Goal: Understand “Stick to me”

I’ve heard the game called “stick to me” referenced any number of times but I have to admit that I don’t really understand what the game is. I’ll compile below my research from Savvy vaults and Parelli Connect. I’ll post later as I play with my horses.

 

“Stick To Me” is the game we teach our horses to do, where they run with us just like a foal sticks to the mare and does whatever she does. What we do, the horse does…he mirrors or mimics us, so it’s important to be very clear in our own way of moving so he can copy it.

We start this On Line, with plenty of slack in the rope and teach our horse to walk when we walk, stop when we stop… gently supporting with the Carrot Stick and String as necessary. The whole time we pretend we don’t have a rope on the horse; it’s like a safety net.

As things progress and advance we start to do turns, towards and away from us; back up; trot; canter; transitions; simple changes; flying changes; jumps; etc. It’s a lot of fun. Most students start being able to play with this at Level 2 On Line, and pretty soon they are able to do it at Liberty too. By Level 3-4 they can do it anywhere, in corrals or open areas because the horse is so connected.