36/ APRIL 2021 THE RIDER


The Science of how Horses Think & Learn The simple power of a credit earning rein-back.


ous components instead of concentrating on this one. Judging has been an eye opener for me. Every phrase


of a performance is considered credit earning, average or below average. So I challenge my students – why waste a maneuver score? Typical reasons for a below average rein-back include:


• Resistance – Your horse opens his mouth lugging on your hand. He may even root or pull on the reins. He may evade bit pressure by raising his head above the bit, or hide from it, curling behind the bit. • Tension –You may not experience the “push back” men- tioned above, but if your horse is clearly not relaxed – rushed, irritated, ears back or tail swishing, the mark will be below average. • Sluggish - A horse might get stuck in his rhythm, failing to maintain a distinct diagonal beat. He may grudgingly offer 2 or 3 steps instead of a showing off a full back up. • Crooked – Your horse backs diagonally or curls his body out of alignment.


The fixes (Conveniently beginning with the letter S –


By Lindsay Grice. Equestrian Canada coach, horse show judge, specialist in equine behaviour.


Stop and back. It’s the final segment in many


horse show patterns - the finishing punctuation on the phrases of maneuvers you’ve linked together for a win- ning “go”. Dressage, western horsemanship, western riding,


and reining are among the classes which include a sep- arate score for the stop and back. Sounds simple enough – so why do we earn neg-


ative scores in that box on the judge’s card? To be honest, as a competitor, I just hadn’t taken


that final box seriously. I didn’t really envision the judge assessing the maneuver and putting a number in it. With all of the “important” parts of the pattern in the rear view mirror, I’d be mentally reviewing the previ-


Saddle Club


offers a full day of horse showing for all ages. Our family oriented shows are fun and competitive. With two beautiful show pens


Find out more on our Facebook page - www.facebook.com/groups/2744211299/ or email bigcreeksc@gmail.com


Dates: June 13th, July 11th, August 15th, September 12th Rain Dates: October 3rdWhere: Paris Fairgrounds


we offer classes for a variety of disciplines in- cluding games riding, western pleasure, and english pleasure.


sorry, I couldn’t help myself) • Soft: Begin with a light touch to test the waters. Likely, both you and your horse’s adrenaline is raised in the pressure of the show ring. As a prey animal he feels vulnerable and on edge when he’s performing alone, away from home turf. I often see competitors, triggered by competition butterflies,” pull the trigger” on the reins. Surprising a horse causes him to gap his mouth, rush, toss his head or “spill” out in a mul- titude of ways. • Step: Your legs ask your horse to step in rhythm and deter- mine length and speed of that step. Imagine a triangle be- tween your hand s (the bit)and your two legs. As your legs close on the horse, your hand forms the top of the triangle, preventing him from stepping forward. I use one light squeeze for each step, dropping my heel to remove my leg when I want to stop backing. Pulling the horse back, using a greater ratio of hand to leg, is the formula for an ugly back up. • Straight: Imagine your horse as a train with three cars. If you reverse the train initiating from the first train car, pulling on the reins, the whole thing will jackknife. Now picture grasping behind the middle train car and backing the cars from there. This is the role of your legs, signal- ing from the girth area, creating en- ergy to step back. With your horse s t raddl ing the


Big Creek track,


train and


Caption for incorrect back up (english) - . Pulling the horse back, using a greater ratio of hand to leg, is the formula for an ugly back up and a poor score.I often see competi- tors, triggered by competition butterflies, “pull the trigger” on the reins. Surprising a horse causes him to gap his mouth, rush, toss his head or “spill” out in a multitude of ways.


your eyes fixed on the line ahead, you’ll be quick to spot the first hint of crookedness. A stitch in time saves nine. • Speed. Degree of difficulty earns credits, but not at the expense of accuracy and will- ingness. Once all the other components are mastered, go ahead and increase momen- tum. • Shape. The best back up maintains a con- sistent, round outline from the gait ap- proaching the stop, in the stop itself, and in the backward steps. Simply pulling on the reins squishes the outline, sours the expres- sion and spoils the straightness (and the


judge says “yuck”). You’ve heard it before – “Small wins


make a big difference.” Many training steps are combined to reflect the number in each box on the judge’s score sheet. And each box tallies up for the final score – even the forgotten rein- back! The pattern’s finishing…now stop,


pause, take a deep breathe, and ace that back up!


About Lindsay Grice. “Is it me or my horse?” Horse show judge, certified riding coach, trainer and specialist in equine behavior and


love to communicate the WHYs behind the HOWs of riding. “Equitation Science” – it makes life better for horses when we speak in a language they understand!”


horse trainer. “Why do horses do what they do?” Lindsay says, “In the horse world, our traditions and the evidence sometimes collide.


Equestrian Canada. She’s a provincial Hunter/Jumper and dressage judge and also judges mul- tiple breeds and Extreme Trail/obstacle events. She loves to share her own insights and stories learned from 25 years as a competitor and


She’s taught the science of equine behavior and learning for horse associations, courses for Uni- versity of Guelph and therapeutic riding facilities. Lindsay judges multiple disciplines and breeds, holding judging certifications with AQHA,


I


learning. Lindsay Grice loves to help riders solve their horse puzzles, prepare for competition and enjoy the process of riding, not just the result! Lindsay enjoys teaching clinics and travelling to Ontario farms as a freelance instructor.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54