Post by Calaminty Jane on Aug 20, 2009 10:52:29 GMT -5
These are the notes that Cathy Taylor took at the Larry clinic this Spring. Thank you Cathy.
Larry Whitesell Clinic
June 19-21, 2009
Friday, June 19:
Over-reactive and dull horses have the same problem. If they are supple, balanced and into the bridle, both problems are solved.
Humans try to turn the front end of the horse, which puts all the horse’s weight on the forehand.
Larry sees a lot of people perform a lot of exercises that don’t benefit the horse. Exercises goals to benefit the horse are:
1) Put the horse in balance.
2) Supple the horse.
3) Be on the bridle.
4) Strengthen the muscles that carry the rider.
If the exercises are not doing the above, they aren’t meaningful to the horse.
Disengagement takes balance away from the horse. Disengagement is of no benefit to the horse … doesn’t do # 1-4 above.
Teach horses not to brace by always having them in a slight right or left bend.
A horse that is running away has a locked jaw. Don’t pull on both reins, which locks the horse’s jaw. Raise the inside rein (raise, not pull) to unlock the TMJ joint. This will make the horse relax and unlock his entire body. Horses usually don’t blink if their jaw is locked. Horses with a locked TMJ joint develop a big knot in their rear end.
You can’t get collection on the inside rein. Collection can only happen on the outside rein.
Don’t pull on both reins at the same time because that is talking to both sides of the horse’s brain at the same time. Need to train each side of the horse’s brain individually.
Vertical flexion needs to go all the way through the horse, not just his head.
Where the horse looks doesn’t determine the bend. Want the shoulders to bend.
Muscles are suppled by lengthening them.
Collection: Horse needs to rotate his pelvis and shift weight to the rear. That is why you need forward motion. Forward is key to everything …. Can’t shift the weight to the rear without forward.
Shoulder in:
1) Should be done forever. Not just until the horse can do it well.
2) Teaches the horse how to be on the bridle.
3) Can immediately ask the horse to get off adrenalin and onto endorphins.
4) Teaches the horse how to get in balance.
5) Teaches the horse what to do when he is afraid.
6) Increases range of motion.
How to ask for shoulder in (inside hind steps under horse):
Rider shouldn’t use their hands. Rider turns their shoulders and pelvis without moving their feet.
A dull horse has almost no range of motion. If you kick them they go on the forehand.
90% of problems are from the way horses are ridden.
The riders focus needs to be where the horse is going … not ahead of where they are going.
The less the rider moves their hands, the more confidence the horse will have.
The horse’s greatest fear is falling because they are prey animals. Whenever horses are ridden out of balance, they are afraid of falling.
Larry teaches: The bridle and rider’s leg create relaxation for the horse … the horse goes to the bridle vs. the bridle going to the horse.
It is important to teach the horse to bend at the atlas vs. bending their nose to their shoulder.
Disengaging: The horse’s head goes up. His back doesn’t go up and his pelvis doesn’t rotate. Just the opposite happens when he is going forward into the bridle.
Don’t hold the halter underneath; this causes the horse to break at the shoulder vs. the atlas. Larry longes off the nose (the longe snap goes on the center of the nose) vs. the loop under, for the same reason.
You build straightness on curves (left frame and right frame):
Big circles build forward.
Small circles build collection.
Need to work on both size circles everyday. Spiral in and out.
If you can teach the horse to balance anytime he feels anxiety, you can immediately release the anxiety. If the horse walks like he is walking on railroad tracks, each leg is on a different size circle. If the hind leg crosses over, then each leg is on the same size circle. When the ribs move over, the horse is in balance and his head comes down.
Horses need rhythm to feel in balance.
Axis joint: allows the horses head to go up and down.
Atlas joint: allows the horse’s head to go left/right.
The atlas needs to be loose for the horse to be able to give in the axis.
Collection is engagement in relaxation. When the neck goes up, it limits the horse’s range of motion. When the horse is round, the spine opens allowing engagement in relaxation.
Working on the small circle, put the horse’s head down to get him to rotate his pelvis. If the horse is over bent, he will disengage rather than walking into the bridle.
