ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] thanks for training replies - 2nd question

[endurance] thanks for training replies - 2nd question

Wendy Milner (wendy@nsmdserv.cnd.hp.com)
Tue, 21 Nov 95 15:38:07 MST

> Mystery has never gone into a full blown buck...I don't want him to
> learn he can.... before he reaches that point I make sure to displace
> that energy and calm him down and not push.. sometimes a slap on the
> side of the neck brings him back, sometimes to make him circle or even
> better stand until he calms down.. anything to displace and refocus
> the energy in a positive way. Sometimes this means I get off and we
> walk back and forth until he calms. By the way, he will do a "baby
> buck"...a little hop and this is a good indication the borderline has
> been reached.
>
What my trainer has me do, is to forget about it and continue what
I was doing. Yah right.

Drake has done a couple of baby bucks (I'm tired of this and want
to play. You're making me work too hard.) You ride through the
bucks and make the horse work harder. Make him focus on something
that is hard to do. For example, horses are running past and Drake
wants to run with them. Do leg yields down the side of the trail.
(Side pass down the trail if it gets real bad.) He's going forward,
but it's lots of work. Or just leg yield from side to side on
a wide trail (where there are no horses for you to confuse and
block). I do not get off for bucks or rears (Drake did one baby
rear and I think it scared him.)

> So, what do you do to hold back the horse to get him to calm down
> without him going totally ballistic? Do you dismount and walk him or
> lunge him around? What are some of your techniques.
>
I've tried getting off and walking, but haven't found it too work.
I'm at a disadvantage on the ground. I can hold him back, but
he's just as much an idiot when I get back on.

Once again, try at home first -
Make what is right the easiest thing for the horse to do.
While doing leap frog, or whatever will make the horse upset,
think about giving a reward every time the horse does the slightest
easing up of his misbehavior. ie. Your horse is behind and starts
jigging. You hold him in, sit deep, and wait for the slightest
second of no jigging. Immediately release your hold on him.
Naturally, he goes back into jigging mode. Take hold again. Wait
for that one second of correct behavior. Reward by releasing
you hold on him. The reward must come immediately and not a
second late. And you have to correct him the instant he goes
into incorrect mode again. It's tough to get the timing right,
but well worth the effort.

--
Wendy


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  Wendy Milner                     HPDesk:   wendy_milner@hp4000
  Training Development Engineer    HP-UX:    wendy@fc.hp.com
  Mail Stop 46                     Telnet:   229-2182
  3404 E. Harmony Rd.              AT&T:     (970) 229-2182
  Fort Collins, CO, 80525          FAX:      (970) 229-4292