Whatever your discipline, how you position a horse’s body
makes all the difference so it is of paramount importance that you understand
the demands and needs of the discipline you are riding. Positioning a horse’s body for barrel racing,
for example, is very different than getting your horse correct for Trail,
Western Riding or Reining.
But…… it’s not my intent here to explain or go into the details
regarding the needs of each of the aforementioned disciplines but rather I want
to discuss how the rider influences the body position of the horse.
I’ll give you one clue to where I’m heading with this: you must have your own body correct or
nothing else can be correct. In short,
nothing really works correctly until you do.
Typically for most disciplines correct for you will mean: well balanced,
heels deep, straight and square through your rib cage and shoulders and never stiff
or arched in your back – remember sit up straight with your stomach muscles and
hold up your chest and your back will follow without becoming hollow or arched). If you are not sitting correctly you can interfere
with your horse and in no way are you be able to help put the horse in the
proper position that he needs to be to work his best.
Hand position is very important as well. So often, I see horses dropping their
shoulder because they’re “just following” the rider’s poorly placed hand. You must be able to activate the correct rein
and relax the opposite one when needed to allow a horse to have space to move while
you still remain even and balanced.
The position of the rider’s legs is also so important. I see riders attempting to collect their
horses yet their own legs are way out in front, or they just have what I call “noisy”
legs, meaning legs that are just not stable so they cause annoyance and possibly
even confusion for the horse and an unstable seat for the rider.
In horses as in everything else, there is a direct
relationship between cause and effect!
All horsemen must be effective and stable riders and to achieve this
they must be aware of their own bodies and body parts and how those parts can
positively or negatively affect their horse’s ability to perform well. Now that I have you thinking about
positioning, we’ll talk more about this at a later date! Talk to you next week, JD
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Thursday, January 8, 2015
To Wrap or Not to Wrap, That is the Question!
Christmas may be over but the season made me think of wrapping - wrapping legs that is! And, let me first state: when it comes to wrapping legs it's very important to learn to wrap correctly because incorrect wrapping can cause damage and do more harm than not wrapping at all. Your vet can show you how to wrap or an experienced groom or your trainer can take the time to help you practice wrapping correctly. There are also many good articles with pictures on the subject that can help. Good wrapping takes practice though - it's a skill everyone should learn! And now, on with this discussion.....
There are many reasons to wrap. The general idea is to give support and to give protection against bumps that may cause splints. Wraps are also used to reduce swelling and tighten legs, especially before halter and in-hand classes. Often standing wraps are applied to give support after a horse has been worked hard in an event such as jumping.
I personally prefer splint wraps for just protection against bumps that may cause splints. I think good splint boots, because they are heavier, provide more protection than polo wraps. They are quick and easy to use and wash up really nicely - often they just need a quick rinse. And, best of all in my opinion: they don't need to be rolled!
For horses such as reining horses, I have used polos but often also use splint boots, again because they seem to provide a better cushion against bump and strikes. There are some "sports medicine" boots that give a lot of support as well. Mostly I like to see what a horse perfers to work in. I sometimes have used polos with quilts to give added protection and some horses really do well wrapped this way. Much like a top human runner though, who's particular about which brand of shoe they wear, I've found that some of my Reining horses can be rather fussy about what you wrap them with. On the other hand, my Western Pleasure horses don't seem to care what I wrap them with. In any case, never forget that your "rail horses" - Hunters, Western Pleasure - and Trail horses, can not be shown with wraps on - of any kind.
As a general rule, I don't haul in wraps. If you're not using the new ice wraps, I find that horses seem to heat up during the long hauls that I frequently make. I must add that I do haul in about four inches of shavings to give plenty of cushion for their legs and it also helps keep down the amount of heat coming up from the road which is very important. A hint here: If your shavings are too deep, they just bank up in the front and back of the horse and are wasted. I do though put on wraps and bell boots if I'm hauling a horse with built-up shoes or if I'm not sure of a horse's hauling manners.
