riding with ease

[snapmyapp]

I have met so many people who have problems with horses not giving to the bit, and running through the bit. so, I decided to post this in hopes of maybe helping someone with these types of problems.

these are excersices you can do with any type of horse, big or small, young or old.

CIRCLE CIRCLE CIRCLE, it might seem almost moronic, but this can break old habits fast, or prevent from being learned all together. it gains respect, and can get a horse light on the bit, instead of leaning, and/or trying to pull it from your grip. when trying this for the first time, make sure your horse has gotten all its bucks and farts out on the lunge-line or in the round pen before asking your horse to pay attention you dont want them being fresh, and worried about what is over THERE or why THOSE horses are running around. when you mount your horse, allow them to stand before walking off for abit, then softly ask them to walk a circle, a rather tight one. circle them until they are walking a rather round circle, dont let their shoulders drift out of the circle, make sure their WHOLE body is following the arc you have put them on. put your outside heel into their side, to be a support to help them keep that arc, switch things up, and use your inside leg to make them move their hip around.

NOW WE'VE GOT YOUR ATTENTION this exercise is great in warming horses up, getting them moving, and listening to your hands. I use it with my western pleasure gelding, Snappy and over the past few months I have seen HUGE strides in his training. he has become more responsive to me, BUT does not run off my leg, unlike many horses, he is extremely sensitive and MUST be ridden with extremely soft hands, he is not spur broke like many western horses, but voice commands. I dont suggest this for most people, since not many people have such a sensitive horse. Snappys major problem had been when I asked him to move his shoulder over, he would just speed up; which I call running off my leg, then I started doing circles with him, HUNDREDS till he would stop running from the pressure I was placing against his side. some times he'd run away from it so much we'd be practically loping a circle, till he finally figured out that loping was not what I was asking, but to just move from it, at a simple walk. these excersizes gain confidence with both horse and rider, and make a horse really TUNE IN to what you have to say with your body ques.

I hope this can be of help. and I hope to post other instructive lil blurbs soon! n__n

[silverleprichuan]

Circling is only effective if your horse knows how to use his entire body. A stiff, resistive, or confused horse will often break at the shoulder and "rubber neck" when put on a small circle.
Without teaching these horses (which make up a large percent of the population) how to engage their entire body and soften, they cannot benefit from tight circles. Gentle circles, changing direction, and transitions help them reach up underneath themselves and thus they learn how to use their body as a whole.

While I'm glad that your horse benefitted from tight turns during warmup this could prove disaterous for other horses. My mare has minor arthritis in her back left fetlock and tight turning such as this would cause her to hollow her back, drop her shoulder, buldge, and rubber neck. Until she's had 10-20 minutes of correct work I won't do any circle smaller then 20 meters.

I'm also concerned that you think it is appropriate for a horse to have "gotten all its bucks and farts out on the lunge-line". The lungeline and a lunging circle teaches respect, trust, and muscle memory. Disrespectful behavior on the lungeline or on the ground in general will eventually translate to poor behavior undersaddle. Although some horses will only buck on the lungeline and not undersaddle, many will learn that circling means it's okay to throw a cow hop or two.

I'm really not trying to be rude or say that you are incorrect, I'm just trying to point out that what may work well for your horse cannot necessarily apply to every horse in every situation.

[snapmyapp]

I fully understand, and this is an exercsise to teach your horse how to lift his shoulder and move his hips over, since your using practically all leg cue- not all thou.

and I disagree with you on the lungeline. my horse can play on the lungeline, and doesnt get out of hand, and I dont even use a chain, or anything to keep him under control, where alot of ppl do, cause their horse will pull it right out of their hands. especially depending on the owner as well..... I show horses, im sure you've heard it a million times. but when I go to a horse show, and there is no roundpen, then what am I suppose to do? I have to lunge my horse. plus I wouldnt lunge him in a roundpen anyways, cause with my luck, he'd nick his foot and be gushing blood everywhere from hitting the fence. and im not going to get on him and long trot him, or allow him to go as he please, because that would be WORSE and teach him manners that I dont want, like going fast, which is the exact opposite. I know from experience and working with many differnt types of horses, that alot of horses become a hair tense from long trotting out, and then having to slow down to a jog or slow walk or canter.

and im sorry your mare has arthritis, I figured ppl w/ horses that have that, or maybe injuries that prevent them from being agile and bendable would figure this wasnt the workout for them, I didnt know I had to state that.

[silverleprichuan]

and im sorry your mare has arthritis, I figured ppl w/ horses that have that, or maybe injuries that prevent them from being agile and bendable would figure this wasnt the workout for them, I didnt know I had to state that.


:rolleyes: I strongly dislike you catty and elitist attitude.

My mare is not the only type of horse that would suffer from such a program.
If you need me to spell out every single type of horse that would suffer detrimental affects from circling in tight circles before warming up, just say the word and I will give you 10 examples. From someone who claims to have experience with a variety of horses of varying levels, your approach is very callous and one-dimensional.

I am guessing you have never worked with an OTTB, young green horse, dressage horse, or a hot horse because any of these horses would have fallen apart using your methods. I know this because I have watched countless "trainers" use methods like these on sensitive horses and it has proved to be their downfall. Consequently, they end up at barns like mine where they have to be restarted all over again.


I never implied that you allow your horse to "long trot" around but you certainly have other options. Casual rides around a show ground, groundwork, and even hand grazing provides a horse with time to wind down and can temporarily replace a lack of turnout. Maybe you can risk having your horse buck on a lunge line but I am not about to turn a clients horse out on the end of a lunge line to burn off energy.


I'll probably regret being a bit short with you in the morning, but after 6 hours of exam review....

[StarGirl]

I'm no moderator, but what bothers me about this thread is there are young riders on here that may have read this, and go out and think they can instantly fix their horse from this thread. Snapmyapp, please watch what you post...no offense to anyone.

[DixieGirl]

I'm no moderator, but what bothers me about this thread is there are young riders on here that may have read this, and go out and think they can instantly fix their horse from this thread. Snapmyapp, please watch what you post...no offense to anyone.

I agree with StarGirl on this one! ;)