I had the most fantastic hack on Radar this evening. He was relaxed through his back and swinging for almost the entire time, and easy to put back into the frame when he dropped it. The schooling seems to be paying huge dividends, he was so comfortable to ride.
I now have the arena kitted out with with a white square and a big black letter every ten metres. I also put a big white tub with a black X on either side in the middle of the arena with some food on the top. As well as that, I put four huge white sheets with a big black letter on them in the barn, one attached to each feed rack. I used a shower curtain to make them, so it was easy to hang them on the racks with cable ties :-)
I walked Ace round in hand to show him the letters and he was unconcerned. Then I rode one circuit on each rein of walk, trot and canter. In between each pace, I encouraged him to eat cubes off the top of the big white tub.
I was very pleased with the result. He was clearly aware of the letters, but controlled himself. I feel that he has learnt a very big lesson about how pointless it would be to spook at them. I also feel that I have learnt a lot about why he spooks at them in a competition environment. It is all about stress levels. When a competition raises the stress levels (and rain and the showjumps yesterday raised it even more), then he will choose the letters to make a fuss about. They are not the primary problem, they are just the last straw.
What this means for me riding him is that it is pointless to ride him to try to stop him spooking. It will only, as it did yesterday, ruin his paces and result in just as bad a score as he might have got anyway. The answer is to stay totally calm, and accept however near the letters I can get him to go nicely. That is not to stay that I just accept him being silly, but that there is a limit to how far it is beneficial toargue with him over what he will and will not do.
I am, I have to say, thrilled with him lately. He is maturing into an absolutely magnificent horse, a real eyeful. I am looking forward to doing our first day with 2 novice tests next week, if the weather allows. I'll try and learn the right ones this time!
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I'm telln' ya...Radar reads! *G* He just needed the letters to explain what you wanted from him.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear the training is carrying over into the field. Hopefully he is discovering that using his body properly is actually more comfortable for the both of you. Wouldn't that be great!
So does Ace. That's the problem. He knows the letters are not in alphabetical order and that bothers him. It's not shying at A,B,C but AKVESH, etc. He's wondering what language it is. *G*
Actually all that despooking should help. And, another tip is that when you are approaching a potential "spook spot" you do not yourself focus on the "object of spook." Just ignore it. If you can go into a little shoulder in as you approach and then pass, that can help too. The Kenny thing works for big spooks but it not practical in a test, of course.
It's obvious from my video that I tried too hard to stop him reacting to the letters Jean. I'll do better next time, I've promised myself :-)
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We have all had days when a horse will spook at something that he has seen many times before. Or days when he doesn't spook at something that he usually spooks at. There is some formula, the factors of which are things like temperature, wind, home or away, friends close by, strange objects, learning new movements etc. They are additive. We all should de-spook more but it's hard to take the time out of riding to do that.
ReplyDeleteYou are better than I am at learning new tests. I am riding the same two tests I learned a year ago and I am happy that I don't have to memorize anything new. My biggest worry going into a show is that I will forget the tests. And a reader doesn't really work for me - it's just distracting.
I've had years of practice of test learning ML. Though I have decided to do only one new one this week, as two seemed to much to ask of myself or Ace.
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