There's got to be something positive in it for your pony!!!!
It's not enough to just "release the pressure."
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I believe its all about the bond, communication,trust, friendship and maintaining boundaries.
I prefer to use positive enforcement with all my teaching strategies and scratches are a good reinforcement especially for ponies that can't be fed treats.
I don't ever allow biting, kicking, nipping, bucking, or anything like that ever!!
Because that oversteps my boundaries .
My little bay mare however has her own set of boundaries that I'm not to over step either.
She very much has made it clear she does not want other people riding her as she will snob me and hold it against me for a long time.
Every horse has their own quirks and characters.
Every horse is an individual. Some are strong willed while others are willing. Some are scared of loud noises; some don't care at all about noise but are deathly scared of that flapping plastic bag.
Some ponies put on a bluff; others you have to convince.
Still there are others that you have to ask and persuade all the time.
Some need lots of reassurance as they have a high need for security, comfort and safety in their owner.
Others are majorly confident and strongly independent.
There is no bad horse and any horse can strike up a friendship with you depending how you treat them.
I hope by visiting this page you will learn some new things about how your pony thinks and behaves and how you can learn to make your pony your partner.
I prefer to use positive enforcement with all my teaching strategies and scratches are a good reinforcement especially for ponies that can't be fed treats.
I don't ever allow biting, kicking, nipping, bucking, or anything like that ever!!
Because that oversteps my boundaries .
My little bay mare however has her own set of boundaries that I'm not to over step either.
She very much has made it clear she does not want other people riding her as she will snob me and hold it against me for a long time.
Every horse has their own quirks and characters.
Every horse is an individual. Some are strong willed while others are willing. Some are scared of loud noises; some don't care at all about noise but are deathly scared of that flapping plastic bag.
Some ponies put on a bluff; others you have to convince.
Still there are others that you have to ask and persuade all the time.
Some need lots of reassurance as they have a high need for security, comfort and safety in their owner.
Others are majorly confident and strongly independent.
There is no bad horse and any horse can strike up a friendship with you depending how you treat them.
I hope by visiting this page you will learn some new things about how your pony thinks and behaves and how you can learn to make your pony your partner.
Leg aids
I really like leg aids. Every horse I own gets ridden with leg aids.
It makes sense to me and the horse!!
To put it simply, If you're turning right you put your right leg behind the girth.
If you're turning left you put your left leg behind the girth.
This helps with so many things!
There are so many reasons I like and use leg aids.
The ponies soon learn that if they listen to the leg aid first they won't even get a tug on their mouth or nose.
The horses soon learn a fast turn means nudging with your outside leg.
A slow turn is just putting your foot back.
And transitioning to canter is one foot behind the girth and one foot on the girth. (Depending which way you're going of course)
Below these are a couple of the reasons I like leg aids.
Leg Aid Video coming soon!!
It makes sense to me and the horse!!
To put it simply, If you're turning right you put your right leg behind the girth.
If you're turning left you put your left leg behind the girth.
This helps with so many things!
There are so many reasons I like and use leg aids.
The ponies soon learn that if they listen to the leg aid first they won't even get a tug on their mouth or nose.
The horses soon learn a fast turn means nudging with your outside leg.
A slow turn is just putting your foot back.
And transitioning to canter is one foot behind the girth and one foot on the girth. (Depending which way you're going of course)
Below these are a couple of the reasons I like leg aids.
- Advanced warning for the horse. (the pony should turn without you even having to touch his/her mouth)
- Helps pick up lead changes.
- Helps the horse canter on the right leg.
- More reliability (not having to always depend on the horse's bit for control )
- Prevent or stop them dropping their shoulder.
- It is possible you can ride tackless much easier without carrying sticks or ropes.
Leg Aid Video coming soon!!
The Line up.
The Line up along with the method I use completely reverses the horses evasive thinking when it comes to you getting on their back. I like to teach any horse I own or train, the Line-up.
Instead of you following the horse around trying to get on their back, the horse lines itself up for you and doesn't move till your feet are in the stirrups, and you give them your signal to go forward or back.
Instead of you following the horse around trying to get on their back, the horse lines itself up for you and doesn't move till your feet are in the stirrups, and you give them your signal to go forward or back.
Bitting-what bit suits your pony??
Some horses love a jointed snaffle.
Others however hate it with a passion.
Some love straight bars and find them the kindest bits around, Others find them horrifically uncomfortable.
Does your pony respond to poll pressure ? If so you may be looking for some kind of gag?
If not then you might be looking for a bit with a snaffle action?
Now what does your horse prefer ?
French link?
Jointed snaffle?
Straight bar?
Portsmouth ect ect??
Every horse has a different mouth.
Some have thicker and thinner tongues.
Some have higher pallets (Pallet is the roof of the mouth)
Some have lower pallets.
The below list is a guide from my experience with bitting horses.
For horses that have a high pallet snaffle bits tend to be okay.
For horses that have a low pallet snaffle bits tend to be absolute misery for them.
For horses with a low pallet and thick tongue Straight bars are tolerable but not comfortable.
For horses with a Low pallet and a thinner tongue Straight bars are quite comfortable.
For horses with a thick tongue and low pallet. a low port mouth straight bar can be quite comfortable.
Horses with a high palate and thick/or thinner tongues tend to find straight bars unbearable.
Its also your hands, Your hands need to be soft and kind before riding at all.
But again the below guide is from my experience.
Gag bits work on poll pressure and leverage.
They work down on the poll and up with the mouth (If curb chain is used).
