Half Dozen Farm says -"My mare can canter in a 70' round pen, but she's too fast and falls in. She has a big, long stride and is unbalanced and on her forehand. However, I feel safest in the round pen. In an arena, she's flat scary to canter. She switches leads willynilly, breaks to a bone jarring trot, drops her shoulder, staggers around and just basically tries to jolt me out of the saddle any way she can."
Let's start here. A 70' round pen is not big enough for her. A round pen has plenty of uses, but I seldom use them to lope my horses. I have found the horse will always lean in, unless it's the kind that slants outward at the top.
I want Half Dozen to really think here. Where is she safer? In a round pen where she's tripping and falling? Or in an arena where she can have room to move......
Half Dozen said -"She's terribly lazy in the round pen, a bit better in the arena, and really nice out in an open area."
My guess is she is unable to move comfortably in the round pen, has a slightly easier time in the arena and feels comfortable and safe in the open. Your mare deserves a big hug for being "pluggy" in order to tell you she's struggling. Many horses will let you know they're having a problem by bucking or bolting. She really is being a good girl.
I know I insist you need to have your horse comfortable at the WTC before anything else. Well there's a big old BUT that shows up in every theory.
This mare knows how to lope. Her issue now is learning to pack a rider in her new life as a saddle horse. So I would be trotting this horse a lot in order to help her.
We have a couple of issues here. The mare is stiff and uncomfortable and Half Dozen doesn't feel safe enough to just "go." I am on your side here, BTW, if you don't feel safe you need to listen to your gut.
My suggestion would be to take this mare to the arena. I would set up some drills for her to help her get her body under control. The lead swapping and death trot tell me she isn't in control of herself on the turns and she's stiff through her body. The knee surgery might come into play, but she should limp if it's a big problem.
The drills I would use would be fairly simple. I would trot her on the rail (posting on the correct diagonal) and sit deep about 6-10 strides before the corner. My outside leg would push her hindquarters in towards the center, my inside leg would support at the cinch and I would guide with a soft leading rein on the inside and a stronger supporting rein on the outside.
When I felt her hindquarters move toward the center I would relax for a few strides then set up for the next corner.
On the long sides of the arena I would deepen me seat, slow my horse,then relax my aids and just post until I am setting up for the end again.
When she can comfortably handle this I would start doing serpentines. I would use the whole arena, post and hold her straight through the middle, then sit my trot and wrap her around my inside leg through my turns. Practice picking up your diagonal first step out of the turn, it's a great rider exercise too.
I would start doing LOTS of transitions between the walk the trot and the extend trot. I would mix them up, sometimes extend through the turns, sometimes go way slow.
Out on the trail I would keep up the transition work. Except I would add the lope. I would expect her to learn to lope off my kiss and trot off my cluck. I would practice picking up my leads on the trail. I would try to bring her down to a trot before she thought of breaking gait.
That's what I'd do. I would lope in the arena when I felt she could do it.....get back to me when you think your ready.
Horses and Turbos - when you finally ask for the change by pushing out their hind legs, do they have to make the change because they become unbalanced and physically have to change? I can't see them at first thinking "Oh, so she wants me to change me lead now, she's pushing my hind end over."
I don't initiate lead changes off a counter canter. That doesn't mean I'm saying your trainer is wrong-it's just not how I do it. But I still think I can answer your question.
When a horse lopes he pushes off with his outside hind leg.
It goes 1. outside hind
2. inside hind and outside front
3. inside front
When you cue by pushing your horses hip in the other direction, in order to comply, he will have to change the push off leg, or the outside hind, once the hind foot changes the rest should follow.
That's why we're judged on when the hind changes, not the front. If a horse is "cross-firing" or going on one lead in the front and another in the back that will be judged as out of lead....
But it's a matter of obedience to a cue more than throwing them off balance.
Nancy C said- In my mind I am thinking I need to just cue her into it while MAKING myself leave the reins alone, let her canter a bit, then bring her down and do it again. My fear is that she bucks, but somehow has learned how to really buck.... so I would have to really work on letting her have her head. A kinda grab the horn and let her go sort of thing? Or do you have a better idea?
Nancy has the same feeling Half Dozen does. Her gut is telling her she might get pasted. We can get this lope thing taken care of without getting thrown.
I would start this mare along the fence of an arena. Just leave her alone and only guide her if she leaves the rail. Then steer her back with just the outside rein. Just pull her nose to the fence and let her go again.
When she learns to stick to the rail on her own, you can ask her to lope. By guiding with only one hand and then only if she leaves the rail you have freed up your other hand enough to hang onto the horn if you want.