Turning with the reins constantly, takes the horse out of balance vs. riding them into the bridle. The rider’s hands take the horse out of balance.
The key to training is to get them to move their ribs over and step under.
Collection is an upward movement as much as a forward movement. The rider needs to shift their belt buckle slightly upward.
Collection needs to be taught at the trot and canter because their needs to be a moment of suspension.
Horses pace because they are stiff in the back.
Trail riding: need to do a transition every 50 – 100’ (slow walk to a fast walk, etc.)
Ask with seat and follow up with a tap with the whip as necessary. Need to follow up enough times so the horse gets it.
Release of the atlas: Start with the nose and then go to the bit. Hardly any pressure on the hand at the atlas … might need to massage a little to get the horse to release.
If a horse resists at the poll, there is almost no chance of collection. May need to put fingers in horse’s mouth to release TMJ joint.
You aren’t teaching your horse to put his nose to the ground, you are teaching him to release at the poll.
When walking a small circle, don’t lean forward … this is a submissive position to the horse.
Reward quickly before the horse screws it up.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
For shoulder in on the ground, turn my shoulder towards his outside shoulder.
If the horse is getting ready to spook, buck, get adrenalin up, etc, it will feel like a huge bowling ball coming up between the rider’s legs in the wither area. The only way to get rid of the brace is to ride your horse through it. The only way to do this under control is to use shoulder in or turn on the forehand. You want him on the bridle to get rid of the brace. This should be taught ahead of time, before there is a need, on both sides. The absolute wrong thing to do to get a horse under control is to grab with both reins.
Important: The rider’s eyes need to focus where the horse is going. My eyes should never go past the horse’s inside ear when riding a circle.
If the horse is framed up to go left, he has to go left … just wait and keep moving him forward. Never pull on him and don’t get in a fight.
Pulling doesn’t work … need to just remind the horse to get back in the bridle. Rider rides a left circle to get the horse to move forward. If you ask the horse to turn first without forward, he will brace at the poll. The horse won’t turn until he gives at the poll. Actively ride the horse in the direction you are going.
The rider shouldn’t bring their hand out to the side to turn because this will cause the horse to brace at the poll. The rider should bring their hand back towards the withers to get the horse to soften at the poll …take inside hand slightly towards the pommel.
The goal is to have the horse bend at the poll and ribs … not the neck.
Start riding with both hands on (above?) the pommel, ride forward with shoulders tall. To turn left, move my left hand slight towards the pommel and turn my body left. There will be little contact on the outside rein, but the reign isn’t thrown away.
Outside leg is behind the girth, inside leg is at the girth.
It may seem like there is little contact on the outside rein. Even light contact may prevent them from turning … but the rein isn’t thrown away. If the horse drifts out or in, they have come off the bridle.
All transitions must be from the hind end, not the front end. If the horse leaves from the rear end, their back will round and lift the saddle up.
The horse needs this info from the rider to turn: The rider needs to turn their core
(buttons, belt buckle and eyes) to ride a circle or turn. Most riders don’t put their outside leg behind the girth, so the horse won’t turn. When your core turns, your legs automatically turn.
The rider should use their body to funnel the horse where he is going vs. pulling the horse. Horses get duller and duller when they are pulled on. If the horse goes off track, the rider needs to keep their position and the horse will go where the rider wants.
This never changes: the outside leg is behind the girth, the inside leg on the girth.
The outside leg makes them go into the bridle … ride the outside seat bone.
Think left bend and forward, not just left bend. Go back to neutral to let the horse know when the move is over.
The key to turning left and right is putting them in a frame to turn.
When the rider pulls the reins out to the side, the head turns, but the shoulders continue in the original direction.
Turn on the forehand:
Don’t want to stop forward motion.
Don’t want horse to spin on one foot.
Move inside hand to the centerline at the mane and turn over.
The rider needs to turn their shoulders around and look at the hind end.
Need Impulsion.
If he doesn’t turn, lift inside rein.
If the hind end crosses, it is disengagement … want the horse to reach forward from
the hind to inside fore. Forward is more important than the turn.
