When I get frustrated because I'm not riding the caliber of horse I would like to be riding I think about being a good horseman. You have to have a special, athletic, good minded horse to do well in reining competition. So when I'm not riding one that fits this description I need to remind myself that I can still be a good horse technician and work on doing the very best with what I have. So when I do get that good one I'll be prepared. Also, its rewarding to know you've been the best horseman you can be and got as much out of a particular horse as possible, even if your the only one who knows it. There is pride in that and it will not go unrewarded.
A good way to discover if your riding a decent horse is to watch a video of it or watch someone else ride it. Its a good way to bring you back down to earth if you find yourself thinking your horse is better than he is.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tie downs
They work good- If a horse is fighting the bit and raising their head up I'll just tie it down. They seem to deal with it better than if you fight with them to keep it down- it works- The bottom line for me isn't to have perfect hands, although I pride myself in having knowledgeable hands, the bottom line is to end up with a broke, broke horse. If I have to use a tie down to do it, so be it. The horse stays happy and thats how you get them broke, not by upsetting them day in and day out. Brett Stone won the 92 futurity on Boomernick. I think he trained him in a tie down often.
Bits
I love rotating bits. I like to get them really really broke in the snaffle, ie, smooth snaffle, gag snaffle, gag snaffle in draw reins, small twisted wire- a young horse will bridle up pretty nicely in a small twisted wire snaffle, in one hand if you get him really broke to the snaffle.
After they get pretty broke in the snaffle, moving to the shank snaffle they feel surprisingly broke, when they get good in that, if you've done your homework they will feel fabulous, (Humble - 3) in the correction bit- then if you use a correction to bump that nose or chin in, they take you very seriously.
I like to keep rotating bits draw reins etc and not keep them too long in any one shank bit if I can help it. Like to rotate around in the snaffles to keep them fresh.
After they get pretty broke in the snaffle, moving to the shank snaffle they feel surprisingly broke, when they get good in that, if you've done your homework they will feel fabulous, (Humble - 3) in the correction bit- then if you use a correction to bump that nose or chin in, they take you very seriously.
I like to keep rotating bits draw reins etc and not keep them too long in any one shank bit if I can help it. Like to rotate around in the snaffles to keep them fresh.
Looking the right way in the spin
If they get to tipping the nose out in the spin it helps just to hold the nose in and not punish to much if they want to look out.
Occasionally popping the inside rein will tip the nose correctly but it will make the jaw stiff.
If you just keep getting them broke, eventually shoving that outside spur in the side and waiting for them to turn works- they figure out, sometimes with a little help from you that its easier to look where they are going and will look away from that spur.
Like Mike Helson says, "become part of the equation" (help them in the turn, dont punish them)
Occasionally popping the inside rein will tip the nose correctly but it will make the jaw stiff.
If you just keep getting them broke, eventually shoving that outside spur in the side and waiting for them to turn works- they figure out, sometimes with a little help from you that its easier to look where they are going and will look away from that spur.
Like Mike Helson says, "become part of the equation" (help them in the turn, dont punish them)
Guiding in Circles
Sometimes they learn to keep their nose tipped in if you do it when they're bridled up- by bumping that nose in and showing them firmly.
Sometimes just pitching them away and bumping that chin up and over when it tips the wrong way will help them learn to not look to the outside while circling- Helped 3 year old Humble a lot, leaning to circle one handed. Sometimes it even helps if a horse is sticking that shoulder out to the outside- to bump that outside rein up on the chin to straighten them up. The downside is you lose some softness- So it might not be the best thing to do in every circumstance.
Sometimes just pitching them away and bumping that chin up and over when it tips the wrong way will help them learn to not look to the outside while circling- Helped 3 year old Humble a lot, leaning to circle one handed. Sometimes it even helps if a horse is sticking that shoulder out to the outside- to bump that outside rein up on the chin to straighten them up. The downside is you lose some softness- So it might not be the best thing to do in every circumstance.
Lead changes
The number one rule when teaching lead changes is still the same. Dont Panic.
If they miss a lead change just relax and stop. Make sure they are moving off your legs before asking again.
If they are green and dont change at all when you ask just quit asking for a stride or two or three or four or so and then go to asking again for a stride or a few. If they still dont change just repeat the entire process, its no big deal. Dont get after him and scare him. If he still doesnt change just stop and work on getting him to move sideways, or laterally as they say, off of your legs. Maybe do some twenty fives before asking him again. He might not be ready yet.
If they miss a lead change just relax and stop. Make sure they are moving off your legs before asking again.
If they are green and dont change at all when you ask just quit asking for a stride or two or three or four or so and then go to asking again for a stride or a few. If they still dont change just repeat the entire process, its no big deal. Dont get after him and scare him. If he still doesnt change just stop and work on getting him to move sideways, or laterally as they say, off of your legs. Maybe do some twenty fives before asking him again. He might not be ready yet.
Relaxing in the circles
If the horse wants to continually speed up in circles, teach them to relax by breaking down to the trot, then walk, then stop and back or walk a quiet circle. Humble, our five year old derby horse, we hope, quit being so nervous in his circles when he learned to neck rein into a smaller circle, then break down into a jog, then a lope, with light contact, until he learned to do it on his own- then when I'd neck rein him in and he wanted to slow down, all I have to do is ad a little leg or a chirp and he keeps going. This is much better than having to pull on them all the time.
Pulling them in the ground helps sometimes but if you do it too abruptly you can scare or sting them and they get wound up again. So stopping them by removing your legs or saying whoa, or quietly breaking them down to the trot, then walk, stop, back up- whatever, just dont scare them.
Also, taking a little time and refreshing them in backing off when you remove the slack from the reins, ie rock back, remove your legs from their slides and slap the shoulders without scaring them will remind them to go slower in their circles.
Pulling them in the ground helps sometimes but if you do it too abruptly you can scare or sting them and they get wound up again. So stopping them by removing your legs or saying whoa, or quietly breaking them down to the trot, then walk, stop, back up- whatever, just dont scare them.
Also, taking a little time and refreshing them in backing off when you remove the slack from the reins, ie rock back, remove your legs from their slides and slap the shoulders without scaring them will remind them to go slower in their circles.
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