"Take a few paces with the horse following after you, then come to a halt," Amy adds. If the horse does not follow, apply gentle pressure to the rope until he does, or if he creeps up behind you, nearly collides with you, or attempts to move past you, reverse him several paces and ask him to remain calmly for a minute. He will soon understand that you are not trying to hurt him and will be happy to comply. This exercise is useful when you want your horse to stand quietly while you examine him thoroughly, for example, before selling him at an auction. It also works well when you have to keep a horse in a particular place while you deal with an emergency-such as when you have to prevent him from entering dangerous territory such as a river gorge. Finally, it's helpful when you need to calm a skittish horse down so he'll cooperate during a training session or race. The key to stopping a horse in his tracks is control, and most horses respond better to gentle persuasion than to harsh methods such as kicking or biting. So start by taking several steps backward and let the horse follow you. Then come to a halt and wait patiently for him to catch up. As long as there is no danger and you stay in control of the situation, this exercise is harmless and very effective.