Exercises are to release braces and strengthen muscles. This is why a small move is better. Do small moves, then release. A horse has to engage his hind end to get the brace out.
Cantering: if your horse leans in, put more weight in the outside stirrup.
Jen: Zoe was braced in the poll. On the left circle, her head was left, but she was looking right. Lift inside rein and put weight in the outside stirrup. Rider looks outside over the horse’s right ear … wanted Zoe to break at the atlas.
Sitting on the pockets makes it harder to turn vs. rotating the hipbones forward.
When sitting on the seat bones, it is much clearer to the horse.
Don’t ride with elbows straight. This is giving up your riding position. If your elbows are bent and the horse pulls, he can’t unseat you.
If horse were on adrenalin, Larry wouldn’t take even one step without the horse in a bend.
When doing a turn and your outside leg is behind the girth, your leg needs to be on the horse.
Correct back up and correct stop are the same frame. Stop on hind end with the horse’s back raised. The first thing the horse needs to learn is to shift their weight to their hind end with their head lowered. If their head comes up, they are backing on the forehand.
Never training both sides of the horse’s brain at once applies to backing also. As soon as you use your hands to back up, your horse will go on the forehand.
Practice with a yoga ball in front of the TV:
1) See if you can turn your core and seat without putting more weight on one seat
Bone.
2) Back up: close fingers and stand up slightly.. Push heels back with the knees, so
legs get longer. The belt buckle tips down and moves ball backward. This is how you talk to the rear end.
Stopping on the hind end: Ask for engagement and really round the back up. Use crossed reins in one hand, dressage whip in the other hand. Ask for the back up. When they start backing up, start tapping/tickling on the dock of tail.
Work on circle (not mounted): Hold rein in left hand, dressage whip in right hand. Massage rein to get the head down. If the neck is over bent, move the hind end over with the whip so they are in balance. Hind end moving in a bigger circle than the front end is desirable. Stand away from the horse so you can send him forward with your core energy. To change to shoulder in, rotate my shoulders and walk towards his throat and lift rein. Lifting the rein releases the brace. Pick up the supporting rein if the horse is over bent. Supporting rein and whip are in the same hand.
To go into shoulder in from the circle, lift the rein and change my shoulder position. To go back to the circle, put the rein down and turn my shoulder position more forward.
Larry riding Taca: When Taca got excited (sometimes too fast, and sometimes too slow) Larry kept his rhythm the same. Important: rider should never change their rhythm …. otherwise, the horse is in control.
Use shoulder in to teach relaxation, softness and develop muscles. A horse can’t get in a balanced frame if he doesn’t have the muscles to get in a frame.
For the first week of training: Use shoulder in, etc, for 20 minutes 2x daily. After that, a few minutes each side before riding.
Lungeing just brings adrenalin up … so need to lunge longer every day.
Ground work sour: Don’t want to drill so they resent the work.
Taking the horse to the bridle takes the brace out.
When working the horse, the poll shouldn’t be below the withers. The poll should be below the withers only when the horse is relaxing, and not working.
When you turn your core into the shoulder, the horse will turn in. When you turn your core into the horse’s jaw, he will move off with shoulder in.
In a week or two after getting good at my footwork, add smoothness, and then go for enthusiasm. First start practicing by walking the circle without the horse.
For more speed/enthusiasm, push belt buckle out in front of my shoulders.
Transitions up and down need to be forward and balanced.
Riding:
1) Asking for forward from a stop: Open fingers and roll the ball forward (Roll belt
buckle into your hands).
2) Asking for the stop (This helps the horse stop with their hind legs under them): Close fingers and roll the ball forward (Don’t pull back). The rider’s belt buckle rises up to move the horse into the bridle. The rider needs to stay relaxed in the shoulders. Release as soon as the horse stops moving his feet. Ignore it if the horse takes one or two steps after stopping. If he totally walks off, then go back to work so the horse looses the opportunity to rest.
3) Asking for the back: Roll the ball back. Move my heels back from the knee (the more you move your heels back, the more he will use his rear end). As you move your heels back, get taller in your back. You need to stay loose and think backwards.
