Maintaining impulsion without having to nag?

[QueenDee_]

Schooling today I realised to maintain my mares impulsion I am nagging with my leg every stride. Obviously this isn't correct and was hoping for some tips to get out the habit and also to make her more responsive off the leg?

 

[L&M]

Schooling whip - tap, no response, tap again, no response, wallop!!!

Or spurs.....

 

[blitznbobs]

Ask for forward if you don't get forward do an upwards transition if still not forward go up again if necessary gallop then go back to the pace you were walking at. The second the horse doesn't respond to your leg upwards transition - most horses realise after about 20 minutes that slobbing a long just isn't an option.

 

[Dizzleton]

Schooling whip - tap, no response, tap again, no response, wallop!!!

Or spurs.....

Exactly wrong in my opinion.

To help impulsion try lots of transitions in a small space of time - a stride or so of each gait (Walk, canter, walk, trot, canter, walk, canter etc etc) this will help your horse to think forward and up whilst engaging his hind leg to really push him off. It worked wonders for my horse!

Good luck

 

[highlandponygirl]

^^^^

If need be carry a long schooling stick in each hand so you can back up each leg aid at the same time, be consistent when backing up your leg aids and transitions and impulsion should become much less of an effort.

 

[blitznbobs]

^^^^

If need be cary a long schooling stick in each hand so you can back up each leg aid at the same time.

The problem with this is horses aren't stupid. the second you drop the whip they quit on you.

 

[*hic*]

Ask for forward if you don't get forward do an upwards transition if still not forward go up again if necessary gallop then go back to the pace you were walking at. The second the horse doesn't respond to your leg upwards transition - most horses realise after about 20 minutes that slobbing a long just isn't an option.

^^^ This but insisting the horse reacts IMMEDIATELY to your leg aid in the upward transition, even if you have to resort to PC kicking and banshee yelling. You also need to reschool yourself NOT to keep nagging - this can be a chicken and egg situation!

 

[Antw23uk]

^^^ This but insisting the horse reacts IMMEDIATELY to your leg aid in the upward transition, even if you have to resort to PC kicking and banshee yelling. You also need to reschool yourself NOT to keep nagging - this can be a chicken and egg situation!

I've been back into riding two years after a 20 odd year break and I've had my horse four months and the other day I suddenly realised I was constantly nagging him to keep going (This is an ex racer so even more embarrassing!) so I've upped the anti and we are wrking on me asking for a pace and him keeping that pace until I ask for something slower or faster because he must have been getting as fed up as I was with all the nagging!
I read an interesting article in a magazine about it as well and you can actually start this training with ground work .. Will try and find the mag if anyone is interested

 

[happybear]

I've recently noticed myself doing the same with my new horse - realised I was having to nag at him almost every stride to keep him going and was working a lot harder than he was!!! Good old PC kicks are working for us - he increases pace then I have to immediately take my leg off when I've done it, then do another when he comes back to plodding - absolutely no nagging inbetween!! Good luck!

 

[ArabianGem78]

As others have said, ask lightly once and reinforce immediately if I don't get the required response. On an 80km or more endurance ride, you really don't want to be asking every stride! the expectation with both my ladies is that they maintain gait and pace until asked otherwise, up or down.

 

[JillA]

I have had this problem for years, and finally found the answer (fingers crossed ) - yes it is so easy to nag isn't it, just to maintain the pace, not change it.
I am doing this at walk for now - set off in walk, hopefully a reasonably active walk, and DO NOTHING. When, as he surely will, he dies on you, change up a gear with just ONE leg aid backed up by a whip (tap as hard as you need to to get a response). Then after 10 or so strides, back to walk, and do it over and over again until he realises that failing to maintain an active walk results in him having to put in a heap more effort. So every time he gets sluggish, you make him think forward. Added to which, he is at a state of readiness for the transition, hinds engaged, walk active and ready.
Once he has it at walk, you can do the same at trot - the important thing to remember is it is his responsibility to maintain the pace without any further aids from you - if he doesn't, he gets told to go up to the next pace. It is working well for us, after years of trying engaging exercises, lots of transitions in a short time etc etc - they work on his body but not his brain.
Oh, and one more thing I found - don't use a loose walk as a relaxing reward. He will associate the walk with slopping along - if you want to give him a break as a reward, halt and stand still for a short time.

