re: Race Brain Training - bending cue or bending to yeild

[Linda Cowles <linda_cowles@mentorg.com>]

L Eisele wrote:
> 
> Linda, would you, could you describe the bending cue or bending to yield
> aid.  Thankyou!   Linda

This is a good question... Most of this is based on "Natural
Horsemanship" techniques with a dab of dressage.

The bending cue starts out as the circling that Lynette Helgeson
<helgeson@lansford.ndak.net> described in her post under the subject
"Re: No Control on Feb. 2nd". It's a good post to read before "Race
Brain Training"

What circling does initially is to slow down or stop a horse from
running through the bit, hanging on the bit etc., by turning them as
opposed to pulling back on the reins. The horse gets tired of circling
and slows or stops depending on how sharp the bend is. A tight bend will
effectively "double" a horse and they should (!!) stop. A 5 meter bend
will slow the horse.

When using this technique, it's customary to release the horse back to
the original direction once they are moving at the desired speed. As
soon as they move faster without being asked to, they are circled again.

They DON'T like this!!!! For a horse, this tedium is worse than curb
chains, shanks and sore mouths!

They'll start to anticipate it, and stay at the speed you set. The
circling has another result - even hot, anxious horses start to relax,
and it distracts them from their manic obsession with racing -  "Oh my
lord --- here she goes with that turning stuff AGAIN... O.K.... around
we go... crap.". 

You start getting resignation and real compliance - not just a slower
speed. 

The steps are very consistently and deliberately given as separate aids,
are strung together just like words in a sentence - enunciate clearly!!
To get a right turn circle or bend are, on a loose rein:

  - take the loose rein in the left hand
  - run the right hand slowly and decisively down the 
    right rein (only) until the hand is 16~20 inches 
    from the nose
  - grasp the rein in a fist
  - take the fist/rein to the right to approx. a 45-80 
    degree angle from the horses neck
  - turn fist so the bottom rotates towards your knee
  - bring fist towards the knee to bend the horse around
  - circle as needed (1 or 2 times)

To "double" the horse - force them to stop - bring the bottom of the
fist to your waist at the side, below your arm. They are in a tight
enough circle (if your rein is short enough!!) that they stop.

Once your horse knows to expect this, they wait to feel the first few
moves (if you do the action consistently and methodically enough!)  and
eventually all you have to do is squeeze the right rein and they'll give
a small bend at the poll, round a bit, and maintain their speed.

It's important to be consistent with this stuff so that the
communication is precise! There's a complementary body and leg position
(is in the race brain post and Lynette's post too I think), and it
SOUNDS much harder than it is. It's fast and very easy - not rocket
science like feeding or probiotics!!! Horses tire of this fast so it
isn't like you are circling all the time... the more consistent and
unforgiving you are, the faster they learn it.

I can demonstrate this really easily at the convention.
 
  Linda - Gilroy