28/ SEPTEMBER 2019 THE RIDER


you will not be pulling on the reins and his mouth, the hot horse will have a good chance to settle down.


Palm Partnership Training™ Get Results You Can Use


Trail Training: Dealing With The “Hot Horse”


Our series on “training


outside the box” continues with another training tip for dealing with common trail training issues: dealing with the horse that is “hot” while on the trail. What is a “hot” horse?


All ages ~ All riding Levels ~ English & Western


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I am not referring to a horse’s body temperature; I am referring to a nervous horse. This is the horse that is tense and moves quickly. He may toss his head, jump around, rear, and maybe even buck. To use a human description, he appears as if he could “fly off the handle” at any moment. When dealing with a


hot horse, it is really impor- tant that the rider does warm-up exercises both on the ground and under saddle to be physically prepared for riding. It is equally impor- tant to warm up the horse by longeing to allow him to re- lease his inner energy (please see Palm Partnership Training™ Newsletters #56-#60 for “The Art of Longeing” for specifics). Doing


some in-hand


groundwork exercises and under saddle maneuvers be- fore going out on the trail will help the horse focus on the rider. Before going out on


the ride, be prepared! Eventing


Team Continued from Page 27


on one of the jumps. When we had the chance to look at the horses as a team today, realizing that she was the drop score, we knew we didn’t need to press that horse unnecessarily. So, we felt it was in the best inter- est of the horse that she not undergo any type of tests today, and we chose simply to withdraw her before the jog.”


Prior to withdrawing,


Cooke had ranked 13th in dressage and finished cross- country in 23rd. “Winning a medal – any medal – is hon- estly amazing and repre- senting your country is a big honour, so it is super excit- ing,” Cooke remarked about her first-ever major games. Stevenson buttoned up


the Canadian Eventing Team’s performance by stating, “I think overall, it


Photo Credit: © Cealy Tetley - www.tetleyphoto.com Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti


Check the weather. Do not go out if it is windy or if a storm is approaching. These conditions will only make the nervous horse more anx- ious and less likely to focus on you. When tacking up for a trail ride, place a halter over the bridle and bring a soft, flat cotton longe line along on the ride. I’ll ex- plain how and when to use these items later. When you plan the trail


ride, go with ONE other horse and rider, not a group! Ask a friend who has a quiet, experienced trail horse to accompany you. If the hot horse begins to get nervous while on the trail, the experienced horse will give him confidence and can be used to pony him. Select a trail where the


terrain is simple and easy to negotiate. Let the hot horse take the lead for a while, then ask the experienced horse to ride alongside. Continue down the trail side-by-side for a while, then shift the hot horse be- hind the experienced part- ner. During the periods when the horses are travel- ing single file, mix in some lateral work, yielding left and right. Do simple transi- tions from walk to slow trot and back to walk. Stop sev-


was a very good experience for the team. It’s very unfor- tunate not to get the silver, which would have estab- lished our qualification for Tokyo. That was clearly the goal, but I think we should


eral times. Dismount, lead the horses, and remount. The idea is to do many dif- ferent things to help keep the hot horse’s focus, slow down his thinking, and di- rect his attention to you and not on getting nervous! Keep the trail ride


short. The shorter the better so the hot horse has a chance to experience a quiet time without the chance of being disturbed. As you and your horse progress to tak- ing longer rides, make sure to stay with the same rou- tine.


Your Next Step… Here are three ways to


deal positively with a horse that gets hot, nervous, upset, or uncontrollable on the trail:


#1: The best thing to do is have the friend riding the experienced horse pony you and the hot horse. Take out the longe line you have been carrying on the ride and thread it through the hot horse’s halter so it is over his nose and snapped to the opposite side of the halter. While you stay centered and relaxed on the hot horse, ask your friend to control him by ponying him from the experienced horse. Because


realize that it was perhaps a tougher competition than might have been expected and we should be thankful to finish a team in the bronze medal position. Even though silver was our goal,


#2: Get off the hot horse and attach the longe line to his halter as I described above. When a horse is nervous or upset, he will have a tendency to jump on top of you. Use the “move away” command and toss the longe line towards him so he moves away from you. Let him settle down while you stay on the ground.


#3: Remain mounted, but mentally patient, relaxed, and positive. Keep your body relaxed and as cen- tered on the horse as possi- ble. Continue to ride as if the horse is nice and calm. The horse should settle down in a short time.


Lynn’s Training Tip… You can calm the nervous or hot horse with training, but you can never change his personality or temperament. If this type of horse fright- ens or worries you, or if he makes you feel less confi- dent or nervous—this type of horse is not suited for you. Mentally anticipate your horse’s reactions to outdoor situations. The more positive and confident you are, the more confident your horse will be.


Riding really is a men-


tal sport. One of the best re- sources I know of to help riders conquer the mental aspects of riding is “That Winning Feeling,” a book written by my friend and Olympic Dressage rider Jane Savoie. No matter what discipline you ride, Jane’s experience and ad- vice will help “program” your mind for peak perform- ance. She will teach you how to banish negative thoughts, conquer self- doubt, and be the rider your horse deserves.


we have to be thankful to be here, to have competed suc- cessfully enough to win a medal in a Pan American championship, and then to look forward to what’s next.”


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