Keeping Gait on Companion Hacks

[NoviceNic]

Just wondered if I was asking too much? When I go out on a hack with others is it too much to ask for Captain to stay in Canter whilst the others are Galloping? He just sticks his head out and wants to keep up with them. Sometimes though I feel it too fast and pull him back and keep more controlled. This is quite a fight though as he is obviously excited. My reins cut into my fingers. He has a pelham on but has not got the little leathers on and therefore is only a little more stronger than a snaffle.

What do you think am I asking too much?

[Tangle]

At the end of the day, horses are herd animals - if Captain sees all his friends galloping off he WILL want to keep up. After all, in the wild the slowest gets eaten :eek: Could you go on slower hacks? Even though you think the bit is little stronger than a snaffle, if the reins are cutting into your fingers, what is the bit doing to his mouth :(?

How big a group is it? Can you talk to them about the way you feel? Is everyone asking for gallop, or are all the horses just getting over-excited running in a group?

Try and talk to them individualy - there might be others who are uncomfortable in gallop and you could go for a more relaxed hack with a smaller group :)

[Yann]

I would say you're asking a lot of him too, horses by their nature will want to keep up or even overtake, but how much does depend on the horse itself.

If the ride is too fast for you, I agree you should find someone who likes it a bit slower to go out with if you possibly can:)

[ajhainey]

Personally I only ever ask for no overtaking - I don't even always succeed at that! I agree with the others its probably just making things harder than they need to be - and I find if I hold a horse back a lot they are liable to get a lot more fiesty and its then a nasty catch 22 type situation...

What we do on mixed ability hacks is send the SLOWER people off first and hold the faster horses/riders at a walk/halt and then when the slower ones have stopped let the faster ones gallop/canter up to them. Could you try that?

aj xx

[cvb]

gosh I must be a mean "mum" cos I don't think its entirely unreasonable.

If they go out of sight - yes thats not on. But then I think its slightly unreasonable for your fellow riders to get THAT far ahead ;)

I have always asked my horses to stay in control. And I want to be able to lead or stay behind.

If I went on a pleasure ride and always had to keep up with the horse in front, it'd be a complet wreck.

I used to ride out with a friend who rode an ex-racer. If we had a canter, I would pace her at the slow canter - but then at an agreed point or signal she could go on. My guy knew the deal and just stayed at the pace I asked.

Of course, it helps if you vary things so e.g. sometimes everyone else stays in canter and stays with you, or sometimes you go faster and stay up. But even in the gallop - I want to have steering and brakes.

Again - my 14.2 cob and I were jumping 3'9 to 4ft x-c fences. If I had no control it would be a danger.

If I want control - my horse needs to know that. If I am inconsistent he won't know which way to turn !

In Sweden I rode my current mare out with an ex-trotter. We would trot along in "normal" trot and then - again as agreed by both - she would let him do his trotters thing. He would just speed off. There is no way Fi would keep up - but that was ok, and we would scamper along behind in canter ;)

When they stopped, we would catch up.

No big deal :p

One thing - the rider needs to be complete happy with this or the horse will pick up on the tension and his need to rejoin the "herd" will be higher cos he thinks the rider has seen something nasty out there :eek:

[NoviceNic]

Thing is I only have 2 options of companion hacks. First one is 30 somethings (I'm 33) who only do walk and a little trot. Second are their 12 yr old daughters who have no fear. Don't get me wrong I love to Gallop and Captain loves it too. But sometimes I feel it is uncontrolled. I think I will speak to the girls before we go out and say that I would appreciate it if we could keep the pace more controlled. Gosh the last thing I want to do is hurt his mouth. Also I will try and ask Captain to be more controlled. I am sure it is not his fault. I tend to grip with my legs to stay on and this also gives him the idea I want to go faster.

Next question how do I relax more on a Gallop? As I stand in my seat my legs grip. What is the best way not to grip?

[cvb]

Next question how do I relax more on a Gallop? As I stand in my seat my legs grip. What is the best way not to grip?

Why ? When you stand up (not on a horse) you don't "grip" ??

The "best way not to grip" is to have a really secure and stable lower leg and a balanced position above it.

Apologies for the statement of the obvious :rolleyes: but its true ;)

So next question is how to get the above...

Make sure your stirrups are the right length for what you are doing - a fast hack may require a slightly shorter stirrup than your "normal" length.

Then check that your feet are in the right place (broadest bit on stirrup) and that the joints above that (ankle, knee, hip) are soft and able to flex.

Now practise your "half-seat" position to check your balance. When you come slightly out of the saddle, your lower leg really isn't going to change - its knee upwards that moves.

To keep your balance you will actually be in a very small "fold" i.e. as you come out of saddle (a fraction), your upper body will have a very small fold forwards.

Arg - not explaining this well - try it on the ground. Standing - bend your kness slightly but keep upper body upright - so you are in normal "riding" position (might actually be closer to a dressage position as this is not easy without a horse !). Now go into half-seat - and keep your balance ! ;) Increase the bend in your knees, bum goes slightly back and upper body comes forward and slightly lower. You should be able to balance there....

