As a forward, to quote Bertelan de Nemethy in his book _The de Nemethy=20
Method: Modern Techniques for Training the show Jumper and Its Rider_, I=20
know "that horses and riders may be of either sex; nonetheless, for=20
clarity, I have chosen to refer to the rider as 'he' and the horse as=20
'it' throughout, and hope that readers will take no offense."
My experience has taught me to look at the training of a horse as a=20
process where the horse is encouraged to relinquish control to its=20
rider/handler, not the other way around. When starting a 4 year old=20
wild horse adopted from the BLM the extent of control that any handler=20
has is limited pretty much to confinement and the provision of food. =20
Many of these horses will not even allow a person to touch them. At the=20
other end of the spectrum is the High School dressage horse who can be=20
asked to do the most precise of maneuvers with 'invisible aids.' As a=20
horse becomes more trained a rider can assert more control. =20
My observations have shown me that problems come when a rider attempts=20
to over control his horse. This is what causes jigging, dancing,=20
twirling, leaning on the bit, rearing up... I have had much experience=20
with having to 'fix' people's 'problem' horses, and almost invariably,=20
these problems have developed because their handlers have tried to=20
insist that the horse do something that it doesn't want to do, that it=20
doesn't have the capacity (physically or more often mentally) to do, or=20
that it doesn't understand.
When first training a jumper, I will keep the fences small and allow the=20
horse to choose his own place of take-off, keeping light (or no) contact=20
with the reins, making sure not to interfere with his natural way of=20
going...as the fences become bigger and the courses become more=20
technical, I will give more direction to the horse and be more precise=20
in my riding. When riding a Grand Prix, a rider will walk the course in=20
advance and choose every stride with care as the horse negotiates the=20
course.
When first training a dressage horse, I will keep the instructions=20
simple being content if the horse moves forward with tempo. In a=20
training level test a horse may halt through the walk (rather than=20
trotting to a stand still) and is considered successful if it can=20
execute very simple working paces and transitions...as the levels=20
increase and the tests become more complex, I will give more direction=20
to the horse and be more precise in my riding. When riding a Grand Prix=20
Freestyle, a rider will plan every footfall of the horse and keep each=20
footfall in time to music.
I give these examples to demonstrate that it is experienced, well=20
trained horses that are asked for more control, young or green horses=20
should be encouraged to use their initiative.=20
It is not only an experienced, well trained endurance horse that I will=20
allow to choose his own gaits while I choose the speed, but all horses=20
as I ride them down the trail. I have yet to ride a horse (and I have=20
ridden many) who cannot be safely entrusted with choice of gait as it is=20
going down the trail--even Cajun the ding-a-ling knows better than I=20
what gait is easiest for him at a given pace. =20
With a green horse, not only will I allow it to choose its own gait, but=20
I will allow it to choose its own pace too. As an endurance horse=20
becomes more experienced (and has to compete at different distances), I=20
have found that a good one learns that it never knows how far it is=20
going to have to go, and then it will relinquish control to its rider,=20
and let (yes let) the rider choose the pace.=20
Understanding that all horses like to go along with the horse they are=20
with, when I take a horse to its first endurance ride I plan in advance=20
the horse/s I will ride with (either by bringing a seasoned horse/rider=20
with me, by starting at the back, or by finding somebody at the ride who=20
is going to ride at the same pace). Indiscriminate riders choose their=20
riding companions for their green horses poorly (e.g. they get out=20
towards the front and choose to ride with anybody who happens to go by). =
=20
Or even more difficult, they try to control their horse's speed with the=20
bit (bits are not for controlling horses they are for communicating with=20
them), and when they find that they can't keep their green horse from=20
running with the herd, they ask for a different bit.
Something that I tell almost all novice trail riders is, "One of the=20
most difficult things to ask of a trail horse is to hold it back while=20
other horses are going away from it. Unless your horse is really well=20
trained or you are a really experienced rider, do not even TRY to do=20
this." An indication of a horse that is well enough trained that it can=20
successfully be asked to do this is if you can 'control' it with a=20
snaffle bit while other horses are moving away from it. If you can't,=20
your horse probably does not have the mental capacity to handle this=20
extremely stressful situation, and it will probably 'throw a fit.'
The way that I keep a horse from throwing a fit is to not ask it to do=20
something that it is going to throw a fit over.=20
Alois Podhajsky in the section 'The Young Horse in the First Phase of=20
Training' says, "At this stage every effort should be made to avoid a=20
fight as it is so important that the horse should not realise his power=20
and be encouraged to dispute the will of the rider." I do this by=20
asking VERY LITTLE of a green horse. He goes on to say that "he (the=20
rider) should not forget the youthfulness and inexperience of his horse=20
and show LENIENCY to his faults, overlooking playful bucking which is an=20
expression of youthful gaiety to which the horse is entitled. ON NO=20
ACCOUNT should the horse be punished... ". As the work on the longe=20
starts he says "To start with the trainer should not interfere as long=20
as the horse goes in a regular tempo and does not rush off. If the=20
horse strikes off into a canter he should not be checked immediately,=20
but the speed should gradually be decreased. If, on the other hand, he=20
holds back when being asked to trot and breaks into a canter, the=20
trainer should LET HIM CONTINUE in the canter until he breaks into a=20
trot." (Emphasis mine.)
