Report from USA masterclasses :)

elaineh

elaineh

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I'm just back from 3 days of horsemanship masterclasses in Las Vegas on horse breaking/starting, showjumping, dressage, reining & problem horses. Full writeup & notes ready to be shared. The trainers were:

SHOWJUMPING: Melanie Smith Taylor, Olympic gold in LA 1984.

DRESSAGE: Betty Staley, author “Bringing It Together, an approach to a lighter and happier dressage horse.”

HORSE STARTING: Peter Campbell, Martin & Wade Black, Buck & Reata Brannaman - subject of the Sundance Film Festival Award winning film 'Buck' & long listed for an Oscar.

PROBLEM HORSES: Buck Brannaman.

REINING: Jaton Lord - Ray Hunts grandson

Full Review/reports on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IrishHorsemanshipSociety

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You can’t get a horse too nice at the end of a leadrope. Buck.

Be smooth & efficient – not quick. (Buck on colt saddling)

‘You don’t get on a horse from the fence because you’re old or pathetic’. Buck

Some people try to push the horse through things. Instead start from where the horse is at.’ Peter Campbell

Settle for the smallest change and the slightest try. Peter Campbell

Do not pull on the horse as it will only teach him to pull back. Peter Campbell

Don‘t let the horse learn he is stronger than you. Peter Campbell

Don’t let the try get buried. Peter Campbell

Day 1 colt starting: Have an idea and then go with this idea when it becomes the horses idea. This really is breathtaking to watch, both human & horse truly of the same mind. (Peter & Megan)

When a horse offers a turn, accept it. With a youngster, don‘t be critical. Peter Campbell

Peter was at one of the biggest horse operations in the country. The boss knew nothing, but Peter didn’t know he knew nothing. 20 years later, he happened to be back there. Nothing had changed, the guy was still doing it all the old way - Peter Campbell

Softness doesn’t come from your hands, it comes from your heart. From inside - Peter Campbell

“Let the horse move his feet if he needs to, but do it in a useful way”. Martin Black

“I don’t want to make him lope (canter). I just want to get him ready to leave the trot”. Martin Black.

When the tail is up the rider stays down. When the tail is down the rider goes up. Tom Dorrance.

“It’s not how much you do, its how little you can do to get the job done.” Martin Black.

“It’s about getting them to accept everything.” Martin Black.

Martin Black colt starting EXERCISE: Asks for a bend in the horse’s neck. Keep it light & just wait until the horses feet move. The hind foot is to step out. This is time well spent. Then change rein, and ask the other hind to step out. The goal is to straighten the neck using the body, not to straight the body using the neck.

For the 1st colt session, Wade & Martin had a very happy chilled out colt, ended up doing walk, trot & canter, and the WAY Wade went with the horse & waited until his idea was the horses idea, just made them riding together (FIRST RIDE!!!) look like a perfectly balanced EFFORTLESS dance. Took my breath away, honestly. Such a superb rider & horseman.

“No matter what happens it won’t be wrong.“ Martin Black on colt starting.

When your horse wants to turn, take advantage of it. M BLack.

SHOWJUMPING: Buck was riding an unknown experienced showjumper. The horse was spooky, doesn’t bend & pulls away on the lead rope. Buck reckoned he was missing a lot of the basics.

SHOWJUMPING: This experienced showjumping horse was more scared of the flag than the "1 hour colt" Buck had worked with the flag for the first time that morning.

SHOWJUMPING: The western saddle goes on the showjumper. The horse doesn’t know how to work off a feel on the end of the lead rope. So he’ll never move off a feel in the saddle. Horse obviously used to being lunged, his nose was stuck to the outside on a circle & was worst on the left rein, the side most of the work by the human had been done on.

SHOWJUMPING: Draw reins are for more leverage, to try & overpower the horse. The worst thing you can do is let the horse find out he is stronger than you. It shouldn’t be a matter of strength, but a matter of feel. BUCK

SHOWJUMPING: The showjumper had his head 10 feet in the air to be bridled. Buck said that was ‘disgusting’. The horse was never taught to put his head down. That should have been taught.

SHOWJUMPING: The trainer teaching Buck was Melanie Smith Taylor. Melanie became one of only two riders ever to win the “Triple Crown of Show Jumping” by winning the American Invitational, the International Jumping Derby and the American Gold Cup. Melanie was part of the USET’s Gold Medal team at the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico. At the “Alternate Olympics” in 1980, Melanie won the indivi...

On using mounting blocks: Do not pick up an inanimate object, and place it beside an animate object. Buck B.

SHOWJUMPING: (well the warmup before it!) Buck asked for a backup – nothing there. Ask, wait until you get a try then release. The horse had learned to ignore people (riders) who were hanging off his mouth. The horse is trying to push his way through pressure.

