signs my lease horse is dressage trained.

[Lora]

hehehe The other day I was walking him after working on a little walk/trot basic stuff. Suddenly he went into a piafe on his own. (honestly, I don't know how to ask for one) and it felt immensely wonderful.

My trainer would probably think it bad that I let him do something without correction. I felt like he was trying to tell me what he is/did when he was a younger horse. So I listened.

He's been listening to me more and more every session. I feel it and see it, the least I can do is reciprocate. ;)

His previous owner rode english but walk/trot only she told me. I think he said aha, she's willing to cantor and do some things I haven't done in years.

I believe I see some rusty skills in that horse that's he's wanting to try out with me. Or is that wishful thinking?

[Peace]

It's also possible that you "asked" for piaffe without realizing it.:) I remember Mark Rashid writing about a horse who'd been trained to offer all sorts of different things at the strangest cues - he thought at first the horse was incredibly tense but then figured out it was only offering what it thought he wanted. So if that's the case, it's good you didn't correct him.:)

Bram has, at some point, been trained to execute some pivot-type turns - I was too much of a rookie at the time to catch on to what I was doing to cue them, but since he executed them the same way every time I got the idea that he thought he was doing what I asked.:)

[laura jeanne]

I accidentally got a horse I rode at the first place I took lessons to do a beautiful shoulder in and flying lead change! I had no idea what I was doing and didn't know anything about those things! My instructor was laughing her head off. I was just flailing around on the horse.

[Lora]

It's also possible that you "asked" for piaffe without realizing it.:) I remember Mark Rashid writing about a horse who'd been trained to offer all sorts of different things at the strangest cues - he thought at first the horse was incredibly tense but then figured out it was only offering what it thought he wanted. So if that's the case, it's good you didn't correct him.:) .:)

Now that you mention it, this is very possible. We don't know each other well yet. My instructor said that at her other barn (a large and rather well respected hunter barn) that all the horses are trained that if you hug their neck, they are to stop IMMEDIATELY and the reason being, they do alot of work with kids like 4-H clubs, and even TRP so it's esstential the horse know to drop the forward stuff and allow them off if things get hairy for the child.

I had assumed the basics were rather universal but it is possible that some other thing I'm not aware of may be trained.

He's interested in doing things again it looks like, so I wondered if he was offering based on what used to get him good-boys many years ago.

[Lora]

I accidentally got a horse I rode at the first place I took lessons to do a beautiful shoulder in and flying lead change! I had no idea what I was doing and didn't know anything about those things! My instructor was laughing her head off. I was just flailing around on the horse.

Very cool, I'm not sure how to ask for that either! :) But I believe this may ahve happened to me too.

He hasn't been ridden ages and appears to be ummmmm trying to help. If we're walking alot, he'll just think.. oh, I think we'll have a trot! I'll bring him down and correct a little (after all, we're supposed to be cooling down)

hehehe I think I'll give her a counter cantor! (now that's a weird thing, glad the trainer was there to tell me what was going on down there, I just felt weird stuff moving around in his back and body) hahhaa

[Peace]

My horse Quanah is trained to stop when you put both legs on him.:) If you keep both legs on him he backs up. Every other horse at the barn is trained that both legs on means "go"! This was pretty amusing at Quanah's first class over fences, when even his trainer forgot and unintentionally halted and backed him in the middle of the course!:D I was prouder of him for listening to his rider than I would've been for him coming in in the ribbons.:)

I think it's also entirely possible that your horse is tickled to get out of his old walk/trot routine and thinking "well, if canter makes her happy, let's see what she thinks of this.:)

[Lora]

My horse Quanah is trained to stop when you put both legs on him.:) If you keep both legs on him he backs up. Every other horse at the barn is trained that both legs on means "go"!

I think it's also entirely possible that your horse is tickled to get out of his old walk/trot routine and thinking "well, if canter makes her happy, let's see what she thinks of this.:)

Oh wow, this one backs up constantly. I thought I was too heavy handed since I came from a barn of deadhead people haters.. LOL Seriously this horse did not need anything but the slightest contact. He's sooooo pushbutton and out to try things, I'm just wow'd like never before. And he's 20. People ask me how old he is (pics on desk) and they're like.. awww and he's still around? huh? (are you kidding? He still has lots of go left)

I'm wondering if I"m giving him some miscue to backup as well? hehee Poor booger! We're both confused!

[Lora]

My horse Quanah is trained to stop when you put both legs on him.:) If you keep both legs on him he backs up. Every other horse at the barn is trained that both legs on means "go"!

I think it's also entirely possible that your horse is tickled to get out of his old walk/trot routine and thinking "well, if canter makes her happy, let's see what she thinks of this.:)

Oh wow, this one backs up constantly. I thought I was too heavy handed since I came from a barn of deadhead people haters.. LOL Seriously this horse did not need anything but the slightest contact. He's sooooo pushbutton and out to try things, I'm just wow'd like never before. And he's 20. People ask me how old he is (pics on desk) and they're like.. awww and he's still around? huh? (are you kidding? He still has lots of go left)

I'm wondering if I"m giving him some miscue to backup as well? hehee Poor booger! We're both confused!