I'm also not a fan of wrapping horses each and every time I ride. If a horse is mature, shod properly, conditioned and sound and is being shown in an event that does not allow wrapping, I actually believe it's better not to wrap. Horses that are used to always being wrapped and then are shown without wraps are more prone - I believe - to injury when showing. Now, I know it's really popular to always wrap but I have had 100% success with the management I have described here. With my Trail horses, I again prefer not to wrap because I want the horses to occasionally feel the poles and therefore learn to be "careful with their feet".
It's always good to consider when a horse is most likely to need wrapping. Longing is a good example. Also, horses that are carrying built-up shoes need more protection, including wraps and probably bell boots. Younger horses that are learning how to carry their bodies correctly as well as balance under a rider's weight are good wrapping candidates. And even youngsters, when they're turned out, if they're being "fractious" and playing and running hard, are good candidates for good wraps to avoid splints.
Wrapping can and should be geared to what a horse needs and whether it will benefit from the wrap. Wrapping with polos and track bandages (I only use polos) is an important skill that all horsemen should learn. Take the time to learn to apply wraps correctly and to learn what type of wrap or boot is correct for you horse's needs. And two last thoughts: Polos and boots must be kept clean - I'll never re-use a dirty boot or wrap - and, I believe that all polos should be taped. A little duct tape applied to the last wrap will help keep the wrap in place.
I hope this discussion helps! Talk to you next week. JD
There are many reasons to wrap. The general idea is to give support and to give protection against bumps that may cause splints. Wraps are also used to reduce swelling and tighten legs, especially before halter and in-hand classes. Often standing wraps are applied to give support after a horse has been worked hard in an event such as jumping.
I personally prefer splint wraps for just protection against bumps that may cause splints. I think good splint boots, because they are heavier, provide more protection than polo wraps. They are quick and easy to use and wash up really nicely - often they just need a quick rinse. And, best of all in my opinion: they don't need to be rolled!
For horses such as reining horses, I have used polos but often also use splint boots, again because they seem to provide a better cushion against bump and strikes. There are some "sports medicine" boots that give a lot of support as well. Mostly I like to see what a horse perfers to work in. I sometimes have used polos with quilts to give added protection and some horses really do well wrapped this way. Much like a top human runner though, who's particular about which brand of shoe they wear, I've found that some of my Reining horses can be rather fussy about what you wrap them with. On the other hand, my Western Pleasure horses don't seem to care what I wrap them with. In any case, never forget that your "rail horses" - Hunters, Western Pleasure - and Trail horses, can not be shown with wraps on - of any kind.
As a general rule, I don't haul in wraps. If you're not using the new ice wraps, I find that horses seem to heat up during the long hauls that I frequently make. I must add that I do haul in about four inches of shavings to give plenty of cushion for their legs and it also helps keep down the amount of heat coming up from the road which is very important. A hint here: If your shavings are too deep, they just bank up in the front and back of the horse and are wasted. I do though put on wraps and bell boots if I'm hauling a horse with built-up shoes or if I'm not sure of a horse's hauling manners.
I'm also not a fan of wrapping horses each and every time I ride. If a horse is mature, shod properly, conditioned and sound and is being shown in an event that does not allow wrapping, I actually believe it's better not to wrap. Horses that are used to always being wrapped and then are shown without wraps are more prone - I believe - to injury when showing. Now, I know it's really popular to always wrap but I have had 100% success with the management I have described here. With my Trail horses, I again prefer not to wrap because I want the horses to occasionally feel the poles and therefore learn to be "careful with their feet".
It's always good to consider when a horse is most likely to need wrapping. Longing is a good example. Also, horses that are carrying built-up shoes need more protection, including wraps and probably bell boots. Younger horses that are learning how to carry their bodies correctly as well as balance under a rider's weight are good wrapping candidates. And even youngsters, when they're turned out, if they're being "fractious" and playing and running hard, are good candidates for good wraps to avoid splints.
