Common Trail Riding Problems: - Help! My horse is fine on the trail until we canter, lope or gallop; then hes wired and hard to control

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Common Trail Riding Problems:

Help! My horse is fine on the trail until we canter, lope or gallop; then hes wired and hard to control

Two as One Horsemanship
Bob Jeffreys Suzanne Sheppard
Two As One Ranch
168 Tamms Road
Middletown, NY 10941

Phone:	845.692.7478
Web Site:	http://www.twoasonehorsemanship.com
Email:	suz@twoasonehorsemanship.com

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Description

Help! My horse is fine on the trail until we canter, lope or gallop; then hes wired and hard to control for the rest of the ride.

My horse wont cross streams/gulleys/bridges/logs/etc; how do I get him to go where I ask?

My horse starts to jig as soon as I get on and fights me for the whole ride! What can I do?

My horse doesnt want to leave the barn area at all!

My horse spooks at almost everything we see out there.

I cant ride my horse unless his buddy is right beside him. I want to go out alone sometimes but its just too hard to control him!

I cant stop my horse on the trail. We stop pretty well in the arena, and I dont know what to do. I like to go fast out there, but it doesnt feel safe!
Do any of the above sound familiar? If so, please know that youre not alone. The problems cited above are some of the most common issues that people have with their horses. And although some horses can be unusually brave, many horse owners experience these challenges and want to resolve them. They believe that their horses have the potential to behave better, become braver and be the trusted friend that they dreamed about when they bought them. And they are right, but how?

In this three part series well address why these problems occur, and show you effective techniques and - exercises to resolve them. The fixes that follow work on all breeds of horses.

Many people initially are drawn to horses because they are adorable or pretty, and therefore assume that they are easy to control, pull around or stop. When we hear comments like these, we tell people that, however cute they may be, all horses have prey animal instincts, herd mentalities, and perhaps most importantly, are very fast and strong. They must be taught the skills that we want them to have.

Now you may know that, in some countries, there may be only a few natural predators (other than man!), but were in America, the land of cougars, bears, coyotes, etc, and your horses are smart enough to fear predators even if theyve not seen them before. Just think about it; if we humans came across a tiger in the woods, it would scare us even if weve never see one before. Maybe especially because wed never seen it before.

Were going to address one very important problem mentioned above, and the balance in the next two issue. So, lets begin with crossing streams. As some of you know, many horses who are very confident may balk at crossing unfamiliar footing. Why? Because they know that crossing only safe, secure footing is a key to survival. Crossing streams can be a huge problem with horses because they do not have the depth perception that we do, so even though we see that the stream or creek or puddle is only about three inches deep, our equine friend might perceive it as the abyss

Usually the horse will notice the stream somewhere around fifteen to twenty feet ahead and try to stop at this distance. We should let them stop and relax here for a minute or two. The horse is telling us what distance from the stream his comfort zone ends, and caution, or even fear sets in. If you push right here you may end up with a fight on your hands, so instead, let him relax for awhile, and when you think you have a reasonable chance for succeeding in getting forward motion, then ask for it. You may only get a step or two, but possibly three or four before he stops again. This is great, as youve increased his comfort zone towards the creek. Let him relax again for a minute as before; keep on repeating this step without rushing, until you get to the creek.

Once there if you ask your horse to go forward he will choose to either go backwards, or to the left or right - anywhere but the creek! If he goes backwards you need to start bumping him lightly with your legs or a whip, increasing the speed and intensity of the bumps or taps if he continues to back. Stop the instant he stops backing. Then simply ask him to go to the stream again. Eventually he will understand that backing away is an option that has been closed to him, because when he tries he experiences increasing discomfort the further back he goes!

