Post by Elaine on Feb 19, 2009 17:07:40 GMT
In a moment of madness (love those moments!) I decided to fly over to Australia to arse about and go surfing and then NZ to meet a few friends and maybe meet a horse or two.. I was lucky enough to sit in on two lessons by Kiwi trainer Brian McVicar and a lovely young (6 yo I think) horse whose main issues are:
1) too laid back, impulsion especially in canter an issue
2) bucks once every blue moon which isn't good
So here is how they got on
Brian mainly specialises in starting young horses, dressage and competing.
_________________________________________
LESSON 1 MONDAY
'The most important thing you need to know is that groundwork and ridden work are exactly the same Elaine.' As Brian said this, he asked Falco to walk around the round pen loose. Falco walked slowly about. Then he asked him to trot using a small cue. The horse barely trotted, used hardly any energy. Shaking a 45ft rope about didn't make a difference.
He switched the long rope for a stick & string and created a bit of energy with that but the horse still stayed at a really slow trot and ignored the trainers energy and cues.
Brian wondered if the horse was this laid back, lethargic and then also had blue moon bucking sessions, if it wasn't a little shut down... Interestingly out in the paddock this horse will not acknowledge another horses ears back or annoyed face, he'll still go right over until he gets kicked. He's always been like this and doesnt seem to do subtlety that well. He's very confident/comfortable around people and doesn't have much fear. An interesting horse.
Anyway, plan C was to stand beside the horses shoulder (ish) and get the horse to domove his HQ away while bending around Brian. This worked better. When the horse leaned in on Brian he pushed him back out immediately.
After a few minutes, the horse was moving off much faster from HQ yield cue around Brian on both reins. As Brian described it, he was tuning the horse up.
Horse was then tacked up.
Did trot and canter online (halter & lead rope). There was a bit more energy from the horse but it was tough work to keep him going.
Horse was also dropping his inside shoulder (motorbike corners). When this happened, Brian lifted up the lead rope high to encourage horse to rebalance and lift up that inside shoulder again.
He also noticed when horse was moving hind feet weren't tracking up (stepping under the horses body where front hooves had been) as much as expected, possibly might be worth checking it out.
Brian mounted up. To be safe, he stayed on one side of the horse, one foot in the stirrup and did head turn by itself (lateral flexion) then HQ yield, then he got off and gave horse break. All good. Readjusted stirrups.
Then got up properly. Lateral flexion. HQ yield. Sideways. He noted that the horses mouth was a little tight.
Sideways wasn't good. The right shoulder was stuck. This was the shoulder the rider had got bucked off from each time. Worked on this a little and got a better sideways.
Asked for forwards on circle. When horse dropped inside shoulder (motorbike corner) he lifted inside rein for a second to get horse off that shoulder. Maybe the back end of the horse wasn't as developed as the horse often rolled around on his front end.
Also as horse passed certain point of the fence, trainer stood closer to the fence and 'squeezed' the horse between him & fence at a faster speed.
Rider asked a question: 'I get caught up rewarding the try, and I tend to keep stopping then. What can I do instead?'
Brian: 1st time reward the try. 2nd time reward the try. 3rd time reward the softness.
Trot & canter right rein. Better canter. More energy. Faster stops & gos.
EXERCISE:
In a round arena, canter half a circle. Use outside rein to turn horses head towards perimeter fence. Then to change direction, use your *new* outside front leg on your horses *new* outside shoulder to push the horse back in the new (opposite) direction.
(Basically its canter half circle, turn horses head to fence, the push shoulder and do a FQ yield to get horse cantering back the way you came.)
So canter - direct rein to turn horse head to fence - push horses new outside shoulder for a FQ yield, the canter depart back the way you came.
So horse rocks back on his hindquarters. This is a good exercises to flush out a buck and get horse off forehand. Horse;'s energy now getting better the whole time.
Took off halter and put on bridle. Walked circle on left rein. Brian used his left inside hand to fix inside shoulder when it dropped into a motorbike corner.
Horse taken out of round pen and ridden in walk trot and good energetic canter in large circles in the field in both directions. Energy and gos and stops improving by the minute.
EXERCISE for lazy horse:
1) Stand at one specific place.
2) As you sit in saddle, prepare horse for tackeoff. Increase your energy as you sit there.
(As Honza Blaha said in the UK clinic last month, its all about preparation!!)
3) Cue horse nicely for a canter depart.
4) If horse doesn't go after nice cue, use big energy to make him go.
5) Repeat. After a few times of doing this in exactly the same place anc asking for exactly the same thing, horse should twig whats required and get better.
With this horse, the 4th time Brian did this the horse did a much better canter depart.
