Collection

The blog I wrote about head sets brought up some interesting comments.
There seems to be some confusion about head set and collection. Head set comes naturally when a horse is collected. Just putting the horses head down does not mean he is collected. You have been told in everything you read and all the clinics you have ever gone to that you need to master collection. And yet I don’t believe that most riders actually understand collection. At shows I see lots of jerking and big bits to get the head down on a horse when all that is necessary is to compress your horse. Think of collection as shortening your horse. Kind of like putting his head against a wall and then pushing his hind quarters towards that same wall. Unlike an accordion he cannot just fold in the middle but he has to arch his back, pick up his belly, and lower his head. What you have to learn is how to push him forward into his bit while you are ridding him to arch his back, pick up his belly, and lower his head. If you do that then you will not have to worry about head set because it is what naturally happens when collection is achieved.

Head Set

I’ve been noticing in the magazines lately that the big topic is about hyperflexion. The International Equestrian Federation has weighed in heavy on the topic. Rollkur as it is called in dressage is in many cases cruel to the horse and we have trainers in the reining industry who practice much the same thing to get that low head set. The Federation wants to pass rules as to what is acceptable and what is not for all horses. My concern is that a rule like this will not apply to all breeds of horses and all individuals within those breeds? What if a horses just naturaly goes that way? We are so prone in the horse business to fads and styles. If a rider wins wearing a red shirt at the finals then next year you see nothing but red. If an individual wins with a fancy vest then next year you see nothing but gaudy two hundred dollar vests. Ten or more years ago I saw Bob Avila ride a really nice three year old in the NRHA futurity. The colt had a naturally low head set and really looked good in the pattern. Ever since that day everyone has tried to get that same head set on every reining horse. They are not all built like that people! I have horses that run flat out with their head low and stop with it in the dirt and I also have horses that run flat out with their head higher than their withers and stop the same way. Both are correct in my opinion. What I have stressed for years is natural head set for every individual. Don’t take away from the performance of a horse just to satisfy a fad. Styles and fads come and go and the bad ones move on after awhile. At Doubletree we stress natural head carriage in all our horses. I teach our judges for our Versatility Shows that natural head set is preferable. Educating judges about what is natural for a horse is where we should be concentrating rather than rules that might hamper a particular type of horse. Yes there will be abuses and there will be styles and fads but to make a rule that takes away from a whole group of horses that don’t conform to your particular model is probably not wise for any origination to fool around with.

Start, Stop, and Turn

I am going to start posting little training tips and this is the first of a series. If you have questions even if they are not about the tips posted please let me know!

Starts: First thing you have to learn is that you have to have leg on your horse all the time you are moving. Only when you are stopped are your legs off your horse. Your contact must be in your lower calf and ankle. Your toes should be turned out so they hang comfortable. Above all don’t squeeze with your knees or thighs. When you place leg on your horse you will be hugging your horse with your ankle rather than pushing against his sides. With your toe up (not heal down) you can place your spur under the belly of your horse. When you wish to step off just lean forward a little, hug your horses belly with your ankle, and raise your reins forward. As he moves off you can set straight again and lighten your legs just a little. As you walk forward ride the motion of your horse. It does not work to just set there. You have to match his rhythm.
Stops: Take your legs off the horses belly and straighten them forward sort of as a brace. You were setting upright now you will drop your shoulders down towards your saddle horn. Drop your hand. Don’t pull on the reins unless the horse doesn’t respond. You will essentially stop riding. Your rhythm stops and he can feel it right away.
Turns: It is what I call the secret of the Universe! In other words it is one of the most important things you must understand about riding. Here it is! Are your ready??? Are you paying attention???? Never lean into a turn. Your horse will move away from your weight. Ok now you have it! When turning right for example, you will take your right leg off the horses belly and hug a little harder with the leg on the left side. At the same time you will slip your hip to the left just a little making sure that you do not turn your shoulders in the direction of the turn. You may turn your head but not your shoulders. You may use your reins to suggest the direction but be careful not to lean in the direction of the turn. Don’t forget that you should always think forward in a turn so don’t take your rein hand back to turn your horse but take it forward instead. Now if I have confused you or not explained enough write back a comment and I will answer your question. Have a great day! Carl