Let her long trot into the lope. She will be a little strung out and less inclined to buck. Only lope a few steps at first and then let her trot again.
I would do a lot of limbering and W/T transitions. When she lopes without bucking, even a few steps, I would quit for the day. So save the lope for the end of the ride. Try to relax and don't pull, then be done.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
Time to Train Those Boogerheads!
Redsmom told about trying to get her horse to sidepass and somebody else talked about horses flying backwards out of trailers.
Those are the two subjects for today.
I'm going to start with the trailering.
My good friend Kathy had a mare, Brandy, who blew backwards out of the trailer. At one point she flew out so fast she flipped end-over-end, summersaulted through a hot wire fence, got the still snapping hot-wire wrapped around her body and legs, freaked, tore herself to shreds, ran off into the pen, which happened to be full of several brood mares with very new babies.
The mares attacked her and kicked her to bits before we got to her.
THIS DID NOT CURE BRANDY.
She was worse. So pain and punishment was clearly not the answer.
Brandy had string-halt. It made it difficult for her to step down while backing out. So we found why she originally panicked. By the time Kathy asked for my help it was a terrible vice. If you know me at all, you know I didn't really care why she did it. She was capable of stepping out, so she was going to.
This is what we did. It worked so well I have used it on every other speedo backer since. I have not been let down.
We began with a fifty foot cotton rope. As a matter of fact, this was the horse who helped me learn to love my fifty foot cotton rope.
I would tie the 50 foot rope on her halter and run it through the front window while she was still tied to the trailer by her other lead rope.
Then we would untie her from the trailer before letting her out. The 50 foot rope would still be attached to the halter, but not tied to anything.
I always untie a horse in the trailer before unloading. I've seen a horse caught under the trailer with it's head still tied. The horse died. So I will always untie before I unload. Every horse, every time.
We didn't open the door until she was standing up, off the butt bar and quiet.
This took hours and hours by the way. Kathy and I cleared the week-end, it was a damn good thing.
Kathy stood holding the 50 foot rope at the front of the trailer and I would begin to open the trailer.
If, I mean when, Brandy slammed into the butt bar, we closed the trailer up and waited for her to be quiet.
Probably 20 or 30 times here, so don't get impatient.
Finally she stood quiet in the trailer and we dropped the butt bar.
Kathy was at the front holding the rope. I was at the back with a longe whip.
When Brandy flew back, and fly she did, we let her rip. Kathy held the rope, but didn't pull, just let it run through her heavily gloved hands.
I just got out of the way.
The second she stood up I began to whip her pasterns (no blood, but I made my point) and Kathy started to tow her back in.
No kind words, or mean ones for that matter, we just towed and whacked her back into the trailer.
Then we started over.
Same drill, over and over.
Eventually, like five or six hours later, Brandy stood at the open trailer and waited.
So did we.
She cautiously took one step back.
She stumbled on her bad leg and scurried the rest of the way.
We said, good girl, dried her off and put her to bed.
We hauled and unloaded this way probably ten times before she got better. I never repeated the exercise if she was quiet. She was loaded when we went somewhere and unloaded when we got there. I'm a big believer in a process making sense to a horse. If we loaded her over and over it would only frustrate her and us.
Brandy got over it.
This method has never let me down. I have noticed that 95% of the horses who do this have a stiffness or pain somewhere.
I am never discussing this again.
Now on to redsmom and Queenie, and their battle of the sidepass.
I had a few thoughts when it came to Queenie. I have a very clear picture in my mind. I see Redsmom pushing and shoving on Queenie as she leeaannnns into Redsmom, all four dainty little feet firmly planted into the ground.
My guess is Redsmom feels vaguely homicidal at the end of these sessions.
One of the most important things I ever learned as a young trainer was this.
If you push your horse she will push back.
If you pull your horse she will pull back.
If you drag on your horse the horse will drag back.
I know I said one thing, but these are all connected.
Steady pressure = steady pressure back.
Guess what? Our horses are bigger than we are. They win.
If a horse can't set herself against the pressure she will move away. Period.
You guys have heard me say, bump, bump, bump.
Pull and release, pull and release.
Things like that, right?
So here's a ground exercise for everybody with a dull, pluggy, slow or contrary animal.
Stand with your horse in a halter.
Stand facing the side of your horse as if you are going to mount.
Tip your horse's nose slightly towards you, put the flat of your other hand where your heel would go if you're asking for a turn on the forehand, (about 12 inches behind the cinch) and puuuuuussssshhh.
If you get movement, it will be slow and muddy feeling. If you keep pushing the horse will eventually stop and lean on you. Or if you have a stinker like Queenie she will start out by leaning on you.
