Does anyone do Straightness Training?

[ester]

Guess I’d just see that as your standard hacking or long line though where you start rehab in straight lines!

But you aren't going in straight lines? it is classical in hand school work so lots of circles and lateral work. Just taught in a way that us mere mortals can understand

I thought that was clear from the previous posts? Maybe go and have a look what they actually do? I'd be interested to know what you think then.

 

[milliepops]

Yup what you said! it's more that I see lots of other people read it as just being straight and that gets a bit frustrating.

the way I look at it you can't ever be straight on a straight line without the control, the suppleness, the muscle tone etc being in place, that is taught in other positions. being truly straight on a line is probably the last thing to fall into place I think because moving with bend is so helpful for engagement, suppleness, carriage etc, to achieve that kind of movement on a truly straight line is harder.

 

[only_me]

Yup what you said! it's more that I see lots of other people read it as just being straight and that gets a bit frustrating.

But you aren't going in straight lines? it is classical in hand school work so lots of circles and lateral work. Just taught in a way that us mere mortals can understand

But people are going to see this as a quick fix in an already ridden horse, not one who is undergoing rehab work to correct a physical issue. So they will try to skip the other stages in training. It’s a normal method of rehabbing a horse, nothing new about it tbh.

I never said the long line was in straight lines, there is a lot of bending/circles/serptinines/lateral that develop once the horse is at a level they can cope with that on a long line but it’s done with even contact to keep the horse straight/equal.

Maybe I was just very lucky in my training that this sort of stuff is seen as standard and is done as normal work/taught to riders as bog standard correctness and this was just the normal way on the yard. But then I was taught in early stages by very traditional dressage/event riders/instructors inc. a few ex army ones where maybe it was more standard to do than “modern” instructors lol. These lessons were just the ones that everyone got on the yard though, my YO was trained by some of these people when they were younger as well so maybe it was just accepted as normal. These lessons weren’t seen as anything special though (except 2 as they came from England to see YO as well lol)

Guess I’m maybe more annoyed that people will see this “straightness training” as another form of Parelli/quick easy fix to gain more marks!

 

[milliepops]

anything that helps people to understand correct movement in their horses and how to achieve it is a good thing IMO. It can't be a quick fix, I think that's kind of the point?

 

[ester]

It's not advertised as a quick fix at all, it is actually advertised as a pretty long slow, build the pieces up slowly and correctly haul. It becomes interesting quite how long you can spend perfecting the bend etc on a 20 m circle before you even think about a straight line.
For me it's just another skill in the box to make me more aware of what the horse is doing and how I can influence it in a beneficial way.

Yes I suspect you were very lucky. I just find it odd that people who have not investigated what it is at all have a strong opinion about it, regardless of what others have already said.

(you did specifically say straightlines at the end of that sentence so that is what I thought you meant)

 

[Sussexbythesea]

But people are going to see this as a quick fix in an already ridden horse, not one who is undergoing rehab work to correct a physical issue. So they will try to skip the other stages in training. It’s a normal method of rehabbing a horse, nothing new about it tbh.

I never said the long line was in straight lines, there is a lot of bending/circles/serptinines/lateral that develop once the horse is at a level they can cope with that on a long line but it’s done with even contact to keep the horse straight/equal.

Maybe I was just very lucky in my training that this sort of stuff is seen as standard and is done as normal work/taught to riders as bog standard correctness.
But then I was taught by very traditional dressage/event riders/instructors inc. a few ex army ones where maybe it was more standard to do than “modern” instructors lol.

Guess I’m maybe more annoyed that people will see this “straightness training” as another form of Parelli/quick easy fix to gain more marks!

No one I’ve met sees it as a quick fix at all in fact the opposite. Most people are hungry to learn how to work their horse properly. If anything bog standard instructors are looking for the quick fix. Many do not take the time to specifically work on making the horse equally supple on both sides whilst explaining what and why they are doing it to the pupil.

Also by doing it in-hand first you can observe and understand more closely what the horse is doing and then gradually translate that into ridden work. It’s also good for those not yet up to carrying a rider.

