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 Lindsay Grice's April Q and A Article
Q. I recently bought a mare who was professionally trained and shown successfully in junior western pleasure last year. I hope to show her in amateur western pleasure and horsemanship classes. However, since I’ve brought her home, she has started tossing her head when I lope her and sometimes she will stop, and even start backing up.
Could there be something wrong with her back or her teeth? Some riders in the barn have suggested that she is “being a real mare” and the problem could be hormonal.
A.When a horse exhibits unwanted behaviour, we have to put on our
detective hats and find the problem. In my experience, the problem is
rarely solved with the quick fix. We hope we will find that a different
bit, a chiropractic adjustment, a gimmicky training device or a dietary
change will be the key. We sometimes are quick to blame the prior owner
– abuse, ring sour, bad shoeing. We hope to find that AHA! clue that
leads to an easy solution. In reality, I have seen this to be the
case in only the smallest percentage of the hundreds of horses I’ve
worked with.
Instead, most of the issues I come across, can be boiled down to a
common source – communication. This is what I imagine is the root of
the problem you’re having with your mare. Likely, the message you’re
sending and the message your mare is receiving is different. She may
not understand your language as compared to the language she understood
through her previous trainer. This is especially true if you are
introducing new events or skills. Or she may recognize, but tune out
your cues because she’s not convinced you’ll follow through.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying that there aren’t any physical
issues which, if your mare could talk, she would tell you she’s
uncomfortable with. It’s important you look into health, shoeing and
tack problems, as well as getting as much information about her history
and prior training. But there’s no way around going back to training
basics and rebuilding the foundation so that you understand each other.
When a horse understands, respects, and trusts his rider, he will push
through the pain barrier. Rebuilding the foundation, is news, I find,
many riders don’t want to hear – especially if they’ve got their outfit
and tack all ready for the upcoming show season!
I would enlist the help of a professional to school your horse,
teaching her especially that the “go forward” and “give to the bit”
cues are not optional. I would make sure your horse understands how to
move each of her body parts laterally, to shorten and lengthen her
frame, to lighten her forehand, and to travel in a short, medium or
long frame. These are the basics of a good foundation, and skills
necessary to move beyond western pleasure.
Next, you will have to learn these cues, preferably on another seasoned
horse at first. Be careful that your hand, leg and seat cues are
precise, and that you have the confidence and timing to reinforce these
aids immediately if your mare doesn’t respond. Things may get worse
before they get better. Often, if a horse has been allowed to push the
boundaries a bit, she’ll challenge them when they’re reinforced.
Retraining an older horse can be more of a challenge – sometimes
negative behaviour, sown alongside the positive, has grown a long root
that takes time to pull up. Naturally emotional horses, those lacking
the talent to do the job, and those in pain, also make the retraining
road longer.
I like to think I can ride a well trained horse like playing a musical
instrument. Every aid is understood and responded to, and the result is
a seemingly effortless communication from rider to horse.
Q.My gelding won’t trot willingly beside me for showmanship. I don’t
have the strength to pull on him any harder and when I snap on the lead
shank he tosses his head and stalls out. Once I get him in motion he is
great for the rest of the manoeuvres – turns, backing etc .
A. This question is much the same as the previous one and once again
you will use the principle of the “freedom box.” When your horse
resists coming forward you will inspire him to do so by dialing up the
level of discomfort, and immediately releasing the pressure when he
trots. Your timing is the key. Following are some DOs and DON’Ts.
DO make sure your horse accepts lead chain pressure under his jaw before working on “comealongs.”
DO make sure you have been very clear with your body position that you
intend to run forward. Remember, always be clear to your horse and
always give him ample warning before any reinforcement. I always say to
my showmanship students, “Body first, hand second.”
DO apply firm steady pressure under your horse’s jaw which he can
immediately relieve by coming forward, similar to being tied to a wall.
Keep your right arm straight until he trots and then soften it right
away like a spaghetti noodle.
DON’T jerk. As you’ve already learned, jerking activates a horses
flight response – he will react in fear and toss his head upward.
DON’T whip him with your lead shank behind your body. Doing so will only teach him to swing his hip away from you.
DO pull out the big guns if necessary. With an experienced horse that
understands completely the cue to go forward, I may casually toss a
little stone at the back end of a student’s horse after she has asked
him to trot forward. If my aim is good I can remain at a distance so
that the horse has no idea the stone came from me. I suppose a water
gun might work in the same way… Timing is the key.
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