8/ APRIL 2021 THE RIDER MY SPIN: Beginning Of The Year Changes My evaluation deter-


mined that though Lady had had many , many show pen miles on her which meant that she rushed through the reining pattern and had been used for reining lessons, I knew that she needed a tune up. She had been used as a broodmare and trail horse for several years.


Tool Bag- Horse’s Can’t Unlearn What They Al- ready Know As a general riding


By Susan Dahl. It’s Spring. Many riders consider


their current horse at the start of the year and contemplate a change. What process does a rider go through in considering a new horse? Evaluating a horse’s current


training level and abilities allows the rider to establish a ‘base point’ or starting point for a tune up. From there, a customized step-by-step pro- gressive training program is devel- oped that will really work for the horse based on the horse’s tempera- ment and learning ability. Makes sense... And of course we have to fac- tor in the rider’s abilities and experi- ence.


But what if the horse “can’t cut


it”? Do you take it to a trainer for evaluation? Sounds good. Is there also


a way to evaluate your own horse to be knowl- edgeable when the rider discusses their horse’s problems with their trainer (or horse friend ). Another good idea.


Silk Purse Out of A Sow’s Ear Of course the hardest part of the self-eval-


uation is being realistic and honest about the ca- pabilities of our horse to meet our goals. A custom program works best if it MEETS the re- alistic expectations of the owner or rider. It’s doomed to fail or be mediocre at best. That’s hard for an owner/rider and a waste of a training bill. Horses today are specialized for certain events so some horses may not be able to meet the owner’s expectations. No amount of training can make up for an untrainable horse. Or one not suited to the job.


Lady’s Starting Point - an example Lady had been shown for many years. I


had known Lady since she was 10 days old. I was looking for a reining lesson horse and Lady was 9 years old when I decided to buy her.


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horse, as with many riders, horses tend to acquire a set


of skills in their ‘tool bag’ ( as I like to call it) that allows them to get away with or resisting requests by the rider. The less-than ideal horse sees how much they can get away with not doing. In the case of Lady, she would over think the problem and then hurry up and get it done. A bit on the nervous side.


Dull Mouth and Dull Sides? So Lady as with typical horses used for


trail riding, they get heavy or dull on the sides and mouth. In Lady’s case, she was over reac- tive.


Previous Training or Quick Study Since I had known Lady’s history and I


found out that she was over eager to please and I really liked her temperament, I was happy to call her my own and take the time I needed to calm her down. It turned out that I was able to show her for a season. I had Lady for 13.5 years before she passed away. So sometimes it’s worth to take the chance.


She is also the grandmother of the 2 year


old I have now. It was because of her that I wanted to get a foal from her daughter.


Putting My Spin On Evaluations Reinersue ©Copyright KISS Reiners


About Susan Dahl Susan Dahl, ORHA/NRHA past multiple cham- pion, writer, blogger, author and clinician, re- tired certified professional horse trainer. Owner of Foundation Reining Training Centre in Durham, ON. She specializes in effective horse- manship, and reining. For more information on her services: judging, clinics or resale horses, please contact her on facebook, her website: www.reinersuehorsemanship.com reinersue@hotmail.com


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