Ever been baffled by the way your horse appears to achieve straightness as you are returning after a long day’s trail ride or after a rather serious coaching workout? Have you question why your horse cannot maintain that straightness all of the time. Why is it that he did not show the same straightness while you were on the trail?
You need to give it some serious thought. The answer’s right there in your face, waiting for you to realise it.
The enormous difference lies in the indisputable fact that once your ride or training program is over, you have a tendency to get awfully relaxed in the saddle. You and your horse are done for the day; you have put some heavy work behind you and you are feeling happy with yourselves. You are rewarding him by giving him loose rein and allowing him to steer you.
There: that’s your answer, the straightness key.
It is almost certainly an issue of attitude. When you’re heading out in the morning, your mind is occupied with thoughts of the chores to be finished over the day. You may be in a state of anticipation over some new kit for your farm or tack for your pony. You may be pumped up about some new maneuver you intend to try out with your pony. These thoughts are going to keep you from relaxing. And because horses are attuned to their riders’ moods, your horse is also going to be as tense as you are.
When you’re done with it all at the day’s end, your tension or excitement has oozed out of you. You are limp and relaxed. And your pony reflects your mood. You both are anticipating getting back. He’s in anticipation of a relaxing rub down and you are in anticipation of a relaxing bath. Because of this frame of mind, you are not watching your horse the way you did in the morning.
That laid back absence of control is why you see your horse achieving straightness. Yes, it can be done all of the time, providing you always keep your mind clear and by association, that of your pony.
You can work this out best by allowing your horse to go down the path of least resistance whenever possible. If he goes astray when at the rail, nudge him back to where you want him and relieve the pressure. Try to achieve the mental thought patterns and physical habits of always riding as if you are on the way back to the barn. Try riding on a serpentine route, thinking to yourself, “I will ride the horse to that fence pole from this one in a direct line” Work your way onward, correcting your pony only if he should stray. The idea is to teach him that the best way to go is where he gets no pressure from you, that’s your way.
You give him pressure the instant he veers off. You don’t wait for him to get well on the wrong way, because you won’t be signaling your desires clearly. Eventually, you will find the right middle spot and your pony will feel that he is precisely between your knees. You should start this exercise with a walk and build it up slowly to speedier gaits. This way, your pony learns better, and soon gets to figuring out just what you want. You need to practice this exercise at numerous parts of your farm and on the trail. If you find, for example, that your pony is veering toward the barn, you give him sufficient pressure to get him to the corner of the barn and not the door. He is going to work out what it is that you need and he is going to start toeing the line.
Horses are Heather Tomspassion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers visit HorseHorses
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