Just Stuff

You sneaky little things, having fun while I'm gone.....Just kidding. I loved it. But now you get my 2 cents.

When I taught you guys the "over-and-under" technique it was to get a horse to listen to a smooch. This had nothing to do with transitions, it simply is an effective way to make them go. I think I have mentioned, somewhere, this works with a crop or dressage whip or romel. The equipment doesn't matter. You can use a bag of kittens if it suits (of course no kittens were harmed in the course of this exercise and all were properly spayed, neutered, vetted and appropriately placed in forever homes). Laura's approach with her son points out the need to stop, regather and ask again in order to get the lope.

The idea is to be done with your swatting, except for an occasional tune-up, once the horse understands he needs to move out when you smooch.

It is often easier for a horse to lope from a standstill than from a trot. When he gets faster and faster in the trot he is actually stringing himself out and will make it harder to transition up, not easier.

Keep in mind I like my horses to walk, trot and lope before I take hold of their faces. So collection comes after my horse can pack me comfortably, not before.

There is no over and under needed anymore when I begin to ask for trot/lope transitions. If I do then my horse isn't ready to collect.

I will allow a young horse to trot into her lope for quite awhile. No death trot mind you, simply trot 5 or 6 steps to find her lead.

I do this because I want to keep a level head and quiet tail. If I sit back, stay out of her way and look ahead into my circle my little one can usually find her lead.
I keep about 5 more pounds of weight in my outside pocket, my thighs relaxed and my outside calf muscles lightly asking her outside hind leg to step in and pick up her lead.

My outside seat bone is slightly further back then my inside. If I look down, sitting like this will put my inside knee slightly ahead of my outside.

I help a young horse by lightly holding my inside rein up to about her ear and my outside rein might come back towards my hip-bone as needed.

I don't ask for collection here either.

Once your horse will lope and take her leads whenever you ask its time to transition. The upward and downward transition itself will help your horse collect.

I ask for transitions in this order:
Walk/Fast Walk/Walk
Walk/Trot/Walk
Walk/Trot/Extend Trot/Trot/Walk
Walk/Extend Trot/Walk
Walk/Trot/Lope
Walk/Lope/Trot

I never ask for a lope from an extended trot. I always come down to a slow, cadenced trot before I ask for the lope. My horse can still trot into her lead, but she must hold the slow trot, or at least not fall into a death trot.

I am big on using my corners to start collection. I will walk into a corner, ask for a trot through the corner and back to a walk on my straight away. Then I'll walk a straight away, trot my corners and ask for a lope on the other side.

Does this make sense?

My cues to transition up are: From a walk I will (1) activate my seat, (2) bump in a slightly faster rhythm (3) cluck for the trot.

From the trot to the lope (1) deepen my seat, (2) position my weight and legs to ask for my lead, (3) smooch

My cues for a downward transition are: (1)Drive my horse forward into my hands (light contact) (2) relax my calves, (3) deepen my seat

I am patient and very consistent. I will walk/trot through my cones both serpentine and like I'm running a pole pattern. This does more to prepare my horses to lope than anything.

Cherry Hill western arena exercises are great tools and fit well with how I ride.

Sally Swift has many things I use and many I don't. Not because they are wrong, but because they don't fit my needs as a western rider.

So there's my 2 cents. Want three?

Somebody asked why I haven't seen my Dad in so long.

Because I was a horse trainer.
Let me amend that. A small time horse trainer who did all of her own work.

I was responsible for an average of 15 head at any given time, plus whatever the barn owner threw at me.
In order to leave town I had to arrange for someone to take care of my horses. For some odd reason they always wanted money.
I had to credit my clients with the time I'd be gone.
In order to be gone for 5 days I had to be willing to eat close to 3 weeks pay.
I also invoked the wrath of whoever owned the barn I trained out of.
I simply couldn't afford to take a day off.
So I didn't for almost 15 years.
Except for the time I went to see my Dad for three days, 8 years ago.
I'm telling you, horse training is one sucky profession.

Someone questioned Lynn Palm's ethics when it came to selling horses. I don't know her, so I can't say. I simply like her approach as a trainer. I wasn't discussing her selling technique. I do believe I have discussed the horse trading biz' ad nauseum. We all suck, us trainers, every single one of us, some way, some how. Remember that.

So there's my 3 cents. I only have two nickels to rub together so I'd like my change please.