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Lindsay Grice December 2007 Q & A |
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Written by Lindsay Grice
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Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)
 Q. I am looking for a horse for my 13-year-old son to show in youth
events next year. (Trail, western pleasure and pattern classes are his
favourites). Although he is a capable rider and says he’d prefer to
have a “ training challenge”, I have been advised that buying a
good-minded horse is most important. What exactly is “good minded”?
What should my expectations be of the horses we try out?
A. A good minded horse is a must for any novice rider. We can be easily
swayed by a beautiful mover or an attractive package but a good minded
horse will often rise to the top at the novice level because of his
reliability and consistency.
I have had the opportunity to work with a few really good minded
horses over the years . Training proceeds at a consistent rate because
the horse is eager to learn and responsive to the rider’s cues. I
would even go so far as to say owners of good minded horses spend less
money on training. This kind of horse is not resistant or angry when
asked to do something. He doesn’t need to be bullied or intimidated,
but neither is he easily intimidated or overly sensitive. He isn’t
particularly stressed when he’s in a new environment – he adapts well.
He won’t be on the lookout for ways he can cheat (bulging toward the
barn or cutting in on canter transitions).
On your horse search, ride your prospect in a different environment
from his home territory. How does he adapt to a new rider? How does he
react to the introduction of an unfamiliar skill? I like to bug a horse
I’m trying out a bit by using a different cue and see how he reacts.
A good minded horse has heart – he has the courage to push through ,
even if he’s sore or tired. He’s a pleasure to work with on the ground
– he isn’t mouthy or pushy.
Finally, good minded horses aren’t territorial or aggressive toward
people or other horses. They don’t react if another horse comes too
close and are easy to ride in those crowded exercise rings
Qualities such as these give a rider confidence and can make up for having less talent.
Q. I just started taking my mare to some horse shows this summer. She
was distracted and constantly whinnied. This is frustrating and
embarrassing! What should I do?
A. It sounds like your mare is anxious and seeking the security of a
herd. Here are some skills to work on in order to keep her attention.
INDEPENDENCE. I suspect your horse has some barn buddies and is used
to hanging out in a group. You’ll have to wean her from them if you
want to go to a horse show without them. Try moving her away from her
close friends in the barn. Turn her out in a separate paddock. (You may
want to do this gradually by putting her in an adjacent one first or
giving her just one buddy before she goes solo.) Ride by yourself, or
even board at another stable for awhile.
PATIENCE. Tying up is a tremendous way to teach a horse to wait.
Break up her routine. Instead of being turned out each day after
breakfast, leave her tied in her stall or the arena for a while first.
I usually won’t untie a horse until he is standing quietly without
fussing.
FOCUS. The trick to handling spooking, whinnying, barn sourness, and
other similar behaviour is to get your horse to focus on you. Teach
your horse skills at home to capture her attention and use them as
tools in an unfamiliar environment to keep her concentrating.
Leg yielding. bending, giving to the bit, and transitions are exersizes
to keep your horse connected to you when she starts to lose it. I
recommend longeing (in, or near the show ring if possible) before you
climb aboard. When riding, watch her ears-they’re a good indicator of
where your mare’s attention is directed. When you see them begin to
prick towards the barn in search of her buddies, circle with some leg
yielding or bending ,for instance, until you see an ear turn back
toward you. Remind her that you are her herd leader and as long as she
keeps her attention on you and let you make the decisions, she will be
safe.
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