If you are balancing on your hands, the contact will get heavy and horse will respond appropriately i.e. get heavy himself.

"Rising canter" can be an interesting exercise to try to practise this.... helps with rhythm as well.

does that make sense ?

[cvb]

p.s. also meant to say that you might want to "sell" the idea to the 12 year olds as a positive thing.

don't know what their aims are - but interval training for eventing etc, and the comps themselves, require control of pace (as does TREC etc).

So you could say that you wanted to start doing interval training, or practise for TREC etc and would they help you ?

[ajhainey]

Thinking about cvbs post and thought I should add that I'm hacking out school horses, not my own, and I think that does make a difference to how I choose to handle any issues. With my own horse I might have different standards?

I do agree with cvb that if you ask for slower you should get it, but constantly having to ask can be stressful for both you and the horse (it sounds like Captains instincts are firmly in the 'keep-up!' camp) so given the choice I wouldn't go out in a situation where I wanted to ride at a different pace to the others as I think it makes things harder than they need to be. Thats what I was trying to say above - not that you can't stop/slow down on a ride - just that on some horses it _will_ be difficult to do so.

As you don't have the choice of another ride maybe you just have to work at Captain's speed control in a group instead, and turn him into a horse where its not a problem to stay behind :-) My first thought is that its easier to keep a horse behind if he's not the only one...could you ask a braver member of the 'slow' group to join you and help you work on Captain accepting the 'fast' ride galloping off while he stays in trot or walk with another horse and work from there? With some practice he should get more accepting of the others moving off away from him - and building up to it will be easier than trying to 'school' him to straight away accept cantering in a fast moving, galloping, exciting ride. Another approach might be to try with just one fast horse instead - it may be the group vibe that makes him excited and want to keep up?

Hope that makes sense - may have to come back and edit later - after I've had my morning coffee :D

aj xx

[NoviceNic]

Ajhainey and Cvb. Thanks for those ideas. Will put them into practice and see how I go. Ps my husband has just caught me trying the gallop position in front of the patio doors. He thinks I have really lost the plot now. :cool:

[NoviceNic]

I am embarrassed to admit but I have never heard of a rising canter. Could you please try and explain this too me and then I can look silly in front of the patio doors again. :cool:

[cvb]

Okky dokky - patio doors here we come ;)

Rising or posting trot (depending which side of the big blue water you are on...) - is where you rise for one "stride" and sit for the other.

Of course trot is a 2 beat pace so in one complete cycle you have one rise and one sit.

Canter - "rising" - is the same basic principle BUT you obviously can't sit for just a part of the cycle, so you rise one stride, sit the next, rise the next. And so on.

It can be really great for getting the horse to be more consistent with its tempo, as well as great for developing balance and feel in the rider :D

I think its quite an "old fashioned" thing to do. I've rarely been "taught" it and I suspect I first learnt it way back when in the good ol' huntin shootin fishin Pony Club ;)

But it can be a really useful "exercise" to know about.

If you are out and about, "rising" canter can be a good way to regulate the horse - sort of like when you ride to music and they start to go with the beat of the music. It also helps to stop you and them getting into a pulling fight. You can be a bit sneaky and squeeze the reins (like a sponge) on the sit....so you get a form of ask-release going on - like lots of half-halts.

[NoviceNic]

Thanks for that. I do have to keep circling him in lessons as he isn't consistent with his pace. This canter rising will be another handy tool to know.

Would I rise when the inside (leading) leg is going forward or doesn't it matter on what leg?

I am guessing I would rise when the leading leg is going forward so to help Captain with his balance and forward motion of going forward. If I get this right I might change my name to Intermediate Nic. :p

[cvb]

Would I rise when the inside (leading) leg is going forward or doesn't it matter on what leg?

Cos you are rising once a stride, rather than once every half-stride, you don't need to worry about "leg" it'll just happen :D

It really is sit one stride, rise one stride, sit one stride, rise one stride.

So as the lead leg comes forward you could be either rising or sitting - alternately.

Hmmm- canter is Outside Hind (OH), Inside Hind and Outside Fore (IHOF), Inside Fore (IF), moment of suspension (MS)- repeat.

i.e. OH-IHOF-IF-MS

So the sequence is OH-IHOF-IF-MS OH-IHOF-IF-MS OH-IHOF-IF-MS OH-IHOF-IF-MS

And you are going to go SIT ( OH-IHOF-IF-MS), Rise ( OH-IHOF-IF-MS), SIT ( OH-IHOF-IF-MS), Rise ( OH-IHOF-IF-MS) and so on.....

I'd have to go and do it to think exactly when I change from sit to rise - but I suspect its in the MS bit or as the OH pushes off.. if not, you'll find it sort of happens naturally (fudge fudge - but honest it does !)

[NoviceNic]

CVB Thanks for trying to explain this to me but unfortunatley I am going to stick with Novice Nic. I will however speak to my instructor and see if he can teach, show me. If I get the jist of it i will let you know. :)