Circling, doubling, and sitting the horse

[Lynette Helgeson <helgeson@lansford.ndak.net>]

Just a little more comment here. When I first started studying this kind
of methods of looking at riding, I though, this sounds too complicated.
After all, I have been riding since I was 5 and had many years of
training horses under my belt. I had good success with the horses that I
worked with why make the effort to understand all of this. But it
doesn't hurt to try something different, so I decided to try. First I
practiced in my living room and then I took what I learned and applied
it to my horse in a corral. It was easy and I could not believe the
results that I got. I seen my horse responding like he never had before.
So I just kept practicing until is became second nature.

 There is a couple of more ways to deal with horses that are out of
control. If the horse is a runaway with you, teach your horse to double.
Doubling isn't just turning a horse in a small circle to control him; it
is turning him "inside out."
This will also work in smaller areas where circling is not possible. I
believe Wendy covered how to do that in her post. Plus another idea that
works with a horse that is jigging and won't walk nice is to ride the
horse in a walk, no matter what gait he is in. Next time you are on your
horse, pay attention to how you ride the walk. Note how you move your
legs, your cheek bones, your whole body. Then when you horse tries to go
faster and is jigging or whatever, calmly move your body as if you are
still walking. You will actually be moving against the horse and he will
get tired of moving against you and will settle down into the walk,
which will be in sync with you. It is similar to what Sue talks about in
her last post: 

S. Brown wrote:
> 
> First of all, learn to become aware of your seatbones individually.  By
> sitting your seatbone down harder on one side, you encourage the horse to
> turn that direction.  I haven't actually read a physiological description
> of why this happens, but this is what I think...some of you body mechanics
> pros feel free to jump in here. <g>  A horse responds to pressure by
> pushing back.  When you shift your weight to one seatbone, you are pushing
> down against the muscle running along the spine...the horse responds by
> pushing back which causes him to contract the muscles on the side and
> abdomen on that side of his body, thus aiding in the turn that direction.

But instead of riding with the horse you will be riding against him,
thereby encouraging him to walk again and ride with you. 

And I agree with the person who posted that every horse is different and
responds differently. That is why it is a good idea to different
approaches to a particular situation. Horses have to be treated as
individuals. Because about the time your have a method or feeding
program that works with every horse you have ever owned and you think it
is fool proof. Along will come a horse that will make a liar out of you. 

Lynette