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Lindsay Grice's May Q & A Article |
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Written by Lindsay Grice
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 Lindsay Grice's May Q & A Article
Q. I recently bought a gelding that has been shown a bit in western riding, although he was not completely “finished” in this event. My problem is that he seems to be a little too eager to do flying changes. He wants to do them before he’s asked and even when I don’t want him to change leads at all!
A. Anticipation is common in horses because they are creatures that
learn by repetition. Your horse will likely need to have a part of his
training foundation rebuilt but first you will have to pinpoint why the
problem has occurred and then tackle it from there.
I have found horses anticipate for basically two reasons. Often a horse
will learn a skill or a maneuver without completely understanding it. I
call this being “trick trained”. It’s like the person who learns to
play a song on the piano by memory, but doesn’t know the music theory
behind it – scales, chords and notes.
For your horse, it’s possible he knows the “how” but doesn’t
understand the “why” or “when” so he doesn’t really listen to your
aids and throws in a flying change when it’s not called for. We also
see this when showmanship horses set up automatically but have no
understanding of how to move each foot individually, in response to
the handler’s cue. Or the trail horse that learns to negotiate the gate
on auto pilot without waiting for the rider to move the hips,
shoulders, etc. step by step. When these horses have their routines
upset, ( ie the horse is required to back through the gate or the gate
is used as a part of another obstacle) it creates anxiety.
Another reason horses anticipate is they associate the skill or
manoeuvre with pain or surprise. The horse that rushes over a jump
doesn’t do so because of the love of jumping but more likely because
he has been bumped in the mouth by unsteady hands or scared by another
mistake. Often riders assist their horses to change leads by an abrupt
change of direction, spur or by throwing their weight over toward the
new lead.
How can you go about rebuilding his foundation? Here are some suggestions.
MIX IT UP. Often horses associate a lead change with a certain
location. Perhaps coming across the middle, in a corner or in between
two pylons. In this case they’re taking the situation (the trail gate,
the inspection in front of the judge) not the rider’s aids, as their
cue Do lots of counter cantering, circles and leg yields at the canter
and throw in a flying change every now and then.
BE CLEAR. It’s important that you’re very specific in the position of
your legs. Your outside leg will be behind the girth and your inside
leg will be farther forward in order to remain on the lead. If your
signal is unclear, your horse will be guessing. If your signal is
abrupt your horse will get scared. The moment my horse does the change
I will soften my body. This exhaling communicates “yes” to the horse.
WATCH FOR WARNING SIGNS. If your horse starts to raise his head or his
stride starts to get light and hoppy, he is thinking about changing
leads without being asked. Don’t let him change when it’s his idea.
Just confirm the lead you’re on with your outside leg back and change
when he’s settled.
As flying changes become less of a big deal, and as your horse becomes
really confident in the meaning of your aids, your flying changes
should happen when and where you want them!
Q. Do you think riders should uses draw reins and martingales?
A. Draw reins, martingales, spurs, crops, etc. are artificial aids.
Their purpose is to reinforce the rider’s natural aids. They have
their place providing several things are in order first.
The horse should have a good understanding of the rider’s language. If
you don’t understand Russian and someone yells at you in that language
it will either scare you or annoy you, but you won’t do what they say.
Similarly, draw reins, a bigger bit and spurs are meant to amplify
signals that your horse already understands.
The rider should be experienced. Seasoned riders differ from novices
in the timing and intensity of their cues. They know when to say “yes”
and when to say “no”. They know the adequate degree of pressure to use
to get the desired result. In an inexperienced rider’s hands draw
reins, martingales, etc are likely to either make the horse dull and
apathetic, or trapped and afraid. This will happen if a rider keeps
constant pressure as a preventative measure, holding the horse’s head
in place, and neglecting to provide instant freedom when the horse does
yield to the bit.
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; "Lindsay Grice")
