I have had so many replies on using circles to teach a horse not to
prance that I would like to talk about a different method. This will
take some space so please excuse the length, but I feel that this
is an important subject.
I learned of this method from Mary Twelveponies book, "There are no
problem horses, only problem riders." I have tried this method and it is a
good alternative to doing circles when circles are not possible. (Mary also
uses circles to teach a horse to walk.)
Mary says,"Lots of horses are taught to prance because their owners
confuse excitement with energetic output. Then they try to control
their excited horses with a strong, steady pull on the reins and the horses prance.
(Next time your horse starts to prance, notice what your hands and legs do,
pull back and tense up)
The reason prancing is so hard to cure is that it takes a great amount
of feel, reflex action, and controlled relaxation on the part of the rider.
The horse wants to rush off in a trot or gallop, so you have to hold him
to control him. But holding him tighly with the reins makes him nervous
and he prances more. If your legs touch his sides, he spurts ahead;
but pushing your legs away from his body makes your body tense, which
makes him more nervous, so he prances more. The horse keeps jostling
you forward and back in fits and starts, and probably throws in some head
tossing. You can't decide which is worse - letting him take off in a dead run
or holding him to this uncontrolled "walk."
The first thing you must do is relax. You must sit up tall with your head up,
let your shoulders drop down and back, let your legs rest on the horse's
sides, and your feet rest in the stirrups. Most important of all, you must stay
relaxed in the waist so your seat can go with every movement of the horse.
Your fingers must relax to invite the horse to relax, closing only for an instant
each time he spurts ahead. This means you must feel the horse so well
that you can practically read his thoughts. It is only through feel and reflex
action that you can capitalize on each hint that the horse will relax.
When you are relaxed, you can feel the horse better and can react more
appropriately to him. But it is very difficult to relax on a prancing horse.
Think of it as just sitting there no matter what he does. When you have
achieved this relaxation, you will find that his wiggles don't jiggle you so much.
There are two things you must feel - the horse's offer to relax his jaw and neck,
and his offer to take a walking stride. You must be constantly relaxing your
fingers to invite the hose to relax his jaw and neck. At each hint of relaxation, you
must yield your fingers, and even your arms, forward more without losing contact.
Any necessary holding must be very brief. This must be reflex action because you
must also concentrate on catching any offer the horse makes to walk. At each
little offer to take a walk stride, try to pick up a walk rhythm and maintain it.
Regardless of the jostling, you must relax your waist and you must keep your
seat and pelvis going in a strong walking rhythm just as if the horse were truly
walking.
When the horse eventually picks up your walking rhythm, you must keep him
walking forward by pushing each seatbone a little farther forward on each side
then the horse takes it but not so much that you push him into a trot. And
through it all you must stay relaxed yourself so you don't make the horse more
tense with your tension."
I would suggest that everyone that has a horse should read this book and Mary's
other books. Of all the other trainer's books I have read, Mary's advice is the most
practical and works for every horse. My riding and training has went a lot better
since I started following her methods. I guess they make sense to me. And you
don't have to go out and buy a lot of new equipment, because Mary believes
the less equipment the better. She is not out to make alot of money from her experience
like some trainers, Pat Parelli for one. She just wants to help horses and riders.
Lynette Helgeson
Diamond-H Ranch
P.S. Can you believe it. We have a high of 40 degrees today with a wind chill of 6 degrees
and they are predicting SNOW! This is cold for this time of year, even for North Dakota. Come
on Lord, this is May!!!