Another Banner story. If you're not interested, just delete.
I've had my current horse Banner over three years now, and a number of
issues with him have turned out just fine after a long effort of working with
him. First he had to learn to trust me and that was followed by his
liking me. We've bonded nicely and he is a joy to ride most of the
time. I say most, because it was only his walk and his canter that was a
joy. His trot was elevated, springy, and difficult to ride. It
wasn't comfortable and it seemed like I was always trying to stay on. I
held onto his mane, I held onto the shoulder strap of his breastplate, and I
have held onto the front of his saddle pad. He can spook pretty suddenly
and violently when he has a mind to. I've only had him unload me once
in three years, so I guess I'm fairly lucky at that. Still, his trot was
the one thing about him I was truly disappointed in, and I was about to give up
and figure that I would have to live with it forever, because this horse is so
smart, so cautious and careful, so responsive, I wasn't going to give up
that......I trust him to take care of me and I've ridden him on some
single-track trails that would have given me a panic attack with almost any
other horse. But all the time, I was missing that lovely feeling of a
horse that is collected and driving off his hindquarters and just cruising along
at a nice ground-eating trot. So.....yesterday I tried something totally
different. I have used a rope halter, two different snaffles and
a nice Myler shank bit that he seems to work well in. With the Myler,
I never put much pressure on his mouth and just rode with a relaxed rein.
Yesterday, I tried the one type of headpiece I had never tried on him.....a
sidepull with a rope noseband. I've used this on one of my older horses
for 16 years and that horse still goes in the sidepull.
Yesterday, I put Banner in the sidepull and started down the road. I
did a few stops and a backup, just to make sure that the brakes and reverse were
working. They were, perfectly, so we went on. When he was well
warmed up and we reached a nice long uphill grade, we did some trotting.
Banner has never liked trotting uphill. He always felt like it was an
effort and he would either drop to a walk or break into a lope. I thought
I was doomed to ride him this way forever. His uphill walk is very strong
and fast, so that wasn't too bad, but sometimes, when the grade isn't too steep,
but just continuous for a couple of miles, one wants to trot. And
Banner did not want to trot steadily. It was as if he couldn't
collect and really push. Yet he could push at a walk.
So...back to the sidepull. This was a piece of equipment that I could
put some pressure on him without putting it on the bars of his mouth. I
thought I would give it a try and see if I could exact some collection from
him. To finish the rest of the story quickly....it worked, amazingly
well. He trotted up hills and stayed in a trot. He trotted on the
flat and didn't spook. We've reached a point now where I scold with my
voice if I feel him even thinking about spooking, and he understands and
straightens out. So here I was, riding at a nice brisk trot, with
both hands on the reins, putting a bit of pressure on his nose and
he, yielding to this pressure, collecting, and just cruising along.
It was very exciting, after over three years of just trying to hang on. I
was pushing him forward with my legs and heels, and steadying his
head with my hands.....and his trot was steady and comfortable, for the very
first time. I had often said that he had a very uncomfortable trot, but no
longer.
When I bought Banner, I was told he needed someone to trust, and it's been
a long hard time trying to be that person for him. He did learn to trust
me, to like me, but there was something missing. I now believe that
something was the bit of pressure and collection on his head that
told him where he was to go and how. Before that, I was riding with a
relaxed, almost loose rein, and he apparently didn't have enough direction from
me. He was left too much on his own to decide what he was supposed to do,
and sometimes his choices weren't acceptable. It will take a few more
rides to determine is I have really hit on a solution or whether that was a
fluke. But I think I'm really on to something. A better equestrian
would use a snaffle and achieve the same results, I think, but I am not
accomplished with a snaffle. I hate hurting a horse's mouth. The
rope noseband seems to give me the same or similar results without hurting his
mouth. Whatever, if the use of the sidepull truly makes a
permanent difference in Banner, he will be the most amazing horse I have ever
ridden. He is very affectionate and has so many great qualities
that I love.
