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Welcome to the November 2008 issue of "Lyons Training 101," written by John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman. (Yep, November. Having spent the last several weeks in an out of the emergency room (after a horse landed on me), I've been a little slow to get back to the computer. The actual December issue will come out soon - I promise!)
This month we teach "leg yields." We build: Smooth diagonal movement, fluidity from walk to trot to lope, "politeness" and seemingly invisible cues for "leg yielding" and speed transitions. We fix: Horses that rudely leap through their transitions or drift left then right or ignore our cues altogether — and we deal definitively with horses that just trod along "going through the motions."
Free! Print this article for zippo during the month of December. Merry Christmas!
You'll find the article sampled below. To read it in its entirety or print it out, follow the links provided. If the links don't work or you're not getting the emails properly, scroll to the bottom of this page.
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For smoother transitions and effortless "leg yielding," jump to the full version of this month's article: "Leg Yielding — Without Your Legs!"
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Pre-requisite articles recommended in this month's article:
- "Steer the Tail" (Develop Hip Control)
- "The Clockwork Exercise" (For Shoulder Control)
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With this training session, let's get our horse moving laterally like a champ – but let's also teach him to travel ramrod straight when that's what we want and to quit darting left then right like a leaf falling from a tree. Let's get him listening for our next cue rather than ignoring us altogether and let's put buttons on him that give us smooth, effortless speed transitions and make us look pretty darn cool to boot.
First hop on your horse and test something out: When you ask him to walk or trot off, does he drift left or right instead of forward in a straight line? Really concentrate, maybe close your eyes and feel: Does he push or bow against one of your legs or the other? And if you pick out a tree in the distance, do you end up at the tree – or in your neighbor's yard? Straight lines aren't a natural thing for a horse; lazing from one side of the yard to the other is far more typical.
Next, when you ask for a speed transition, from a walk up or down to a trot, from a trot up or down to a canter, does he stiffen, throw his head and lumber ahead – or flow into it like water poured from a bottle?
Finally, when you ask for diagonal movement, does he drag a hip or move his shoulder only begrudgingly? Be honest. A well-trained horse should skate about like a crab on ice – moving at any angle, effortless.
Now, stop. Stop and re-read those last three paragraphs – don't gloss over this stuff because really thinking about it, diagnosing your situation by answering these questions objectively...
keep reading this article
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Here's an excerpt from a past article called the "Clockwork Exercise." It's specifically recommended in this month's featured article ("Leg Yields," above) and so is included here for convenience:
"To get started, stand up. Look to the left. Keep your head in that position and sidestep to your right. Now, look to your right and sidestep to your right. It was easier to move to the right with your head to the left, wasn't it? Your horse finds the same thing. That's why you begin teaching your horse to move to the left by using the right, or "opposite," rein.
Picture a rope laying on the ground. Imagine your horse walking on this rope with both front and back feet, like a train on its tracks. Now...."
Read the entire article by following the link or by visiting Horsemanship101.com/Articles.
My articles are online and available 24/7.
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Thanks for reading - and regards,
Keith Hosman, John Lyons Certified Trainer
Horsemanship101.com
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"Is this you? On a good day your horse will get in the trailer after a few minutes of cajoling. More often than not, it's about fifteen. Today you're headed to a riding club event and the group leaves at 10am sharp. You're running a bit late, but as you lead your horse to the trailer, you're figuring you'll make it fine if the horse is having a "good-to-medium day." If he loads by 9:15; you can drive the speed limit and stop for coffee. If not, you gotta do 80 – past Starbucks. You "like" your horse at this point. Problem is, your horse has gotten up on the wrong side of the manger and he's thinking "I'll die first and take you with me." Insert your own worst nightmare here. Forty minutes later you're thinking things like "It's just a stupid trailer," "I'll drag your butt in" and "Your (expletive deleted) mother was the same way."
Horses either get in smoothly or they balk. If your horse balks, he doesn't load. Period. Trained horses simply walk into the trailer. Not after 10 minutes of begging. They just walk in. That's lesson one and our ultimate goal. If a horse..."
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