4) To slow horse down: Make your legs longer from the waist down and your back taller from the waist up. This changes the balance. Take your legs out of the stirrups and make them even longer … this invites the horse to lift his back.
5) The rider’s hands should be about a hand’s width above the withers with hands about a bits width apart. The rider needs to breathe into her back, wrists need to be loose.
On the circle: If the horse comes in, lift the inside rein and put weight in the outside stirrup.
Circles: Need to keep alternating speeds so the horse will listen to the rider’s seat and go to the bridle.
When posting, the rider’s belt buckle should be going upwards to the horse’s ears. Need to keep a strong walk after the trot to walk until he softens.
Need engagement and impulsion to do slow gaits. Do transitions from slow trot to fast trot and back to work on this.
When lunging, free lunging or lunging in a rope halter, horses move out of balance.
When using a rope halter and rope and ask them to bend at the atlas, they tend to bend at the shoulder. If you move the lunge clip to the top of the nose, they bend at the atlas/poll. If they break at the neck vs. the atlas, they can’t cross over from rear to outside fore.
Using side reins: Want to teach the horse to bend into the outside rein. The reins are both the same length. Measure from the girth to the corner of the mouth, then clip to the bit … it will be loose. When lunging, it is important not to travel, but keep walking. The horse’s feet should walk when the person walks and stop when they stop.
When Larry was working the palomino in side reins, the whip is kept low and quiet
when following her around. If the horse is reactive, keep the whip even further back.
The tip of the whip is the rider’s leg.
The rider should ride as if their arms and reins are like side reins.
Work in hand (shoulder in, giving at the poll) is done before lunging.
Always try to do their good side first to give the horse confidence. You can vary the amount of time spent … less on the good side and more on the difficult side.
Larry only uses the round pen for the first couple days of training.
Turn on the haunches: Raise the outside rein, for example the right rein. Right leg is back and on. Turn right shoulder and core, making sure it is forward … don’t lean or go sideways. Don’t add pressure. If it doesn’t work, start over.
Riding a circle: The rider’s eyes look exactly where you want the horse’s eyes to look.
When the horse moves his right back hind leg, it moves the rider’s left butt cheek, and vice versa.
Larry Whitesell Clinic
June 19-21, 2009
Friday, June 19:
Over-reactive and dull horses have the same problem. If they are supple, balanced and into the bridle, both problems are solved.
Humans try to turn the front end of the horse, which puts all the horse’s weight on the forehand.
Larry sees a lot of people perform a lot of exercises that don’t benefit the horse. Exercises goals to benefit the horse are:
1) Put the horse in balance.
2) Supple the horse.
3) Be on the bridle.
4) Strengthen the muscles that carry the rider.
If the exercises are not doing the above, they aren’t meaningful to the horse.
Disengagement takes balance away from the horse. Disengagement is of no benefit to the horse … doesn’t do # 1-4 above.
Teach horses not to brace by always having them in a slight right or left bend.
A horse that is running away has a locked jaw. Don’t pull on both reins, which locks the horse’s jaw. Raise the inside rein (raise, not pull) to unlock the TMJ joint. This will make the horse relax and unlock his entire body. Horses usually don’t blink if their jaw is locked. Horses with a locked TMJ joint develop a big knot in their rear end.
You can’t get collection on the inside rein. Collection can only happen on the outside rein.
Don’t pull on both reins at the same time because that is talking to both sides of the horse’s brain at the same time. Need to train each side of the horse’s brain individually.
Vertical flexion needs to go all the way through the horse, not just his head.
Where the horse looks doesn’t determine the bend. Want the shoulders to bend.
Muscles are suppled by lengthening them.
Collection: Horse needs to rotate his pelvis and shift weight to the rear. That is why you need forward motion. Forward is key to everything …. Can’t shift the weight to the rear without forward.
Shoulder in:
1) Should be done forever. Not just until the horse can do it well.
2) Teaches the horse how to be on the bridle.
3) Can immediately ask the horse to get off adrenalin and onto endorphins.
4) Teaches the horse how to get in balance.
5) Teaches the horse what to do when he is afraid.
6) Increases range of motion.
