One of the areas I’ve really been struggling over lately is the usefulness (and ethics) of using correction tools in training.

I’m talking things like spurs, draw reins, side reins, gag bits – anything outside of your basic saddle and bridle with a gentle snaffle. I think there are three general camps that we fall into as horse men and women:

1. These tools should never be used any under circumstances.
2. When used judiciously, these can be useful training tools.
3. Always use these tools to get training done quickly or to mitigate issues.

I am not a believer in quick fixes. Training a horse to be a successful partner long-term takes patience, kindness, firmness, and consistency. I also think the goal of solid training is to teach your horse to require as little cue as it takes to get the desired result. The slightest closing of the leg sends him forward. Quieting the seat slows him down. The slightest squeeze on a rein increases the bend or straightens the neck. And eventually, with time and patience and consistency, we should be able to do this without spurs, whips, or correction bits.

However, when your horse is just learning (and sometimes later if he forgets) it will take more than the lightest squeeze to elicit a response. Sometimes he ignores the light bump of your outside leg that keeps him from overbending as he drags you into the wall and a bigger kick (or even a little spur) is necessary to get his attention.

Lately Ace, who has been very nicely light in the mouth from day one, has started leaning on the bit. He’s not really using it for balance and he’s still responding and moving nicely – he’s just heavy. If I give him more rein he just bears down until he’s trotting with his nose at his ankles (literally). Sending him forward doesn’t help, and light jiggles of the reins to remind him not to lean only help temporarily.

So when my mom offered me an elevator bit on loan to see if the leverage would help him learn to quit the lean, I gave it a shot.

It’s a single jointed Happy Mouth elevator, sometimes referred to as a bubble bit. I could attach two reins – one as the regular snaffle rein, and one on a lower ring to add the upwards leverage as needed. Ace loved it. And so far – just two rides in it did the trick. I kept my hands light, and if he started to get heavy would gently activate the lower rein until he lifted up again. It only took two or three times for Ace to “get it.” He was happy, light, forward, ears perked, soft in the poll, and gentle in the contact.

Next ride we went back to him normal loose-ring Myler bit, and he was still happy, light, forward, soft in the poll, and gentle in the contact.

For Ace, one ride in a judiciously used correction bit solved more issues than the nagging and constantly reminding him with leg and reins to lighten up. Used this way, I’d say it’s a very useful training tool – and one that was much kinder on my horse.

What are your thoughts on tools like spurs, correction bits, draw reins, etc?

Ben isn’t all that interested in horses himself, but as the husband of an equestrian my safety is THE most important thing to him about my time spent in the saddle. I never leave the house to head to the barn without a “Be safe and wear your helmet” following me out the door – even though I always do.

And I always have worn a helmet. It was a rule by my mom and my barn, and when I’m riding it’s just an extension of me. I don’t care how calm and well-behaved your horse always is – anything can happen in a split second with any horse. The risks to my health that can prevented by simply wearing a helmet make it an easy choice for me.

That’s why I have been a huge supporter of the Riders4Helmets campaign since it’s inception. I’m very much looking forward to the first International Helmet Awareness Day on June 11. Besides the fact that it’s a great message, all kinds of retailers and helmet manufacturers are offering big discounts on helmets that day. My helmet is officially over 5 years old, so it’s time that I replace it. I’m saving up to go shopping on June 11!

Here’s the official info on the International Helmet Awareness day. Be sure to subscribe to Regarding Horses for updates because I will post more information on participating manufacturers and retailers as it becomes available.

Ride safe and Strap One On!

International Helmet Awareness Day 2011

Lexington, KY – Building on the success of National Helmet Awareness Day 2010, the popular helmet awareness campaign Riders4Helmets.com has announced plans to host International Helmet Awareness Day 2011 on Saturday June 11th.

Riders4Helmets has teamed up with leading helmet manufacturers to offer discounts on helmets to equestrians via participating retailers globally on this day. Over three hundred retailers in the USA and 8 retailers Internationally offered discounts on helmets from eight different manufacturers during last years’ event. It is anticipated that the 2011 event will attract participation from over 500 equestrian retailers globally. Helmet brands that have committed involvement in the promotion to date include: Samshield, Troxel, Charles Owen, GPA, Aegis (Devon-Aire), Pegasus, Tipperary, Ovation, IRH and KEP Italia.