 

[Brightbay]

Schooling today I realised to maintain my mares impulsion I am nagging with my leg every stride. Obviously this isn't correct and was hoping for some tips to get out the habit and also to make her more responsive off the leg?

Some rather scary advice on this thread

The way to get impulsion is the same way you train most things with horses. Pressure, and release. You apply (the lightest possible) pressure, and when the horse responds, you release the pressure completely. If you are needing to use spurs, wallops with whips and PC kicks, you are using your own energy inefficiently.

First, in walk and trot, you should be using your legs in sequence (never together) to ask the hind leg that is just lifting to step deeper under the horse. So if you want a faster walk, start applying light pressure with alternating legs. As soon as you feel even the slightest increase in impulsion, stop asking. As soon as you feel even the slightest decrease in impulsion, ask again. Repeat, and you will find the horse is quicker to respond next time because to them the message is clear "if I walk faster, the pressure instantly disappears". Continue doing this, and the horse will become more responsive to your leg, and as you continue this process, they will maintain the impulsion for longer.

The problem is, we seem to want to go from "slobbing along" to "walking at the perfect speed without slacking" in one step - but all teaching involves breaking things down into smaller steps. That way, you keep your horse on your side, your horse doesn't learn to associate being ridden with being kicked, whacked or spurred, and they don't become sour at being schooled and switch off when you head towards the arena. Same as humans, to be honest - I'm much less likely to work for you if you shout at me without explaining quietly and in simple steps what it is you want, and I'm much less likely to want anything to with you in the future.

 

[JillA]

Some rather scary advice on this thread

The way to get impulsion is the same way you train most things with horses. Pressure, and release. You apply (the lightest possible) pressure, and when the horse responds, you release the pressure completely. If you are needing to use spurs, wallops with whips and PC kicks, you are using your own energy inefficiently.

First, in walk and trot, you should be using your legs in sequence (never together) to ask the hind leg that is just lifting to step deeper under the horse. So if you want a faster walk, start applying light pressure with alternating legs. As soon as you feel even the slightest increase in impulsion, stop asking. As soon as you feel even the slightest decrease in impulsion, ask again. Repeat, and you will find the horse is quicker to respond next time because to them the message is clear "if I walk faster, the pressure instantly disappears". Continue doing this, and the horse will become more responsive to your leg, and as you continue this process, they will maintain the impulsion for longer.

The problem is, we seem to want to go from "slobbing along" to "walking at the perfect speed without slacking" in one step - but all teaching involves breaking things down into smaller steps. That way, you keep your horse on your side, your horse doesn't learn to associate being ridden with being kicked, whacked or spurred, and they don't become sour at being schooled and switch off when you head towards the arena. Same as humans, to be honest - I'm much less likely to work for you if you shout at me without explaining quietly and in simple steps what it is you want, and I'm much less likely to want anything to with you in the future.

And if you don't get any increase in impulsion? Riding a horse who doesn't think forward and offer you anything to work with is a whole different ball game. I have ridden for many many years, broken home bred youngsters and ridden them on, but this current one has had me looking for new answers. It ISN'T as simple as pressure and release, if only it were - in a horse who isn't forward thinking, each application of pressure results in the most grudging of offers of more, but it fizzles out more and more quickly - which is when the leg aid can so easily become nagging, almost without you realising it.

 

[blitznbobs]

This ... I now buy horses that think forward cos that's the way they're made but in my experience most don't and in my experience gentle pressure and release just leads to lots of nagging...

 

[pip6]

Dare I suggest they may be bored??