Now try this. Instead of pushing her, poke her with your thumb.
Start with a soft poke, then a medium poke, then poke hard enough to make your thumb sore.
One, two, three.
If you don't get any response at first just keep repeating the set of three pokes. 1, soft, 2, medium, 3, OW!
You can substitute the handle of a crop if you want, but no whacking! Just poke! With energy!
Just repeat and repeat.
It won't take long before your horse steps away when you get to poke # 2 or #3.
Stop when it only takes #1, the softest touch.
Don't let the head leave you, keep about 2 feet of leadrope in your hand while resting said hand on the bridge of your horse's nose. This will stabilize the front end.
Before long your horse should be turning on the forehand quite nicely.
Do this both ways.
I'm happy when I can raise my hand and my horse moves away from the invisible pressure I have created. I'm happy when I create movement with movement, not contact.
Decide where you're happy, practice, eat two apples (no, one isn't for Queenie, I don't give treats!) and call me in the morning.
We'll actually sidepass when you can move your horse with some lightness. Trust me, you'll be much happier.
Those are the two subjects for today.
I'm going to start with the trailering.
My good friend Kathy had a mare, Brandy, who blew backwards out of the trailer. At one point she flew out so fast she flipped end-over-end, summersaulted through a hot wire fence, got the still snapping hot-wire wrapped around her body and legs, freaked, tore herself to shreds, ran off into the pen, which happened to be full of several brood mares with very new babies.
The mares attacked her and kicked her to bits before we got to her.
THIS DID NOT CURE BRANDY.
She was worse. So pain and punishment was clearly not the answer.
Brandy had string-halt. It made it difficult for her to step down while backing out. So we found why she originally panicked. By the time Kathy asked for my help it was a terrible vice. If you know me at all, you know I didn't really care why she did it. She was capable of stepping out, so she was going to.
This is what we did. It worked so well I have used it on every other speedo backer since. I have not been let down.
We began with a fifty foot cotton rope. As a matter of fact, this was the horse who helped me learn to love my fifty foot cotton rope.
I would tie the 50 foot rope on her halter and run it through the front window while she was still tied to the trailer by her other lead rope.
Then we would untie her from the trailer before letting her out. The 50 foot rope would still be attached to the halter, but not tied to anything.
I always untie a horse in the trailer before unloading. I've seen a horse caught under the trailer with it's head still tied. The horse died. So I will always untie before I unload. Every horse, every time.
We didn't open the door until she was standing up, off the butt bar and quiet.
This took hours and hours by the way. Kathy and I cleared the week-end, it was a damn good thing.
Kathy stood holding the 50 foot rope at the front of the trailer and I would begin to open the trailer.
If, I mean when, Brandy slammed into the butt bar, we closed the trailer up and waited for her to be quiet.
Probably 20 or 30 times here, so don't get impatient.
Finally she stood quiet in the trailer and we dropped the butt bar.
Kathy was at the front holding the rope. I was at the back with a longe whip.
When Brandy flew back, and fly she did, we let her rip. Kathy held the rope, but didn't pull, just let it run through her heavily gloved hands.
I just got out of the way.
The second she stood up I began to whip her pasterns (no blood, but I made my point) and Kathy started to tow her back in.
No kind words, or mean ones for that matter, we just towed and whacked her back into the trailer.
Then we started over.
Same drill, over and over.
Eventually, like five or six hours later, Brandy stood at the open trailer and waited.
So did we.
She cautiously took one step back.
She stumbled on her bad leg and scurried the rest of the way.
We said, good girl, dried her off and put her to bed.
We hauled and unloaded this way probably ten times before she got better. I never repeated the exercise if she was quiet. She was loaded when we went somewhere and unloaded when we got there. I'm a big believer in a process making sense to a horse. If we loaded her over and over it would only frustrate her and us.
Brandy got over it.
This method has never let me down. I have noticed that 95% of the horses who do this have a stiffness or pain somewhere.
I am never discussing this again.
Now on to redsmom and Queenie, and their battle of the sidepass.
I had a few thoughts when it came to Queenie. I have a very clear picture in my mind. I see Redsmom pushing and shoving on Queenie as she leeaannnns into Redsmom, all four dainty little feet firmly planted into the ground.
My guess is Redsmom feels vaguely homicidal at the end of these sessions.
One of the most important things I ever learned as a young trainer was this.
If you push your horse she will push back.
If you pull your horse she will pull back.
If you drag on your horse the horse will drag back.
I know I said one thing, but these are all connected.
Steady pressure = steady pressure back.
Guess what? Our horses are bigger than we are. They win.