Individuals or organizations wishing to hold an event to recognize International Helmet Awareness Day may email for helmet awareness graphics and other support materials. “You can participate and show your support just by wearing a helmet on June 11th, no matter whether you are trail riding, showing or competing” said Lyndsey White, co-founder of the riders4helmets campaign. “Additionally, Riders4Helmets logo wear is available for purchase at Equestrian Collections for equestrians who wish to show their support for the campaign.”

Visit the campaign website to locate the nearest participating retailer. Manufacturers or retailers wishing to participate in the event may visit the International Helmet Awareness Day page on the website for details on how to become involved and to download promotional support materials.

For more information on the Riders4Helmets campaign, visit www.riders4helmets.com or contact Lyndsey White at lyndsey@riders4helmets.com. The campaign is officially endorsed by USEF, USEA, USDF, USHJA, AETA, ARIA, EAF, CHA, PRO, EMSA and many leading equestrians.

Riders4Helmets was founded in early 2010 after Olympic dressage rider Courtney King Dye was seriously injured in a riding accident. King Dye, who remained in a coma for a month following her accident, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and is currently undergoing rehabilitation. Jeri Bryant donated her helmet campaign t-shirts (featuring the slogan “Strap One On–Everyone’s Doing it”) to an eBay store set up to raise funds for King Dye, and a partnership was formed, resulting in the Riders4Helmets campaign.

A few weeks ago I was talking with my boss whose 10-year-old daughter is taking weekly riding lessons from a friend of mine. He was telling me that she was so proud of herself because she’s never fallen off. I can just see her going around with her little chest puffed out, telling people what a great rider she is for never eating dirt.

And while I can see that line working on a non-horse person – I’m sure you can just imagine my big eye roll. Because everyone knows that you have to fall off at least seven times before you can be considered a good rider.

For us crazy equestrians, our first fall is some kind of rite of passage. You can’t reach maturity as a rider until you’ve been ejected from your saddle a few times.

The Fall That Made Me an Adult in the Horse World

My “rite of passage” first fall came when I was 9-years-old and I was just learning to canter on my Quarter Horse pony Smoke. We had mastered the walk and trot, and my trainer (also known as my mom, “Hi mom!”) had me try my first canter ever. And it was great. We cantered around once, I kept my seat, and she was duly impressed. So she had me try it without my stirrups.

I think we made it two strides before I did a neat little somersault over Smoke’s rump and landed on my rear in the sand.

I was hopping mad at her, and refused to canter again for a few months.

But – I had gotten that ultra-scary first fall out of the way. And once it’s happened that first time, you just don’t worry about falling any more. I couldn’t tell you what my second, third, or fourth fall were. It just wasn’t a big deal any more. Some are more memorable than others, and rather than fear or shame they come accompanied with a big laugh:

• There was the time my TB mare Penny started bucking at the far corner of the big hayfield, and after hanging  on to her neck sideways for a few strides I gave up and slid off – and she hightailed it (literally, tail straight up in the air) right back to the barn. I wasn’t hurt, but boy was I ticked!
• There was also the time Penny (spookiest horse on the planet) came to a sliding stop that could rival a reiner – on the landing side of a 2 foot 9 inch jump. I went straight over her head. Didn’t stand a chance.
• I’ve had  one fall off of Ace – one winter riding bareback he gave a gigantic straight-up-and-sideways-while-still-in-the-air jump at a cat (yes, a cat), and I was sitting in the sand before I knew what happened. The best part was that as I gathered myself, I looked over to see my friend also sitting in the sand next to me because the horse she was riding pulled a monkey-see monkey-do spook with Ace.
• And my closest thing to a bad fall was when a TB gelding reared up and fell over on me (fortunately we were both fine outside of a few scrapes). I was more concerned that he’d scratched my brand-new saddle.

There was the time I went over a jump – without the naughty pony I was riding, and plenty of little falls while goofing around with my friends. I think of all of these as battles won, moments to be proud of, honor medals to pin to the chest of my show coat.

How To Handle a Fall From a Horse

There are a few people in the horse world who advocate “practicing” how to fall off a horse – or at the very least understanding some basic concepts for protecting yourself. The point is that you can train your body to automatically protect itself, preventing serious injury. They practice rolling onto their shoulders from a standing position along with other tumbling exercises.