Wrapping can and should be geared to what a horse needs and whether it will benefit from the wrap. Wrapping with polos and track bandages (I only use polos) is an important skill that all horsemen should learn. Take the time to learn to apply wraps correctly and to learn what type of wrap or boot is correct for you horse's needs. And two last thoughts: Polos and boots must be kept clean - I'll never re-use a dirty boot or wrap - and, I believe that all polos should be taped. A little duct tape applied to the last wrap will help keep the wrap in place.
I hope this discussion helps! Talk to you next week. JD
Sunday, December 21, 2014
The Lope
What is it that makes for a good lope? Well..... let's start wth the basics, a lope is a three beat gait and it's sequence should go like this: first beat = outside hind leg; second = inside hind and outside front moving together and third = inside front.
A lope has a "lead" and the "leading" legs are the inside front and inside hind. Now ideally the inside back and front legs should move equal distances. The outside hind is what I always call the "push off" leg - the leg providing the initial impulsion for the gait.
(And a reminder for those of you who are just starting out: Unless the rider has deliberately asked for a counter-canter which is rare, a horse is on the correct lead when leading with his inside front and back legs or, another way of putting it: when loping to the right, the horse should be on his right lead with his right legs leading. We'll talk about counter-canters in a whole other blog!)
Often, you will see some horses that appear to be "trotting" behind when loping but actually, what is happening is the horse is short striding behind to the extent that there is no longer a leading hind leg. Of course this is not correct but you may see it in some novice horses as they learn to properly push off and reach up under themselves with their hind legs (and unfortunately, you also see it in some of today's Western Pleasure horses when they lack proper impulsion). When horses are loping correctly the lope should be an even, flowing stride, exhibiting the same cadence and same speed all around the arena.
A horse that is loping well does not drop his shoulder when going through a corner but rather pushes deep with his outside hind and then takes a longer stride with his inside hind because of the arc of the corner - or line - the horse is traveling. If a horse must pass another horse at a lope, he also should not drop his shoulder but should almost move over laterally. When horses drop their shoulders they pick up speed and generally just look a little sloppy because they cannot be collected when traveling with a dropped shoulder. Remember that a horse must always be balanced from back to front and also side to side. The operative word here is balance. No "leaning Towers of Pisa"! No pushing on your leg or rein!
In short, a good lope has a "distinct gait, an easy pleasant way of going, nicely bridled, soft on the rein, carrying his back and shoulders up, engaged with the hip". The horse should not pick up speed but stay in the same frame, at the same speed and with the same cadence all around the arena or obstacle.
I hope this helps you fine tune your lope or perhaps just learn to see or feel your leads better. Talk to you next week and, Merry Christmas to all! JD.
A lope has a "lead" and the "leading" legs are the inside front and inside hind. Now ideally the inside back and front legs should move equal distances. The outside hind is what I always call the "push off" leg - the leg providing the initial impulsion for the gait.
(And a reminder for those of you who are just starting out: Unless the rider has deliberately asked for a counter-canter which is rare, a horse is on the correct lead when leading with his inside front and back legs or, another way of putting it: when loping to the right, the horse should be on his right lead with his right legs leading. We'll talk about counter-canters in a whole other blog!)
Often, you will see some horses that appear to be "trotting" behind when loping but actually, what is happening is the horse is short striding behind to the extent that there is no longer a leading hind leg. Of course this is not correct but you may see it in some novice horses as they learn to properly push off and reach up under themselves with their hind legs (and unfortunately, you also see it in some of today's Western Pleasure horses when they lack proper impulsion). When horses are loping correctly the lope should be an even, flowing stride, exhibiting the same cadence and same speed all around the arena.
A horse that is loping well does not drop his shoulder when going through a corner but rather pushes deep with his outside hind and then takes a longer stride with his inside hind because of the arc of the corner - or line - the horse is traveling. If a horse must pass another horse at a lope, he also should not drop his shoulder but should almost move over laterally. When horses drop their shoulders they pick up speed and generally just look a little sloppy because they cannot be collected when traveling with a dropped shoulder. Remember that a horse must always be balanced from back to front and also side to side. The operative word here is balance. No "leaning Towers of Pisa"! No pushing on your leg or rein!
