Palm Partnership Training™


Building A Partnership With Your Horse Importance of the Walk


By Lynn Palm It probably comes


as no surprise that a good walk is important in a trail horse. However, a horse with a comfortable, ground-covering walk is one that will be appreci- ated by real working cowboys, dressage riders, endurance and competi- tive trail riders, as well as weekend trail riders. That is because the walk is one of the hardest gaits to im- prove in a horse, and yet it is the gait most com- monly used by most rid- ers outside of speed events. Although it is diffi-


cult to improve the qual- ity of a horse’s walk, there are some exercises you can practice to teach your horse to walk at a comfortable, controlled speed in a straight line.


When your horse is in a controlled walk, it is much easier for him to stay balanced when he is going up and down hills. If a horse is balanced and moving in a straight line, he can better transfer his weight to his hind end when going downhill as well as negotiate rough terrain much more easily. Practice the follow-


ing exercise in your reg- ular tack in an enclosed area at first before you take it out on the trail. Make sure you are sitting balanced in the center of your horse’s back and that your cues are clear so that your horse under- stands them.


The Basic Walk Many riders create


problems unintentionally when they either kick or grip the horse’s side to


get him to walk forward, but these two actions ac- tually make the horse re- sist. Try pounding your ribs with your fist to get an idea of what your horse feels if you do this. Remember that a horse is sensitive enough to feel a fly land on his skin so he does not need much of a leg aid when you ask him to move forward. Use your calves,


and not your heels, in as light a touch as necessary to ask your horse to walk forward. If your horse does not step forward im- mediately into a walk, slide your calves slightly backward and ask again. If that doesn’t work, use a “clucking” sound with your leg aid or touch his side with your crop or the end of our reins just be- hind your leg or on his rump to give him even more encouragement to move away from the touch.


As your horse


walks, practice staying balanced and let your hips move back and forth naturally as they follow his motion at the walk. This will synchronize you with the horse, and both you and he will be more comfortable. It also will encourage him to relax his back and use his hind legs more. You keep


the horse moving straight and maintaining speed by using light support with your legs and reins. You can tell if your


SEPTEMBER 2023 THE RIDER /31 side.


Always be aware of


horse is comfortable and relaxed in the walk if his ears are forward and he is moving along without re- sistance. If your horse is relaxed, clearly under- stands what you are ask- ing of him, and trusts you, then he will be eas- ier to work with and enjoy the ride too. If you are unbalanced or heavy- handed, however, your horse will be frustrated and anxious for the ride to be over with and may challenge you in some way.


There is less mo-


mentum at the walk to help your horse stay straight. If he is having trouble staying straight at the walk, practice transi- tions between the walk and the trot. Walk straight and at a steady pace— without


slowing or


speeding up. Next, prac- tice varying your speed at the walk. After


practicing


walking in a straight line, walk in circles at a steady pace. Remember, that when you circle your horse, he should have a slight bend or curve to his body and not have just his head turned to the in-


your position in the sad- dle. Your spine should be centered over your horse and an observer should be able to draw a straight line from your ear to your shoulder to the middle of your hip, to the back of your heel, and down to the ground. Your eyes should always be looking ahead to where you want to go and not down at your horse.


Remember, if you have trouble controlling your horse’s speed at any gait, bring him into a turn be- cause bending will auto- matically slow him down. At a walk, initiate the turn by using an up- ward motion with your outside rein only. This will shorten the horse’s stride at the walk. Think of your outside rein as your “brake.”


• Palm Equestrian Acad- emy generalinfo@lyn- n p a l m . c o m 352-362-7847 • • Cyril and Lynn offer clinics throughout the country and abroad as well as online coaching. Join them on their teach- ing tours or their Palm Equestrian Academy Eu- ropean Journeys.


