Re: Out of Control

[Chris Paus <paus@micoks.net>]

This is a good technique and one I have used on Star, who came to me with a
few bad manners. Other things I have used that have helped calm this horse
immensely are:

1. Get a John Lyons book, tape, or magazines and learn the "giving to the
bit" exercise. It teaches the horse responsiveness and teaches you to
release pressure immediately when the horse is doing the right thing. You
learn to work together very well. People ride Star and tell me how
responsive he is. He always had a good mouth, but sometimes it was "earth
to Star" when  he started jigging and misbehaving. This exercise also gives
you something to do when the horse gets upset that calms it down quickly.

2. Use half-halts to control jigging. This works beautifully on Star. He
was so bad with jigging and racing that he was out of control on one CTR
last summer. He was dangerous to me and other riders and got himself so
wound up that his pulse wouldn't come down from 80 for the longest time.

Since then I've learned to use half halts when he starts jigging. At the
first jig step, we half-halt until I get a flat-footed walk out of him.
Even if it is just ONE flat foot step, I quit thehalf halts and pet him and
praise him. If he begins jigging again, it's back to half halts. The reward
for the right thing has to be immediate. I used to have to do these half
halts for up to a half mile to get him to calm down and quit jigging. Now
it just takes a few steps and he comes back to me.

3. Practice, practice, practice with other riders. Star gets very fretful
if other horses run past him or leave him. He always wants to be in the
lead. My friends and I have practiced taking turns in the lead, breaking
away from each other and riding separately, and running past each other.
Last weekend, my friend cantered her horse past Star and Star didn't get
the least bit upset. Another friend took her horse away from Star and rode
in a separate field. STar was looking for Boggs, but never got out of control.

Hope my experience helps. It takes time, patience, and consistent, fair cues.

chris paus & star
At 10:30 AM 1/7/98 -0800, Blankenship, Ann wrote:
>There have been several posts from people whose horses are evading the
>bit, or jigging, or plunging down inclines, etc... various ways of
>trying to kill us and themselves.  Been there, done that...
>
>I'm sure we all agree that an endurance ride is a bad place to start
>training our horses to be obedient.  You may want to try this technique
>on your training rides.  It 's really boring, but works for me and I
>didn't make it up.   When your horse won't stop jigging, won't stand
>still, evades the bit...  just let your riding partners go on down the
>trail (tell them NOT to wait for you) and turn your horse in tiny
>circles until he will halt and stand.  This means ALL FOUR FEET on the
>ground.  No moving until you say OK and then only at a walk.  If there
>is more jigging, cantering in place, leaping up and down... do more
>circles.  Don't neckrein, just pull one rein out to the side (can't
>evade that!) so that if he decides to move anywhere on his own, he can
>only go in circles.  He's doing it to himself.  You don't have to jerk.
>As I said, this is very time consuming and not much fun because your
>friends leave you, but eventually, your horse will give up and stand.
>He will move forward at the walk and will start listening to you when
>you address him.  Otherwise... it's those damn circles again.  You have
>to be firm, quiet and consistent.  If you get mad, the horse wins.  Now,
>all I have to do is "think" about a circle, and my horses say "Aggghhh,
>not that!  OK, I'll be good, I promise!"
>
>
>