In short, a good lope has a "distinct gait, an easy pleasant way of going, nicely bridled, soft on the rein, carrying his back and shoulders up, engaged with the hip". The horse should not pick up speed but stay in the same frame, at the same speed and with the same cadence all around the arena or obstacle.
I hope this helps you fine tune your lope or perhaps just learn to see or feel your leads better. Talk to you next week and, Merry Christmas to all! JD.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Pivot, Turn-around, Spin
In the winter or any off season I like to focus on exercises that can improve a horse's "basics". I gave you some ideas last week but here are some more thoughts on some key movements.
Pivots, turn-arounds and spins have similar components but they are not the same things and I most definitely train each as it's own separate maneuver. This can be alot of ground to cover so I'll talk the pivot in a later blog....
A turn-around is, simply put: a slow spin. It's a maneuver that teaches a horse where to place his feet. A horse should be very limber in his shoulders and execute the turn-around in a low, sweepy manner. Turning on his haunches but reaching with his front legs. The sequence is: outside front, crossing over inside front. The outside leg always crossing in front of or "over" the inside leg - this is very important as the opposite impedes impulsion and will cause the horse to lose his forward motion. Many people forget that the turn-around is a forward maneuver - especially as it builds into a true spin. As horses build up speed in the turn-around, it helps to stablize their hindquarters but only when a horse is good at this maneuver though will I worry about their inside hind leg or "pivot foot". Many times, this develops as you ride them.
A trotting circle establishes good rythm, a walking circle teaches a horse where to place his legs. Counter bends are important because they "push" the shoulders over. Horses that are over-bent never learn to spin properly. I tell my students that a good general rule is to always keep a horse's body arced along the line he is traveling.
So, lateral work is very important when teaching these moves. Small, correct trotting circles help because a small circle positions a horses front legs correctly, helping the horse to begin the cross-over. As I stated before, I always teach the cross-over first.
Really good side-passes are a necessary prerequisite too. A horse should move front and back together, not leading with either shoulder or a hip. The body should be straight with little or no bend against the line of travel. Often you see horses that need more work on this bent incorrectly against the line of travel, for example: side-passing to the right but bent to the left. The bend is a training aid that helps a horse accomplish this move but as you work on the side-pass your horse's body should get straighter and straighter. This allows the horse to really step over with that outside leg.
If a horse starts to stall out a little when he's asked to turn-around, just squeeze with both legs, asking the horse to slightly move forward and then bump with your outside leg.
As you progress, the horse should "seek" the turn but not over bend or "rubber neck" so I like to bump with my outside leg, push the shoulder with my outside rein, bump the head to the inside with the inside rein and lastly, take my inside leg off the horse and give him space to move into.
Good luck with your regimen of winter exercises and stay warm! Talk to you next week, JD
Pivots, turn-arounds and spins have similar components but they are not the same things and I most definitely train each as it's own separate maneuver. This can be alot of ground to cover so I'll talk the pivot in a later blog....
A turn-around is, simply put: a slow spin. It's a maneuver that teaches a horse where to place his feet. A horse should be very limber in his shoulders and execute the turn-around in a low, sweepy manner. Turning on his haunches but reaching with his front legs. The sequence is: outside front, crossing over inside front. The outside leg always crossing in front of or "over" the inside leg - this is very important as the opposite impedes impulsion and will cause the horse to lose his forward motion. Many people forget that the turn-around is a forward maneuver - especially as it builds into a true spin. As horses build up speed in the turn-around, it helps to stablize their hindquarters but only when a horse is good at this maneuver though will I worry about their inside hind leg or "pivot foot". Many times, this develops as you ride them.
A trotting circle establishes good rythm, a walking circle teaches a horse where to place his legs. Counter bends are important because they "push" the shoulders over. Horses that are over-bent never learn to spin properly. I tell my students that a good general rule is to always keep a horse's body arced along the line he is traveling.
