Walk...trot or lope??

[Appytrails]

Hello!
I am new to the forum, and I have a couple of questions! I am working with this horse that I have had since she was two months old. She is now 3 and 1/2 years old and I am just starting to get more serious about riding her. I have shown her in 4-h shows at a walk. Everytime I ride her I am too afraid to push her into trotting or loping. I asked an experienced neighbor who trains horses, and he said she'll lope when she's ready. How do I know when she is ready?? What if she bucks, how do I respond?? Do I punish her or calm her??

Thanks so much!!

Casey

 

[fellersbarnoneranch]

this horse that I have had since she was two months old. She is now 3 and 1/2 years old and I am just starting to get more serious about riding her. I have shown her in 4-h shows at a walk. Everytime I ride her I am too afraid to push her into trotting or loping. How do I know when she is ready?? What if she bucks, how do I respond?? Do I punish her or calm her??

Where are you working with your horse--arena, pasture, other? It sounds to me like you aren't sure whether you are ready to advance. If you don't have much experience at a trot or lope, maybe your neighbor has a well-trained horse you could practice on to get a feel for the motion and cues.

If your horse trots and lopes on her own, she's likely ready to take you to that level also. If the 2 of you trust and respect each other--should be an amazing experience for you both. If you're on shakey ground, start there and build up.

If she bucks or acts up, don't lose your cool--horses seem to take on the personality of their trainer, so a basket case trainer usually = basket case or nervous horse. Take your time with her. It would be easier and more safe to work at it in an arena with good soft footing.

Never get angry! If bucking is a problem, you can put together a "buck stopper" pretty easily and tie to the saddle.

Good luck

 

[Alan]

Hi Appy!

Common problem and question that you have. First let an experiance rider ride your horse and ask to watch, you want to see what your horse does at a lope or trot and how the person with experience handles it. But remember your horse is learning also, so the first few times at a lope with a rider on board may not be smooth it will get better quickly, a couple of rides with a good trainer will do wonders. You can start by getting your horse use to bending his/her head, don't sit and spin you just want the nose to touch your boot. Do this standing still or/and out of a walk, your horse can't buck if the nose is on the boot. Don't try it at a gallop or fast trot, your horse may go down with you. Just start it standind still, pressure and release when your horse gives to the pressure, it will take some time but your horse will catch on to bending his head back to your boot (do it both ways).

Second thing you need to do is simple, miles in the saddle, practice pratice practice.

Finally remember your horse is a fine tuned herd animal for thousands of years it has deveopled a flight sense at any sign of danger. It is also a 1000 pound animal that is so sensitive it can feel a fly land on it's back. So if you are nervous or tense on your horse your horse will feel it though the saddle and reins and be nervouse and tense also. This is an animal that can feel your but cheeks tighten through a 60 pound leather saddle and blanket (half halt). Relax in the saddle and speak the horses language, you hear a horse sigh, that is a sign that all is okay and safe, so sigh to him when you sense him getting tense or excited, I also chew when I want a horse to be a little calmer.

Alan

 

[cattle_gal]

Hi Casey,

Ground training is the most important steps to advancing in to training and riding. When a horse is not balanced enough to trot or canter smoothly from a walk on her own it is so much harder for her to try and do so with weight on her back. Longing from walk to trot first off, until she gains her balance of weight distribution. When you ask her to trot and she fumbles or walks faster in to a trot means she is not balanced enough. Calmly bring her back to a walk(voice and your own body actions) and let her get in to a smooth walk and ask again for the trot transition. Do this until she gains awareness of how she can balance in to a smooth walk trot transition. It is weight and muscle development for her. When she goes into a smooth walk to trot transition let her trot
around a couple of rounds then ask for the walk transition. If you have done halter classes she should know your body actions and voice of commands. If not teach her voice and body cues. Do not use the lounge line to get a walk transition - yanking on it for or snapping her in the chin.
That will only result in the horse getting way off balance because of a sudden change in actions. And can easily result in a horse that will start to lean against the lounge line. Big no no. If she does not want to stop trotting or not listen to you move in front of her shoulder and or wave in
front of her head and she will transition on her own. When she can transition from walk to trot smoothly and trot to walk smoothly you can advance to trot to canter transitions. The same applies as in the walk to trot transitions. With the canter transitions she may rush in to the canter,
which is nothing more than a very unbalanced horse. Abort the try and get her back to a smooth trot. Not rushing, nor nervous because that will led to a disastrous canter depart try. A unbalanced trot will not result in a balanced canter.

If she bucks it could be a way of her trying to get into a trot and canter, could also be a way of her objecting to you asking. How long she does this is an indication. But before we get to the bucking scenario see how she does without having the thought of having a bucking scenario.

Next do the walk trot, and trot canter transitions with the saddle on. I also have a rigging made up to hook up on the saddle and hang above the saddle the height of a rider where I hang different objects from. Plastic bottles, tarps ,ect. There's tons of ground work that I do before I
even step on a horse. If she can handle and except anything then when it comes to riding things go so much smoother and way easier. And bucking isn't even a thought because she learned it's no big deal as each step was taught.

Now that you have the horse transitioning without you on her back, you can learn with her by watching her. Notice the unbalanced and balanced positions of the horse when she is in the walk, trot or canter. How she hollows her back and rushes in to the transition. And as she finds balance
how she loses the hollowing of the back and does not rush. And how she responds to your commands. When she walks your walk as if you were in cadence with her. When she trots trot with her, this will get your body to move as if you were on the horse. And when he canters you canter. Outside foot first then inside heal then inside toe. Three beat. Rock/roll your hips as you do this, and bend the knees as each leg beats. And you will notice your hips leading. Mimic as if you were in the saddle. Smooth and gliding. It is also good to practice your canter at anytime to practice the feel. Our seat bone do not leave the saddle seat. And make sure your hips are free and rotate with each beat.

When your horse can trot and canter smoothly and respond to commands without a rider that is when you are ready to get on and teach her how to balance with a rider on her. Starting with the walk trot transitions. Posting trot is much easier on the horse and her back than a sitting trot.
Remember she now not only has to learn to trot and canter with weight but also has to adjust to the riders balance issues also. Thus why it is important for you also to do ground work before you advance in the steps also. The more the rider is balanced the more and easier the horse will
be balanced.

As with all training you ask for a command and if the horse does as she is asked you must release the asking command or cue. Other wise you will get a heavy unresponsive horse who will need more and more strong cues to get the action. Example, When you ask for a lateral flexion with
just the head hold the halter lead line or rein on the horses neck/withers without you pulling, but the horses head turned in the direction of your hand, just holding one spot even grabbing themane so you don't accidently pull on the rein, Then wait until the horse "gives". The horses head will come to your hand and the rein will go loose instantly. The second bends to his head as close to his body a head can release/drop the rein. Do this a few times until. He does this smoothly. There are various ways to do lateral flexions, but that is a common one. This isn't anything new. It has been around since the 1800's, by a horseman named Baucher And when you take rein for a transition down you need to release very quick and if the horse did not respond ask again, don't
hang or pull back. She'll get dull and heavy in the hand and take more and more pulling to get a response.

Don't get frustrated at anytime around your horse. Patience is must. If you must release tension do it away from the horse without her seeing you. Don't punish your horse if he doesn't understand what you want. She can't speak human and we can't speak Martin. So some how we
as a trainer need to figure out a way for the horse to understand what we want in a positive way. You never know how much our horses may get frustrated at us for not seeing what they are trying to say to us.