Horse going sideways - fixing the problem - part 1

So, horse seriously going sideways out in the state forest - where to from here?

Well, I think you can go in two directions.  You can get the whip out, and get forceful until they do what you want.  Or, you can try to gain their trust, get them to realise that they are safe with you, and do things for you because they know they are safe.  I'm of the latter elk.

Yesterday, I did a lot of calming work in the arena, and it worked well.  Today, it was time to challenge ourselves.  Maybe going back out on the trail was a bit too much of a challenge, so I headed down into the amphetheatre.  To the other arena.  (Hmm ... more about that some other time.)

I walked Lilly down in hand, and already on the way down she was showing me serious insecurities.  Not helped by her friends neighing from up above.  She would try to rush past me, and head up the hill, back to her friends.  I stopped her, by jiggling the lead rope (a move we practice a lot around the hitching rail, and in the arena, and everywhere really) and asked her to back up.

Once down in the arena I did some ground work.  I concentrated on two things - 1) that she does exactly what I ask (no anticipating!) and 2) that she does not invade my space.  Her reward was being allowed in my space, and a pat.  This worked extremely well.  She became very obedient, stopped anticipating, and calmed down a lot.

Then I mounted.  Initially I worked just on a 20m circle - in walk.  In fact, most of the hour was in walk.  We did maybe four circles in trot.  I focused on getting her head down, and keeping her relaxed.  The minute she did a slightly faster stride, I was there with a half halt, and I kept half halting until I felt her relax.  Towards the end it felt wonderful!

On the left rein, of course she tried going sideways.  So I had to be a little bit stronger with my half halts, do them earlier (in preparation), and be firmer with my outside leg and rein.  And every now and then, we challenged ourselves with a bigger circle.  Each time the circle got bigger, Lilly got more excited and was more likely to go sideways.

Finally, we walked up the middle ridge, towards the gate.  Just before the gate, I asked her to turn left and halt.  All good.  Then I opened the gate from atop Lilly, walked her through the gate, and closed it again.  Magic.

Now, the problem is not fixed yet.  But we're on the right track, I think.  I just have to be consistent now, and change the "reaction" (going sideways), into a "response" (trust, calmness, and going forwards).

Lilly goes to Adult Riding

Today is Adult Riding Club, and I thought I would take Lilly. I wasn't sure whether I would ride her, but just the experience of going there and coming back would be good for her.

So we got Lilly on the float (more about that some other time), and off we went.

Well, due to dropping my husband off at the start of his cycling race, we were somewhat late. How late? Umm, about 3 hours. Adult Riding Club had basically packed up and gone home. That's right. Not a soul in sight. The only evidence left was a couple of tyre marks in the grass.

Never mind, I unloaded Lilly and put her in the yard. I let her sit there and take it all in, while I ran Sabina across the road to play with her friend.

Then I saddled her up, and lounged her. All going well there, I mounted. Well, she did feel excited, and I quickly came to the conclusion that if you ever took her cross country, she would be a little fire cracker. However, that excited walk was, I think, 99% correct.

Of course, once she calmed down, the walk changed. But I think I now understand what the walk is supposed to feel like.

Once we mastered calmness at the walk, I asked for trot. Mostly good. Some falling out - mainly in the direction of the float. This is a disobedience, but not one I am going to deal with right now.

Towards the end of our session, I was starting to think a canter might go down alright. This is amazing, seeing that we have only just started cantering on the lounge. Of course I didn't canter. Best to finish on a positive note.

Engaging the hindquarters

I bring Crownie for a lesson with Anna. Anna studies the horse intently as I saddle up. Finally she hands me a pair of scissors "Here, if you're going to make her that pretty, then you may as well trim her tail. If it's too long it actually does get in the way."

Crownie works well in walk and trot. Anna gets me to do these tiny circles on her, for ever engaging the hind quarters more and more.

Then in the canter it all falls apart. On the left canter she just falls out and the circles become huge oblongs. I work really hard at trying to contain it all. In the end both the horse and I come back to walk in a puffing mess.

On the right canter she's stiff. She can hold the circle, but it's a battle to keep her going, and there's no softness. Once she comes back to trot, I can't seem to get another canter.

