Today I knocked the dust off my dressage saddle to see if the past couple rides in draw reins have done us any good. Sans-draw reins we head towards the big arena out in front of the barn. After a lengthy walk warm up focusing on leg yields and shoulder/haunches-ins we pick up an okay trot focusing on bending. I am a huge supporter of using true/counter bend and the use of shoulder-fore on a circle to loosen up a horse in the poll and teach him to move his body around.
After a bit I decided to work on our walk-halt transitions and our rein back. Coaster was not amused at the idea of halting and backing while staying round and soft to the bit. He threw a temper tantrum that many two year old children would envy. Front feet start flying, back feet are stomping and he is nearly sitting on his tail. Not rearing - just throwing his legs around like the equine version of pounding fists and kicking legs on the floor. By this time we have a bit of an audience of several neighboring horses in paddocks and a couple of the barn staff standing outside the barn for a cigarette break. All I could do was laugh, which seemed to piss Coaster off more. He would start striking with his front feet (this used to intimidate me, but I learned a couple years ago to just ignore it) and it's like a switch was thrown and he completely understood what I was asking. For about five seconds post-tantrum Coaster became a friggin' Grand Prix dressage horse!
I can't be upset about the tantrums he throws because I truly believe he isn't being disrespectful, he just doesn't know what I am asking. I just quietly keep applying the aids until he gets through the tantrum and becomes that wonderful inner dressage horse that is sometimes hidden. The tantrums are really funny though, just because he is large and grey and starts looking like a Lippizanner (spelling?!) doing airs above the ground.
2 comments:
My few words of advice - lose the draw reins.
You will never be able to ride and communicate with your horse if you rely on gadgets. Try just you, horse, saddle and bridle. Figure out how to talk to him so he understands. Set the rules and stick to them.
Classical techniques and thinking.
It works.
I agree with you, which is why I, nor my students, use gadgets to fix issues. When I put draw reins on my horses, I use it more as a training aid - much like using a dressage whip. Coaster can be a bit of a "star gazer" so the draw reins are adjusted so that there is no pressure unless he raises his head way above the bit. I use them every once and awhile when I need to focus on more basic matters such as forwardness and bending.
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