western pleasure

Question
I have a 14 yo gelding that has been shown wp for the majority of his life.  He was boarded at a trainers barn and was ridden daily to stay tuned for a 10yo to show.  After this girl rode him for approx 5 years he was placed in the pasture for 3 years with no riding.  I got him with little intent on showing, but guess what...it's addictive (I love these little open shows).  After I had him about a month I took him to the original trainers helper, who trains on her own now, and left him there for a month and went 4 x weekly for lessons.  When I took him there I told her I was bothered by his high headset and she said it'll drop I've seen him do it before. The only issues that I'm having is evidently the same problem that everyone else is having...maintaining headset and slowing the lope.  This horse is very giving and wants to please at the drop of a hat.  He's by far the best horse that I've ever had.  I can ask for the lope and he does just that, but as strides progress he gets faster and less collected.  I have tried stopping and starting and he does well with that but after several strides he begins to get faster and faster no matter how many times I do it.  When I initially ask for the lope his head jerks up and then after he gets started he brings his head back down a little.  I know that his back is supposed to be arched and his feet are supposed to reach way underneath him, but I don't know how to go about getting this frame and keeping it. His headset is good at the walk and trot.  He's not a peanut roller, but he is within ear length up or down of his withers.  I don't know that he was ever taught the proper techniques for collection.  I learned after picking up my horse from the trainers that she had been tieing his head back to the saddle horn with a high port spade bit in his mouth.  When I picked him up she was showing me how to do it and it made me sick.  She told me to do it for a couple of hours every day for 3 days before a show.  I can't do that.  There has to be better methods to work with.  Someone also has told me to pull their reins down between their legs and up to the saddle and lope them a few rounds.  I want a method that he recognizes without relation to pain.  I have watched so many youtube videos and read so many articles they start to run together.  I don't know of any one trainer close by that I can trust.  Any advice that you could offer me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Stephanie

Answer
Hi Stephanie!

WP is tough.  There is so much bad horsemanship associated with the class, it is almost not worth it.  If you are having to gip you horse up, or someone is suggesting it, that is just plain bad horsemanship.  It will NEVER get you long term results and you are already seeing that.  Tying your horses head over, under around or through will get you nothing but a scared, braced, and possibly dead horse, period.  I can't tell you how may people I have seen flip their horses over backwards doing this.  It is just a crime.  If the horse is lucky, they will survive.  I have seen the ones that don't and it is beyond tragic.  

I don't lunge, gip, or tie my horses around.  It is bad horsemanship and just not necessary.  It never works in the long term unless you get the kind of horse that will just allow you to abuse him year after year.  Most horses will quit.  They will try and find a way out of this bind, they will burn out.  You have to ride will all the principals of good horsemanship, always.  There are no short cuts, ever.  Your horse has to know how to move first BEFORE he can move with collection.  You have to get control of the feet and the mind in order to have true, honest collection.  Just pulling, pulling with gimmicks, or intimidation will never work.

Get into the round pen and half hitch your reins over the horn and ask your horse to move off.  DON'T touch your reins.  Just let him move.  Use your body to ask him to go from a walk to the trot and then to the lope.  Trust him.  Don't pull on him.  This is how you are going to "fix" his throwing his head in the air.  The head tossing is the result of being pulled into a false frame and then being kicked to go forward.  The energy has to go somewhere and in his case it went up and into head tossing.  He will have to unlearn this behavior.  It is a brace that was built into him by the human and now you will have to pay your dues to get this to change.  I want you to be able to take him from a walk  to trot to lope and back down all without touching the reins.  You can hold your hands on your hips or in a natural position as if you were holding the reins.  I want you to make sure that there is enough of a drape in the rein that your horse will NOT feel any pressure from you or the bit, even with his head turned.  Make sure your reins are even and draped.  Work at this.  Walk trot and lope using your body only.  When you can do this nice and smooth, you will notice that the head tossing is gone...miracle...then start working on your backing.  When you get to this point, write me back and I'll explain more on this.  Backing is a point at which you "check" your progress and see how well your horse is listening to your body.  Your feet should be his feet.  You should be on the same page and of the same mind.  When you can do this, THEN you will start to work on true collection.  

I also want you to be able to master all of the elements of a classical ground school.  None of this will have anything to do with lunging.  It will be getting control of the hind quarters, getting control of each and every footfall and knowing that you and your horse are thinking as partners.  Take a look at the "Ground Work" DVD by Buck Brannaman.  You can find it on the web or rent it.  This is essential horsemanship 101 for you and something that most people miss.  Learn it.  We can talk about it as well once you have watched the DVD.  

WP can be fun.  I love it.  However, I will do it how I think it needs to be done, in a way that respects my horse and good horsemanship.  I think you will too and that is how all of us committed amateurs will change this sport once and for all.  I am proud of you Stephanie, for looking at changing and finding a better way.  

What I have given you today is only the first small half step in making the changes you are looking for.  Do this homework and then get back to me and we will work on the next step.  These are the building blocks that were missed in your horses education and yours as well.  Keep me posted and we will work our way through this in little steps!

Smiles,

Denise

Ps:  Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you, I have been in Germany and SF!  Great trips but I forgot to set vacation dates for this site...woops!  Also, the gelding on my profile page is "HIP CHIP" a superior WP horse and an own son of Ann Meyers wonderful stallion and AQHA legend, "Zips Chocolate Chip".