Riders often come to me for advice because they’re having a hard time getting their horse’s mind and body soft and willing when they go to work in the arena. I always respond with the same question— “How do you go about your lesson with your horse?”
Their response always seems to be the same. “I catch my horse, lead him to the barn, put him in cross-ties, groom and saddle, lead him to arena, get on and hit the rail for our warm-up.”
Usually, they go on to say that the horse starts pushing through all directions once they try to make a little contact. He starts pushing on their hands, falling out in the hind and might feel a bit like trying to straighten out a frozen water hose from left to right. Far from perfect.
Now, I’d like you to picture the “perfect” horse and rider pair.
The image your mind has conjured up is likely one where the horse and rider work together seamlessly. The horse is supple, the rider is providing subtle cues with light hands, and the pair move as if they’re performing choreography to inaudible music. How does that compare to the way you and your horse work together? If your answer is “not at all,” here’s an analogy for you— imagine your horse is an unformed blob of clay when you go to catch him and that you’re a master potter.
If you were a potter, you’d first have to put in a fair amount of work into your blob of clay before you could expect to turn a perfectly symmetrical bowl. You’d have to select your clay, knead your clay and center your clay all before you could ever start turning your bowl. The same goes shaping your ride on your horse— you need to prepare for your ride from the second you walk into the pasture to catch him.
Selecting your clay
How does selecting a blob of clay relate to the rider? Imagine when you go to get your horse out of the pasture that you’re cutting a block of clay from a large slab. From the moment you gather him up to the second you mount. Just as you would be careful not to handle your clay with dirty hands or drop it on the floor, you need to take care in how you handle your horse.
He needs to understand that you require his focus, attention, and willingness. How you treat your clay— your horse— at this time will surely surface when it’s time to ride just as a poorly handled piece of clay would show impurities when it came time to spin a bowl. If he stops to visit his friends, grabs a bite of grass, or leads behind or ahead of you, then it’s obvious he is not mentally with you. If you let your attention drift away from your horse, these things happen. He deserves your 100% attention if you expect to have his!
As you continue with your routine— grooming, picking feet, saddling and bridling— stay focused on your horse. Each task requires willingness on his part. If you aren’t getting it, fix it! Once you’re in the arena, does he understand stand patiently while you mount, or do you just tolerate his stepping off as long as you get in the saddle? Fix any issue you encounter! If your horse doesn’t understand what is expected of him, it is your job to work through the issues to get what you expect.
Kneading your clay
It’s time to ride. As you step off, view the rail as no-man’s land. All your warm up exercises should happen in the center of the arena.
There are many one-rein exercises that will soften the horse to gain the brain. In the beginning, two reins create resistance— resistance bypasses the brain. Using only one rein, try a few small circles to the left and right, turns to the left and rightt. Now stop, back, and let the horse soften to your hands and leg cues. Give the horse a chance to let his brain recognize and respond to each cue individually. Remember, you’re getting your clay ready for the wheel. You can’t force the clay, you must massage it.
As you work through several small exercises, keep in mind that you’re molding your horse to soften to your hands as you would the clay. Work the horse one spot, or one exercise, at a time, just as you would a piece of clay. Move to the left, right, backwards, laterally and forward. Soon, we will find that his body is much more willing to form to our desires just as the clay does with proper attention.
Don’t force your horse during this time. Force causes a reaction, softness creates a response. A willing horse is focused on you with his brain. Any force or resistance you create in the warmup process only blocks communication. Actively challenging his brain keeps his focus on you opposed to other distractions. Challenge the brain and you will get the horse, challenge the body and you will lose the horse.
Centering the clay
As you move your horse to the rail, check individually how all the parts are working. Is your horse soft to the left and right rein individually, then together? How about lateral movement to the left, then right? How’s your gas pedal working? Brakes? Hind end engagement? If each part is feeling good, great! If not, continue to work on each part until it all feels great independently. Just as in working the clay, it’s not about how it looks but how it feels. It’s much harder to see tension than to feel it.
Turning The Bowl
As you start the process of putting the pieces together, its much akin to turning the bowl. If you were making a bowl, you’d envision the shape, thickness, height, diameter, foundation, lip and intended use. Envision what you want from the horse, and bring the pieces together one at a time until you get it all working in harmony. Don’t like what the bowl is turning into? Flatten and start again. Not happy with the horse? Back off, get back to your basics and start again. Riding a horse and turning a bowl both require dynamic energy. You must have adapt your approach to get what you want.
Understanding how to get the horse to buy into our desires can sometimes be quite an undertaking, but well worth the time. In time, you will get much better in kneading, centering and turning your horse into your goal with his wiliness and cooperation. A great leader leads by example, not force.