How do I teach my horse the correct position to hold during the boxing phase?

Correct position during boxing is the foundation that all the athletic expression of the phase is built on, and it is something that must be established through patient, deliberate work before speed or difficulty is introduced. A horse that does not understand where it should be relative to the cow cannot develop the athletic responses that boxing demands — it is simply reacting in the moment rather than working with intention. Teaching position begins with slow cattle and a rider who is willing to use rein and leg to place the horse correctly rather than waiting for the horse to find the right place on its own. The correct position places the horse directly in front of the cow — perpendicular to the fence — with the horse's body parallel to the cow's and at a distance of roughly two to three horse lengths. This distance is close enough to block a genuine escape attempt but far enough to give both horse and cow room to move and read each other. As the cow moves left, the horse moves left. As the cow moves right, the horse moves right. The mirroring should be smooth and continuous rather than a series of sharp reactive movements. In the early stages of teaching position, the rider is actively directing the horse's movement with rein and leg. As the cow moves, the rider uses an opening rein in the direction of travel and a supporting leg to drive the horse laterally to the correct spot. Over many repetitions the horse begins to anticipate the direction of travel based on the cow's movement rather than waiting for the rein, which is the beginning of the horse genuinely working the cow rather than simply being steered around. Maintaining the perpendicular relationship to the fence throughout the boxing phase is important both for position and for appearance. A horse that angles its body toward the fence during boxing, or that swings its hindquarters away from the cow, is not working in correct form regardless of whether it keeps the cow from escaping.