JUNE 2022 THE RIDER /27 ^Between The Ears^ A Good Halt, Leads to a Good Back up


horse to learn to carry itself and improve fitness. This often leads to the


By Ellie Ross. Does your horse stop


when you ask or does your horse take a few extra steps? Is there resistance when you ask your horse to back up? Is the back up straight or does the hip swing out to one side and/or the other? Backing up is one of the most resistant maneuvers and why is that? Horses generally want to do what we ask of them but when we ask for something that is un- comfortable or we ask with- out clear instructions, this leads to problems. The most common


deficit I see these days is that riders fail to invest the


time into teaching their horses to not only stop when asked but also to back up. I’ve said many times, that all riders, in all disciplines, would benefit from Dres- sage lessons, regardless of what tack they ride in and this is no different. A good back up needs a good halt which many riders misun- derstand what leads up to a good halt. They get their horse going, often on the forehand, with little to no impulsion and when asked to halt, the horse continues a few more steps, sometimes falling more on the forehand into the halt. You need im- pulsion to get a good stop and you need to get your


next bit of misunderstand- ing, which is to carry them- selves in the proper frame and on the vertical. Horses are not yet fit to carry them- selves in a frame and riders expect their horses to just do it without any consideration for fitness level. As a result, horses get sore, resist and become resentful. In the be- ginning, it is perfectly fine to have their nose just ahead of the vertical and carrying their head lower but the poll should not be lower than the withers. Ride in a frame for short periods and give your horse the opportunity to stretch its neck intermit- tently, as this is critically important to developing a willing partnership. If you want a good back up, you need a proper halt, which re- quires the horse to shift its weight back. A beneficial exercise would be to warm up doing several transitions. T r a n s i t i o n i n g walk/trot/walk or trot/can- ter/ walk etc and changing up the frequency as well as number of strides naturally causes the horse to shift its weight. Change it up so the horse learns to wait and lis- ten to you, versus taking over and assuming what you are about to ask. Spending


the time to work on these transitions will inevitably lead to a better halt. One cannot get a good back up without a good halt. Horses will be far less


resistant and evasive to backing up if they had a good stop and have shifted their weight onto their hind end. Expectations should be low and incrementally built up so set a starting goal of just one step and only ask with just enough to get a re- sponse, giving as soon as you feel that one step being


taken. Asking for one step at a time and ensuring your timing is right to give (quit asking) will lead to two steps, then three etc. Back- ing up is hard work so con- sideration of the physical exertion is important. An added consideration is your horse’s tail. If it’s really long, you run the risk of the horse stepping on it so take it slow and perhaps consider tying up that tail. Keep prac- ticing but don’t back up the horse after each stop as we don’t want the horse assum-


ing that is what always comes next following a stop. As your horse is back- ing up, you need to maintain their frame. A horse that raises its head and nose, hol- lows out the back is a horse resisting. Each step you get, must involve the horse doing so willingly and car- rying himself correctly. Backing up a horse builds great strength in the back- end, the hocks and the core. The final goal in the


back up is to back up straight. A common mistake


made is to look left and right while backing up but this in- terferes with the horse’s movement. Set two ground poles parallel, at least 5 feet apart to start, and set your horse up to back through the poles. Ride forward be- tween the poles almost to the end. Then pick one side to watch where you are and resist the urge to look at the other side as this shifts your pelvis and weight, which in- hibits the horse from staying straight. To increase the challenge, start your back up ahead of the entrance to the ground poles and gradually put the poles closer together. Your accuracy will have to improve so be sure you con- sistently correct before you increase the challenge. Set up other obstacles to back through such as two barrels or pylons. Once you master going straight, then you can work towards backing around things. A good coach can save


you lots of time and frustra- tion. Never make a horse feel trapped as that just leads to explosive behaviour such as rearing. Set yourself up to video your ride and watch what you do and how your horse responds. Be aware of over correcting and learn how to ask as mini- mally as possible.


Confident Horsemanship: How To Control Your Anxiety About Riding


By Anne Gage for The Rider June 2022


Whether you feel anx-


ious about riding in general or about a specific part of riding - like cantering, jumpering, trail riding, or competing - it is possible for you to decrease and even to eliminate that in- appropriate emotion. As a rider, it’s important


to have the appropriate type of fear that tells you to pay at- tention when a situation may become dangerous. That’s how fear is supposed to work to keep you safe. You get a heightened level of awareness while still being able to think clearly enough to make good decisions and take appropri- ate action. Inappropriate anxiety


puts you in a state where you cannot think clearly or make good decisions. You freeze


mentally and physically. And the tension in your body also affects your horse. Fear and anxiety are


emotional states just as are happiness, anger, gratitude, jealousy. It is possible for you to control your emotional state and choose a positive over a negative state. Being able to control


your emotions depends partly on how much you “feed” a particular emotion. In the case of anxiety, you feed it by fo- cusing on what you feel afraid of or anxious about, and by making up stories (future thinking) about potential neg- ative outcomes. Here are three quick tips


to help you get out of that anxious emotional state:


1. Ask yourself “is it true?” - Use this question when you have“what-if” thoughts or


you are imagining a negative outcome. If the answer is no, then simply say (out loud or in your mind) Stop - Delete - Cancel. If it is true, then take the time to focus on a solu- tion. For example, if you’re anxious about cantering do you need to improve your sta- bility and balance in the sad- dle? Do you need to work on getting smooth transitions or improve your horse’s bal- ance? Once you have a solu- tion, then you can create a plan of action.


2. Change your posture - There really is a mind/body connection. Notice your phys- iology when you feel anxious or afraid. We tend to look down, round our shoulders, hold tension in the body, and have shallow breathing. Take a moment right now to stand up with your feet hip width


apart, open your chest so you can take in a nice deep, slow breath, look out towards the horizon, open your peripheral vi- sion, and smile. You can even put your hands on your hips for the full Wonder Woman/Super Man pose. Hold that posture for 2 minutes and notice how good you feel.


3. Imagine a positive outcome - When you feel anxious about a future event, you’re using your imagination in a negative way.


Nobody can predict the future whether that’s 3 minutes, 3 weeks or 3 years from now. So, change the picture and the story that you’re telling yourself. Use your mind to create a compelling future with a positive outcome. Either way, it’s just your imagi- nation. Next time you notice your-


self feeling anxious about riding, use these 3 tips to change your emotional state. So you can enjoy the ride.


Have an


Ride More, Worry Less And Enjoy Every Ride! Let’s get you feeling more confident today!


519-940-6050 • anne@confidenthorsemanship.com www.confidenthorsemanship.com


Karen Dallimore, OAC ‘85 Great Beginnings


Horse Basics is a coaching service for horses and their handlers based in Orton, Ontario. Call me to find out how I can help you with


handling and husbandry, goal setting, Extreme Cowboy obstacle work, recreational riding or just plain enjoying your horse. For more infor-


mation visit my website at www.horsebackwriter.net/horse-basics or find me on FB at Horse Basics.


Sweet Grass Farm, Orton, Ontario


519-855-1127 • karen.dallimore@gmail.com www.horsebackwriter.net • @horsebackwriter


interesting photo from your farm, event or show?


Send it to us with a caption and we might put it in our next issue! Email to


barry@therider.com


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