Ontario Carriage Driving Association News The Ontario Carriage Driv-


ing Association hosted a week- end of driving July 14 through the 16th at the Steenbeek Friesian Farm along the shores of Lake Huron. Heavy rains earlier in the week drenched the grounds but by competition time, the dressage and cones fields firmed up and provided excellent footing. The weekend kicked off on Friday with a combined test consisting of dressage and cones competi- tion, attracting twenty competi- tors including three juniors. Past Canadian team driver Susan Mott judged the dressage phase of the event.


Top placings for Friday are


as follows: Intermediate Single horse 1st. Anne Marie Anderson


Pair Horses 1st. Sarah Steenbeek 2nd. Nanda Vervoort


Preliminary Single Pony 1st. Sophia Van Pelt 2nd Monica Lamothe


Pair Pony 1st. Chad Rhinehart 2nd. JJ Markham


Single Horse 1st. Karen McCrae 2nd. Wim Cazemier Training


Pair horses 1st. Sarah Steenbeek 2nd. Nanda Vervoort


Four horses 1st. Gerben Steenbeek


Preliminary


Single pony 1st. Carolyn Aarup 2nd. Sophia Van Pelt


Gerben Steenbeek driving his four friesians.


Single Horse 1st. Karin Van Wely 2nd. Alien Wigchers


Saturday started with each


competitor performing the dres- sage test in front of Judge Mott. They then proceeded immedi- ately to the cones field where they were challenged by a de- manding track of cones. Seven- teen competitors including one four-in-hand took part in the first of two days competition. Al- though rain threatened to add an extra element to the day, it stayed north of the village of Varna and very few raindrops were felt. Sunday morning again was


overcast but no rain was felt, the track for the cross county portion had to be adjusted to a different route as the previous rainy days


made planned trails not safe in the forested area. The alterations allowed for a 5 km route to still be challenged by the drivers. The finish of the 5km route led into a series of 5 distinct hazards that included a wagon wheel forma- tion, two hazards of gates, a bridge over a water hazard, and a series of 50 posts allowed the drivers to go slow and steady or fast and risky to complete this obstacle. The seventeen competi- tors completed the cross county marathon phase with no acci- dents or even a pulled shoe. A large crowd of spectators were on hand to watch the skill and fi- nesse.


The results for the two day


format are as follows: Intermediate


Pair Pony 1st. Chad Rhinehart 2nd. JJ Markham


Single Horse 1st. Karen McCrae 2nd. Kami Landy


Training


Single Horse 1st. Karin Van Wely 2nd. Alien Wigchers


The competitors traveled to


Varna, Ontario from Florida, Wisconsin, Indiana and from across southwestern Ontario. Hospitality was at its highest form, the hazards and cones courses were challenging and fair. The show was built off a two day event last year that en- ticed the Ontario Carriage Driv- ing Association to add a third day of competition which was well received. The farm continues to be developed each year to in-


Stacey Huneke driving her single pony.


clude ammenities to provide a truly great venue to showcase carriage driving. The food ven- dor was excellent, sponsors stepped up to support the event and ensure its success. The OCDA board headed by presi- dent Vicki Cork were there help- ing where required, taking entries and organizing the office, keep- ing track of scores, scribing for judges, judging hazards, timing, directing traffic both horse and human and seeing that potential problems were alleviated before they happened. No event could operate without the volunteer help that return each year in var- ious capacities. The judge and her husband


Ken were great support, as was our other officials who scored the cones competition. The many


skills that OCDA could not func- tion without. Jon and Annemarie Steenbeek are great hosts and open their property multiple times a year to support driving in Ontario. Located one hour and a half from Port Huron MI, or three hours from Buffalo NY, the success of the show continues to attract in- terest from across the Great Lakes region. More information on the


Ontario Carriage Driving Assoc can be found on our website, www.carriagedriving.ca. We welcome current drivers, poten- tial drivers and anyone else with an interest to contact us and join in the sport of carriage driving.


Photos by Diana Macdonald.


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