 

[TPO]

It's not a quick fix. The whole ethos of ST is to go slowly. It is as far from a gad as you can get.

Horses arent designed to carry riders so work is done in hand first to enable the horse to carry a weight. Given that most riders arent the pinnacle of fitness, dont regularly see physios themselves and are wonky from years of labour it's fairly safe to safe that the majority of riders are a hindrance to the horse. ST (and things like groundwork, long reining and poles), when done correctly, put the horse in a better position to deal with that trauma.

As with all correction training with horses you start from 0 and gradually increase the duration. Then when you add a stress you decrease duration and build up again.
ST should be incorporated in riding and schooling but given some of the dismissive responses on this thread its clear that doesnt happen.

Theres a wealth of knowledge and information out there. Once its understood how horses load unevenly, the effect of shoeing, artificial surfaces, limited turnout, flat fields then you can understand the value in ST

*from someone who's never had an ST lesson in my life but has read lots of texts and had lessons from a french trainer who incorporated it as a foundation into everything

 

[ester]

I forgot you spend quite a lot of time just standing and assessing before you even start said circle .

F did try his pony antics with Roz as a distraction technique, when diving for the grass on the outside of the arena didn't work he went for broke and just started eating the microphone, that worked!

 

[only_me]

*from someone who's never had an ST lesson in my life but has read lots of texts and had lessons from a french trainer who incorporated it as a foundation into everything

But that’s my whole point - it should be a normal part of training rather than a special addition.
It’s not easy keep a horse straight, it needs horse and rider (assuming horse is being ridden) which is why it’s higher on the scale.

I’m not dismissing “straightness training” but rather questioning why it’s seen as something unusual - the OP asked had anyone ever heard of or done straightness training which to my mind is weird as I thought everyone did it as a normal part of training a horse. Its something I just see as basic training.

 

[ester]

I think we have tried our best to explain why it is what it is TBH and why it is helpful but you have dismissed those responses. Which comes across a bit 'we should have known about that stuff anyway'.

It suits the way some of us learn, and is different to the inputs we have paid for previously.

 

[only_me]

I think we have tried our best to explain why it is what it is TBH and why it is helpful but you have dismissed those responses. Which comes across a bit 'we should have known about that stuff anyway'.

Well shouldn’t you have? Is straightness not already on the scale of training?
Is the first stage of “moving in straight lines” not the traditional way of starting rehab in an injured horse another form of straightness training?
I never said it wasn’t helpful - but maybe there would be more benefit for the ridden horse that the rider gets straightness training.

 

[ester]

As I said, you were obviously very lucky who you had around you to learn from.

Isn't it a good thing that those of us who didn't have that now have people happy to teach us extra things that are beneficial to our horses in a way we can understand and not make too many mistakes along the way?

I have done lots of rehab in straightlines, it is very different to what I experienced with a straightness training instructor but I don't think I have any other ways to try and explain that to you because it seems like you aren't reading what I or anyone else has written. I can only suggest again you go and watch some videos or something and then make a judgement about what it actually is, rather than what you seem determined to think it is.

 

[TPO]

But that’s my whole point - it should be a normal part of training rather than a special addition.
It’s not easy keep a horse straight, it needs horse and rider (assuming horse is being ridden) which is why it’s higher on the scale.

I’m not dismissing “straightness training” but rather questioning why it’s seen as something unusual - the OP asked had anyone ever heard of or done straightness training which to my mind is weird as I thought everyone did it as a normal part of training a horse. Its something I just see as basic training.

You do because You're experienced and have years under your belt. You'll have seen and felt wonky horses and intuitively know what work to do to correct that subliminally.

