Training Feature


Wet Saddle Pads cont from page 11


horses are some of the craziest horses in the world because they don’t get any long rides or concentrated training. All of their workouts are over in fifteen to twenty minutes. They go out on the track, gallop for a mile or two and then they are put back in a stall. So you have to be aware that even all the wet saddle pads in the world won’t result in a responsive and respect- ful horse.


Concentrated Training On the other hand, show horses get a lot of


concentrated training. Concentrated training in- cludes bending and suppling exercises, teach- ing the horse to move his five body parts and working on specific maneuvers such as lead changes or spins. Reining horses, dressage horses and cow horses receive this type of train- ing. They’re ridden in the arena the majority of the time and get lots of concentrated training and wet saddle pads. The problem with horses that only get concentrated training is when you take them outside on a long ride they’re an ab- solute basket case. They spook at everything be- cause they’ve never been outside of an arena. I know a lot of show horses that have won thou- sands of dollars but when you take them out- side the arena, they’re the craziest horses in the world because they don’t know how to act in this different environment. It’s very common for these horses to get ag-


itated and resentful because they hate their jobs. They see the same four walls every single day. There’s no variety in their lives. Then again, there are a lot of ranch horses


that get plenty of long rides and wet saddle pads, but they get very little concentrated train- ing. These horses are very stiff in the face and brace against any type of pressure because no one has taken the time to teach them to be soft and supple. They’re heavy and constantly hanging on the bit. Equal Doses


In order for a horse to be well-balanced,


he must get an equal dose of all three ingre- dients. It’s no good to have only one or two. For example, race horses get lots of wet sad- dle pads, but no long rides or concentrated training. I’ve seen trail riding horses go on ten mile long rides but come back without a drop of sweat on them because all they did was walk the whole time. And I’ve seen plenty of show horses that have had lots of wet saddle pads and concentrated training, but have never


stepped foot outside the arena for long rides. You can’t just have one or two of the in-


gredients. You need all three of them in equal doses: long rides, wet saddle pads and concentrated training. Give your horse long rides by working him for more than five minutes at a time. I personally ride my horses anywhere from forty-five minutes to an hour six days a week. While you’re rid- ing your horse, be active in the saddle by teaching him to bend, soften and rate your seat, which is all part of concentrated train- ing. You should be constantly asking the horse to stop, turn, bend and soften to you. And make sure that when you’re done, you bring the horse back with a wet saddle pad. If you give your horse equal doses of long rides, wet saddle pads and concentrated training, I can guarantee you’ll have a re- sponsive and respectful horse that you can do just about anything with. w


Taking Your Rid- ing & Jumping to the Olympic Level


For equestrian


athletes of all levels, the ultimate dream is a place on the Olympic equestrian team. In Peter Leone’s Show Jumping Clinic, Silver Medalist Leone shares his winning methods


to help up-and-coming riders master the elements of first- rate horsemanship and the foundations of competitive show jumping. w


July 2012 SouthWest Horse Trader 17


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