Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

I started mine with lounge work, and I got them so I could say 'pickup' 
meaning pick up the pace, and would 'threaten with the whip' (threaten 
meaning move it a bit). Rascal and Honey both  learned  I wanted an increase 
in pace. On the trail  restarted  the Rascal and having my new gps TD I 
paced his walk. Then I said 'pickup' and squeezed, he remembered. Now with 
him if I constantly did the bump thing he'd  get real mad. He is veeerry 
sensittive to leg cues. I increased his walk, toabout 1.5 miles faster, when 
he'd slow,I'd 'squeeze again and say "pickup",   We went from a moseying 2.4 
mph, to a 3.9mph without much trouble at all, and  on lthe return loop it 
got to 4.5 (when not jigging).>g<
 The other way , might mean carrying a crop. With our tb, you didn't use 
it, but carried it or a switch or he'd sloooowww to about .1 mph.
 I took lessons on the constant bump method, I personally hated it, was 
used to a 'forward moving horse', decided plugs weren't for me:0)
   The few times I 'carried ' a crop, Rascal turned into a "real pleaser", 
"YES MA'AM   anythign you want. . . "


> From: "Jim Holland" <lanconn@xxxxxxx>
> To: "Mcgann, Barbara" <BarbMcGann@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,        "Karen 
> Sullivan" <greymare56@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,        "Ridecamp (E-mail)" 
> <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [RC]  Walk?
> Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 14:34:40 -0400
>
> Actually this "bump" thing came from an old John Lyons technique.  It works 
> quite well.  Has nothing to do with striding or anything else.  It's an 
> "annoyance" thing.  When you do something to "bug" the horse, his tendency 
> is to start trying things to get you to quit.  You IMMEDIATELY "release" 
> when he "guesses" the right answer.
>
> When your horse is poking.  You swing your legs and gently "bump" his 
> sides.  This is fairly easy to do and you can keep it up for a pretty good 
> while without becoming tired. You don't do it hard.  Eventually, he will 
> get tired of having his ribs thumped and start trying things.  As soon as 
> he "walks faster", then you immediately stop swinging your legs. If he 
> slows down, do it again, etc.  Pretty soon he will learn to "hold" the 
> speed you want to avoid getting "bumped". You can use this as a "cue" to 
> get the walk speed you want.
>
> Works great with my guys....now only one "bump" is required to get a faster 
> walk.  Another "bump" gets an even faster one...
>
> Jim, Sun of Dimanche+, and Mahada Magic
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Mcgann, Barbara
>   To: Karen Sullivan ; Ridecamp (E-mail)
>   Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 11:43 AM
>   Subject: RE: [RC] Walk?
>
>
>   Karen,
>
>   I think that it very well may be before the front shoulder comes 
> forward.  The trainer said that you should bump or push the ribcage just as 
> the "hind leg comes up", but it seems to me that it is easier to tell where 
> the front leg is than where the hind is (I know, I know there are many of 
> you out there that know exactly where all four legs are).  At the walk, the 
> front leg is back (right before the front shoulder comes forward) and the 
> hind leg is starting its arc.  At that point, he is moving his ribcage to 
> let the hind foot come up and you are just encouraging him to move it a 
> little more.
>
>   As far as ignoring the cues, I think the word "bump" might be slightly 
> more than what I mean.  You are not cueing him so much as just pushing the 
> motion that is already started. Rib cage swing, push, swing, push.  If you 
> close your eyes and ride at the walk you should be able to feel the 
> sideways swing under your seat, and then you are just reinforcing it and 
> encouraging a little more swing.
>
>   Once you have that, then the key is to take the motivated times and work 
> to encourage them to increase it and hold it longer...how many of us pat 
> and praise our horses for walking??  Just like any training, if you ask 
> them to extend the walk and they respond, even for just a few strides, pet 
> them and reward them for it and release the pressure, then next time ask 
> for a few more strides.  When they will get to ignoring you is if you go 
> along pushing, pushing, pushing and never getting an increase, but you keep 
> at it.  They never respond and never get the reward.
>
>   Barb
>     -----Original Message-----
>     From: Karen Sullivan [mailto:greymare56@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
>     Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2004 6:48 PM
>     To: Mcgann, Barbara; Ridecamp (E-mail)
>     Subject: Re: [RC] Walk?
>
>
>
>       ----- Original Message -----
>       From: Mcgann, Barbara
>
>       The thing you notice about Dot is that even at a walk, her legs are 
> active.  She consistently bumps them in rythm with the stride (alternating 
> sides).
>         *Okay, I am a bit confused here......I have heard conflicting 
> things about this....one that if you lightly bump the side of the horse on 
> the side right before the front shoulder comes forward, it will encourage 
> this.....
>
>         second, that if your legs are always moving, the horse will learn 
> to IGNORE cues....as in it will desensitize them.....better to give one, 
> understandable cue, and back it up with a light crop or spur tap if they 
> ignore it.
>
>         Well, I'm open minded as I have a slow walking 5 year 
> old....pretty lazy, but I HAVE seen times where she is motivated and is 
> quite capable of walking fast.....
>
>         opinions?
>         Karen
>         Karen

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