I have found they produce more lift from the horses shoulder then a simple snaffle.
Good for advanced work.
Snaffle bits work on a direct pull back action,
Affecting mainly the bottom jaw and mouth.
Good for basic work and advanced work.
Others however hate it with a passion.
Some love straight bars and find them the kindest bits around, Others find them horrifically uncomfortable.
Does your pony respond to poll pressure ? If so you may be looking for some kind of gag?
If not then you might be looking for a bit with a snaffle action?
Now what does your horse prefer ?
French link?
Jointed snaffle?
Straight bar?
Portsmouth ect ect??
Every horse has a different mouth.
Some have thicker and thinner tongues.
Some have higher pallets (Pallet is the roof of the mouth)
Some have lower pallets.
The below list is a guide from my experience with bitting horses.
For horses that have a high pallet snaffle bits tend to be okay.
For horses that have a low pallet snaffle bits tend to be absolute misery for them.
For horses with a low pallet and thick tongue Straight bars are tolerable but not comfortable.
For horses with a Low pallet and a thinner tongue Straight bars are quite comfortable.
For horses with a thick tongue and low pallet. a low port mouth straight bar can be quite comfortable.
Horses with a high palate and thick/or thinner tongues tend to find straight bars unbearable.
Its also your hands, Your hands need to be soft and kind before riding at all.
But again the below guide is from my experience.
Gag bits work on poll pressure and leverage.
They work down on the poll and up with the mouth (If curb chain is used).
I have found they produce more lift from the horses shoulder then a simple snaffle.
Good for advanced work.
Snaffle bits work on a direct pull back action,
Affecting mainly the bottom jaw and mouth.
Good for basic work and advanced work.
Slide Stops
Slide stops - the glamour the incredible beauty of it all.
One may tend to think you would have to pull them in the mouth to get them to stop so well, but this is not the case.
The mouth I believe should be used as a "second brake" Sort of Like a hand brake in a car.
It should in my opinion only be used when necessary.
Same with turning - it should be your last option to pick up the reins and pull.
For turning I use leg aids first and if the pony ignores that aid, then gently but rhythmically tug tug tug on the rein all the while using your outside leg as a guide for the horse (not kicking - just nudging at the most).
Ideally you should be able to just put your leg back and have your horse turn the direction you want to go.
The same I believe should apply to stopping. Ponies should always have an advanced warning.
You can use a fence to teach the slide stop, but I prefer not to use a fence to stop a pony. I like to teach the stop thoroughly first.
How I teach ponies (and horses) to stop to seat is by suddenly "not riding" - sitting slightly back, and using my seat as my first brakes, then if the horse doesn't stop as they do not understand what I'm trying to communicate to them,
I will end up using the bit as brakes, then backing them up, walking them on again and repeating this process soon enough they learn what stop to seat means. To the pony it means avoiding being pulled in the mouth and given a treat as well.
After the pony learns this at the walk, then we increase the speed to a trot and reapply the stop to seat communication that was already learned at the walk. Then the stop to seat is again introduced at the canter and gallop.
Remember if there is something positive in the experience for the pony, then you're working as a team.
It might seem like a lot of work just for a slide stop but this also helps in many other area's of riding not just slides. This helps as you turn a barrel as you get into the pocket and lean a tad back your horse feels this and because he has been trained he is sensitive to it and learns to slow down. It's a great way of managing speed and much more.
One may tend to think you would have to pull them in the mouth to get them to stop so well, but this is not the case.
The mouth I believe should be used as a "second brake" Sort of Like a hand brake in a car.
It should in my opinion only be used when necessary.
Same with turning - it should be your last option to pick up the reins and pull.
For turning I use leg aids first and if the pony ignores that aid, then gently but rhythmically tug tug tug on the rein all the while using your outside leg as a guide for the horse (not kicking - just nudging at the most).
Ideally you should be able to just put your leg back and have your horse turn the direction you want to go.
The same I believe should apply to stopping. Ponies should always have an advanced warning.
You can use a fence to teach the slide stop, but I prefer not to use a fence to stop a pony. I like to teach the stop thoroughly first.
How I teach ponies (and horses) to stop to seat is by suddenly "not riding" - sitting slightly back, and using my seat as my first brakes, then if the horse doesn't stop as they do not understand what I'm trying to communicate to them,
I will end up using the bit as brakes, then backing them up, walking them on again and repeating this process soon enough they learn what stop to seat means. To the pony it means avoiding being pulled in the mouth and given a treat as well.
After the pony learns this at the walk, then we increase the speed to a trot and reapply the stop to seat communication that was already learned at the walk. Then the stop to seat is again introduced at the canter and gallop.
Remember if there is something positive in the experience for the pony, then you're working as a team.
It might seem like a lot of work just for a slide stop but this also helps in many other area's of riding not just slides. This helps as you turn a barrel as you get into the pocket and lean a tad back your horse feels this and because he has been trained he is sensitive to it and learns to slow down. It's a great way of managing speed and much more.
Side passing.
Side passing is a very valuable tool and can be used at times such as when you need to open and close a gate, walk over poles length- wise and in other pony club games.
I don't agree with digging a pony in the side till they move over. I think the side pass should be explained to the pony, in language the pony can understand. It's not about creating pain until they move, or making the horse guess (confusing and frightening them, or making them numb to our aids).
I don't agree with digging a pony in the side till they move over. I think the side pass should be explained to the pony, in language the pony can understand. It's not about creating pain until they move, or making the horse guess (confusing and frightening them, or making them numb to our aids).
