tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post2890914544173939533..comments2023-09-09T05:35:11.672-07:00Comments on Boots and Saddles: Tig canters!Melhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16627065628317652042noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-20126527946368181992014-02-08T04:54:36.442-08:002014-02-08T04:54:36.442-08:00Just catching up after a few weeks of being too bu...Just catching up after a few weeks of being too busy to read much:) I love your philosophy about not doing the drills. I used to be the same way in that I thought you had to keep working on something until it was perfect before advancing. Then, I got a dog who was not food-oriented, sensitive to sound, scared of anything and anyone new, and who saw no purpose in doing something more than once. It changed the way I looked at training a dog and it made me think about how I worked with my horse. And I came to the same conclusion you did. Drills are not always that helpful. And not just for smart Arab mares. My Friesian gelding will actually get worse at something the more times he does it. If he does it right once or twice, and I keep asking, the quality of his work will degrade to the point that it's like he's not even trained to be ridden at all. I often have trouble communicating that to riding instructors who seem to think that doing a pattern, transition, or movement 3-5 times is essential before moving on. What I like to do if the first or second time doing something doesn't work well is to go do something else for awhile and then come back to it later in the ride or even in the next ride. I'm not an expert on learning, but even for myself, I've noticed that sometimes the best learning seems to occur after I've tried to do something and failed. I think about it and then try again later with better results. I don't know if horses spend any time rethinking rides or lessons, but it does seem like taking some time away from a difficult task can help. Thanks for posting all your thoughts about working with Tig! It's fun to read about how you're working with her.Gailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17080104319886657109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-82439871929437517242014-01-28T23:20:42.980-08:002014-01-28T23:20:42.980-08:00Mel, I really, REALLY appreciate your response. Ma...Mel, I really, REALLY appreciate your response. Making me think about it differently, thanks! :) I particularly like: "However, in smart mares I find that redefining the task as having a purpose really helps". I get it - she doesn't see the point! She loves having a job, so instead of drilling (like you get told by experts to do), just need to show her the point (which works well with her).<br /><br />Also, Aarene's Buffering description has still got me grinning - thanks! :)OneHindRestinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08497414168847697496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-6769960401158795392014-01-28T20:40:05.075-08:002014-01-28T20:40:05.075-08:00At first these pauses are brief and I chose my mom...At first these pauses are brief and I chose my moments well. Perhaps it's just a sunglass adjustment or to scratching an itch. But later on you ask for more time to do more complex tasks in higher stress situations. A couple years ago I could NOT have counted on Farley stopping for me to do a tack adjustment in the first half of a race. She would have paused while I tightened the girth in the saddle but anything more complex was OUT. Last year she actually got to the point where at the beginning of the race, even when she was HIGH and in a PACK of horses, she would stop and let me mount and dismount to run down hills. Then at Tevis, fairly early own in the ride when I needed to do a major stirrup adjustment - she let me. She definiately wanted to go - but I could tell she was just waiting until i was done with the task...and as soon as I was ZOOM. <br /><br />For some horses it might be enough to say "you must do this because I say". However, in smart mares I find that redefining the task as having a purpose really helps. <br /><br /><br />I'm not sure if any of this rambling actually helps. but I would encourage you to: <br />1. find a way to naturally integrate the behavior you want. <br /><br />2. Choose a new lesson for now that elicits a similar response, if the primary lesson cannot be performed by the horse successfully right now. <br /><br />3. If you find it turning it into a battle, change the lesson as fast as you can. Note that in the Tig/water example the lesson was first "go forward when I ask" and the second lesson when I dismounted was "stay out of my space". I didn't dismount and try to teach the same lesson, I taught a new lesson in the same context of the "scary" patch of mud. <br /><br />4. Realize what motivates your horse and chose the right moment for success. Farley is motivated by having a job and having a purpose. Integrating these motivations was key to getting the behavior I wanted. <br /><br />5. If you find yourself having the reinforce the same lesson over and over and over because they keep getting it wrong, be mindful of what "unintended lessons" you might be teaching your horse beyond the one you are trying to teach. (I've done quite a few of these "lessons" with Tess.....not so good!). <br /><br />6. Remember that while stress can be good and we want to instill certain "stress reactions" in our horses (staying out of my space at all costs comes to mind) - most of the lessons we want to teach our horses we don't WANT to elicit a stress/fear reaction. Try to chose your lessons/situations so that cortisol levels stay low and maximum learning can take place. Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16627065628317652042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-27058182962881925642014-01-28T20:39:34.935-08:002014-01-28T20:39:34.935-08:00Multiple parts because comment was too long!