SHOWJUMPING: A horse can’t get soft until he is forward & light. You have nothing to direct until there is a willingness in there. Buck.

SHOWJUMPING: (still the warmup): Now getting nice canter to halts. The horse has a much softer backup. The horse is now much lighter / faster to go forwards. Lovely walk to canter. Much less bracy. Horse not totally soft yet but he is trying.

Sometimes people do enough to be annoying, but not enough to be effective. Buck.

SHOWJUMPING: (still the warmup): Buck asked his horse to stay in trot but to also get soft & light - then the horse got it – WOW!

SHOWJUMPING: (still the warmup): Lovely backup to trot depart.
 
I always love reading your reports and another good one here. I wanted to thank you for taking the time and trouble to share in so much detail, much appreciated. :)
 
The continued writeup :) Showjumping with Melanie Smith Taylor, Olympic gold in LA 1984. Dressage with Betty Staley, author “Bringing It Together, an approach to a lighter and happier dressage horse.” Continued at www.facecook.com/irishhorsemanshipsociety

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SHOWJUMPING: What is most important is the quality and the consistency of handling. Melanie Smith Taylor

SHOWJUMPING: To be able to jump, a horse needs to be able to go forwards, backwards left & right. Melanie Smith Taylor (US Olympic gold)

SHOWJUMPING: Begin with simple gymnastics – forwards, straight & yielding to the leg. Begin on a loose rein. The horse should be relaxed with a lot of energy & be free. Let them move out more freely forward with energy.

SHOWJUMPING: While still on a loose rein, move a few steps left & right – check if there is any stiffness there. Melanie Smith Taylor

SHOWJUMPING warmup: Do shoulder in, shoulder out then walk straight on. Leg yield. Trot around poles, over poles with serpintines, ride through rails for straightness. Use all poles & jumps by going beside / through / etc during all your warmup exercises.

SHOWJUMPING warmup: Three poles are on the ground a few strides from each other. Trot to the first pole, do a slow trot to the second pole, to an extended trot to the third pole. The halt square in a straight line after the last pole.

SHOWJUMPING warmup: Three poles are again on the ground a few strides from each other. Trot to the fort pole. Then leg yield out and skip the second pole. Then leg yield back in again and trot over the third pole. Then canter depart after third pole. Then trot as you pass between two parallel poles. Then canter depart on the other lead. Melanie Smith Taylor

SHOWJUMPING: Buck is now riding in an English saddle & has put the stirrups up two holes

SHOWJUMPING warmup: Canter larger, then shorten canter, then move out & canter large again. Canter over three poles on the ground. Normal canter into pole 1. Short canter into pole 2. Lengthen canter into pole 3. Then trot in the middle of two parallel poles. Then canter on the other lead. Then trot in the middle of the next two parallel poles. Melanie Smith Taylor

At the halt, the horse should be 50% forwards and 50% backwards – i.e. in balance. Melanie Smith Taylor

SHOWJUMPING warmup: Bring your horse to the fence with the best balance, the best pace and a straight line. Then it is up to the horse to actually jump. So sit quietly & let the horse jump. Your balance point when jumping is so important, as then the horse can focus on the fence. Melanie Smith Taylor

Buck & a girl were jumping, both on experienced horses. Buck ends up jumping higher than the girl, as her horse when faced with a long row of fences & not quite the right stride, gets worried & nervous & loses confidence. Melanie said - when you jumo a big jump, always finish up the session with a much smaller jump to leave your horses confident.

DRESSAGE: Dressage should be the development of a happy athlete through harmonious education. It is n the US dressage rulebook – not always seen in practise but it is the goal. It also says the horse is to be balanced physically and mentally.

Ride with accuracy. Otherwise you don’t know if you are achieving what you want to. Betty Staley

Walk on a loose rein. Most dressage horses can’t do this.

Its about the hindquarters. Walk around, step the hindquarters to the outside, relax and walk on again. Betty Staley

DRESSAGE: Relaxation should be before rhythm in the scale. Sometimes you need rhythm to get relaxation. Betty Staley

DRESSAGE: To achieve downwards transitions, move the hindquarters out. Betty learned this from Ray on her first ride with him.

UNREAL extended trot – WOW!!! The horse has lots of energy. If your horse presents an opportunity, take it. Betty Staley

To ask for canter to trot, instead of pulling on the horse, ask the horse to do smaller circles until your idea becomes his idea. You set it up & the horse chooses the right option.

To get an extended trot, you just ask for the hindquarters. WOW AGAIN!!!

You do lengthening after collection. Betty Staley

Normally Betty has 3 horses saddled. She will ride each in turn. Once she gets a nice change in one, she will switch over to the next horse straight away & keep rotating them then.
 