So, lateral work is very important when teaching these moves. Small, correct trotting circles help because a small circle positions a horses front legs correctly, helping the horse to begin the cross-over. As I stated before, I always teach the cross-over first.
Really good side-passes are a necessary prerequisite too. A horse should move front and back together, not leading with either shoulder or a hip. The body should be straight with little or no bend against the line of travel. Often you see horses that need more work on this bent incorrectly against the line of travel, for example: side-passing to the right but bent to the left. The bend is a training aid that helps a horse accomplish this move but as you work on the side-pass your horse's body should get straighter and straighter. This allows the horse to really step over with that outside leg.
If a horse starts to stall out a little when he's asked to turn-around, just squeeze with both legs, asking the horse to slightly move forward and then bump with your outside leg.
As you progress, the horse should "seek" the turn but not over bend or "rubber neck" so I like to bump with my outside leg, push the shoulder with my outside rein, bump the head to the inside with the inside rein and lastly, take my inside leg off the horse and give him space to move into.
Good luck with your regimen of winter exercises and stay warm! Talk to you next week, JD
Sunday, November 23, 2014
More Exercises
I hope everyone understands the value of (good) loping circles but there are so many things you can do with the circle as the basis. Of course, your circles need to be consistant in size and speed, with the ability to speed up and slow down. The circles need to be as round as possible - not elipses or ovals. Once you've established good loping circles then you can really start having fun!
I always teach my horses to spiral into a small circle and then spiral back out into a large circle. I push out the circle out with my inside leg, keeping the horse's whole body arced nicely, then push the horse back into as small a circle as he's comfortable with, then repeat.
I teach all my horses to counter bend when loping circles, again, making sure to move the rib cage, not just the head and neck. About this time in a horse's training I will also introduce simple lead changes. I always do simple changes before teaching flying changes as this helps a horse to collect up and get ready for the advanced maneuver of a flying change (assuming I choose to teach them and they're able - some horses just aren't built to do a flying change comfortably).
I start doing counter-canters about this time as well. I deliberately lope the horse into an egg shaped counter-canter pattern, exagerating my cues. As the horse gets better with this, you will not have to use such obvious cues and your egg shape can potentially become a counter-cantered circle. (Email me if this doesn't make sense and I'll help you visualize it!) Counter-cantering really cleans up a lope and helps slow a horse down as well. It does this by really lifting the back and shoulders and forcing a horse to use the leading inside leg.
I also like to lope circles into the wall, using the wall as a tight barrier on one side of my circle. This helps a horse drive up underneath himself, without me having to force the issue, just some encouragement with my leg is all that is needed.
I really like a stop, pivot, lope off routine too. Usually I pivot to the outside and lope off on the opposite lead, being careful to keep my circles the same size and the horse's shoulder up, with their body straight in the transition.
Another exercise I sometimes use is to ride a circle then ride a straight line out of it and then build another circle (visualize a P or a 9, with the tail of the nine straight though! - the top is your circle, and the leg of the P or 9 is your straight line, then at the end of the leg, build another circle...). Your horse should line his shoulders up straight whenever he comes out of your circles. I make sure my horse is not on the wall when I do this as the wall will support the horse and I want to make sure the horse is straight in the shoulder from my cues and my leg and not just from the support of the wall, and I want him to stay straight until I arc him into my next circle.
An advanced maneuver that is very good for Western Pleasure horses is to lope squares. The trick here is to have very straight lines connected with sharp 90 degree angle turns. This helps a horse to lift his shoulder but don't try this unless your horse gets very good with all the circle work I've described and remember that you'll really have to ride the rib cage to accomplish this!
Another execise I like is to put my horses on the rail at a lope and then flex them off the bridle both to the inside and outside. Be careful to keep their shoulder up and straight and just flex them in the poll, not the middle of their neck. Having a horse work the wall with his head and poll flexed to the outside will really slow a horse down but again, make sure he has good basic circle work before you introduce this.
