30/ JUNE 2022 THE RIDER
The Science of how Horses Think & Learn Tips for Memorizing Show Patterns
terial in the mind’s eye. • Auditory learners understand by listening and repeating the in- formation back. They respond to descrip- tions, changes in tone, rhythms and rhymes. • Kinaesthetic learn- ers assimilate through movement and experi- ence. Learning by doing.
K n o w i n g
By Lindsay Grice. Equestrian Canada coach, horse show judge, specialist in equine behaviour.
As a judge I hate to be the
“off course” whistle-blower. As a competitor, I hated to hear it! Be- cause I was the “off course queen” as a young rider, I know well that lost-in-the-jungle feel- ing when you don’t know where to go after an obstacle. I want to spare others the red face (and wasted entry fees) I experienced, and share some pattern memo- rization tips I found helpful. Everyone memorizes mate-
rial in a different way: • Visual learners grasp concepts through diagrams and demonstra- tions. Using colours and shapes will imprint a picture of the ma-
your learning style is helpful. Try a few memorization styles in each of these cate- gories and see what
works best. I’ll give you a few suggestions:
Memorize the middle.Often we get the first part of a pattern, poem or song down, but get stuck in the middle of the second verse. Start at the middle rather than re- hearsing from the beginning over and over. Get to the point where you can start at obstacle three or five and pick it up from there.
Rhyme it. Song, rhyme, or allit- eration (starting each word with the same letter) appeals to audi- tory learners. For example: • “Lope Left after Logs.” • “Extend to the top, collect to the stop and turn-on-the-fore beside the door.” Speak out pattern maneuvers
in segments, like phrases in a paragraph. For example, “Jog, extended jog, stop, spin.” Or group obstacles in clusters
of three, repeating each cluster with changes of tone. “Gate (quiet), left lead logs (loud), right lead logs (loud), stop in box! (abrupt).” You can do the same thing with a sequence of jumps or elements of an equitation pattern.
Use colour. On your course dia- gram, use coloured markers to il- lustrate various gaits and transitions. This works well for equitation and horsemanship pat- terns, trail, western riding or rein- ing patterns and dressage patterns. Perhaps green will re- mind you to go faster, like a traf- fic light (ie. Pick up a lope.) Red might indicate the stops.
Or the first section of jumps
on the right lead in red (red equals right) and the next section in yellow (lemon equals left). See shapes in the course and
give word pictures to the obsta- cles based on their shape. For in- stance, you might see the first segment as a question mark, the next grouping as a zig-zag, fol- lowed by a letter J.
Where next? Visualize exiting each obstacle and turning toward the next one. I remind my stu- dents to silently say the words “What’s next?” as they’re cross- ing each element to get their minds actively thinking ahead. I used to fall into the trap of jump- ing a fence and weighing how we
jumped it while jumping it as well as re-living it on the follow- ing strides. By the time you’re landing from a jump or exiting an obstacle, it’s too late to analyze it. Forget it, pitch your thoughts to the next destination and leave the assessment until later.
Walk it. I encourage students to set up pylons in a mini-pattern at the stable area or beside the trailer and walk through patterns on foot. Jumper and trail com- petitors are invited walk the ac- tual course before the class. Or use sticks on the ground to set up a mini course. Actually putting yourself into the situation appeals to kinesthetic learners. Put it in perspective. When
memorizing a pattern, imagine where the in gate is. Where are the judges sitting? Mentally put yourself in the ring. If possible, watch the competitors in the class before you, preferably from a few different locations at ringside – not just the gate. By all means, get into the ring and ride or walk around the obstacles if show management permits.
Give yourself time. Most pat- terns are available online before the show – don’t cram the day of the show. The more hurried you get, the more you’ll forget! And, who knows? It might
not hurt to slip that course dia- gram under your pillow the night before…
About Lindsay Grice. A horse show judge and certified riding coach with a special interest in equine be-
haviour. After 25 years as a competitor and horse trainer, Lindsay enjoys teaching clinics and travelling to Ontario farms as a freelance instructor. She’s taught the science of equine behaviour and learning for horse associations, courses for University of Guelph and therapeutic riding facilities. Lindsay judges many disciplines and breeds and serves on an EC judging commit-
tee
Why do horses do what they do? “In the horse world, our traditions and evidence sometimes collide – I love to help riders solve their horse puzzles with logic, patience and equitation science.” www/
lindsaygriceridingcoach.com
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