He will then try the remaining options of going either right or left. Horses also have the option of rearing or throwing themselves on the ground. (If this happens to you its probably because you skipped the steps that allow the horse to relax. If you didnt skip that part and he does rear or throw down, he probably needs professional training). Lets say he chooses to go right; you must quit using the go cue, but also must keep his nose pointed at the exact spot you wish to cross. We dont want to let him get away by allowing him to turn away, even if you circle back to the stream. If you allow this your horse will think, I almost made it! and try harder to escape the next time. It doesnt matter if he moved right or left at this point in your lesson as long as his nose stays pointed at your specific crossing spot. Hell go side to side for awhile but will start to narrow down this movement sideways until eventually one of two things happen: he may either paw at the water with his hooves, or he may drop his head down to take a closer look. Either movement is a sign that your horse is thinking about crossing. Although only some will paw, all will eventually drop their heads to the ground to sniff and look at the water. Accept this as movement forward and release all pressure, rewarding him for the progress made.

Now we play the minute game. If he leaves his head down for 2 seconds when you ask him to move, accept this as forward motion and then let him relax with his head up for 58 seconds, the balance of one minute. Ask nothing of him just leave him be as a reward for his courage. Then ask him again for movement and this time he might leave his head down for 5 seconds. When he brings it up hes allowed to rest for only 55 seconds. Then we ask again and hell leave his head down even longer- maybe for 10 seconds, so we ask nothing of him for 50 seconds, and so on. This continues until weve reversed the action of the minute game so that this head stays down for 58 seconds and up for only 2 seconds.

The next time you ask him to go, continue to ask until he moves forward; by this time hes ready. A word of caution here; if the creek is less than about four feet wide, hold on! He will jump it! When he lands the creek is obviously right behind him and he might think its chasing him. If so, let him go until he reaches a point that is equivalent to the edge of his original comfort zone from the creek (usually 15 20 feet). Then turn him around and cross the stream again. Usually you dont have to repeat these steps to the same degree, but you may get a few side to side moves before he paws or looks down. However, it wont be long until he jumps it again. Keep repeating but gradually decrease the distance you allow him to travel until its only a foot or two on either side of the stream. Hell now be jumping with less vigor, and when you feel safe enough, turn him as he jumps so that he lands in the water. Walk him up and down while praising his bravery; if he wants to drink (and the water is clear), let him. Then take him out of the stream and begin walking through it from both sides. Progress to trotting, or even cantering if the footing allows and you feel up to it.

This lesson will take anywhere from 20 minutes to four hours to teach, with the average time being around two hours. The same lesson can be taught at the bridge, or the tarp, or wherever. If it takes two hours the first time, your second obstacle crossing will only take about one hour, and the third about twenty minutes. Then every time you ask your horse to cross over something for the rest of his life it should never take more than t n minutes or so because he will recognize the process and know that you are consistent and persistent in your requests.

Well, thats it for this month. Next time well talk about jigging horses and spooky horses. Until then, stay warm and ride safe!

Bob Jeffreys 2/09. Bob Jeffreys and Suzanne Sheppard travel nationwide teaching people how to bring out the best in their horses. Their homebase is Bobs Two as One Ranch in Middletown, NY. For info about Bob & Suzannes Wind Rider Challenge, private horse training lessons, riding lessons, clinics, DVDs, books, Horsemanship Ed Courses and ProTrack Trainer Certification Programs please visit TwoasOneHorsemanship.com or call 845-692-7478.

Additional Information

Category: Clinicians / Training Articles>Jeffreys & Sheppard
Region: New York
Ad Running: 4/30/2010-4/30/2011

Ad Posted: 4/30/2010 2:55:51 PM
Ad Viewed: 184 times

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Two as One Horsemanship
Bob Jeffreys Suzanne Sheppard
Two As One Ranch
168 Tamms Road
Middletown, NY 10941

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Phone: 845.692.7478

suz@twoasonehorsemanship.com
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About the Two As One Horsemanship Team

Bob and Suzannes Two as One Horsemanship, a unique horse training partnership, strikes a perfect balance between the English and Western riding disciplines that inspires equine enthusiasts worldwide. Join them online, at equine expos nationwide, and for their Two as One Clinics, Horsemanship Education Courses, ProTrack Horse Trainer Certification Program, and Bob & Suzannes Wind Rider Equestrian Challenge, the hottest cross disciplinary competition in North America!