50/ JUNE 2012 THE RIDER
A. It’s a challenge, isn’t it, to take a step backward and work on the fundamentals? Who wants to think about sports drills when you’re already in the game? Or learning music theory and scales when you’re playing the piano by ear? However, without laying a solid founda- tion, cracks start to appear later in your horse’s behaviour and well being.
Three typical ways your horse deals with the noise.
1. Rooting. This is when a horse opens his mouth and thrusts his head and neck for- ward, pulling the reins out of the rider’s hands. Often the rider gets a jolt as the horse tugs her out of the saddle. It’s a horse’s frustrated attempt to get some peace from the rein pressure. And it usually works! School horses are quick to learn this trick – the unstable body position of a novice rider makes them easy to unseat.
Quiet those noisy hands! Part 2
Q. Last month you talked about noisy hands. As a leader for a 4H group, I see young riders pursuing jumping, gaming and reining without
building a solid riding foundation first. I’d like to motivate the riders to spend some time developing the educated hands you were describing.
The fix: Your job is to make absolutely sure your hands are communicating a clear message of signal/response/ pressure or release to your horse. If he understands hor to find release through yield- ing to pressure, it might be time to show him his usual escape route is now closed.
As soon as you apply pres- sure, get ready for him to answer with a root. Anchor yourself in the saddle and sharply brace your arm, or even bite back a little with a little snap of your own against his tug, so he feels like he’s rooting into a brick wall. The trick is, every time he does this, he must meet with this result – don’t miss one, so be on your guard. He’ll soon learn that this behaviour NEVER works.
2. Dull mouth. As your horse habituates to the pressure he becomes less sensitive. Instead of yielding to light signals, he opens his mouth, crosses his jaw or completely ignores them.
The fix: Is not a bigger bit! If I’m not fluent in Spanish, speaking Spanish with a megaphone won’t make me understand. Amplifying the message doesn’t help in com- prehension. Before heading to the tack room ask yourself: Does my horse completely grasp my system of signal and response/pressure and release? Am I delivering the message skillfully? Only if the answer is yes to both of these questions, should you consider a different bit. Mov- ing from a snaffle to a curb or leverage bit, for instance is a logical progression in a
horse’s education. But because the leverage bit will magnify the movements of your hands, make sure the skill level of both you and your horse is ready for the change.
3. Head tossing. This is an erratic attempt to get away from erratic rein signals. It usually works because a horse gains some slack in the reins, even for a moment, as he elevates his head. It’s sim- ilar to a drowning person gasping for air above the water line. As a prey animal, a horse will flee when he’s threatened. Flight responses such as bolting or rearing can result if the habit is ignored. The fix: Martingales, tie downs and draw reins, if not used by experienced hands, will heighten a frightened horse’s sense of being trapped. In severe cases hors- es can flip over in an attempt to get away from the pres- sure. Go back to honing your language of pressure and release. I usually build the understanding from the ground as I review how to flex, stop and back consis- tently from rein signals.
SIDEBAR How much contact? While there is general
agreement that the solution to a light mouth is not loose, skipping rope reins, the word contact can stir up strong opinions among various equine disciplines. Extremes range from the western plea- sure drape to the white knuckled grip of some dres- sage or jumping riders. Con- tact, or soft contact is the standard set out in most asso- ciation rule books.
In a snaffle or non- leverage type bit, the horse can recognize a release even without a slack in the reins. A good goal is for the rider to maintain only enough pres- sure to keep a straight rein line. On a scale of one to ten, the pressure he’ll feel in his mouth might register a _. Pic- ture the reins attached by a single thread. This is only achievable by developing a fluid, following arm and a strong position in the saddle in order not to telegraph inconsistent signals down the reins.
With a curb or leverage bit, the release has to be more pronounced, registering a zero on the scale. For each correct response to a turn, flex or slow signal, make sure the shanks return to neutral and the curb chain is applying no pressure on under the chin. You will see a visible limp- ness in the rein.
Whispering Hearts Horse Rescue Open House & Tack Sale
By Kelly Bowers
Mark your calendars - The annual Whisper- ing Hearts Horse Rescue’s Open House and Tack Sale is set for Saturday, July 7th from 8 am to 5 pm.
www.ontarioequinecremationservices.ca
Ontario’s Largest Equine Cremation Service SERVICING ALL OF ONTARIO • GOVERNMENT LICENSED • PICK UP AVAILABLE
Organizers are very excited as this fun event moves into its fifth year and just keeps getting bigger! Every summer they welcome crowds of well wishers from across Southern Ontario who stop in to say hello, support the rescue, have a snack, and meet the horses. There is something for everyone with a huge garage sale filling the front yard, great prices on used tack items in the arena, a selection of raffles, and the chance to meet other furry friends like Lucy llama and Ziggy piggy, just to mention a few.
Hungry guests won’t want to miss the tasty BBQ, bake sale and refreshments, all sponsored by the rescue’s generous community partners. Tickets to win lots of great door prizes donated by many wonderful individuals, families and busi- nesses can also be purchased. Brenda and Dave would like to thank all their donors and dedicated volunteers for making this event bigger and better
horse into their family. In the past 4 1/2 years we have taken in over 130 horses and adopted more than 70 out to good homes. This is only possible with public support and the many great volunteers that have crossed our path.
If you would like to donate to this great event, there it much that would be helpful - prizes for the prize table, baked goods, items for the BBQ, used garage sale items or used tack and horse supplies. For need more information, please contact Brenda at 906-768-9951 at your earliest convenience. WHHR is located at 1652 Conces- sion 10, in Hagersville ON, (1/2 hr. from Hamil- ton)
every year.
As you can imagine, rescuing horses is very expensive as they need specialized feed, extra vet care and many hours of handling. This is what drives Whispering hearts. Their longterm goal is to obtain sponsorship, donations and volunteers, as well as educate the public on horse care. Most importantly, the rescue provides people an option other than the auction barns if they can no longer care for their horses. Often, it is just circumstances that brings a horse to auction where many of these are purchased before the slaughter house gets them. As well, Brenda receives calls telling her about horses in need for various reasons such as cruelty and neglect. They do not judge, they just try to help, hopefully mak- ing a difference in a life.
WHHR has many success stories and have made many families happy by adopting a rescued
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