update on horse that crossfires

[sharp penny <penelope_75647@yahoo.com>]

  Hi RCers!

   Thought ya'll would like to know how my crossfiring
filly is coming along. After reading some very helpful
posts sent to me and confering with some "trainer"
friends here is how I am working on our problem. After
a month, Daisy, is 80% better :)

  First of all the common concensous was that Daisy
lacked strength behind and was generally uncoordinated
in a adolescent kinda way. Most of my training up to
this point was just getting daisy "broke" and expose
her to alot of scenery. Very little ring work..mostly
field and trail riding.

  On the lunge line I was told to bit her up and work
her for 15 min or until she softened in the bit and
gave a hint of rounding her back enabling her to use
her haunches and elevate her shoulders . The first
session was a nightmare and took a good 45 min before
she stopped fighting the bit. The fight started when I
asked for a canter, she would instantly pop her head
up using her neck and head to go into the canter.
Proof that she was used to working completely on her
front end (which is hard to do when she can't raise
her head above her withers) When she softened and
stopped using her front end thus beginning to engage
that rear wheel drive, I ended our session (all during
this session I wondered if this was doing the right
thing as I'm not a fan of bitting a horse up on the
lunge line...or in the round pen for that matter) Day
two Daisy fought for only 15 min before softening and 
engaging her new found rear wheel drive. I worked her
an additional 5 mins before ending the lungeline
session. The following day it was like the proverbial
light bulb coming on in her head.. she was traveling
in frame within 5 min.  Now she is much softer in the
bridle all the time and floats at all three gaits on
the lunge line.
  
     I was also told when she crossfires on the
lungeline while bitted up to just let her go, as it is
much harder for her to maintain this crossfire canter
which forces her to work harder. It didn't take her
long to realize this and she would resume the correct
hind lead on her own. Daisy hasn't crossfired on the
lungeline for the past 2 weeks.

  As for the under saddle work, I was told to do alot
of bending work at the working trot. Lots of haunches
in and out work, both on the circle and straight
lines. Done correctly it does wonders for building up
the haunches, causing them to drive farther underneath
and strengthens the hocks. Weak hocks are a
contributing factor to swapping hind leads as well.
Also I have been doing alot of trot-canter-trot
transitions; asking for the canter/trot transition
just before I think Daisy will lose her hind end. It's
important to note when we do the trot I make Daisy
really work and bend while keeping her shoulders up,
we just don't motor around the arena.
 
  Then at the canter under saddle, when she does
crossfire I immediatly ask for a strong working trot
with lots of the haunches in and out work. By doing
this Daisy realizes that it is much easier to
correctly canter. I also set her up for success by
cantering for a few correct cadenced strides then
stopping for a breather and letting her rest. She
dosn't have a large window of opportunity to crossfire
and I am rewarding her for giving me a cadenced smooth
correct canter. Slowly over time we build up the
number of correct canter strides  before she either
crossfires and has to do working trot exercises or I
can catch her before she crossfires and reward her
with a rest period. After a month of this Daisy has
developed a lovely well balanced cadenced canter which
she is able to maintain for a good 2 laps around the
arena.

   I might add that all the "pros" agreed that it was
to soon and she wasn't physcally ready for cavaletti
work.  By introducing them before she could handle it,
 would end up causing more problems than it would
solve.  Basically the line of thinking was if her trot
and canter aren't correct and cadenced on the flat,
then ground poles won't help. I have to get her
correct on the flat before upping the level of
difficulty...which really makes sence to me.

   Thanks again for all those that took time to share
what worked for them in addressing this training
problem!

Penny & Daisy


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