Here are a few key tips to try to keep in mind during the nano seconds you have to think before you hit the dirt:

1. DO NOT try to break your fall. I have a friend at the barn who fell off and tried to catch herself with her hands – and broke BOTH her wrists. Tuck your arms in, tuck your head down, keep your legs in, and let a hardier part of your body take the brunt of the fall.
2. DO the tuck and roll. Try to land on your shoulder if you can – and roll away from your horse as you land.
3. DO let go of the reins. You can get tangled up, drug, or pull your horse over on top of you.
4. DO hop up right away and grab your horse ONLY if you are not stunned or injured.
5. DO NOT try to move if you think might be injured. Wait for help to come – or if you are by yourself get your cell phone out and call for help.

And if you are in the vicinity when a fellow rider falls, for goodness sakes please check on your friend before you grab her horse (unless there are a few of you, then be sure someone has your friend first and then you can worry about the horse). Have her lie still and assess – can she breathe, is she in pain, where is there pain, can she move fingers, toes, arms, and legs. If you think there’s even a remote chance that there is a serious injury – DO call 911 and get an ambulance there right away. It’s not worth taking the risk of further injury by trying to move her yourself.

Basic Safety Precautions for Riding

Also, you can prevent many serious injuries by taking some basic safety precautions:

• Always wear an approved, correctly-fitting helmet. Any time you get on a horse there is a chance you will fall off. It’s not worth the risk.
• Wear long pants and boots with heels – avoid thick soles.
• Make sure your tack is well-fitting, clean, and in good condition.

Your “Rite of Passage” Fall and Tips

So, do you agree that your first horseback riding fall is a rite of passage in the horse world? What was your first fall? And last but not least, what safety tips would you add to this list?

A few years ago, the only way to follow Rolex live online was through a Horse Radio Network live chat (read: delayed by 15 minutes) and paying Universal TV to watch the stream. Now we have FEITV for live and on-demand video, live streaming from USEF network, real live blogging from Eventing Nation, and radio coverage by Horse Radio Network. If only I had the time to follow them all!

For the American horse enthusiast, particularly in the English disciplines, Rolex is the event of the year. Here are all the ways you can join in the fun from the safety (IE no tornadoes) or your own home (or office)…

Watch Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event Live Online

Watch Free at USEF Network

Did you catch that? Free! Nearly all of Rolex will be streamed live through USEFNetwork.com. You can watch all of the dressage, all of the cross country (which is what everyone really wants to see anyway), and the early session of show jumping here. NBC will be airing the show jumping Sunday afternoon from 2 pm over the archaic television, so if you want to watch the finals you will have to tune in to your TV. Only downfall, I’m guessing USEF Network is only available in the US.

Thursday Dressage: USEF Network (9am to 3:30pm ET)
Friday Dressage: USEF Network (9am to 3:30pm)
Saturday Cross-Country: USEF Network (9am to 3:30pm)
Sunday Show Jumping: USEF Network (11:30am to 2pm) NBC Sports Television (2pm to end)

(Didn’t feel like retyping that info myself, so I stole it from Eventing Nation. Thanks John! Scroll down for the EN plug).

Outside the US? Subscribe to FEITV for Live Streaming

A live stream from Rolex Kentucky will be available on the subscription based site FEITV, brought to you by – well – the FEI. This is a great service for international viewers. The live stream for Rolex Kentucky is not available in the US. Or Canada. Or Mexico.

You can choose which service you prefer to use. Bonus, all FEITV coverage is also available on-demand post event. So if you can’t watch cross-country at 7:30 in the morning, you can watch it on FEITV Saturday night.

Want to watch just cross country? Get a day pass for $15.99.

Die-hard eventing fans who will sit through two grueling days of dressage? Monthly passes are $27.99.

International eventing fan in general and don’t want to miss anything ever? Get a full year pass for $79.99.

While the live streaming isn’t available in the majority of North America, the Rolex highlight videos on FEITV will be. If I’m not mistaken, these are free to watch. I’m also guessing that the post event on-demand video will be available to all subscribers.

Best Rolex Kentucky Blog Coverage By Eventing Nation

If you really want the inside scoop at what’s going on in Lexington this weekend, you need to go check out Eventing Nation. John et al do a million posts a day on eventing in general, but it’s always better when they are on the ground at the Kentucky Horse Park or other events.

There you can read the most up-to-date information on the horses, riders, and results, get a behind the scenes look, and perhaps even get some great video interviews and pictures from the lovely Samantha Clark.

