THE HORSE GAZETTE
dallas dressage news
NTEC schooling show went really well and we appreciate everyone’s efforts. North Tex- as Equestrian Center (NTEC) owner, Kai Handt, of Wylie, Texas was very generous in providing the facility and in al- lowing his staff to use their time to help organize the activities. Not only did Kai donate the use of his facility, but he also very generously provided all of the ribbons and first place and champion prizes. It was terrific to have such a professional vol- unteer staff with Kathy Jones and Ed Lavallee there running the show. And Kai’s trainers,
, 2010
brought in almost $3000! The show entries accounted for $1930 of the proceeds with another $70 from concession
Allison Csaki and Shahram Aminzadeh kept everything under control with the riders. Thanks to L Graduate Richard Howard and his scribe Audrey Jones as well; they made a great team in the judges booth. We had approximately 60 rides ranging from Intro level to Third Level dressage. Laurie Virkstis Photography was on hand to get photos of all the riders, several were riding a dressage test for the first time. All told, the show
NTEC schooling show raises nearly $3,000 for the region 9 FEI junior and young rider fund
By Inez Campbell, Photos by Laurie Virkstis Photography
The March 27th
the 2010 pin oak charity horse show designates ladies five gaited class as second annual pink ribbon class
Horse Show in Katy, Texas was “tickled pink” to announce the designation of the Ladies Five Gaited class as the Second An- nual Pink Ribbon Class. The class was held Friday evening, March 19th, 2010. Everyone in the Pin Oak horse community was encouraged to honor some- one affected by breast cancer by making a contribution. The talented ladies in this class were riding for the win, and for a cure. Joan Cantrell, a Breast Cancer survivor herself, was very honored and pleased to be able to ride in the fund-raiser class on her mount, Bluebon- net’s Challenger. The nearly $7000 in funds generated from the Pink Ribbon Class will be given equally to The Nellie B.
The Pin Oak Charity
sales. There were some gener- ous donations to the Region 9 FEI Junior and Young Rider Fund from Nancy Hinz of Yel- low Rose Dressage, and from NTEC clients Annis Buell, Amanda Barrera, and Rachel Zent. These donations totaled $420. Of course the horse raffle generated some excitement as well as additional proceeds ($700). Teddy, a 10 year old thoroughbred, was donated by Kai as part of the NAJYRC benefit. Teddy’s proud new owner is Hanna Hart, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jason Hart of Murphy, Texas. The win- ning ticket was purchased by
Photos by Laurie Virkstis Photography
Hanna’s grandfather, Mr. David Lipscomb.
photos from the show visit:
www.laurievirkstis.com.
To see highlights and
Top Left: Lt to Rt: NTEC Trainer, Shahram Aminzadeh and rider, Heather Harris with the Dover Director’s Chair Prize for their scores on NTEC Monzano.
Top Lt to Rt: Teddy with his new owners, The Hart Family of Murphy, Texas.
The Little Rodeo in Austin Grows Up
72nd Year Helping to Support Live Music & Youth Education
Austin, Texas is the Live
Connally Breast Center at the University of Texas M. D. An- derson Cancer Center and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
imagine a horse
By Sue De Laurentis and Allen Pogue © Imagine A Horse 2010
Pedestal Safety
As in all equine ac-
tivities, caution is important.
Photo: Joan Cantrell rides to vic- tory in the 2nd
bon Class at the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show in Katy, TX.
Annual Pink Rib-
Photo: Laurie Virkstis. On March 23, after the Rodeo Austin & Bull-riding events the ProRodeo spectators were treated to an out- standing performance by crowd favorite, the Doobie Brothers.
training
how and why of pedestal training - part 2 of 2
Horses do not usually slip on the pedestal but precautions are still advised. Above all, know
your horse and begin pedestal training with good ground manners. The construction
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Page 22
of the pedestal is important. The sloped sides, rubber mat cushioned top and heavy duty design are all safety features. Square box shaped pedestals are NOT safe for horses beyond two months of age!
Here’s how to teach it
Teach the horse to step
up on a pedestal with the front feet first. We’ll cover mounting with all four feet and other vari- ations (including the revolving pedestal) in later segments. At first you may want
to walk next to the horse as you approach the pedestal and later when lungeing him, you can position yourself on the oppo- site side of the pedestal. During the first session
(or two) it may be enough for a shy horse to just approach the pedestal and lift his foot as cued.
Approach the pedestal
with the horse in hand and cue him to lift his front leg. It may be necessary at first to actually lift his foot forward and up to help him to place it on the ped- estal. A horse must willingly give his foot when asked to facilitate this. If he does not lift his leg, tap him on the fetlock with the end of a whip. Offering the foot willingly should be a behavior that is instilled in the horse before beginning Pedestal Training. You may experiment with the handle of a dressage length whip or the snap to see which works best. As with all good horsemanship, strive to use the mildest effective cue for the individual horse. A harder cue does not mean increased or quicker results and can scare the horse.