DRESSAGE: Picking up a soft feel is the beginning of collection. Betty Staley

A horse will get sure, then unsure. Then sure, then unsure. Betty Staley

Trot, push the hindquarters out in the trot, then go forward to lengthen. Betty Staley

When you move the hindquarters over, one hind leg steps out and the other hind leg steps under.

If a horse puts his head up during the transition from trot to canter he is leaving with his front feet, not his hind feet. Betty Staley

A dressage arena has four corners. But you can add your own corners in wherever you need them.

For advanced dressage moves, the horse must be fast on his feet behind. Betty Staley

Being able to do circles and tell when the hind foot is leaving the ground is INVALUABLE.

WOW - just saw the beginning of piaffe there with Bettys young horse.

Soft feel is the beginning of collection. A soft feel has to go from the mouth, through the body, to the feet. Ray Hunt said – to the feet. This part isn’t in the dressage books, but it is THE KEY! Betty Staley

Betty had a young horse, a 4yo, and had put in 30 days work on him since she bought him. She said he had been lunged to the point where the try had gone out of him.

DRESSAGE: With a young horse… walk and move the hindquarter out. Things should start out big & obvious. When the horse gets straight, get soft. Serpentines are very useful. Put corners in the arena where you need them, not where they are. Betty Staley

DRESSAGE: You can unbalance a horse to get balance: Halt, HQ yield and then walk forwards to straightness. Betty Staley

You need to have a mental picture of what you want to achieve.

Most people only get 10% out of their horses. If the human gave 5% the horse would give 95%. But you have to give to take. Ray Hunt.

Next up - reining & cow work woohoo!! And to think I'm still only on day 1 of my notes.........

The horse gallops in, does a sliding stop & then spins – Holy God VERY impressive! Then canters off, halts, does a rollback and canters off again.

A BRILIANT EXERCISE FOR LATERAL WORK: Open & close a gate by backing through it with one hand on the gate the whole time.

Use your environment to help your horse.

Jaton is a third generation ranch-raised horseman born and raised in southern Idaho. Jaton had the unique opportunity to travel extensively with his grandparents Ray and Carolyn Hunt for three years, accompanying them across the United States and as far as Australia and Europe.

You need a soft feel in all discliplines of horsemanship, including reining: "A soft feel is when the horse isn’t pushing on you and you’re not pushing on your horse." Jaton Lord

For this type of work, the main thing is your body position – your knees and toes should be turned out. If you body is tense it will translate to the horse. Jaton Lord

To go from trot to halt, just relax. Use a soft feel & let the horses feet go into the ground. Jaton Lord

If you relax when you ask, the horse will relax when they respond. Jaton Lord

In spins, speed is more of your outside leg. Laos put your inside leg on a small bit. Do slow spins first & take your time. Jaton Lord
 
Thanks for shareing sounds like a great event... I was lucky enough to meet Jaton and Ray hunt on Ray's last visit to the UK he was A truly amazing horseman Sounds like Jaton is a chip of the old block, more about Reining and cow work please .....
 
CHALLENGE: What do you think was (I think!) the most often used exercise (both on the ground in the saddle over the 3 days?)

COLTSTARTING day 2 (Brannamans): Reata caught the colt nicely. Using the halter & a flag she got the got on a circle, moving its HQ then its FQ to change direction. More life in the horse today, more willing & softer. One minute after catching the saddle goes on. Put the saddle on smooth – don‘t bend press it!

COLTSTARTING: The horse didnt want to be caught, so Reata just roped him instead - first time.

Lateral flexion must have the correct bend: 1. Ears stay level. 2. Nose perpendicular to the ground 3. Poll slightly higher than the withers. BUCK

COLLECTION: You can’t collect a horse with his poll lower than his withers. That will cripple a horse after a while. BUCK

A soft feel is flexion at the poll AND elevation. BUCK

SOFT FEEL & VERTICAL FLEXION: If the poll is below the withers, its not soft feel. If the poll is too low, the head is already vertical, so any more flexion will take the head behind the vertical. If the head is higher, more flexion will not cause the horse to be behind the vertical. BUCK

How to teach flexion: Hold, wait, let the horse explore, release. BUCK

EXERCISES GW: Do lateral flexion in a snaffle on the ground, on both sides. You can take two hours easily to do this. (It irritates me to see people spend $1000s to shot a horses mouth). On the ground, using two reins ask for a soft feel. Get & try and then release. Do it like you’re hoping it will take all day to get there. There’s no rush. BUCK

RIDING EX: Bend your horse, tap with stirrup to ask how to roll his HQs over, then release. BUCK

GETTING INTO THE SADDLE: Reata got half way up then got off. Then went & sat on the fence. Horse way better at moving over to the fence now from a feel. Reata rubs the horse when near. Reata now in the saddle.
 
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