How do I teach a horse to stop, back up, and yield to pressure on the ground?

These three responses — halt, back, and yield — form the core of ground control and should be installed sequentially because each builds on the previous. The halt comes first. Stop your feet abruptly, say whoa, and wait. If the horse walks past you, do not pull it back with sustained rein pressure — bump the lead rope rhythmically until it stops, then immediately release. Repeat until the horse stops when your feet stop, before you even have to say whoa. Clean halts come from consistent expectation, not from stronger pressure. The backup follows from the halt. With the horse standing, apply rhythmic finger-walking pressure on the lead rope toward the horse's chest or tap lightly on the chest itself. The moment the horse shifts its weight back or offers one step rearward, release completely. Build from one step to multiple steps over sessions. The horse should back straight, with even steps, not swing its hindquarters to one side to avoid the exercise. Yielding the hindquarters is taught by stepping toward the horse's hip and applying light pressure — finger on the hip, or swinging the lead rope end near it. The horse should step its inside hind foot across and in front of the outside hind, rotating around its front end. Release the instant a step is offered. This response gives you lateral control of the hindquarters, which is the most useful tool you have for managing a horse that becomes tense or reactive on the ground.