So.....Multiple parts because comment was too long!<br /><br />So....to be honest I've never had this issue, so my advice is coming from a place of guessing and not necessarily from having and then solving that issue. Looking back I can sorta see how I've shaped Farley's behavior and how I'm currently shaping Tig's behavior in regards to this issue, so let's see if I can actually ennunciate it....<br /><br />There are 2 scenarios that I ask my horse to let horses move forward without following them. <br /><br />1. slow down or stop for long enough for me to complete a task - whether it's getting on or getting off, checking a GPS, getting something out of my saddle back etc. Then we catch up. <br /><br />2. The second scenario is when the horses ahead of me are travelling at a pace that is too fast and I want to let them go ahead and stay there. For this scenario I'm asking for her to respond to half halts and gait requests. <br /><br />For the first scenario the horse is NOT allowed to bolt towards the group. Relaxed, reasonably loose rein. For the second, depending on the circumstance it may range from full on contact on the bit (and if so, I'm treating it like a whole body dressage work out! Can't waste the opportunity while she's in front of my let!) to a horse that just needs to bumped with the reins to remind what pace we are going. What I expect and ask for depends on what I think my horse is capable of giving me at that point. Sometimes, if she's fresh or at the beginning of a ride - she's going to be on the bit pulling. That's fine - she just signed up for a session of roundness, throughness, straightness, and travelling in a frame properly on the bit. I don't tend to pick the lesson that will turn into the battle. If I always match the lesson to the circumstance then I'm sure my horse is learning the right lesson for that time. <br /><br />For example. Tig and I crossed water 4x on the ride. Going out I stayed mounted and with a reasonable amount of urging she crossed (2 times, with the second time being better than the first). On the third water crossing coming back, she balked, and this time after a certain amount of urging, I could feel that the lesson was starting to change and instead of a teaching moment I was entering "trying to win the battle" stage. So I changed the lesson. I hoped off and the lesson became - "cross this without invading my space". Which she did promptly with a tap on the butt from the dressage whip. When I approached the 4th water (there was 2 going out and 2 coming back), she started to hesitate so I immediately jumped off and repeated the lesson of "cross this without entering my personal space" - which she did better than the last time. <br /><br />I didn't "lose" - I changed the lesson and picked my moment for success based on what the horse was capable of giving me at the time.<br /><br />sorry this is sorta random, but I'm trying to give you ideas of how to formulate your own plan. <br /><br />Going back to the "catching up" thing. I rarely "contrive" situations to work on this. The horses I've owned totally catch on to "contrived" situations, find them stupid and pointless and don't want to play the game. However......if I'm riding with a group of people and I pause to mess with gear briefly etc - it seems to make sense to the horse. Especially the purpose driven "need a job" type of horses seem to do well with a stop that has a purpose. I pause to reach down and check the girth. I slow to a walk to tighten the girth. I stop to get something out of the saddle bags. And when I'm done we move on. It's more of a "give me a sec....." moment. Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16627065628317652042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-89701050629027042782014-01-28T19:59:13.135-08:002014-01-28T19:59:13.135-08:00LOL that sounds like EXACTLY what happens to her. ...LOL that sounds like EXACTLY what happens to her. She's never had a melt down or exploded....but sometimes she "buffers". LOL.Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16627065628317652042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-72922101088716535432014-01-28T10:04:15.886-08:002014-01-28T10:04:15.886-08:00When my friend Patty's horse was green and got...When my friend Patty's horse was green and got tired (in body or brain), she would stop dead for a minute or two...you could practically see the animated hourglass over her head with a caption that read "buffering." Then she'd gather herself up and move forward again without incident. Funny!<br /><br />(Fee's version was to slam on the brakes in a full-on angry toddler tantrum. Sigh)AareneXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18072169739345465380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-67298133454616902132014-01-28T04:31:35.062-08:002014-01-28T04:31:35.062-08:00What an awesome ride! I really admire your approac...What an awesome ride! I really admire your approach with her. Can't wait to hear more. Liz Stouthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18267806576736655184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-59018877224408894182014-01-28T00:03:53.084-08:002014-01-28T00:03:53.084-08:00Tig looks great, love the last photo! :)
Interest...Tig looks great, love the last photo! :)<br /><br />Interesting reading what you say about making things a non-issue. Suggestions for (sweet but opinionated young arab) mare that is getting a bit fitter and feeling that she should be keeping up with the horse(s) in front? Nothing terrible, just jig-jogging (in walk) or rushing (in trot). Basically focused on the other horse(s) and not the rider. We practised the basics of this stuff before, but I think she's feeling good, which is good because she's LOVING preparing for her first ride (and thinks she's awesome), but not so good if she forgets about the rider!<br /><br />I had decided to make it my focus/priority, and the last time out with other horses around was more enjoyable, but is that making it an issue? I basically just want her to remember to relax on a loose rein at the chosen gait... but do I reward her by asking her to trot on (once she's walking calmly), or is that re-inforcing that she needs to catch up? Aaahhhhh....<br /><br />Little mare is being such a super-star and we're both having heaps of fun, I just want to make sure we're clear on 'rating' speed, so we can keep having fun...OneHindRestinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08497414168847697496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1963277636652034473.post-13604927236587765482014-01-27T22:25:52.304-08:002014-01-27T22:25:52.304-08:00I think that refusing to move definitely counts as...I think that refusing to move definitely counts as a refusal! But hooray for a successful ride and lovely cantering. Sounds like everyone had fun.<br /><br />One of my riding partners has a mare that gets 'stuck' regularly on the trail on the way out. Balking, refusing to move forwards. Very polite, just very stubborn. She's slowly but surely making progress with her, and it's definitely taught me that I prefer a horse who moves when upset to one who flat-out refuses forwards motion.Figurehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02344675725634191104noreply@blogger.com