The foundations/basics seem to go amiss these days. People are so concerned with getting to be100 that they dont spend the time developing a truly independent seat/hands or feel. People think they have a right to do what they want and where there is demand then comp organisers will supply... maybe it's better elsewhere but I've seen some absolute shockers out at BE and unlevel/unsound horses at BD, completely wonky donks at BS and horror shows at RC. In the not so distant pass affiliated was something to work towards and attain now it's pretty much open to all and that's not always a good thing. In that same past if you took an unfit/unlevel horse out and couldnt ride one side of it, possibly even too heavy or unfit yourself, someone would have a word. Now the world has gone a bit mad and you cant infringe on anyones right

Complete tangent but my point is proven in this thread. To.the majority I imagine ST is something that is being done either consciously or unconsciously; you notice and feel things. However having had the merits of ST pointed out in this thread and the immense benefit it is to ridden horses, never mind rehab, there has still been a response of "nah, not for me" and "I'll give that a miss". I mean...

 

[Otherwise]

I saw a Spanish riding school demonstration as a kid, what amazed me most was the work on the short reins and the long reins, I'd never seen anything like it and that's what I really wanted to be able to do. There really aren't many people around who teach inhand work let alone teach it well. I really can't see the problem with work from the ground, yes everything could be taught riding the horse but taking the rider out of the equation temporarily would only be of benefit to the horse.

A common complaint about straightness training is that 'it's common sense' and 'the good horsemen have been doing this for years, it's not new' but I don't think marijke ever claims to have invented the wheel but she's found a way of getting across to people, people that otherwise wouldn't have had access to this type of training. I think it's a shame to compare it to parelli, whilst the marketing has similarities you don't see marijke wacking horses round the head or turning horses into robots, quite the opposite really.

If you've been fortunate enough to have had a decent instructor then that's great. Many don't though, there are so many mediocre or just plain awful instructors out there and people spend years having weekly lessons yet still have crooked horses and don't show any signs of progress.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Well shouldn’t you have? Is straightness not already on the scale of training?
Is the first stage of “moving in straight lines” not the traditional way of starting rehab in an injured horse another form of straightness training?
I never said it wasn’t helpful - but maybe there would be more benefit for the ridden horse that the rider gets straightness training.

Sadly this closed minded attitude is borne from an unwillingness to accept that not everyone has had the same opportunities as you’ve had. IME people doing ST are open-minded and want to learn not just about the horse but about themselves too and especially their influences on the horse. It’s not exclusive.

 

[milliepops]

If you've been fortunate enough to have had a decent instructor then that's great. Many don't though, there are so many mediocre or just plain awful instructors out there and people spend years having weekly lessons yet still have crooked horses and don't show any signs of progress.

so true, very unfortunately, that's why I think something that makes the concepts easier to understand and that feels achievable instead of mysterious has got to be a positive addition.
I'm usually skeptical about training methods that are packaged up and branded but I do think this is genuinely useful for people who either don't have the experience to find their own way or access to "normal" but really knowledgeable and effective instructors.

 

[ester]

Also, the first few times I went it was just to watch to see what I could learn from that as I had no transport. There's not that many instructors who will do a days worth of in hand lessons, mic themselves up for them and involve everyone in the most important teaching points. I learn a lot by watching so that side of it was as valuable to me, to really analyse what the horse in front of me was doing and importantly what to then do about it.

 

[Otherwise]

Also, the first few times I went it was just to watch to see what I could learn from that as I had no transport. There's not that many instructors who will do a days worth of in hand lessons, mic themselves up for them and involve everyone in the most important teaching points. I learn a lot by watching so that side of it was as valuable to me, to really analyse what the horse in front of me was doing and importantly what to then do about it.

I'd love to get out to more clinics or demonstrations to watch, especially with good trainers that I wouldn't be able to have lessons with myself. I went to the caroline moore and ros canter lecture demo despite not being into jumping, it was really interesting and I really enjoyed it. I hadn’t thought about going to a straightness training one, I should probably see if there's one coming up near me.

 

[little_critter]

I’ve had a selection of trainers over the years from BHS riding school instructors to GP dressage riders and a few in between. None of them really explained to me WHY a certain exercise was beneficial to the horse, what fine points of the exercise I needed to watch and feel for.
My ST trainer has really helped me to learn some ‘feel’ and has taught me to evaluate a horse and understand what needs working on and what exercises would help.
Yes, this training should be at the core of all equestrian training. Sadly it is not and ST allows those of us who feel something is missing from our training to fill those knowledge gaps.