 |
|
"How do I establish reliable speed control in an endurance race, when every instinct the horse has says to run for your life?"
|
|
 |
|
Dear Keith...
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Hi Keith,
I have a question that I have wondered about for several years, and I have never seen any clinician address it specifically, and have never seen it written up in Perfect Horse. It concerns speed "control". This is THE biggest problem with probably 90% of endurance horses, I think maybe a unique one in the various horse sports.
With all the issues we deal with in training horses, there is always a motivation to comply with what you are asking him to do. Trailer loading: step fwd in response to the annoying tapping of the whip; stand still or else be asked to move his feet, drop the head to relieve pressure on poll, etc. In speed control, we basically use body language in conjunction with bit pressure, but bit pressure also means break at the poll, and maybe drop the head. Through repetition of bringing body energy down to slow the speed--along w/some bit pressure--and doing figure eights, for instance, if speed increases without the rider requesting the speed-up, the horse learns what that body position means. In the arena and on the trail alone, Kaos does this beautifully. But on the trail w/trotting buddies, it is, of course, a different story.
This would be my remedy:trot in front at a chosen gait. Have another horse pass. When that horse passes, my horse would instinctively speed up. Then I would----do figure eights and let him move off again? If I put pressure on the bit and use body language to slow him, he tucks his head due to that pressure, and change in my body language is not enough motivation to slow him down. The inherent problem is the motivation to stay in the desired speed just doesn't seem to be enough relative to the incredibly strong instinct to "run with the herd"---especially for a conditioned Arabian endurance horse.
I find it so ironic that the more proficient, the more knowledgeable, the more experience I have now training horses relative to 20 years ago has resulted in my last two horses being much more difficult to mold into safe endurance horses! My first (a Quarter/Morgan X)--when I knew virtually nothing--I broke as a 2 y/o and rode in competitive and endurance, then passed down to my 10 y/o daughter. My second was a Pinto/ Arab mare who, although bucked me off first time on, and at the beginning of the first two endurance rides I ever did, became a totally kid-safe horse that I rode in a sidepull, no bit. The whole herd could fly past her in a race, and she would stand while I adjusted her saddle. The third was an already "broke" 4 y/o Arab who threw his owner and broke her hand, lost 7 points in his first competitive ride for bad manners, yet after I worked w/him for a year, I rode in a sidepull as well, would stand quietly and let the herd race by if I asked, and ended up starting more first-time and child riders than any endurance horse in our area. The fourth Arab didn't ever become a kid's horse, but I had ZERO problems with him listening to me on the trail. I "Lyons" broke him to saddle and giving to the bit, but nothing more than that....NONE of any of the other techniques. The fifth---same "degree" of Lyons training--- was a five y/o breeding stallion who had never been in the woods in his life. I "broke" him in three days in the roundpen, then took him to the forestry by myself, conditioned him for three months and did a 25 mile endurance ride on him. He was a perfect gentleman. SO WHY CAN'T I ACCOMPLISH THIS WITH MY TWO HORSES with whom I've gone thru the entire Lyons method, start to "finish"???? LOL
Thanks
Lela R |
|
- - - - -
Reply
Great to hear from you, Lela –
Uh, was there a question in there?
If the question is Why does it become more of a challenge to teach a hose after studying them for twenty years, I think we both figure it’s got to do with “the more you know, the more you know how little you know.”
Keith
|
|
- - - - -
Reply
Yes there definitely IS a question.
I have a question that I have wondered about for several years, and I have never seen any clinician address it specifically, and have never seen it written up in Perfect Horse. It concerns speed "control".
With all the issues we deal with in training horses, there is always a motivation to comply with what you are asking him to do. Trailer loading: step fwd in response to the annoying tapping of the whip; stand still or else be asked to move his feet, drop the head to relieve pressure on poll, etc. In speed control, we basically use body language in conjunction with bit pressure, but bit pressure also means break at the poll, and maybe drop the head. Through repetition of bringing body energy down to slow the speed--along w/some bit pressure--and doing figure eights, for instance, if speed increases without the rider requesting the speed-up, the horse learns what that body position means. In the arena and on the trail alone, Kaos does this beautifully. But on the trail w/trotting buddies, it is, of course, a different story.
This would be my remedy:trot in front at a chosen gait. Have another horse pass. When that horse passes, my horse would instinctively speed up. Then I would----do figure eights and let him move off again? If I put pressure on the bit and use body language to slow him, he tucks his head due to that pressure, and change in my body language is not enough motivation to slow him down. The inherent problem is the motivation to stay in the desired speed just doesn't seem to be enough relative to the incredibly strong instinct to "run with the herd"---especially for a conditioned Arabian endurance horse.
So my question is how do I establish reliable speed control in an endurance race, when every instinct the horse has says to run for your life? As listed above, there doesn't seem to be anything strong enough to make the horse want to comply under these circumstances.
Thanks.
Lela
|
|
|
|
- - - - - |
|
|
|
|
|
Suggested Article: "Why Does My Horse Still Have This Problem"
It's your job to be consistent simply because horses become mirror images of their owners. Let's say you buy a horse and the horse pulls on the bit like he's trying to rip your arms out of their sockets. Well, you can blame the previous owner for...
from our Horse Training Problem series > read more |
|
| |
|
Suggested Article: "Thought vs Action"
When you think different, you are different. The more you raise your expectations, the better your horse will become. Those two thoughts bring us to a concept called "Thought vs Action." Riding an "action" is how ninety-nine percent of the people...
from our Learning to Ride a Horse series > read more |
|
| |
|
Suggested Article: "Stop Your Horse With Hip Shoulder Shoulder"
The most common problem we see: Keeping your horse moving may prove to be your biggest challenge. Sluggish horses that look for any excuse to slow down will stop dead in their tracks when you first pick up a rein and ask for such a sharp maneuver....
from our Ask a Horse Trainer series > read more |
|
| |
|
Suggested Article: "Steering Your Horse"
"If you get too much of a slingshot action with the horse's head, where you pull it back and they give but immediately throw it forward, then you need to move your hands a little slower. Hold on longer, move slower to give back. Make them hold a...
from our Young Horse Training series > read more |
|
| |
|
Suggested Article: "Horses That Kick On The Trail"
Have you ever seen a red ribbon tied to a horse's tail? What does that ribbon mean? It means "Stay away from me. My horse will kick your horse."
Does that make you mad? Maybe it should. You've gone to a lot of time and trouble to...
from our Trail Horse Training series > read more |
|
| |
|
- - - - - |
|
|
|
|
|
Speed Control
Horse Speeds: As soon as I ask for a trot, he thinks he really needs to get somewhere in a hurry. |
|
Trail Riding
Fighting Horse: As soon as you take him anyway he turns into a fighter |
|
Herd Dynamics
Horses Behavior: My gelding preceded to run her down and take bites not nips out of her |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
