constantly having a conversation with your horse whilst riding?

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tanyajade

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My trainer told me that I need to be having a constant conversation down the inside rein, with my horse. She's always more interested in what's going on outside the paddock, then she spooks.

How can I do this without her becoming numb to my aids? Surely if something is constant she'll just get too used to it?
 
i have a similar one, and was given similar advice. the conversation is just being more aware of where her head is at. In my head it sounds like this "are you concentrating?good then you are left alone. you feel a bit tenser now, so im gonna just remind you to concentrate'

it's not a constant aid, its more a super awareness of that issue and a much quicker response, so you catch it before the horse loses concentration. Its my main focus riding my lad,because as soon as I lose him on that rein everything else goes out the window!
 
Thanks Paddi. That's what I need to do. Do you have any tips on how you keep him concentrating? And also how you can be super-aware with out getting tense?
 
sorry not really related to your post..... the title just made me laugh as there is a lady that competes locally to me who literally has a full blown conversation with the horse as she goes round.....'slow down now, its slippy here' or 'Right its the water splash now, your going to fast!' Hilarious to watch, but i guess its her way of telling herself.
 
i love people that chat to their horses. There was an auld lad doing hunter trials last year that complimented his horse all the way round. We were in stitches watching. He had a running commentary over the fences we saw, going 'You are a SUPERSTAR!, this is a big jump coming up but you are going to look great doing it, because you are the BEST horse in the world!'

It was really sweet!
 
Had to login even though working just to say how great is the last post, paddi22, a totally great idea from the guy that you saw!
 
paddi22 said:
i love people that chat to their horses. There was an auld lad doing hunter trials last year that complimented his horse all the way round. We were in stitches watching. He had a running commentary over the fences we saw, going 'You are a SUPERSTAR!, this is a big jump coming up but you are going to look great doing it, because you are the BEST horse in the world!'

It was really sweet!
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Its great isnt it?

I tend to count a rhythm in my head when i jump so that i dont rush him, sometimes though if im nervous i will say it out loud without realising. came out of the ring recently to find my mother looking at me like i was mad! :D
 
Haha - I too am one of those who talk to my horse, literally. I've been doing it recently because I'm tense after coming off a few times after her spooking. So it's more for my benefit!

Any practical advice/tips?
 
Another tip to knowing if your horse is listening is to look at their ears! If my girls are both pointing forwards and are sort of flat i know that she is looking for something to spook at! If they are both up and one or both are cocked backwards she is listening to me!
 
pipper said:
Another tip to knowing if your horse is listening is to look at their ears! If my girls are both pointing forwards and are sort of flat i know that she is looking for something to spook at! If they are both up and one or both are cocked backwards she is listening to me!
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Ah har! Thank you. Her ears wiggle back and forth when I'm talking to her. And you're righty, when her ears are both perched forward, she's not listening to me at all!
 
tanyajade said:
My trainer told me that I need to be having a constant conversation down the inside rein, with my horse. She's always more interested in what's going on outside the paddock, then she spooks.

How can I do this without her becoming numb to my aids? Surely if something is constant she'll just get too used to it?
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I have a constant conversation with my horse but its a verbal conversation. I talk to myself and say things like "good girl, shoulders back" or "slow the rise". People must think I am mad but it helps me concentrae and helps with my nerves too. And saying "good girl" to myself makes me feel like I am doing something right. There is no one around to say it to me, so I say it too myself instead. :)
 
tanyajade said:
Can you elaborate please?

I mean, on the non-verbal conversations that you have, that she wouldn't become immune to?
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with mine i do a small squeeze on the rein and a small half halt to get his attention back to me and refocus him. horses only become immune if the aid is constant and nagging, so they tune it out. when they horse is going correctly pressure is released and i leave him in peace, but if i see his ears prick forward or feel his eyes start to look outside then i refocus him quickly.
 
Some times the conversations go like this however replace bag with puddle.

image_zpsf2080f55.jpg



However normally we chat and discuss the weather, that pigeons do not eat horses, how we need to solve her gate and puddle issues.

And normally lots of good lass, you've been worth waiting three years to get right.
 
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paddi22 said:
with mine i do a small squeeze on the rein and a small half halt to get his attention back to me and refocus him. horses only become immune if the aid is constant and nagging, so they tune it out. when they horse is going correctly pressure is released and i leave him in peace, but if i see his ears prick forward or feel his eyes start to look outside then i refocus him quickly.
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Right, so be constantly aware of her ears/eye direction! Thank you ;)
 
the ears are a great indicator. with my lad i can feel him if he sucks back a bit, and if his energy doesn't feel relaxed and forward. If he feels anything apart from forward and relaxed then i refocus him. Mine can be quiet nervy, so I gather him up a bit more under me by kind of hugging him gently with my legs as well, if that makes any sense(?). he finds it supportive and it seems to bring him back to me and give him confidence.
 