If a horse can't set herself against the pressure she will move away. Period.
You guys have heard me say, bump, bump, bump.
Pull and release, pull and release.
Things like that, right?
So here's a ground exercise for everybody with a dull, pluggy, slow or contrary animal.
Stand with your horse in a halter.
Stand facing the side of your horse as if you are going to mount.
Tip your horse's nose slightly towards you, put the flat of your other hand where your heel would go if you're asking for a turn on the forehand, (about 12 inches behind the cinch) and puuuuuussssshhh.
If you get movement, it will be slow and muddy feeling. If you keep pushing the horse will eventually stop and lean on you. Or if you have a stinker like Queenie she will start out by leaning on you.
Now try this. Instead of pushing her, poke her with your thumb.
Start with a soft poke, then a medium poke, then poke hard enough to make your thumb sore.
One, two, three.
If you don't get any response at first just keep repeating the set of three pokes. 1, soft, 2, medium, 3, OW!
You can substitute the handle of a crop if you want, but no whacking! Just poke! With energy!
Just repeat and repeat.
It won't take long before your horse steps away when you get to poke # 2 or #3.
Stop when it only takes #1, the softest touch.
Don't let the head leave you, keep about 2 feet of leadrope in your hand while resting said hand on the bridge of your horse's nose. This will stabilize the front end.
Before long your horse should be turning on the forehand quite nicely.
Do this both ways.
I'm happy when I can raise my hand and my horse moves away from the invisible pressure I have created. I'm happy when I create movement with movement, not contact.
Decide where you're happy, practice, eat two apples (no, one isn't for Queenie, I don't give treats!) and call me in the morning.
We'll actually sidepass when you can move your horse with some lightness. Trust me, you'll be much happier.
Mouthy Monday with Autumnblaze
Autumnblaze sent this one in. I have really enjoyed getting to know her and her horse through her comments. Now we get to meet her through a story. I still need her blog address, thank you very much....I am going back into training mode for a couple of days, we'll start tomorrow. I hope everybody commments like crazy so we can get some things sorted out. Get your training hats on folks!
Here's her blog address -autumnblaze-fourleafclovers.blogspot.com
And in a second it was gone...
I was early. I was meeting my boss at a clients barn as it was closer to my
place than the office and we'd planned on a very early appointment.
This was a good client... but not just any client to me either.
You know those people you meet the first time, and you just know they'll be significant in your life? You don't know why or how but you know they will?
That's how these clients were.
I pulled in and said hello to the owner and the girl who worked there.
My boss was unsurprisingly late. I wandered up and down the
barn aisle - the horses were all still in. I held my hand up to nippy
nosey babies to smell me andscritch their curious Arab baby faces. I greeted the brood mares and popped in to say hello to a few I knew best with neck rubs. I checked my phone for the
time. Gave my boss a call, just to check.
'I just left 10 minutes ago, you're there?' Yep. No biggie, I surely
didn't mind waiting around at this barn.
Suddenly, my mind jumped to a certain horse in the barn. He was in the back part
of a massive foaling stall that had been divided. A
lmost hidden away, not forgotten but attention was limited for this horse these days, that I knew. I also knew I thought he was amazing.
I told the owner my boss was a good 20 minutes or so out and
asked if she'd mind if I groomed her eldest gelding. She happily agreed and pointed me to a bucket overflowing with currys, brushes, combs and hoof picks. I grabbed the necessary
paraphernalia and headed into the first half of the divided stall.
There was a 16 hand chestnut yearling, dripping with chrome and awkwardness.
He knew me as a friend though he was timid and nuzzled my hand. I scratched his neck and moved to the door in the divider.
The older geldings' ears perked up and he nickered deeply as
I unlatched the door to his stall. I closed it behind me and put down the
brushes on the dividers ledge only hanging on to the curry. I greeted the bay gelding with some scratches on the neck.
Suddenly he lunged forward at the yearling whose curious nature had led him to stretch his neck across the divider towards me.
The bay gelding was not pleased with the young upstart nosing into his space.
I was a little taken aback and fussed at the bay and popped him on the chest.
None of that with me in the stall! The pinned ears and grumpy face were less than
friendly but his expression softened quickly once the nosey chestnut retreated.
Standing there, waiting with no real purpose, currying the bay I, as is typical,
became quickly lost in my thoughts. I was taking in the lovely horse smell and
thinking through the days schedule as I stood facing the bays right side
currying away at his back and flank.
Whooooooooooshhh.