Plus, Eventing Nation has teamed up with Chronicle of the Horse and USEventing.com to live blog the event. John didn’t say this in his post about it, but I’m guessing they are once again using Cover It Live for ongoing chat and discussion throughout the event. They’ll be posting pictures and commentary, and you can generally join in the discussion to ask questions and share your thoughts.

Side note: I so wish I could plug my very dear friend Courtney from Three Days Three Ways, but she is in California and won’t be at Rolex to get us the very best commentary on jog outfits, snazzy rainboots, and dogs. Hopefully she’s teamed up with someone there and will bring us some great photos anyways! So check out Three Days Three Ways just in case.

Entertaining Podcast Coverage by Horse Radio Network

Our favorite friends over at Horse Radio Network will be providing live, entertaining, and interesting online radio coverage of Rolex. My buddy Glenn and co-host Jamie will be doing Horses In the Morning Live each day, and Chris Stafford will be doing the Eventing Radio Show live each evening. Expect hilarity, great commentary, and some funny and cool interviews with riders, grooms, and anybody they can manage to dig up.

If you are lucky enough (or unlucky judging by the weather), to be at the Horse Park, you will find them recording in the Judges Box in the old indoor arena in the trade fair area.  Please stop by and watch.

HORSES IN THE MORNING live from 9:00am – 10:30am Eastern – Thursday thru Sunday

A light lively look at the fun and excitement of Rolex with Jamie Jennings, Glenn the Geek and Jennifer H.

The Eventing Radio Show live from 4:00pm – 5:30pm Eastern – Thursday thru Sunday

Join Chris as she wraps up the days events and speaks with the riders about their day.

A good warm up is key to a good ride. Every horse is different, so try different warm-up methods to learn what works best for your individual horse, and develop a routine based on that.

The Warm Up that Works for My Horse

Last night was a great example of the type of warm-up that works best for Ace.

After a good brushing, tacking Ace in his lovely (and slightly outrageous) purple and lime green saddle pad, tightening up the girth, and mounting up, we proceeded at a nice loose-reined walk around the arena. I didn’t ask for anything, and just allowed Ace to walk at his own pace with his neck outstretched. At this point, he’s still a bit stiff and not yet reaching under far enough with his hind end.

Our first trot is lazy and stiff. His nose is out, his neck is long, and he definitely isn’t even attempting to use himself. We’re just warming up, so I don’t even ask. But his ears are up, and he’s happy as we trot both directions around the ring sticking to the rail.

After a few times around at a trot, we go up to canter. Again, it’s nice and loose and I’m not asking for much. Both directions, he starts a little stiff, bulging through the turns to avoid supporting himself with that inside hind.

After about three laps at a canter, it’s like something unlocks in his body. His movement suddenly becomes more fluid. His back rounds up. His inside hind engages. He doesn’t over bend through the turns.

We do a canter transition down to a trot. He’s engaged, connected front to back, powering forward off his hind legs. His back is round, his neck is round, and his nose is tucked in. And I’m not even asking for anything.

Ace is warmed up mentally and physically, and now he’s ready to do some work.

The Warm Up That Doesn’t Work for Ace

At other times, I’ve tested the advice of horse professionals and clinicians that I know and respect. Quite frequently, they encourage a thinking warm-up. In this routine, you start asking your horse to think right away. It could be circles, serpentines, lateral work in the walk, transitions, switching posting diagonals every 10 steps, you name it. And you vary the exercises each time you ride. The idea is that you are suppling your horse’s body and getting him to pay attention to you right from the start.

I’ve tried it with Ace. And it does nothing but make him mad.

Sometimes I’ll try a little turn on the forehand during the warm up, or ask for a little leg yielding from the quarter line to wall. Occasionally I’ve tried working transitions within a gait. Sometimes I give him a really good walk/trot warm-up, and then ask for a little collection before we’ve cantered. Without fail, I end up with a stiff, resistant horse who never relaxes to the point where his mind and body unlocks and he’s ready to work.

Others advocate walking for 15-20 minutes before moving up to trot and canter work. I’ve done it, but for Ace walking for much more than 10 minutes doesn’t make much difference. He simply doesn’t unlock until he’s cantered.I really think part of that has to do with his conformation: he has that ridiculously long back. And an easy, loose canter (not asking for any collection!) is one of the best ways to relax a horse’s back muscles.

