controlling

[HelloKitty]

can ne 1 help me iam having trouble controlling horses when iam riding them, i've got a good trot and canter i just need a few tips on controlling them, how do u let them now that your the boss and they shouldnt mess u around?

[qwerty]

WAKE THEM UP STRAIGHT AWAY WITH A SHARP BOOT. That way they will know you meen business! If they try to get away with stuff, stop them and make them do it again. Are your aids strong enough for them to know what you are asking?

[Wally]

Get on any of our horses and give them a sharp boot, and I'll give you a sharp boot! simple as that!

Give most of our horses a sharp boot and you'll be in orbit!

A horse should not be booted, :mad:

Some horses are not kind and will take advantage of a novice rider, the only thing you can do is practice and learn about horse psychology, read some good psychology books and learn about body language. If you put yourself at the top of the herd on the ground you are less prone to having the mickey taken when you are on board.

All giving the horse a sharp boot does is re-inforce in the horses mind that having a person on his back is a bad thing and to try and evade doing what you want.

[Mossy]

Qwerty, sorry if I appear rude but I agree with Wally, If anybody boots mine they are likely to get a sharp reprisal from the horse. Connie would do a handstand, I kid not - she rears but on the wrong set of legs, and Moss would either ignore you completely and plant or reward your efforts with a drop shoulder buck! How would you like a sharp boot in the ribs?

[CheshireKate]

So what books would you recommend? I have problems with this sometimes too,
Thanks,
Kate

[Mossy]

I hestitate to express an opinion with Wally on the thread but I would do lots of transtions from walk to trot and halt and within the paces to ensure that the horse was listening to hand and leg, and and only then move up the gears. Moss is little devil for taking the mick. He is ex riding school and a Highland - native cunning is not in it, but if the chain of command is established in low gear he listens in high gear. If he does not we go back to square one until he does. He also recognises a change of rider within a very few minutes and knows exactly what he can get away with and with who!

[floppy]

booting is what , over the years, deadens riding school horses to the legs...which is why they get even more difficult to ride

[B W]

I agree with Wally. If I gave a leg in the ribs of my QH I would be on the ground I'm sure. Now my Walker I wouldn't be, just going at a nice running walk but I never kick him. He's too sweet. Anyway, he's had enough of that kind of riding in his life and I'm bent on making the next half as nice as possible for this guy. Why don't you get a riding crop and just give the horse a little tap. School horses put up with a lot!

[floppy]

just thinking about wally and her iceys..
if you booted the icey i rode she would toss her head around in a frenzy and run away in a mad gallop! (so i hear:D) (someone did that once to her ... she was not a happy bunny!now im the only one that is allowed to ride her because im so nice and am apparently the only one who can ride her effectively and if i dont have my icey by next year im allowed to show on her :))

[kedwards]

I'm always reticent to give advice, as there are many more knowledgeable riders here, but I'll throw in the little half-cent that I've learned. When I find myself being ignored by a well-trained horse, it has typically been because I had let the communication drop somehow and became a passenger. This can usually be solved by maintaining communication through legs and reins, and by frequent transitions (as Mossy pointed out). If the horse is ignoring you, respond with clear and fair, but consistent cues. Beyond that, perhaps you could speak with an instructor about the particulars of your difficulty. Someone who could evaluate your riding and your horse in person would be in a much better position to help you out.

[Garnett]

hi, if you have problems with your aids they may not be effective enuogh or you may not be siglining correctly. If the problem continues you could have a vet take a look at the horse so you can rule out any phyisical problems. As for kicking your horse that dosen't really make sense, your horse could connect going forward with a new scarry pain.just thought i'd give my opion.best of luck.-christina veache

[Bebe]

If you're having trouble controlling the horse in trot, you shouldn't be cantering. Why go to a faster pace if you can't manage in the slower one?

Most communication problems stem from the riders lack of control over their independent body parts. You're probably giving conflicting aids or your aids are not timed well or clear enough. If you tend to move around a lot in the saddle for example, the horse will have a hard time distinguishing between your normal movement and an actual aid.

Work on your position and go back to basics. Start at the walk, work on turns, circles and halting. When you can do these well, ask the horse to step out more at the walk and then come back into their normal walk. Transitions between halt and walk (lots of them) will increase the horses responsiveness. Once you can do all this at the walk, do it all again at the trot. Then move onto the canter.

Lunge lessons may help if you can get them, as will a good instructor without the lunge. Don't be afraid to go back to basics, even the best riders concentrate on them endlessly. They are the foundation of good riding and shouldn't be ignored once you can do a couple of fancy movements.

Booting the horse won't really get you anywhere. A kindly horse will shoot off from underneath you at worst. A more sensitive horse may just decide to get you off their back anyway they can. My mare simply stops dead and shoots backwards if you get overeager with the leg aids. At absolute best, the horse will tighten the muscles in the area you've kicked. This is a defensive mechanism and means that any leg aids after that will be muffled, which defeats the object of the kick anyway.

[claireh]

I am no where near as experienced as some people on this board, but thought I'd add my thoughts to this anyway- variety being the spice of life and all!!

Have to agree with the 'no booting' contingent of this thread! If I booted Pageant I'd be in the next county, and if I boot the school horse I have lessons on, he stops dead or bucks, depending on his mood!

What I have found is that if I analyse what I am doing with every body part, I can ususally work out which bit I am getting wrong & correct it, then control is easier, in both upward and downward transitions.

Also agree with Bebe, if you are not confident about your control, you shouldn't really be even thinking about trying to control a horse at anything more than a walk or trot.

Transitions, transitions, transitons, is the way forward, boring as it may seem going from walk to trot to walk to halt etc, it does help a great deal with co-ordinating your aids so that the horse understands what you are asking.

Cheshire Kate- With regard to books, Heather's book 'Enlightened equitation' is absoulutley brilliant! Personally I had difficulty understanding some of it until I re-read it and started trying to put some of it in practice, but now I can, nine times out of ten, go from trot to walk and to halt on Pageant just by using my bum & thigh muscles! I certainly cant get to grips with everyting in the book yet, but I have found that as a little bit makes sense and comes together, another bit begins to dawn on me!
Pat Parelli's Natural Horse-Man-Ship is also good, but personally, I prefer Heather's book.

Hope this is some help!

[Pedro]

Kate, some suggestions for horse behaviour books I can give you are:


Inside your Horse's Mind by Lesley Skipper

A very serious (and expensive - 25£) book on all aspects of horse behaviour. I've read a few, and this is my favourite.


The Behaviour of Horses by Dr Marthe Kiley Worthington

Older, less interesting and more technical book. Still well worth the time.


Any thing by Mark Rashid

His books are definitely not a scientific approach to the issue like the previous two, nor will you find clear-cut ideas and suggestions. Mark simply talks about his experiences with horses and what they have taught him. In this informal way you learn to understand the horse's point of view and how to better "connect" with them. All of his books are wonderfully written and are satisfying reading regardless of what you learn from them.


Pedro Fortunato

[CheshireKate]

Thanks Claireh and Pedro - I have EE and know exactly what you mean about understanding it better every time you read it! Time for a visit to Amazon!
Kate