Knowing how to leg yield / shoulder in can be a life saver in nervy situations. Makes horse think and listen and keep controlled.

If samba does the mum I'm not happy thing, not sure how to explain it I just read her, we either leg yield or do the leg hug thing as paddi22 does and lots of neck scratching helps too.
 
Thank you. I do lots of leg yield, maybe too much (she likes to miss her corners and I don't like to drag her by the rein) so sometimes she ignores me. Litttle madam!
I like the ear tip
 
paddi22 said:
i love people that chat to their horses. There was an auld lad doing hunter trials last year that complimented his horse all the way round. We were in stitches watching. He had a running commentary over the fences we saw, going 'You are a SUPERSTAR!, this is a big jump coming up but you are going to look great doing it, because you are the BEST horse in the world!'

It was really sweet!
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I do this all the way around a XC course!! Along with a big pat after we've landed if horse has jumped something particularly scary (read: something I thought was scary and didn't really want to jump so kicked like h&ll and trusted horse to go ;) )!
 
paddi22 said:
the ears are a great indicator. with my lad i can feel him if he sucks back a bit, and if his energy doesn't feel relaxed and forward. If he feels anything apart from forward and relaxed then i refocus him. Mine can be quiet nervy, so I gather him up a bit more under me by kind of hugging him gently with my legs as well, if that makes any sense(?). he finds it supportive and it seems to bring him back to me and give him confidence.
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Yes, I have a tense one too. Have discovered that the key to mind is bend. If he isn't bending then he isn't listening. If I lose the bend, he sets his neck and his body, I lose the outside shoulder and all concentration. If I start to lose a bit of concentration, I have to ask for extra bend for a couple of strides to refocus him, then give with inside rein as a reward when he softens.

I think it is a constant conversation, in that you always need to be aware of what is happening and dealing with it.
 
Haha another who thought you meant verbal!
Out hacking alone I chatter away to my mare and if she spooks I go 'ooohhh what a silly baby horsey you arrreee' and she flicks an ear back and quite enjoys it! Keeps her relaxed too but she is a big fuzzy softie.
 
chestnut cob said:
I do this all the way around a XC course!! Along with a big pat after we've landed if horse has jumped something particularly scary (read: something I thought was scary and didn't really want to jump so kicked like h&ll and trusted horse to go ;) )!
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Another guilty one, I have a verbal conversation a lot of the time when riding, have words for certain things eg. anything lateral and I say 'over', about to spook and they get a sharp 'don't', they get told off, rewarded etc... one of mine thrives on it, I do feel a bit bonkers sometimes though...
 
tanyajade said:
Right, so be constantly aware of her ears/eye direction! Thank you ;)
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You need to develop what is known as "feel", which is why its been described to you as a "conversation down the reins". You may also feel the horses body alter position as she looks to the outside. If you develop feel, you won't start looking down at her head all the time, which would affect your position and balance.
 
Ha Ha, I thought OP was someone I knew at first, as I always talk about a constant conversation!

It is not ALWAYS down the reins though..... To me it means constantly giving feedback to the horse and vice versa. One of my pet hates is people with a half feel on the rein. I am happy if it is safe to have a buckle end, or alternatively to have the horse working on contact, but if you are a halfway house (neither on or off a contact) the horse can harden off to your requests and you can't even notice. So, if I am riding on a contact I will do some "requests" such as a bend or an ask to relax the jaw to keep them soft and accepting , because if you just have a "light contact" the horse may have checked out without you even noticing.

They learn what you practice, so if they are allowed to hold the bit against you (because you are half way on a contact and didn't notice) then they will not be habitually holding the bit softly.

If I am on the buckle end I am still aware of the horse with my legs through the ribcage. If the horse looks at something to the left I can feel the ribs moving to the right, and will correct this by softening the ribcage with my right leg.

I guess that is the same as keeping them soft by keeping them soft through the ribs.

At first it is hard work, but learning clutch control on a car was difficult at first, but after a while it becomes automatic through muscle memory, and just do it automatically.

I like to work with horses who have previous "issues" and having someone answer all their questions as soon as they arise leads to a more relaxed horse.
 
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