Tips for Developing a Good Warm-Up Routine

1. Listen to your horse. Pay attention to how your horse is reacting, and you will know what works. He’s a better judge than any trainer or clinician.
2. Try different approaches. You will never know what works best for your horse if you don’t try the gamut of warm-up exercises and methods. You may think your routine works fine, but you could find something even better. Ace doesn’t get bored easily, and a consistent routine helps him to relax. Others need you to keep them occupied from the get-go, so mixing it up is key.
3. Always spend time walking to start and finish. While I don’t necessarily walk for 20 minutes every ride, I do always walk at least for 10. Walking is critical to the health of your horse’s soft tissues (tendons and ligaments) in particular; warming them up and cooling them down slowly will help prevent injury.
4. Don’t longe every time for your warm up. Longing is a great tool for training and for loosening a horse up. However, those small circles can wreak havoc on your horse’s tendons and joints if over done. It’s not a great idea to do it every time. And even though it’s boring, take the time to walk first.

I’ve learned that a warm-up for Ace should consist of 20-25 minutes of walk, trot, and canter work with a loose rein on the rail. The only variation that actually works well is if I do my warm-up without stirrups. He actually seems to really like that for some reason. I avoid anything that feels like work until his muscles have unlocked. But once a good canter both directions has done its job he’s happy, loose, and ready to try anything I ask.

What have you tried for warming up your horse? And what seems to work best for your individual horse?

It all started with an article that international dressage rider Catherine Haddad posted on Chronicle of the Horse called Supersize It Syndrome. She writes about some common mistakes dressage riders make in their saddle fit. One of her observations is that:

6. & 7. The ear, shoulder, hip, heel line that has been touted as an equitation ideal is useful in saddleseat riding, but not in dressage. Sitting on a “three point” seat—pubic bone and two seat bones—is painful and wrong.

In dressage, you must sit with your knee far enough forward to avoid tilting onto your pubic bone. If the knees are forced backward, 99 percent of the riders in the world are tilted onto the front of their pelvis.

You should sit relaxed on your two seat bones with your thigh and knee extended comfortably in front of you. If you pull your knee backward, you will tip onto the front of your seatbones toward the pubic bone. Your hips will lock. When you restrict the motion of your own pelvis, you also restrict the motion of your horse’s back. To avoid a chair seat and get closer to the touted line, simply bend your knee, placing your foot on the horse’s barrel. Do not pull the knee backward!

Now Rita, study the reality. How many top dressage riders present an ear, shoulder, hip, heel line in real life? The best ones almost always have their heel slightly ahead of this line. In classical Greek and Roman sculpture, you will find riders sitting in natural balance on the horse—with the knee placed well forward and the lower leg falling comfortably out the knee toward the ground. Why? Because these sculptures were created by artists who studied anatomy, and this is how a human skeleton best fits an equine skeleton. It’s natural interspecies physiology.

Kitt, a professional saddle fitter and blogger responded nicely to all of Catherine’s observations, so I won’t rehash it here. But I agree with Kitt that while Catherine makes some interesting observations, she’s completely overlooking the critical component here: good saddle fit.

I will however argue that Catherine needs a lot more evidence if she’s going to convince me that the ear-shoulder-hip-heel line actually isn’t ideal. I would say that if you have a saddle that truly fits you and your horse correctly, it will put you into the correct alignment and seat and you will be a better, more effective rider.

And I will argue vehemently that the best dressage riders do in fact ride with their heels on the line. While Catherine may not, I don’t see her beating out Edward Gal or Steffen Peters too often. I think that Steffen Peters is one of the most beautiful – and as his winning record attests most successful – dressage riders today. And he does ride in the classically aligned dressage leg position.

Watch this video of Steffen Peters winning the World Dressage Masters 2011 and tell me if you could argue that the best riders have their heels ahead of that line:

What do you think?

One of my biggest frustrations is owners who punish their horses’ lack of training as a discipline issue. It’s like punishing a 1st grader for her inability to do high-school level algebra. It seems silly and un-called for when put in a more human perspective, doesn’t it? Unfortuantely, it happens all too often in the horse world.

Case in point: I know a young horse who doesn’t have the most savvy owners. They show up at the barn every few weeks, throw a saddle on, and go. When he doesn’t longe in a circle well, he’s punished. When he won’t go into the wash rack, he’s punished. When he won’t stand in the cross-ties, he’s punished.

But he’s NOT a bad horse. He’s being punished like he’s misbehaving, when he’s simply never been taught. Taking some time and patiently teaching him that the wash rack is a safe place is much more effective than punishing him for not going in – which just teaches him that he was correct in believing it wasn’t in the first place.

