Fidgeting!

[Rob26]

I had a thought earlier.. after my steering when cantering post...

If a horse is so sensitive to our weight distribution, seat aids, leg aids etc... It must be so confusing for a horse if you start fidgeting? I get a bit fidgety sometimes but I try to make sure I only get my self comfortable again when we're at halt.

Can a horse tell the difference between a seat/weight aid and just being fidgety?

Should we aim to sit as still as possible when not giving an aid? would this apply when out hacking and things are usualy more relaxed?

[Mehitabel]

it depends on the horse. a baby horse who doesn't know what's what yet will be confused by fidgeting, but it's part of their education to learn about context of aids too, so they learn as they go along.

if i shift round so i've got one hand on her bum and am stood sideways in the stirrups chatting to the person behind me with reins at the buckle or not held at all, petal knows i don't mean for her to turn round. but if i use leg and rein aids and have a contact and all the other 'turn round' aids are in place, she knows i mean it. the first time i did that on denim, her daughter, shewas mightily confused and did a 180 turn as i shifted, so i corrected her, patted her for the effort and practised fidgetting constructively until she knew the difference between me faffing about and me asking her to do something.

like people, they can work out context of aids fairly well, and learn to differentiate between noise and signal - another concept that came up in that thread.

in general though, we should aim to be as still as possible, if only because it is easier for the horse to carry a still rider than a fidgeting one. the same principles apply out hacking - we are easier to carry if we are centred and stillish.

[Ross]

I once got a chance to sit on a Grand Prix dressage horse - it was fabulous, but felt like every time I breathed we'd shoot off across the arena! Poor horse must have been so confused :o

After a bit, her owner came and led her, and got her doing passage, which is just the most fabulous feeling - don't think I stopped grinning for weeks :D

But I think the best advice here is to be as still as possible, and accept that the horse might fidget if you do :)

Ross

[cvb]

following up Mehitabel's post ( we may just be turning into a double act :cool: ),

the difference between a fidget and a weight aid is the intent

Another example here is the parelli friendly game getting a horse used to a carrot and string being moved around with no intent. The horse should not just react to the stick, but to the use of the stick with intent

Now actually this is something for the rider.... we often get away with using aids without intent. And a horse which is used to a rider w/o intent will probably react equally to a fidget as to an aid.

Mark Rashid tells a story about his current assistant which shows the other side of this - he has a clinic horse he uses which knows when to relax but at an instant is ready to go again. His assistant Kathleen rode it at a clinic and could not get it to stand still ! they were zooming about all over the place, into other horses, the wall etc etc

in this case she was not applying aids, but her mind was still busy and her attentions was going... over here with that rider... over there with that horse... and the horse she was on was so tuned in to the rider that he followed that slightest of intent ;)

As soon as Kathleen "switched off" that directed attention, he chilled again :D

I personally think it is part of the rider's responsibility to be clear what they want. So if you are clear to the horse when you fidget and when you use an aid, even with a school horse it should help things.

I have had people comment that they like hacking with me as I extend this to other riders as well - I will say: shall we trot now, let's walk, I'm going to turn soon - its all "signposting" for them what to expect.

And I do this if i am walkign round town with someone as well - I don't just expect them to telepathise where I am going to walk ;)

I have a bad knee, my mother has a bad knee and a bad back, my OH has back, knee and shoulder issues (a right bunch we are !) - and any unexpected moves are an issue for us. By "signposting" you give the person a chance to adjust, to not bump into you or other people and so on...

[affected]

I backed my girlie myself and as she is my first she is well used to me fidgeting about !!! She is very tolerant of it to but it is all she's ever known!!!!:p
I supposed if someone backed her who never moved and had perfect control over their balance which I certainly haven't!!!!:eek: she would be slightly freaked out when I jumped on her!!!!!

[Mehitabel]

following up Mehitabel's post ( we may just be turning into a double act :cool: ),



so who's laurel, and who's hardy? :D

[cvb]

well I HAVE to be the fat one....

I could be Ernie and you could be Eric ?

[Mehitabel]

well I HAVE to be the fat one....

I could be Ernie and you could be Eric ?
could be worse - could be the krankies!

sorry, i will stop being silly now. friday afternoon and brain has turned to jam at work.

[cvb]

and I'm janette ???!! :eek: