30/ MAY 2022 THE RIDER
The Science of how Horses Think & Learn Horse Show Success: Attention to the details.
tain Crunch, then tries to keep a lid on the tantrum. Hmmmm… don’t you have
an
inkling that this little
warrior
gained his confi- dence for the ce- real
aisle
s h o w d o w n through winning lots of little con- tests-of-the will? We’re al-
By Lindsay Grice. Equestrian Canada coach, horse show judge, specialist in equine be- haviour.
Many judges will tell you
they can forecast how a per- formance is going to go at the in-gate. Now, I’m not talking about the spit ‘n polish turnout details (though important), but the training details – all those resistances that go unnoticed outside the ring as the rider di- rects their attention to the gaits, movements and jumps they’ll require inside the ring. We’ve all seen the grocery
store meltdown. Some poor parent declines to buy the Cap-
ways training – there’s no neutral. I encourage riders
to be mindful of each moment they spend on the ground or in the saddle, catching those little resistances and using them as training opportunities, rather than letting them slip under the radar. Try to interrupt the resist-
ance as it starts, each time, until it’s finally erased. If not, it will undoubtedly show up later under a pressure situation like a horse show. “In almost all training, sit-
uations, the most effective way to “delete” behaviours is to prevent them from being ex- pressed.” Dr. Andrew Mclean. Here are a few more “be- fore the in-gate initiatives”
your horse might take. Small braces or behaviours that go unnoticed at home or the warm up ring. One trainer calls them unauthorized decisions – I like that!
• Rubbing on you • Circling around you • Cutting a corner • Rooting or tugging at the
reins • Biting the lead shank • Travelling faster or
slower than you’d really like Wow - could I be un-train-
ing my horse if I don’t follow through on the details? What if I reset my expectations so that every question I ask my horse requires a soft response, from the moment I unload from the trailer to our entrance into the ring? The payoff is, he’s less
likely to say “no” when the pressure’s on. Fewer costly wrong leads, added strides, or seconds lost in speed events.
On the ground or under saddle –
little resistances outside the show ring may add up to bigger ones inside the ring.
About Lindsay Grice. A horse show judge and certified riding coach with a special
interest in equine behaviour. After 25 years as a competitor and horse trainer, Lindsay enjoys teaching clinics and travelling to On- tario 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
We’re always training – there’s no neutral. EC judging committee
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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