop a good level of bonding, respect and control. There are many other uses for working a horse in a round yard but that is the primary use.
The reason we call it the 'circle of truth' is that the horse clearly displays its opinion about the environment and humans, as its willingness to bond, listen and cooperate is immediately revealed.
Round yard training is not required for all horses that visit us but is a handy option for some.
The one downside for many horse owners is that they do not have a round yard to use. For many, a round yard will never be necessary or will only be required in the very initial parts of starting. This may mean it is considered financially unviable for the infrequent use and also unviable considering the space that it occupies. In the majority of cases, if a round yard is not available, there are other techniques that we can utilise instead of the round yard.
When contemplating construction or purchase of a round yard
We prefer portable yards. Whilst usually more expensive than construction of a permanent, we believe a portable is better value for money as they can be utilised more often. Here are some of our reasons:-
Size Control - for mature large horses, say 14hh plus, a 18m (60' foot) diameter round pen is the standard size that we use. However, with smaller horses and certainly for foals and yearlings, we strip the size down. Sometimes down to stable size, depending on the work to be done. Obviously, this is not achievable with a permanent round yard.
Use Flexibility - Portable round yards are eminently more flexible over time. Considering that a round yard may not be used frequently, a portable allows other uses such as a holding yard in other paddocks. As an example, it can be very good to use when there is an injured horse. Rather than contain and separate the injured horse in a stable, a portable round yard can be stripped down to make a small stable size pen. This can be set up in a paddock so the horse can be outdoors with its paddock mates. It can also be used to put around a round bale of hay so that feeding can be controlled. Temporary fencing is another use. We are sure when you use your imagination you will see many more uses for the round yard, rather than a fixed yard that may be rarely used.
Height - we recommend that the sides be at least 1.85M (6 foot)
Getting back to the Circle of Truth -
As pictured below - some pictures of Norm discovering the feelings of a three year old mare.
At first, the mare did not want to have anything to do with Norm. She ran around as if to get away. So, Norm began the process of controlling her movements, whilst at liberty. After a specific process, she finally decided that paying attention to Norm was preferable to ignoring or leaving his presence. She soon found Norm offered a source of comfort.
(the sun begins to shine)
and finally, the mare begins to listen -
Now that she is listening, she starts to discover the source of comfort and the bonding process commences.
This process is not about chasing a horse around to get it tired .
This is a process of controlling movement and the handler needs to understand the specific process and apply it correctly.
The final objective is to have the horse give us its attention, build its concentration and respect, whilst developing a mutual bond and willing cooperation.
And yes, sometimes both the horse and handler get hot and sweaty. In such case, never allow another person to come in and take over from you. If an old-fart like Norm becomes too tired, then the horse is too tired and the process would need to stop until both recover.