"You're still trying to get the horse collected from your hand, not from your leg", says Anna with impatience. "You need to be like the horse. You need to use your legs to engage the horse's legs."

Spot on. Plus physical intelligence and strength.

I think about the way I push a wheelbarrow, the way I carry a backpack while hiking, and the way I run down a steep hill with my daughter. A year ago I used to do these tasks relying purely on the strength of my shoulders. (Correction. A year ago I didn't run down the hill.) The bones provided the supportive structure, like one wooden block piled on top of another. But the muscles did relatively little. They stopped the structure from falling apart. That's all.

Now, thanks to a year of training with Anna, and three months of pilates (once per week) the muscles do a lot more. When I push the wheelbarrow I actually feel the strength coming from my torso. From my legs. I can actually run down the hill with my daughter. It's a great feeling to be able to run down the hill, feeling every muscle in your leg providing support, while your joints bend and flex without pressure.

But. It's not enough. Not yet. It's a long road. Enjoy the journey.

Falling Out

A sunny day, a lesson with Anna, we work outside on the sand menage.

On the left rein Princess falls out. I keep the neck straight, and correct her with my outside (right) leg. "Feel like you're correcting the shoulders" advises Anna. "Move the shoulders across with your outside leg, keep the quarters in check with your inside leg. It should feel a little bit like you're riding on the right rein." I correct every quarter of a circle. Then every eighth of a circle. We do this in walk, then in trot. Then we make a very small circle in trot, with the odd step of walk thrown in.

Finally we try it in canter - on a large circle.

Concentric Circles

My second dressage lesson with Anna. Princess is considerably more relaxed, and Anna notices that I've been working on my position. She gets me doing some concentric circles - start off on a 20m circle then wind down to a 5m circle, then back out to a 20m circle. Do a volte if necessary. We use the exercise to correct Princess' falling in and falling out. We correct it every quarter of a circle, then every eight. In the process, we establish how much strength is really required from each of my limbs. It's a lot more outside rein and outside leg than I thought. And a lot less rein overall. The horse travels correctly.

Every now and then, Princess locks up in the jaw and neck. "When she locks up like that, you must try something else", comments Anna. It includes sit forwards/back, lighter/heavier, move your hands up/down/out. I don't realise it at the time, but in many ways this is the statement I have been waiting for. When a horse locks up, listen to it. It's uncomfortable, and it doesn't understand what you're saying. It's not "naughty". You'll never get anywhere with sheer force. Find another way, a better way. Find your own way. One that works for both you and the horse.

After the lesson Anna suggest that I try a thicker bit. A thicker bit will make my hands more forgiving. When a bit is thin, each movement is magnified, so it's not a good idea if you're hands are a bit unsteady. So simple - why didn't anyone tell me this before?

Of heels and transitions

I got two things out of last weekend - I need to work on keeping my heels down, and I need to practice transitions to get Crownie more collected and balanced. In my dressage session this morning I try to focus on both.

I do a very standard warm up - walk, trot, canter. Change rein and repeat. Throughout the warm up I focus on my heels. Somehow, I seem capable of losing my stirrups in rising trot. In canter they are dangling somewhere around my ankle, with my foot still in the stirrup. I consider getting rid of them altogether.

We start the workout with walk/trot transitions. Crownie lacks energy and balance. It takes about a circle for her to get balanced after an upward transition. Once she is balanced, I ask for a downward transition - when it feels like I lose my balance as well. We persist with this exercise for about 20 minutes. Upward transitions to canter are poor, although she actually is more balanced in the canter. But the transition itself is difficult to achieve. Downward transitions (canter to trot) are probably the best of a bad bunch. The heels have gone out the window. And on top of that, Crownie is falling out on the left rein.

I decide to focus on correcting the falling out. The temptation is to ask for more bend with the left rein. But the correction must come from a stronger, more consistent right rein, and a strong right leg. In the first two circles I try to just master the reins. Then on the third circle I apply the leg. And it works - she stops falling out. We go into canter, Crownie starts fallling out, and I repeat the strong right rein, and firm leg. I can feel her whole backside shift into gear, as she straightens. The canter is balanced and confident.