Alpha or Beta?!

I guess it depends on the day! Lol but how do you defend your alpha position with your horse? Horses are silly that way, where they are always testing you. I was gone for 3 weeks out of town and Thunder didnt have to work or do anything but eat the whole time! Now he's regressed a bit. I am working on bonding this week to remind him of my position with him. Then I need to get back into my training schedule. What do you do to reclaim your position?

How do I do it? I do Parelli. But lets not get off track here...

Some simple things someone can do is like back their horse up WITHOUT MOVING THEIR FEET. In the horse world whoever moves first loses. Sometimes people move way too much. How much can the horse do while we do less? That's the question. And simply asking the horse to respond to steady pressure in different areas of his body is a good way to let the horse know who's who. If you can move your horse's front end around 360 degrees you will prove to him you are alpha. Little things like that. And also not letting a horse come to me with a sour look on his face. His expression must be positive before I give him permission to approach me.

Lets say I don't see nana for a week, and I want to ride her. Before I ride her I lunge her, not hard or anything but I lunge her for about 10 minutes, and then when I tell her to "woah!" I then invite her to me and if she comes to me I give her pats and then I have her follow me for a few laps.. Then I begin my usual routine of saddling up and then I go riding.

I don't know if this is the best way, but if someone has a better way.. then please please in all seriousness, tell me.

Thanks for the advice guys! Im working on it...... it's just that when I did lunge him, he pulled the crap he did when he was just learning to lunge...... he turned and took off in a blink of an eye! Twice! The second time pulling me right out of my feet.ugh I guess, I just need to remind him through all the little things and time.

Oops, I forgot to mention the important detail that when I lunge Nana, I lunge her in a round pin.

That is the reason I never gave my salesmen two days off in a row - I'd have to retrain them.

Horses need the routine and discipline, they are basically lazy animals. I can tell with my big guy when I've given him a few days off. He gets balky and heavy. It takes about 1/2 an hour of solid training to bring him back. The really good part is that at his age and training he never regresses very far and a few days or 2 weeks off is the same thing to him.

I act like I was there the whole time. I never let her think that she is the alpha gal. I do not tolerate the testing thing that they do try to pull. I go through the motions as if we just did them yesterday....but not overdoing of course.if you have doubt or question in your mind then the horse has already won. They are better mind readers that anything!

Thanks guys, ill keep that in mind :)

This is more my approach...I do this without thinking much about it. I always expect certain behaviors from my horses despite the fact that they turn around and take advantage of my 4H kids. Course it has been a while since any of my horses have had even 3 days in a row off.

I don't do anything special, I just pick up where I left off and make sure to always be consistent in everything. Regardless of how long the break is, what was not ok before the break is still not ok now. I'm ALWAYS the alpha, they are to ALWAYS do as I say (lol, where else in life is it ok to be so bossy? ).