This then is the ultimate test of how well you have been teaching your horse to go too comfort and how quickly and often you have rewarded the try. At 50’ feet, it’s pretty hard to make your horse do as you want.
So, what sort of response does your horse give you at a distance, or even at liberty? Does he run about gleefully, keeping track of you, awaiting your next cue, or is he poking his tongue out just waiting for the opportunity to escape? At this distance and at liberty, we need to have our horses following our focus, hunting for our offer of comfort. How do we do this? In the coming articles we will take you through the on-line lesson of Level 3 in the QS programme. In this lesson you will be asked to look at your send. Make sure it is clear and that your phases are effective. If you send your horse off half heartedly, how much impulsion do you think you will have? How far will your send carry your horse? If you were to send your horse over a jump with just one send and then nothing else - no little stick or rope wiggles to get him over - could he make it over the jump by himself?
Begin with clear phases, start at phase one of course and be prepared to follow through ... it’s positive reflexes we are looking for here just like in Level 2. The further away your horse gets, the lighter your phases should become. Remember, we are sending our horses too comfort! Some people try to be too refined too early and send their horse off nice and softly from the start. This is great and is our goal, once we have impulsion. If you send your horse off without respect, your impulsion will also run out. As your horse gets further away, you’ll find your phases getting higher and harder. You are turning into a make monster just when your horse should be finding comfort at the end of the rope.
The harder it is for you to get your horse further away from you, the more you should allow him to find comfort when he gets there. Leave him out there for longer; maybe even send him to his favourite snack in a bucket or a biscuit of hay.
Send your horse off with a good clear send with positive reflexes. Stop him before he runs out of impulsion and reward him with comfort. Over time, this will gradually send him further and further plus he’ll be getting lighter. Then your phases can lighten off. The great thing about long lines is that they can be long or short. Work them to your advantage.
When you are out trail-walking, string all of your on-line skills together, put all sorts of challenges to your horse but don’t get over focused on them. Remember, trail walking is about keeping your feet moving, no matter what. If you offer a jump and your horse refuses it, just keep walking and offer it again next time. If he sees there is no big deal, he will try harder next time. If he has a lot of trouble repeatedly, then you need to go back to your ingredients and get them better. Practise building his confidence by going back to smaller things and building them up gradually. That’s homework. The time to do that is not on the trail walk. If you lose focus, or worse change your focus and stop and try and make him go over it, he’ll lose respect, confidence and trust in your leadership. Lead by example; go about your business; inspire your horse to try. They are born followers, they just need a good leader.
Read More Road To Horsemanship articles.
- By Meredith Ransley, Quantum Savvy.