How often do we hold certain expectations of our horses and believe that they are behaving badly when they don’t meet those expectations? I know I do it from time to time, albeit in minor and less harmful ways.

Grade Levels for Horses

I heard a great analogy at the therapeutic riding center where I volunteer last week: all horses are at different grade levels. One may have the understanding of a senior in high school, while another may just be starting out in elementary, or another working at a post-graduate level.

They don’t all have the same history. They don’t all have the same training. They haven’t even all had the same teachers. They certainly don’t all have the same aptitudes.

As a result, they have different skill levels. They respond differently to situation and cues. They have different abilities.

Thinking of a horse’s training level as a student’s grade level is so perfect because it requires that there is a foundation in place. You don’t go straight to learning calculus (or canter pirouettes), you start with basic addition and subtraction (walk on and whoa). You can’t throw a grade schooler into a chemistry exam and expect them to ace it. And you can’t expect a horse who has never been in a trailer to just walk right on and stand quietly. And punishing them for it just teaches them to be scared of you.

While I’m not going to try to outline every grade level for every horse, there is a basic progression of skills that make sense for horses. And remember, it is mastered on the ground first before you put a horse under saddle.

A horse needs to understand forward before it can start learning to collect.

A horse needs to trust you and understand how to go forward on a lead before it will walk into a “scary” place with you.

A horse needs to understand bend before it can learn to pick up the appropriate canter lead.

A horse needs to be comfortable with your hands touching  its body before it will be comfortable with the clippers.

And a horse will never understand any of these things unless you and a good trainer take the time and patiently teach him.

Next Time Your Horse “Misbehaves”

Next time you think your horse is misbehaving, I challenge you to take a look in the mirror. Are your cues not quite right? Is this something your horse has never learned to do in the first place? Is there a foundational element that is missing in his training and making it difficult for him?

One of the best things I’ve heard in recent years is that horses are a reflection of their riders. It’s completely changed my riding and how I relate to my horse – and it’s made both of us happier and more successful.

With that quick background, you can see why I am often at odds with my awesome barn mates. Not that we don’t get along famously or respect one another (my barn is actually amazing drama free in that respect) – it’s just that we have incredibly different preferences for our horses’ way-of-going.

Most of my barn mates want laid-back, slow, relaxed horses. They longe before they ride to take the edge off. And once they are in the saddle, they are constantly working to get their horses as collected and slow as possible while staying completely relaxed. A few of them have horses who have a little more energy than they prefer, and are constantly battling with it.

I, on the other hand, prefer a horse who has plenty of energy for me to harness. I like a horse who is a little too energetic rather than one who is laid-back. I would take a horse who is full-of-it over one who requires constant nagging to go forward any day. And, of course, I have the one Thoroughbred in the world with the mentality of a western pleasure Quarter Horse.

“Fresh” is the commonly-used term around my barn for a horse who has an energetic edge. So last night when a barn mate said to me that “Wow, Ace is fresh tonight!” (as if it were a bad thing), I was rather complimented.

Compared to Ace on his occassional overly-energetic days, he wasn’t really all that “fresh” last night. He was however acting quite sassy. It really all came down to the fact that he didn’t want to take his left lead, I told him that he had too, and he disagreed and kicked out and shook his head (and then proceeded to canter on the left lead). Several times.

It was something that made my barn mates shake their heads like it was a bad thing. I, on the other hand, was laughing and feeling quite pleased that Ace was feeling energetic enough to act sassy – which was also contributing to some really fantastic, forward work I was getting from him.

To me, fresh and sassy are good things in my horse. Those are my most favorite days with him. And I’m sure there are just as many who agree with me on that as those who don’t.

How do you prefer your horse? Do you mind the occasional disagreement or overly energetic ride? Or do you prefer laid-back, relaxed, and behaved at all times?

Ace has gone through cycles where he’d get his leads for a while and then he wouldn’t any more. He did really well over the summer where we had larger, outdoor spaces in which to work. He got sticky once weather confined us to the indoor arena, where his shoulders have a mysterious magnetic attraction to the walls.

It didn’t take me long to realize that Ace was getting confused between the canter cue and the lateral work we had begun in the last few months. He suddenly decided that me putting a leg on him now meant sideways all of the time – and never forward.