The horses rider then rode around in walk-trot-canter.
Good lesson. It was decided to leave the horse here overnight and have another lesson tomorrow to continue on the good work.
1) too laid back, impulsion especially in canter an issue
2) bucks once every blue moon which isn't good
So here is how they got on
Brian mainly specialises in starting young horses, dressage and competing.
_________________________________________
LESSON 1 MONDAY
'The most important thing you need to know is that groundwork and ridden work are exactly the same Elaine.' As Brian said this, he asked Falco to walk around the round pen loose. Falco walked slowly about. Then he asked him to trot using a small cue. The horse barely trotted, used hardly any energy. Shaking a 45ft rope about didn't make a difference.
He switched the long rope for a stick & string and created a bit of energy with that but the horse still stayed at a really slow trot and ignored the trainers energy and cues.
Brian wondered if the horse was this laid back, lethargic and then also had blue moon bucking sessions, if it wasn't a little shut down... Interestingly out in the paddock this horse will not acknowledge another horses ears back or annoyed face, he'll still go right over until he gets kicked. He's always been like this and doesnt seem to do subtlety that well. He's very confident/comfortable around people and doesn't have much fear. An interesting horse.
Anyway, plan C was to stand beside the horses shoulder (ish) and get the horse to domove his HQ away while bending around Brian. This worked better. When the horse leaned in on Brian he pushed him back out immediately.
After a few minutes, the horse was moving off much faster from HQ yield cue around Brian on both reins. As Brian described it, he was tuning the horse up.
Horse was then tacked up.
Did trot and canter online (halter & lead rope). There was a bit more energy from the horse but it was tough work to keep him going.
Horse was also dropping his inside shoulder (motorbike corners). When this happened, Brian lifted up the lead rope high to encourage horse to rebalance and lift up that inside shoulder again.
He also noticed when horse was moving hind feet weren't tracking up (stepping under the horses body where front hooves had been) as much as expected, possibly might be worth checking it out.
Brian mounted up. To be safe, he stayed on one side of the horse, one foot in the stirrup and did head turn by itself (lateral flexion) then HQ yield, then he got off and gave horse break. All good. Readjusted stirrups.
Then got up properly. Lateral flexion. HQ yield. Sideways. He noted that the horses mouth was a little tight.
Sideways wasn't good. The right shoulder was stuck. This was the shoulder the rider had got bucked off from each time. Worked on this a little and got a better sideways.
Asked for forwards on circle. When horse dropped inside shoulder (motorbike corner) he lifted inside rein for a second to get horse off that shoulder. Maybe the back end of the horse wasn't as developed as the horse often rolled around on his front end.
Also as horse passed certain point of the fence, trainer stood closer to the fence and 'squeezed' the horse between him & fence at a faster speed.
Rider asked a question: 'I get caught up rewarding the try, and I tend to keep stopping then. What can I do instead?'
Brian: 1st time reward the try. 2nd time reward the try. 3rd time reward the softness.
Trot & canter right rein. Better canter. More energy. Faster stops & gos.
EXERCISE:
In a round arena, canter half a circle. Use outside rein to turn horses head towards perimeter fence. Then to change direction, use your *new* outside front leg on your horses *new* outside shoulder to push the horse back in the new (opposite) direction.
(Basically its canter half circle, turn horses head to fence, the push shoulder and do a FQ yield to get horse cantering back the way you came.)
So canter - direct rein to turn horse head to fence - push horses new outside shoulder for a FQ yield, the canter depart back the way you came.
So horse rocks back on his hindquarters. This is a good exercises to flush out a buck and get horse off forehand. Horse;'s energy now getting better the whole time.
Took off halter and put on bridle. Walked circle on left rein. Brian used his left inside hand to fix inside shoulder when it dropped into a motorbike corner.
Horse taken out of round pen and ridden in walk trot and good energetic canter in large circles in the field in both directions. Energy and gos and stops improving by the minute.
EXERCISE for lazy horse:
1) Stand at one specific place.
2) As you sit in saddle, prepare horse for tackeoff. Increase your energy as you sit there.
(As Honza Blaha said in the UK clinic last month, its all about preparation!!)
3) Cue horse nicely for a canter depart.
4) If horse doesn't go after nice cue, use big energy to make him go.
5) Repeat. After a few times of doing this in exactly the same place anc asking for exactly the same thing, horse should twig whats required and get better.
With this horse, the 4th time Brian did this the horse did a much better canter depart.
The horses rider then rode around in walk-trot-canter.
Good lesson. It was decided to leave the horse here overnight and have another lesson tomorrow to continue on the good work.