Re: working with a kicker

["guest@endurance.net" <guest@endurance.net>]

A. Perez AmandaPerez@ureach.com
 I am not an endurance rider but I am a rider and have schooled 
many horses so I hope my comments are useful.
1.  I have found it very useful to teach my horses a 'reprimand
command' - a word or sound that tells them "THAT is NOT cool!".  I usually use a sharp "HEY!" or "Ehh! (sounds
like the buzzer used for wrong answers on game shows) - does not
matter what it is as long as it is short, distinct and comes 
naturally to you so you don't have to stop and think about it.
To teach this just make that noise whenever correcting the horse
by your usual means (swat with crop, slap with hand or 
whatever). Usually the behavior that 'nails' the command
is eating trees/bushes while bridled (remember, I'm not an endurance rider!  In most non-endurance disciplines eating while bitted is considered uncool), because it's a frequently occuring
situation, so you can get lots of practice.  After awhile the 
voice command alone is all that's needed. I've found it's less 
likely to trigger a 'rodeo' than a physical correction.

2.  Practice getting by scary things and being crowded as
much as possible in a safe location, not during an event,
so that you can really get after him for kicking without
the hazards of crowds, rocks etc.