Noel Jackson, in _Effective Horsemanship_ while discussing the early=20
stages of training a hunter or jumper says: "Out hunting one cannot=20
often accurately regulate the horse's place of take-off, PARTICULARLY=20
with a YOUNG horse in his FIRST season. Nor is a very accurate take-off=20
necessary when the horse is not jumping near the limit of his capacity,=20
or jumping combinations of fences set close together at awkward=20
distances, as he is occasionally in a three-day event and more often in=20
show jumping. FOR AT LEAST A NOVICE hunter it is MORE important that he=20
should develop his initiative, learn to judge his own take-off, and to=20
jump with great freedom and confidence, even from wet and slippery=20
ground. His initiative and freedom in jumping can be developed by first=20
jumping the horse unmounted and free, particularly if the horse is=20
helped, by the arrangement of poles on the ground and cavalletti, to=20
adjust his stride at the canter, and to find FOR HIMSELF the best place=20
to take-off. Accordingly, the exercises that follow are specifically=20
designed to develop this initiative and judgment of take-off, at the=20
canter and gallop; to make the horse look carefully at each fence; to=20
help him to jump spreads boldly, and with great freedom; and,=20
incidentally, to develop his jumping muscles."
If I were writing the book _Effective Endurance Horsemanship_, I would=20
translate this statement to apply it to endurance riding instead of=20
jumping and say: "Out on the trail one cannot often accurately regulate=20
the horse's speed or gait, particularly with a young horse in his first=20
season. Nor is very accurate regulation necessary when the horse is not=20
competing to win and racing near the limit of his capacity...as he is=20
occasionally in an endurance ride and more often in and endurance race=20
(my definition of the difference between and endurance ride and an=20
endurance race is that the former is competing to complete and the=20
latter is competing to win/or top-ten). For at least the green=20
endurance horse, it is more important that he should develop his=20
initiative, learn to judge his own capabilities, and to move forward=20
with great freedom and confidence, over all types of terrain. His=20
initiative and freedom can be developed by first taking the horse out on=20
the trail unmounted and ponied behind another horse (or if this is not=20
possible, mounted, but taken out with another experienced horse),=20
particularly if the horse is helped by the judicious choice of terrain=20
and obstacles he is expected to navigate, to adjust his stride and gait,=20
and to find for himself the best way to negotiate the trail. =20
Accordingly, the suggestions that follow are specifically designed to=20
develop this initiative and judgment, to make the horse look carefully=20
where he is going, to help him to move forward boldly and with great=20
freedom; and, incidentally, to develop the muscles necessary for=20
negotiating rough and varied terrain."=20
1.=09After the horse is halter broken, take the horse out on the trail=20
unmounted behind an experienced trail horse regulating the young horse's=20
pace by regulating the pace of the horse you are riding, and let the=20
young horse follow along behind in whatever gait it finds=20
comfortable...taking great care not to let the horse forge ahead. (If=20
you don't have an experienced horse that can do this, or if you don't=20
have the riding ability to be able to handle two horses at once--one of=20
which is very green--skip this step.)
2.=09After the horse is saddle broken, take the horse out on the trail=20
mounted with an experienced trail horse (you need two people for this)=20
regulating the young horse's pace by having your riding companion rate=20
the horse he is riding and let the young horse keep up in whatever gait=20
it finds comfortable. Give simple direction to the horse such as leg=20
yielding from one side to the other of the horse you are with. Ask him=20
to drop back a foot or two. Ask him to go in front for a while (if he=20
is mentally capable).
Only after the horse has gained sufficient training and confidence in=20
itself and its rider, can a rider reasonably expect the horse to allow=20
him to choose a pace independent of the horse he is with (in my=20
experience, many endurance horses never attain this level of training=20
and confidence).
Years ago, when I first started riding endurance, I would 'let my horse=20
canter' while everybody else was coldly insisting that their horse must=20
trot. You may note that I say LET my horse canter. I did not MAKE him=20
canter; I did not ASK him to canter. Despite the many books and=20
articles I had read about endurance riding, despite the received wisdom=20
of the sport, despite what other 'top' riders may have been doing with=20
their horses, there was no expert or experienced endurance rider who=20
knew better than my horse...and my horse said, =93Let me canter.=94 So I=
=20
did. I have never regretted this.
As far as my credentials are concerned, I have ridden with the best=20
riding teachers there are, and their names are Saber, Cajun, Sonny,=20
Brittany, Bud, La Spot, 911, Maurice, Cici, Bo, Sinckers, Marmie,=20
Cowboy, Lady, Gypsy, JB ....and now Duchess. You get my point. No=20
matter what anybody tells you (including me), no matter what you read in=20
any book, no matter what other people are doing with their horses, NO=20
ONE knows better how to train your horse than your horse does.
Which is why I was shocked and deeply offended when it was said, "A=20
HORSE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO CHOOSE WHAT IS BEST FOR HIM."=20
(Emphasis not mine.) My experience is exactly the opposite...nobody=20
knows better.=20
kat
Orange County, Calif.
p.s. I apologize if any of my previous postings have been considered=20
hate mail as that was not how they were intended, but as I said, I was=20
offended by the suggestion that any of my horses had so little sense and=20
shocked that anybody would consider going out on a trail that they had=20
never ridden before, especially in the dark, with a horse that they had=20
so little confidence in. =20