I recently had the pleasure of working with a really interesting horse named Beckham. And yes, I’ll admit—he is a very good-looking chap! Beckham is a 7-year-old Spanish horse with a background in groundwork and liberty training, which means he's already got a solid foundation of trust and understanding. However, when it comes to riding, Beckham has developed a bit of a quirky habit: a very sharp spin whenever something catches his attention or spooks him (which, let's just say, is fairly often!).

You know the type of horse—one that is hyper-aware of his surroundings, constantly scanning for potential threats, and when something is deemed “scary,” well, you get a quick and dramatic spin.

This is where the magic of groundwork and solid groundwork-based exercises like 'The Key' come in. In this blog post, I’m going to share some insights into how we used this technique to help Beckham manage those 'yeeha' moments and settle his reactions down a bit.

Enter 'The Key' Exercise

In our Christmas Coffee Morning, we had a chance to showcase how 'The Key' can help in moments like this. This exercise has become a vital tool for us when we are working with all horses, including those who are prone to spooking.

What exactly is 'The Key'? In essence, it’s a method for teaching your horse to manage their energy and focus by redirecting their attention through specific, controlled cues. The idea is to help your horse settle by focusing on something you can control—like their feet, their rhythm, or even their breathing—when they start to get overwhelmed.

In Beckham’s case, we used The Key to help him stay present with me and not spiral into a reactionary state when something caught his eye. Rather than allowing him to just bolt or spin, we took the time to refocus his attention.

A Perfect Example from the Coffee Morning

During the Coffee Morning, we filmed a short clip of Beckham in action, and you can still clearly see how we used The Key to manage one of his 'yeeha' moments.

Beckham had just noticed something in the distance that startled him, and, as usual, his first instinct was to spin sharply away from it. But instead of allowing him to completely lose focus, I immediately started applying The Key exercise— redirecting his energy towards a more controlled movement. This included asking him to move his feet in a circle or change direction, all while keeping him soft and responsive to my cues.

What’s so fantastic about The Key is that it doesn’t just correct the behavior; it helps build a relationship where the horse learns to rely on the rider’s guidance rather than reacting impulsively. This builds confidence for both horse and rider, making moments like this far more manageable.