How to ask for shoulder in (inside hind steps under horse):
Rider shouldn’t use their hands. Rider turns their shoulders and pelvis without moving their feet.
A dull horse has almost no range of motion. If you kick them they go on the forehand.
90% of problems are from the way horses are ridden.
The riders focus needs to be where the horse is going … not ahead of where they are going.
The less the rider moves their hands, the more confidence the horse will have.
The horse’s greatest fear is falling because they are prey animals. Whenever horses are ridden out of balance, they are afraid of falling.
Larry teaches: The bridle and rider’s leg create relaxation for the horse … the horse goes to the bridle vs. the bridle going to the horse.
It is important to teach the horse to bend at the atlas vs. bending their nose to their shoulder.
Disengaging: The horse’s head goes up. His back doesn’t go up and his pelvis doesn’t rotate. Just the opposite happens when he is going forward into the bridle.
Don’t hold the halter underneath; this causes the horse to break at the shoulder vs. the atlas. Larry longes off the nose (the longe snap goes on the center of the nose) vs. the loop under, for the same reason.
You build straightness on curves (left frame and right frame):
Big circles build forward.
Small circles build collection.
Need to work on both size circles everyday. Spiral in and out.
If you can teach the horse to balance anytime he feels anxiety, you can immediately release the anxiety. If the horse walks like he is walking on railroad tracks, each leg is on a different size circle. If the hind leg crosses over, then each leg is on the same size circle. When the ribs move over, the horse is in balance and his head comes down.
Horses need rhythm to feel in balance.
Axis joint: allows the horses head to go up and down.
Atlas joint: allows the horse’s head to go left/right.
The atlas needs to be loose for the horse to be able to give in the axis.
Collection is engagement in relaxation. When the neck goes up, it limits the horse’s range of motion. When the horse is round, the spine opens allowing engagement in relaxation.
Working on the small circle, put the horse’s head down to get him to rotate his pelvis. If the horse is over bent, he will disengage rather than walking into the bridle.
Turning with the reins constantly, takes the horse out of balance vs. riding them into the bridle. The rider’s hands take the horse out of balance.
The key to training is to get them to move their ribs over and step under.
Collection is an upward movement as much as a forward movement. The rider needs to shift their belt buckle slightly upward.
Collection needs to be taught at the trot and canter because their needs to be a moment of suspension.
Horses pace because they are stiff in the back.
Trail riding: need to do a transition every 50 – 100’ (slow walk to a fast walk, etc.)
Ask with seat and follow up with a tap with the whip as necessary. Need to follow up enough times so the horse gets it.
Release of the atlas: Start with the nose and then go to the bit. Hardly any pressure on the hand at the atlas … might need to massage a little to get the horse to release.
If a horse resists at the poll, there is almost no chance of collection. May need to put fingers in horse’s mouth to release TMJ joint.
You aren’t teaching your horse to put his nose to the ground, you are teaching him to release at the poll.
When walking a small circle, don’t lean forward … this is a submissive position to the horse.
Reward quickly before the horse screws it up.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
For shoulder in on the ground, turn my shoulder towards his outside shoulder.
If the horse is getting ready to spook, buck, get adrenalin up, etc, it will feel like a huge bowling ball coming up between the rider’s legs in the wither area. The only way to get rid of the brace is to ride your horse through it. The only way to do this under control is to use shoulder in or turn on the forehand. You want him on the bridle to get rid of the brace. This should be taught ahead of time, before there is a need, on both sides. The absolute wrong thing to do to get a horse under control is to grab with both reins.
Important: The rider’s eyes need to focus where the horse is going. My eyes should never go past the horse’s inside ear when riding a circle.
If the horse is framed up to go left, he has to go left … just wait and keep moving him forward. Never pull on him and don’t get in a fight.
Pulling doesn’t work … need to just remind the horse to get back in the bridle. Rider rides a left circle to get the horse to move forward. If you ask the horse to turn first without forward, he will brace at the poll. The horse won’t turn until he gives at the poll. Actively ride the horse in the direction you are going.