As arabian gem says, in endurance you just can't be nagging with the leg & you need forward active paces to cover the ground. Slobbing is not an option. However, the horses are out, seeing the world, dealing with situations & basically stimulated. Spurs & schooling whips are banned in endurance, indeed in rides over 80km, on the final loop (when the horse is most likely to be tired) ALL whips are banned.

Not saying do endurance, just suggesting that most opf the schooling by people in livery yards I've seen is unimaginative, repetative & tedious, with the same exercises & shapes being repeated ad infanitum. Is it any wonder many horses switch off & do the minimum they can get away with. Why not try your schooling exercises out hacking? A change of scenary can help, if you go past an open area why not do your circles there? Change the pace reguarly, work for forward with an even tempo. Take them over difficult terrain where they have to engage their brains. Don't baby them all the time, let them think for themselves. When your at work don't you appreciate some variety & stimulation?

Another thing, when I go to ODE I see loads of riders trying to get a false outline by dragging the front end in. In the engine isn't working forward to begin with, this just totally kills any impulsion there was. Forget the front end until they are working through from behind. Don't hold them together, get them going forward & finding their own balance (they manage when you aren't on top after all). Only once the hindquaters are really working think about asking them to come down.

 

[JillA]

There is a difference between teaching and training - mine doesn't hack due to a physical issue and he doesn't get bored - he is learning new stuff and getting praise for it, why would he want to go out and about and meet big dirty vehicles or spend time on nasty tarmac?
I forgot to mention homeostasis - the tendency we all have to revert to old habits. Remembered when I was riding this morning - it takes a definite effort to not do what you have always done, but you get through that and the new regime becomes the established habit.

 

[*hic*]

Some rather scary advice on this thread

The way to get impulsion is the same way you train most things with horses. Pressure, and release. You apply (the lightest possible) pressure, and when the horse responds, you release the pressure completely. If you are needing to use spurs, wallops with whips and PC kicks, you are using your own energy inefficiently.

First, in walk and trot, you should be using your legs in sequence (never together) to ask the hind leg that is just lifting to step deeper under the horse. So if you want a faster walk, start applying light pressure with alternating legs. As soon as you feel even the slightest increase in impulsion, stop asking. As soon as you feel even the slightest decrease in impulsion, ask again. Repeat, and you will find the horse is quicker to respond next time because to them the message is clear "if I walk faster, the pressure instantly disappears". Continue doing this, and the horse will become more responsive to your leg, and as you continue this process, they will maintain the impulsion for longer.

The problem is, we seem to want to go from "slobbing along" to "walking at the perfect speed without slacking" in one step - but all teaching involves breaking things down into smaller steps. That way, you keep your horse on your side, your horse doesn't learn to associate being ridden with being kicked, whacked or spurred, and they don't become sour at being schooled and switch off when you head towards the arena. Same as humans, to be honest - I'm much less likely to work for you if you shout at me without explaining quietly and in simple steps what it is you want, and I'm much less likely to want anything to with you in the future.

Wonderful and detailed answer, however the part I've emboldened is where it all goes wrong with a nagging rider on a lazy horse used to being constantly nagged. Once you've got that situation something different has to happen, as they say "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got".

 

[pip6]

Don't have to meet big nasty vehicles. Travel to somewhere with PROW. We are blessed with extensive networks in many areas.

 

[JillA]

Don't have to meet big nasty vehicles. Travel to somewhere with PROW. We are blessed with extensive networks in many areas.

Much as I hate posters who have an argument for every suggestion someone has been kind enough to make.................easier said than done in our area and when I am on my own. Loading and unloading to go somewhere would be fine - getting on him and then loading to come home might be, er, challenging without any help. We do fine in the school thank you - I was just pointing out that I'm not sure who does actually enjoy hacking - horse or rider???

 

[yaffsimone1]

Schooling whip - tap, no response, tap again, no response, wallop!!!

Or spurs.....

This is as i've been taught, ask them once with the leg, ask them again a bit harder and when they still rudely ignore you crack with the schooling whip....watch for the leap forward but they will soon learn. Or lots and lots of transition to get them listening