It takes quite a while to accomplish everything I've described here, probably close to a year for most horses but it's well worth it. Don't try all of these at once and don't over-ride any of them but add them patiently and carefully into your routine and I think you'll find they're a challenging way to keep your horse - and you - in tune! Talk to you next week! JD
I always teach my horses to spiral into a small circle and then spiral back out into a large circle. I push out the circle out with my inside leg, keeping the horse's whole body arced nicely, then push the horse back into as small a circle as he's comfortable with, then repeat.
I teach all my horses to counter bend when loping circles, again, making sure to move the rib cage, not just the head and neck. About this time in a horse's training I will also introduce simple lead changes. I always do simple changes before teaching flying changes as this helps a horse to collect up and get ready for the advanced maneuver of a flying change (assuming I choose to teach them and they're able - some horses just aren't built to do a flying change comfortably).
I start doing counter-canters about this time as well. I deliberately lope the horse into an egg shaped counter-canter pattern, exagerating my cues. As the horse gets better with this, you will not have to use such obvious cues and your egg shape can potentially become a counter-cantered circle. (Email me if this doesn't make sense and I'll help you visualize it!) Counter-cantering really cleans up a lope and helps slow a horse down as well. It does this by really lifting the back and shoulders and forcing a horse to use the leading inside leg.
I also like to lope circles into the wall, using the wall as a tight barrier on one side of my circle. This helps a horse drive up underneath himself, without me having to force the issue, just some encouragement with my leg is all that is needed.
I really like a stop, pivot, lope off routine too. Usually I pivot to the outside and lope off on the opposite lead, being careful to keep my circles the same size and the horse's shoulder up, with their body straight in the transition.
Another exercise I sometimes use is to ride a circle then ride a straight line out of it and then build another circle (visualize a P or a 9, with the tail of the nine straight though! - the top is your circle, and the leg of the P or 9 is your straight line, then at the end of the leg, build another circle...). Your horse should line his shoulders up straight whenever he comes out of your circles. I make sure my horse is not on the wall when I do this as the wall will support the horse and I want to make sure the horse is straight in the shoulder from my cues and my leg and not just from the support of the wall, and I want him to stay straight until I arc him into my next circle.
An advanced maneuver that is very good for Western Pleasure horses is to lope squares. The trick here is to have very straight lines connected with sharp 90 degree angle turns. This helps a horse to lift his shoulder but don't try this unless your horse gets very good with all the circle work I've described and remember that you'll really have to ride the rib cage to accomplish this!
Another execise I like is to put my horses on the rail at a lope and then flex them off the bridle both to the inside and outside. Be careful to keep their shoulder up and straight and just flex them in the poll, not the middle of their neck. Having a horse work the wall with his head and poll flexed to the outside will really slow a horse down but again, make sure he has good basic circle work before you introduce this.
It takes quite a while to accomplish everything I've described here, probably close to a year for most horses but it's well worth it. Don't try all of these at once and don't over-ride any of them but add them patiently and carefully into your routine and I think you'll find they're a challenging way to keep your horse - and you - in tune! Talk to you next week! JD
Monday, November 17, 2014
What Does "Bridle Horse" Mean?
One of you recently asked: what does "bridle horse" mean. I love the question because there's so much to the answer!
"Bridle horse" is an old horseman's term that came specifically from California. It was a term used to describe a horse that had moved from the snaffle to hackamore to bridle. Usually the term was used to describe a horse that was completely finished and "in the bridle". These were horses that carried a spade or modified spade bit. Often working in four reins for a year or more.
Though the term is used today, it describes a different horse. The old bridle horse was completely accepting of the bridle and could do any job asked of them while "packing" that bridle. Nowadays, we usually just mean a horse that has a lot of headset on a loose rein, carrying a curb bit.