The rider shouldn’t bring their hand out to the side to turn because this will cause the horse to brace at the poll. The rider should bring their hand back towards the withers to get the horse to soften at the poll …take inside hand slightly towards the pommel.
The goal is to have the horse bend at the poll and ribs … not the neck.
Start riding with both hands on (above?) the pommel, ride forward with shoulders tall. To turn left, move my left hand slight towards the pommel and turn my body left. There will be little contact on the outside rein, but the reign isn’t thrown away.
Outside leg is behind the girth, inside leg is at the girth.
It may seem like there is little contact on the outside rein. Even light contact may prevent them from turning … but the rein isn’t thrown away. If the horse drifts out or in, they have come off the bridle.
All transitions must be from the hind end, not the front end. If the horse leaves from the rear end, their back will round and lift the saddle up.
The horse needs this info from the rider to turn: The rider needs to turn their core
(buttons, belt buckle and eyes) to ride a circle or turn. Most riders don’t put their outside leg behind the girth, so the horse won’t turn. When your core turns, your legs automatically turn.
The rider should use their body to funnel the horse where he is going vs. pulling the horse. Horses get duller and duller when they are pulled on. If the horse goes off track, the rider needs to keep their position and the horse will go where the rider wants.
This never changes: the outside leg is behind the girth, the inside leg on the girth.
The outside leg makes them go into the bridle … ride the outside seat bone.
Think left bend and forward, not just left bend. Go back to neutral to let the horse know when the move is over.
The key to turning left and right is putting them in a frame to turn.
When the rider pulls the reins out to the side, the head turns, but the shoulders continue in the original direction.
Turn on the forehand:
Don’t want to stop forward motion.
Don’t want horse to spin on one foot.
Move inside hand to the centerline at the mane and turn over.
The rider needs to turn their shoulders around and look at the hind end.
Need Impulsion.
If he doesn’t turn, lift inside rein.
If the hind end crosses, it is disengagement … want the horse to reach forward from
the hind to inside fore. Forward is more important than the turn.
Exercises are to release braces and strengthen muscles. This is why a small move is better. Do small moves, then release. A horse has to engage his hind end to get the brace out.
Cantering: if your horse leans in, put more weight in the outside stirrup.
Jen: Zoe was braced in the poll. On the left circle, her head was left, but she was looking right. Lift inside rein and put weight in the outside stirrup. Rider looks outside over the horse’s right ear … wanted Zoe to break at the atlas.
Sitting on the pockets makes it harder to turn vs. rotating the hipbones forward.
When sitting on the seat bones, it is much clearer to the horse.
Don’t ride with elbows straight. This is giving up your riding position. If your elbows are bent and the horse pulls, he can’t unseat you.
If horse were on adrenalin, Larry wouldn’t take even one step without the horse in a bend.
When doing a turn and your outside leg is behind the girth, your leg needs to be on the horse.
Correct back up and correct stop are the same frame. Stop on hind end with the horse’s back raised. The first thing the horse needs to learn is to shift their weight to their hind end with their head lowered. If their head comes up, they are backing on the forehand.
Never training both sides of the horse’s brain at once applies to backing also. As soon as you use your hands to back up, your horse will go on the forehand.
Practice with a yoga ball in front of the TV:
1) See if you can turn your core and seat without putting more weight on one seat
Bone.
2) Back up: close fingers and stand up slightly.. Push heels back with the knees, so
legs get longer. The belt buckle tips down and moves ball backward. This is how you talk to the rear end.
Stopping on the hind end: Ask for engagement and really round the back up. Use crossed reins in one hand, dressage whip in the other hand. Ask for the back up. When they start backing up, start tapping/tickling on the dock of tail.
Work on circle (not mounted): Hold rein in left hand, dressage whip in right hand. Massage rein to get the head down. If the neck is over bent, move the hind end over with the whip so they are in balance. Hind end moving in a bigger circle than the front end is desirable. Stand away from the horse so you can send him forward with your core energy. To change to shoulder in, rotate my shoulders and walk towards his throat and lift rein. Lifting the rein releases the brace. Pick up the supporting rein if the horse is over bent. Supporting rein and whip are in the same hand.
