QuestionQUESTION: Denise, First of all thank you so much for offering advice on line...
My question is in regards to a three year old quarter horse I have been working with since she was born on our farm.
We have spent a good part of her life with ground work. I mounted her for the first time last may, (we had to take a break over the winter with very selective times to ride due to weather) and have gradually been working up to a fairly consistent work schedule since the weather has broke. Every day we do ground work, and three times a week I ride.
So far it's been a lot of bending, steering, walking and trotting, disengaging hind quarters etc. I have rode with both a snaffle and Dr. Cooks bitless bridle. I like the bitless at this point because it allows me to not worry about my hands hurting her mouth.
Anyway, I began to feel maybe I was going "to slow", and began asking her for a lope. (I do get the lope on the lunge very willingly and consistent)
The first request she crowhopped and fussed, but it was short lived and now she takes the request quite well...the only problem is she only picks up a fast trot when I ask, not a lope.
My question (yhew, finally hugh?) is am I going too fast and not allowing enough time for her to process the whole riding thing, or is she maybe trying to figure out her balance, or is she just boycotting work?
I honestly don't know how to translate if a horse is truly ready for the next step as far as training goes. I usually go by feel and slow down if I notice stress or confusion...so up till now this has been our first hole to deal with in our training together. It's hard to know if your going too slow or too fast, Gosh I'm not even sure you should expect a three year old to lope under saddle, so I'm asking for some advice. I was hoping we would just go into the lope some day when all felt right, but maybe that just isn't realistic. Thanks, Sharon
ANSWER: Hi Sharon!
"The slower you go the quicker you will get there!" -Ray Hunt
Horses don't wear watches Sharon, only people do. If you take the time it takes and develop your horse with quality, she will be loping out of her tracks before you know it.
Here is how you start on the path to getting your horse to lope out of their tracks...Get back into the round pen, half hitch your mecate over your horn and only touch them if you are getting into big trouble. Pluck a rein and let go if your HORSE needs a little more direction. Now, walk you horse, walk him faster than he can walk. DO NOT squeeze your legs on him, bounce them on his sides just a hair faster than what he is walking. Bring up the life and energy in your own body, be thinking and feeling in your gut...trot! Pretty soon your horse will be trotting. Keep your energy up and going forward be thinking TROT! Keep the life up in your body and in your feet and legs just a hair faster than your horse is going, keep building, don't try and lope your horse, just trot him faster than what he can trot. Pretty soon HE will be saying "I just can't trot this fast, I'd better lope!" THIS is the process of making YOUR idea the HORSES idea! This is what gets seamless, smooth, comfortable trot/canter transitions without bucking! You have to have your horse understanding what it is to canter in a comfortable manor FIRST before he can lope out of his tracks! He has to understand what it is to move free, really free and understand your body language BEFORE you can reach back and have him just lope off. This all happens in the body first. Our goal is to have our cues be invisible anyway! When your horse is really reading you and you have spent enough time in the round pen really getting this communication good, then you can be asking for more. You will have to have both upward and downward transitions, in the round pen, really good and not touching your reins prior to asking your horse to canter out of his tracks.
Once your horse really understands what you are asking, the bucking will be gone. He will understand how to move and not be pulled on. Even when we think we are not pulling, it can happen, this is why not touching the reins is so important. Also, you will need to have really great control of the hind quarters in order to lope out of your tracks. You should be able to get the hind quarters to step to the right or left by just dropping your leg back. The HQ should move and not the front end. Do this while just standing still.
You have to build on these steps and not miss anything. You are still missing some of the control in the feet to get things really right. Go back and examine how good all of your ground work is. Can you really get control of every footfall. How is your lateral movement? If your horse is not forward, you have to make the commitment to get the energy going FIRST! Many riders are afraid that they will not be able to handle the energy when they really bring it up. This is where dullness comes from. We think we are asking for collection, however, the horse MUST move FIRST and be FORWARD prior to any sort of collection. At three, you don't want to be pulling on him at all. Just let him move, have your energy and your own body bring that life in him UP! This is where you start! From this good foundation you can keep right on building. Pretty soon you will start developing a soft feel and that is the beginning of collection, from this good place is where you start refining and that is when loping out of your tracks will be appropriate and of real quality.
Keep me posted on your progress! If you are not familiar with the type of classical ground work I use, check out the "Ground Work" DVD by Buck Brannaman and anything by Ray Hunt.
Smiles,
Denise
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi Denise! Just wanted to say thank you so much for your advise...and yes my horse and I are loping! Took a couple months, but when we finally went into it for the first time the length of the pasture it was awesome! (and very controllable) So thanks, for the great advice as well as reassuring me it was okay to go SLOW! I do have one additional question if I may...I still ride in a snaffle and rope halter combo, slowly introducing the feel of the bit, but do I want to use a chin strap or chain with my one ear head stall? I never really thought about that chin strap with my other horse, but now that I am working a young horse everything you put on their face seems to matter. Thanks, Sharon
Answer
Lilly in the snaffle
Hi Sharon!
Congratulations!!! I'll bet your horse feels pretty good too! Yes, a curb strap is a good idea, it helps keep the bit from being pulled through your horses mouth if things fall apart for some reason. When riding young horses, things can just fall apart and the better prepared you are to support your horse through it, with good equipment to aide in that process the more positive the whole outcome will be.
I would not use a chain, ever. There is no need. When you have made the proper progression from the snaffle to the bosal and then finally straight up in the bridle, you will be riding in the body with a horse so light and responsive that your cues will be invisible to anyone. At this point, things that cause pain, like chains under the chin or any of that nonsense, won't even be part of your vocabulary.
You will be riding in your snaffle bit for quite a while, so make sure it is a good one! If you use a brow band headstall with a good throatlatch, it is an added measure of safety. A tired or itchy baby has less of a chance to accidently rub you headstall off! I use slobber straps and a mecate rein on my snaffle bit. The slobber straps allow you to release the pressure you have on your reins in a very dramatic fashion. They offer a wonderful feel to the horse and rider in really putting together a conversation of softness. When you are using a mecate rein, there is no need to ride with your halter on your horses head. The tail end of your mecate IS you lead rope and if you have to get off and do some ground work, lead your horse for whatever reason, you lead rope is already attached. It is a great piece of equipment and why the buckaroos and vaqueros have used it for hundreds of years! I'll attach a picture of a good snaffle bit outfit for you to see.
If you are wondering when you should progress out of the snaffle bit and into the bosal (hackamore) watch "The making of a Bridle horse" series by Buck Brannaman. It is wonderful!
I'm so proud of you and your progress! Keep doing what you are doing!
Smiles!
Denise
