Parallel Knees- Getting On the Bit W/O Drawreins

[BallouBaby]

I'm just starting to jump 3 foot to 3'3" jumps with my 12 year old Thoroughbred gelding. I looked at the pictures from my last show, which were around 2'6" I think, and his knees were almost crooked/lopsided, not parallel. My instructor tells me this is why I don't place very well. Also I when I get nervous (which I really do now when I show because of the larger jumps) I just totally bomb the distances and give up easily. I try to stay concentrated, and I count 1, 2, 1, 2 and move up when necessary, but I just blank out at shows.

So basically I'm asking is there any way to get my horse's knees parallel over the jump.



Also, what is the easiest way to train a 12 year-old to get into a frame (on the bit) during a show. He uses a martingale, and I use drawreins whenever I ride (three - four days a week), but once I take the martingale off for the flat classes, he tosses his head like crazy, causing me to get horrible placing (unless it was equitation). Should I try riding without the martingale, and still use the drawreins. He just tosses his head more (without drawreins) when I try to see-saw the bit, or "vibrate"(opening/closing figures alternating).

[Harry Hobbes]

what is the easiest way to train a 12 year-old to get into a frame (on the bit) during a show. He uses a martingale, and I use drawreins whenever I ride (three - four days a week), but once I take the martingale off for the flat classes, he tosses his head like crazy, causing me to get horrible placing (unless it was equitation). Should I try riding without the martingale, and still use the drawreins. He just tosses his head more (without drawreins) when I try to see-saw the bit, or "vibrate"(opening/closing figures alternating). If you wish to train your horse to be on the bit, without the various gadgets, and without the head-tossing, you might try training the horse to "pick up a soft feel", as Tom Dorrance would say.

This is not "easy", from the perspective that it requires training yourself and the horse over time; but, it is effective, because if you learn how to ask correctly, the horse learns to carry its' own head softly. This is not the "vibrating" or "see-sawing" techniques, which tend to aggravate some horses. When trained, the horse will break at the poll, assume an "on the bit" posture, when you merely pick up the reins (i.e., pick up contact.)

This does involves you having the patience to learn the manual dexterity required to ask the horse to softly break at the poll, and then rewarding the horse when it breaks; and then to hold that break for longer and longer amounts of time; and, then to hold it in all five (standard) gaits.

The end result is a horse that stands or travels softly "on the bit" soley because you lightly asked with your hands (i.e., you picked up contact); and, without tie-downs or other physical restrictions.

You can learn to teach this skill to your horse from the natural horsemen, such as Bill Dorrance, Brannaman, Lyons, et al; it is usually called "picking up a soft feel."

Best regards,
Harry

[IrisSilverMoon]

well first off for getting the knees up, try some gymnastics fences, they'll clean up the front end a bit. Don't expect miracles though, some horses just are not the best with their front end and this is what seperates a good hunter from a great hunter.

next, I think your horses is telling you that you are doing entirely too much with his mouth. Its not fun to have your head tied down in draw reins or by a martingale and its even less fun to be see-sawed on. That's not the best way to go about getting a correct outline. The best you will be able to achieve is a false outline and an unhappy horse. I would first get his back and mouth checked if you haven't done so recently just to be sure there's nothing going on there. Next I would completely ignore everything he does with his head and restart from the beginning with not touching his face at all keep a very light contact on the rein. This will help teach him you arne't going to get up in his face about his headset and as long as he is listening to you he can go ahead and keep his head where he wants. Along with this just give a small small tickle on one rein with your fingers, very small, dont' let anyone else know that you're doing it. If he lowers his head, starts chewing or anything like that give him big praise, that's what you want him to do. Retraining from this point may actually take awhile, you're going to have to reteach your horse that you are not going to be messing with him all the time and it may take awhile for him to understand that he has to put aside what he previously learned to get something new. good luck! :)

[BallouBaby]

Hmm.. Thank you, I will try both things on Tuesday when I ride.

For the Parallel Legs.. I have also tried, wide oxers with a tarp or a box in the middle for him to look at it and perhaps pick up his legs. I have also done In-And-Outs (1 strides/2 strides) at 3 foot jumps, and I have done tall crossrails with rails widened on the ground (if that made any sense). But everyone just says that he looks better with his legs over the larger jumps where he actually has to pick up his legs.

[IrisSilverMoon]

that's also a possibility, some horses just don't try very hard if they don't have to pick up their feet. a set of gymnastics would be like four small two foot or less fences set up in a row, a horse can't do well across them if he isn't handy with his front end, its just something to try, I think gymnastics courses are a lot of fun...:) they'll build muscle for both you and the horse as well.