The old bridle horse not only carried the bit well but carried his body well. This allowed the horse to do difficult maneuvers while "up" in the bridle. In other words, not pulling and getting stiff, he
showed no resistance. Many times the modern horse just hangs in the bridle, accepting the bridle but not necessarily being totally comfortable with actually working with the bridle. Most horses today carry a different type of bit in the working classes, bits that are much easier for a horse to accept. The modern demands of the show ring and the lack of time to bring horses along prevent us from making true bridle horses. We still achieve horses that carry the bit well and can be very pretty but, in the true sense, they are not "bridle horses" even though they are still bridled up.
So no, the Western Pleasure horse working in Romels is not a true bridle horse. That phrase and the tradition goes back, way back, to when vaqueros worked cattle in California and carried 60 foot reiatas and sometimes even roped Grizzlies!
Hope this clarifies the term for you. If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you! Talk to you next week, JD.
"Bridle horse" is an old horseman's term that came specifically from California. It was a term used to describe a horse that had moved from the snaffle to hackamore to bridle. Usually the term was used to describe a horse that was completely finished and "in the bridle". These were horses that carried a spade or modified spade bit. Often working in four reins for a year or more.
Though the term is used today, it describes a different horse. The old bridle horse was completely accepting of the bridle and could do any job asked of them while "packing" that bridle. Nowadays, we usually just mean a horse that has a lot of headset on a loose rein, carrying a curb bit.
The old bridle horse not only carried the bit well but carried his body well. This allowed the horse to do difficult maneuvers while "up" in the bridle. In other words, not pulling and getting stiff, he
showed no resistance. Many times the modern horse just hangs in the bridle, accepting the bridle but not necessarily being totally comfortable with actually working with the bridle. Most horses today carry a different type of bit in the working classes, bits that are much easier for a horse to accept. The modern demands of the show ring and the lack of time to bring horses along prevent us from making true bridle horses. We still achieve horses that carry the bit well and can be very pretty but, in the true sense, they are not "bridle horses" even though they are still bridled up.
So no, the Western Pleasure horse working in Romels is not a true bridle horse. That phrase and the tradition goes back, way back, to when vaqueros worked cattle in California and carried 60 foot reiatas and sometimes even roped Grizzlies!
Hope this clarifies the term for you. If you have any questions or comments, I'd love to hear from you! Talk to you next week, JD.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Believing
I cannot tell you how very important it is to believe in your horse. This is something I harp on with my riders all the time! Now, this belief must be predicated on choosing the right horse for the job and choosing the correct level of competition for the horse and rider. That being said and understood, I'll go further with this short discussion.....
Believing in a horse's abilities gives the rider a confidence that just shines through when needed. It gives a "look at me" appearance that can be the winning edge at a show and it helps the rider ride with assurance. It also helps manage nerves - they just seem to melt away, allowing the rider to enjoy showing their horse.
Believing in your horse gives the horse confidence as well. That confidence can help them give their best performance too. Good horses have a way of coming through with very good performances when they are allowed to succeed (read: believed in!!) by their humans.
So, before your next show do your homework - work hard and diligently, build and stick with those practice routines I've discussed in prior blogs - but then set the highest, most realistic expectations you can - and believe in yourself and in your horse.
Go to your next show or just your next lesson or ride with an "I know we can" attitude and you'll find you can achieve a lot more than you thought - and probably have more fun along the way too! Talk to you next week, JD.
Believing in a horse's abilities gives the rider a confidence that just shines through when needed. It gives a "look at me" appearance that can be the winning edge at a show and it helps the rider ride with assurance. It also helps manage nerves - they just seem to melt away, allowing the rider to enjoy showing their horse.
Believing in your horse gives the horse confidence as well. That confidence can help them give their best performance too. Good horses have a way of coming through with very good performances when they are allowed to succeed (read: believed in!!) by their humans.
So, before your next show do your homework - work hard and diligently, build and stick with those practice routines I've discussed in prior blogs - but then set the highest, most realistic expectations you can - and believe in yourself and in your horse.
Go to your next show or just your next lesson or ride with an "I know we can" attitude and you'll find you can achieve a lot more than you thought - and probably have more fun along the way too! Talk to you next week, JD.
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