When he allows you to
place his foot on the pedestal, be sure to praise him and stroke his leg while encouraging him to keep it there. Repeat this step until the horse is comfortable with putting his foot “Up” and will do it freely when asked. When he will reliably put one foot on the pedestal, begin to encourage him to step up with the other foot by helping him to shift his balance off of the foot on the ground so it is easily lifted. Use the lead rope (short hold) to guide him as you ask him to “Step Up” by gently pulling his nose over the leg already on the pedestal. After he will willingly step up with both front feet, encourage him to stay for incrementally longer
periods of time and until he is released. You may also condi- tion him to stay on the pedestal as you step back from him and also walk around. This is similar to the stay command in dog training and the beginning step of ground tying. The com- plimentary and opposite part of this lesson is to teach him to “Step Down” on cue. When a horse under-
stands how to Step Up with both front feet, lungeing him to it adds a sense of urgency (on his part) to go to the pedestal. This is the applied pressure por- tion of the lesson and the point at which stepping up on the pedestal will offer the release or reward. Use a long working line (approx 15 feet) to lunge the horse around the pedestal. Lunge him around the pedestal at a trot. As he approaches the wide side of the pedestal, draw his head toward it by shortening the line and slipping it through your hands. As you do this, give him a preparatory cue such as “ready” then ask him to “Step Up”. The preparatory cue lets the horse know that a request is coming. Most horses understand in short order that stepping up and standing still is much easier than trotting circles. It is at this point that a horse usually comes to under- stand that he has some control over his work routine-he can STEP UP and rest. When he mounts the pedestal, praise him and a food treat may be used also. Let him know that he did just what you wanted. Now the
trick will have become the reward.
The horse is empow-
ered because he can make the choice for release of pressure by stepping up which lets him willingly make the right choice. When he is on the pedestal, he will focus on the handler because it is easier than going back to trotting circles, which is exactly what we want. When he looks away or loses his focus or steps down before released, put him immediately back to trotting circles. Do this as a di- rective with absolutely no emo- tion attached. In other words, we school with no emotion but praise with all our heart!
Opposite and Complimen- tary Lesson
Teach the horse a cue
for dismounting the pedestal such as “Step Down”. He is
to dismount the pedestal only when cued to do so. If he does dismount before he is released, send him back to work trotting circles for a few laps and try again.
Creative Challenges
When a horse is mount-
ed on the square top pedestal with his front feet, ask him to yield the hindquarters or Step Around as his front feet remain anchored. Gradually increase the number of lateral steps until he can completely circle the hindquarters around the pedes- tal. With his front feet anchored on the pedestal, the request will be easy for him to understand. He can be taught to step the front feet down and walk them around the hind end that is on the pedestal. Revolving pedes- tals, multi-tiered pedestals and agility platforms present lots of fun challenges. As the pedestal train-
ing progresses, it can serve as a horse’s mark for execut- ing other moves such as the Jambette or Salute, Retrieving an Object, and even a slow Spin. If two horses are worked together, they can be taught to Change Places in a musical chair fashion or to line up side by side on pedestals. As with all good train-
ing, horsemanship principles, tact, good judgment, and a sys- tematic approach are required with reasonable expectations in mind. Taking time to plan will make your sessions fun and fruitful for both horse and human.
Training Instructions
The training instruc-
tions contained herein are well researched and have been prac- tically applied to many horses but they are not intended to be absolutes. Be ready, willing and able to practice what we call RIF, Rapid Intelligent Failure. Simply put this means, if some- thing isn’t working be quick to recognize it and change the approach.
For help with Pedestal
Training or any other aspects of Equine Agility and Enlightened Trick Training, feel free to con- tact us at
www.redhorseranch.
net or
www.imagineahorse. com.
* If you will email the
authors they will email con- struction directions for pedes- tals complete with picture.
Visit us at:
www.HorseGazette.com
Music Capital of the World and is also home to Rodeo Austin. Found- ed in 1938 as the “Travis County Baby Beef Show”, this year’s Rodeo Austin brought over 100 live concerts to the Travis County Expo Center and Fairgrounds. The Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, contributes nearly $1.5 million annually to the youth of Texas with the help of over 2,000 volunteers, donors and sponsors. Through its acclaimed Livestock Show, Fair, and Rodeo, the Star of Texas continues to work towards the advancement of its mis- sion, “Promoting Youth Education - Preserving Western Heritage.” The Star of Texas delivers superior entertainment to the community while boasting an economic impact that exceeds $54 million annually. Staying true to the official sport of Texas, the Star of Texas is proud to host the world’s 6th largest indoor, regular season ProRodeo known as Rodeo Austin. For more info about Star of Texas and Rodeo Austin:
http://www.rodeoaustin.com/
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