Re: training/conditioning question (long)

["Penelope Kane" <Penalopek@webperception.com>]

My horse is 5, and did love to star gaze and look for the boogie man.  My
trainer had me do this.  Keep his head looking forward, use your reins to
straighten his head out, and your legs, any time he tries to find something
to spook at.  The second he sees or thinks he sees anything, put your legs
on him, straighten his head out, and make him keep moving forward, with your
deep seat and legs..  Don't give him a second to think about spooking.
Walking is great training and builds beautiful muscle.  Do not let him run
home, make him walk.  When he shows you that he is under your control then
maybe trot home.
Good luck!!
Penelope
----- Original Message -----
From: <guest@endurance.net>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Friday, April 27, 2001 9:45 AM
Subject: RC: training/conditioning question (long)


> Sam sgivens12@home.com
> here's the scoop with questions to follow:
>
> i got a 15 year old gelding in october and worked with him all winter in
the arena getting him to listen to aids and go the speed i ask. and he does
great with this. now that it's spring time and i'm taking him out down the
road more often i've run into some questions. i always do lots of walking
warm-up in the arena and get him focused and listening before we head out on
the trails. and then....
>
> on the way out:
>
> his eyes are bright and his head is up, most of his energy is pushing us
upward instead of forward so we are doing some weird bouncing jog/trot. he
spooks at the same broken-down tractor on the side of the road and shies
around the same cows he sees every time. he weaves back and forth across the
road ignoring my leg aids and may want to start walking if he can get away
with it. if i try to drive him forward we canter and bob along kind of
crow-hopping. it is the same routine whether i have contact with the reins
or not.
>
> on the way home:
>
> i don't like to have him always race for home and he'll walk if i ask him
to, but if i ask for a trot he does this beautiful rhythmic long-strided
trot with his head down, covering a lot of ground in a straight line. if i
put a leg on him he cruises smoothly and diagonally in the direction i ask.
he doesn't bat an eye at the cows and he would run up and over the tractor.
>
> so my questions are:
>
> 1.) do you guy's let your horses run for home? i feel like it's wonderful
conditioning but a bad habit.
>
> 2.) how do i get him going forward and straight on the way out?
>
> i would love to get him to do the exact opposite of what he's doing now.
so we could race out and get done with the conditioning part and then have a
nice leisurely stroll home.
>
> thanks for any help!
>
>
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