Right in my ear. Not a snort but what I interpreted as a blow, and not a
friendly one, right next to my face. I could feel the imposing nose just off of
my cheek. The ugly pinned eared, teeth barred lunge at the yearling popped into
my mind. I had come into the stall with this relatively strange horse and
assumed that he would be enjoying my currying him, I had just corrected him...
and his teeth were a half inch from my face and he just blew.
My heart hesitated. My breathe caught. Oh shit, the pain is coming was all that
I could think.
Suddenly the breath got hotter and was on my cheek. I had not had the time to
react, and if I had for some reason I had frozen in my boots. I was sure
however, this would not end well...
Slllluuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrpppppppppp.
Chin to ear. He licked me chin. to. ear. And cocked his head just so I was
looking right into his eye. He looked as if he were smiling gratefully at me
with a mischievously satisfied twinkle in his eye.
I took one step back, drew a breath and about fell over in a fit of laughter. I
couldn't help but laugh at my reaction and misinterpretation of his intentions
but mostly his expression afterward. I hugged his neck and kept currying until
my boss arrived. He was obviously an appreciative horse. In one big wet horse
slurp my heart was gone.
A girl had found her horse... and a horse had found his girl.
Here's her blog address -autumnblaze-fourleafclovers.blogspot.com
And in a second it was gone...
I was early. I was meeting my boss at a clients barn as it was closer to my
place than the office and we'd planned on a very early appointment.
This was a good client... but not just any client to me either.
You know those people you meet the first time, and you just know they'll be significant in your life? You don't know why or how but you know they will?
That's how these clients were.
I pulled in and said hello to the owner and the girl who worked there.
My boss was unsurprisingly late. I wandered up and down the
barn aisle - the horses were all still in. I held my hand up to nippy
nosey babies to smell me andscritch their curious Arab baby faces. I greeted the brood mares and popped in to say hello to a few I knew best with neck rubs. I checked my phone for the
time. Gave my boss a call, just to check.
'I just left 10 minutes ago, you're there?' Yep. No biggie, I surely
didn't mind waiting around at this barn.
Suddenly, my mind jumped to a certain horse in the barn. He was in the back part
of a massive foaling stall that had been divided. A
lmost hidden away, not forgotten but attention was limited for this horse these days, that I knew. I also knew I thought he was amazing.
I told the owner my boss was a good 20 minutes or so out and
asked if she'd mind if I groomed her eldest gelding. She happily agreed and pointed me to a bucket overflowing with currys, brushes, combs and hoof picks. I grabbed the necessary
paraphernalia and headed into the first half of the divided stall.
There was a 16 hand chestnut yearling, dripping with chrome and awkwardness.
He knew me as a friend though he was timid and nuzzled my hand. I scratched his neck and moved to the door in the divider.
The older geldings' ears perked up and he nickered deeply as
I unlatched the door to his stall. I closed it behind me and put down the
brushes on the dividers ledge only hanging on to the curry. I greeted the bay gelding with some scratches on the neck.
Suddenly he lunged forward at the yearling whose curious nature had led him to stretch his neck across the divider towards me.
The bay gelding was not pleased with the young upstart nosing into his space.
I was a little taken aback and fussed at the bay and popped him on the chest.
None of that with me in the stall! The pinned ears and grumpy face were less than
friendly but his expression softened quickly once the nosey chestnut retreated.
Standing there, waiting with no real purpose, currying the bay I, as is typical,
became quickly lost in my thoughts. I was taking in the lovely horse smell and
thinking through the days schedule as I stood facing the bays right side
currying away at his back and flank.
Whooooooooooshhh.
Right in my ear. Not a snort but what I interpreted as a blow, and not a
friendly one, right next to my face. I could feel the imposing nose just off of
my cheek. The ugly pinned eared, teeth barred lunge at the yearling popped into
my mind. I had come into the stall with this relatively strange horse and
assumed that he would be enjoying my currying him, I had just corrected him...
and his teeth were a half inch from my face and he just blew.
My heart hesitated. My breathe caught. Oh shit, the pain is coming was all that
I could think.
Suddenly the breath got hotter and was on my cheek. I had not had the time to
react, and if I had for some reason I had frozen in my boots. I was sure
however, this would not end well...
Slllluuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrpppppppppp.
Chin to ear. He licked me chin. to. ear. And cocked his head just so I was
looking right into his eye. He looked as if he were smiling gratefully at me
with a mischievously satisfied twinkle in his eye.
I took one step back, drew a breath and about fell over in a fit of laughter. I
couldn't help but laugh at my reaction and misinterpretation of his intentions
but mostly his expression afterward. I hugged his neck and kept currying until
my boss arrived. He was obviously an appreciative horse. In one big wet horse
slurp my heart was gone.
A girl had found her horse... and a horse had found his girl.
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