To go into shoulder in from the circle, lift the rein and change my shoulder position. To go back to the circle, put the rein down and turn my shoulder position more forward.
Larry riding Taca: When Taca got excited (sometimes too fast, and sometimes too slow) Larry kept his rhythm the same. Important: rider should never change their rhythm …. otherwise, the horse is in control.
Use shoulder in to teach relaxation, softness and develop muscles. A horse can’t get in a balanced frame if he doesn’t have the muscles to get in a frame.
For the first week of training: Use shoulder in, etc, for 20 minutes 2x daily. After that, a few minutes each side before riding.
Lungeing just brings adrenalin up … so need to lunge longer every day.
Ground work sour: Don’t want to drill so they resent the work.
Taking the horse to the bridle takes the brace out.
When working the horse, the poll shouldn’t be below the withers. The poll should be below the withers only when the horse is relaxing, and not working.
When you turn your core into the shoulder, the horse will turn in. When you turn your core into the horse’s jaw, he will move off with shoulder in.
In a week or two after getting good at my footwork, add smoothness, and then go for enthusiasm. First start practicing by walking the circle without the horse.
For more speed/enthusiasm, push belt buckle out in front of my shoulders.
Transitions up and down need to be forward and balanced.
Riding:
1) Asking for forward from a stop: Open fingers and roll the ball forward (Roll belt
buckle into your hands).
2) Asking for the stop (This helps the horse stop with their hind legs under them): Close fingers and roll the ball forward (Don’t pull back). The rider’s belt buckle rises up to move the horse into the bridle. The rider needs to stay relaxed in the shoulders. Release as soon as the horse stops moving his feet. Ignore it if the horse takes one or two steps after stopping. If he totally walks off, then go back to work so the horse looses the opportunity to rest.
3) Asking for the back: Roll the ball back. Move my heels back from the knee (the more you move your heels back, the more he will use his rear end). As you move your heels back, get taller in your back. You need to stay loose and think backwards.
4) To slow horse down: Make your legs longer from the waist down and your back taller from the waist up. This changes the balance. Take your legs out of the stirrups and make them even longer … this invites the horse to lift his back.
5) The rider’s hands should be about a hand’s width above the withers with hands about a bits width apart. The rider needs to breathe into her back, wrists need to be loose.
On the circle: If the horse comes in, lift the inside rein and put weight in the outside stirrup.
Circles: Need to keep alternating speeds so the horse will listen to the rider’s seat and go to the bridle.
When posting, the rider’s belt buckle should be going upwards to the horse’s ears. Need to keep a strong walk after the trot to walk until he softens.
Need engagement and impulsion to do slow gaits. Do transitions from slow trot to fast trot and back to work on this.
When lunging, free lunging or lunging in a rope halter, horses move out of balance.
When using a rope halter and rope and ask them to bend at the atlas, they tend to bend at the shoulder. If you move the lunge clip to the top of the nose, they bend at the atlas/poll. If they break at the neck vs. the atlas, they can’t cross over from rear to outside fore.
Using side reins: Want to teach the horse to bend into the outside rein. The reins are both the same length. Measure from the girth to the corner of the mouth, then clip to the bit … it will be loose. When lunging, it is important not to travel, but keep walking. The horse’s feet should walk when the person walks and stop when they stop.
When Larry was working the palomino in side reins, the whip is kept low and quiet
when following her around. If the horse is reactive, keep the whip even further back.
The tip of the whip is the rider’s leg.
The rider should ride as if their arms and reins are like side reins.
Work in hand (shoulder in, giving at the poll) is done before lunging.
Always try to do their good side first to give the horse confidence. You can vary the amount of time spent … less on the good side and more on the difficult side.
Larry only uses the round pen for the first couple days of training.
Turn on the haunches: Raise the outside rein, for example the right rein. Right leg is back and on. Turn right shoulder and core, making sure it is forward … don’t lean or go sideways. Don’t add pressure. If it doesn’t work, start over.
Riding a circle: The rider’s eyes look exactly where you want the horse’s eyes to look.
When the horse moves his right back hind leg, it moves the rider’s left butt cheek, and vice versa.