So I had to be super conscientious with my aids to make sure there was a difference between asking for the correct bend to set up for a canter transition and asking for a leg yield. After a week or two of this and seeing some improvement, we did an exercise in which it finally clicked for Ace. After a nice warm-up, I took him to the middle and continued work just down the centerline. We’d walk (not very straight at first!) until we got to the wall, then I’d ask him to turn on the forehand and then walk back down the centerline. I kept alternating which direction we were turning, and focused on straight and forward in-between. From there we moved up and did the same exercise at a trot. Then, we tried a canter. At first I didn’t ask for either lead, just forward and straight. But then, I got brave and tried for a specific lead – and lo and behold he picked it right up! It hadn’t been my intention for that exercise to fix our lead problem, but that’s exactly what it did. Something about it finally helped Ace understand the difference between the canter cue and the leg yield cue.

He hasn’t missed a lead since.

Go figure, the very next day after that breakthrough ride, I saw this awesome Jane Savoie video over on Behind the Bit about this exact problem!

Watch as Jane and Moshi talk us through the difference between a bending aid (which is needed for the canter cue) and the leg yield aids.

The quick breakdown …

Bending aids for a canter transition:

1. indirect inside rein to create bend at the poll, just enough to see the inside of the eye and nostril
2. supporting outside rein to prevent the next from bending too much
3. weight on the inside seat bone, pushing inside seat bone forward to cue canter
4. inside leg squeezes at the girth to maintain bend through body
5. outside leg squeezes back moving like a windshield wiper to cue the outside hind to step in to canter

What’s different in the leg yield aids:

1. weight goes to the outside seatbone
2. head looks in direction you want to go

Now we’ve got it! I can’t wait to try this circle exercise the next time Ace and I ride. And to see if this new knowledge helps our leg yields as well.

It’s discovering that Ace hates apples. And that when he’s been in a stall for too long he shows his displeasure by pooping in his water bucket. It’s learning that going out with a really dominant horse stresses him out, but if he can “lay down the law” in a gentlemanly way, he’s happy. He’s content with his pasture buddies, but will take me over them any day. And as long as he’s got some hay, he can tune out the world.

Those, however, are things I learned about Ace ages ago. My newest discovery is that I’m completely convinced Ace was a trail horse in his old life.

Ace was 8 years old when I got him. The lady I bought him from had him as a pasture pet for 2-years. All she knew about his life before that is his former owners bought him from his breeder when he was 2, rode him western, and were selling him because they didn’t have time to for him.

That was all I had to go on.

I figured the fact that Ace was so uneducated under saddle was largely due to the fact that he had two years off and had forgotten what he knew. After 2 years, I have quite a bit of evidence that now leads me to believe he just had never been arena trained.

Ace is smart, and generally very willing. Once he figures out what I’m asking him to do and is convinced he gave the correct response, he does it almost all of the time. Even when he’s had 6 weeks off, other than being out of shape, he comes back as if he hasn’t missed a day. I’ve learned that Ace just isn’t the kind of horse to forget his training.

Then we started trail riding here and there in the last year. We go out with a buddy from the barn, and Ace just walks along without a care in the world. When he follows the other horse, he hangs his head and flops his ears and relaxes. When he’s in front, he wakes up and looks around and pays more attention. He’ll trot and canter happily along, and rarely spooks.

He marches right through the creek, weaves between trees, and handles all manner of footing. He steps over logs and walks through tangled branches without a hesitation. He went across railroad tracks and walked on the road with batting an eye on a snowy trail ride a week ago, the first time we’d gone across either.

In the arena, he once refused a tiny jump because there was some shiny, wet footing on the landing side. If I put down five ground poles instead of the four that he is used to, he hesitates. It took two months to teach him to go forward in an arena, and another five before he could finally canter comfortably. He’s just now solid enough in the really basic stuff (go, stop, turn, bend, straight), that I’m starting to teach him leg yields.

All of this is the evidence that tells me Ace was a trail horse ridden western in his former life.

He’s not a horse who forgets his training. He certainly didn’t know anything about how to go in a controlled manner in an arena – in any discipline. But accepted the saddle, bridle, and a rider perfectly from day one with me. He does load on and off a trailer like nobody’s business. And he goes through everything we’ve encountered on a trail without any encouragement from me. I really think that is what he knew.

How much did you know about your horse’s background when you got him (or her)? Did you have a full history to use to your advantage? Or were you like me and had to figure it out as you went? Either way, what discoveries have you made as you’ve gotten to know your horse?