Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: Parelli on Jigging--LONG

http://parelli.parellinet.net/info_page.php?page=article&lit_num=21&title=Runaways%20and%20Jigging&t=lit 

More than once I have been faced with a rider having problems on a trail ride because the horse was pulling and jigging to no end.
One particular time there were over 100 horses along on the ride and the rider was having a harder and harder time holding back his horse. I had him dismount his horse, leaving the saddle and bridle in place, and turn his horse loose. I had the guy hop on another horse and ride double to observe what his horse would do. Within minutes the horse found a more central and safe position in the herd, the head dropped down, and he walked along calm as could be.

Horses usually prance, dance and jig because they are being held back when they want to go faster. Usually they want to get back home or catch up to other horses to feel safe inside the herd. Imagine if you had to walk very quickly to keep up with your parents and someone had two ropes tied to your pants and was holding you back. I'm sure that your instincts would take over and you would start to feel anxious, causing you to put even more effort into keeping up with your family. Since you only really feel safe with your family, you may start to panic and become uncontrollable, fighting to get free and running as fast as you could to reach them.

When a horse's adrenaline gets up because of fear or rising anxiety and he feels the need to run, most people want to grab both reins and pull back. Unfortunately, this only pours fuel on the fire. Pulling on both reins actually causes a horse to panic, feel claustrophobic and fully empowers the hind legs! To resolve the problem, you first have to understand that the horse isn't a 'runaway' because he is crazy or competitive. It's because he is scared and feels vulnerable, or he may be influenced by your adrenaline in a competitive situation. If a horse is held back when he needs to go faster, his feet will start going up and down instead of covering distance, this is where jigging starts.

Solutions:
Teach your horse to value a loose rein. Help him learn to stay in the gait you ask for and become more emotionally fit about it. Teach yourself to stay relaxed from the head down! Learn to use one rein for control.

Here's a task you can practice at home to make trail rides more enjoyable.
Allow your horse to travel around in an enclosed area on a loose rein.
No holding him back, just ask him to walk and allow him to go anywhere he wants as long as he doesn't break gait. If he does break gait, lift one rein straight up (do not pull it backwards) and hold it until he comes back to the walk. Immediately return to a loose rein position as soon as he walks. If you can be consistent about this, your horse will quickly learn that he earns loose reins and relaxation by staying in the gait you set. Once you can easily maintain a walk, then try the trot, then even try the canter. 
Then get some friends to ride around you while you do it, just to simulate the commotion of a group ride.

It's important to allow the horse to make the mistake of breaking gait and not try to prevent it. Only by allowing him to make mistakes will he learn what's right and what's not. It's also crucial that you don't grab at the reins when the mistake happens... calmly lift one rein up until you get in his way enough to cause the gait to come back down. If the lifting doesn't produce a change within 3 - 5 seconds, gracefully reach down and bend his neck until he stops. Then, just start over. Pretty soon you'll just start to lift and he'll correct himself. The goal is that he won't break gait at all. This is also how you develop more respect for what you've asked.

Most of my students can now happily trail ride in a halter or use no more than a string around their horse's neck. I have a student in his 70's who's become so good with horses that he does a 30 mile ride every year completely bridle-less. You may think that these are just quiet, well-trained horses. But the truth is, that the riders have become confident and savvy horsemen and have been able to teach their horses to be this way. I most definitely do not encourage you to try trail riding this way as a result of reading my article! I would love for you to be inspired by the prospect of riding your horse this way. All you need to do is become more mentally, physically and emotionally prepared for the situation. Prepare your horse and yourself before you ever go near a trail, and learn to use one rein... not two, to take the jig out of your horse.