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Welcome to Frontier Western Shop's resource of training advise from professional horse trainers! Each month we will post a new article from one of our accredited trainers in different disciplines of competition and horsemanship.
The Counter Canter
with Bob Avila
The following is an article from respected horse trainer, Bob Avila. The full article can be found on www.equisearch.com
Q: I see a lot of reining and Western riding exhibitors counter-cantering their horses in the warm-up pen. What's the benefit? And how can I teach my horse to do it? ~ Steve Young Coral Gables, Florida
A: The counter canter (Loping to the left on the right lead and vice versa), makes your horse work a hundred times harder to balance himself than he does on his regular leads, so it advances your skill in controlling his body.
Teaching the counter-canter is a great prep for lead changes, as it accelerates the strength and balance your horse needs for the maneuver. It's also a great tool for a horse that anticipates lead changes on pattern. Rather than letting him change leads where he thinks he ought to, you can use the counter-canter to ride him through the trouble spot without changing leads-and thus refocus his attention on you.
Before you attempt the counter-canter, be sure your horse is going forward at the lope, meaning he's driving himself forward from his hindquarters. If he's dragging himself along on his front end, loping on the "wrong" lead will be impossible for you both. A lot of riders don't know how "forward" feels; it's the drive coming up into the seat of your pants as he lifts you up and down in a rotary-type motion. If the motion feels flat, you've lost the drive from his hind end.... {read more here)
Refusing to Enter the Arena
with Raylee Edwards
I have been hitting the jackpot trail lately and have noticed a number of horses refusing to enter the arena. This can be caused or related to a number of things, but usually includes one or more of the following:
1. An injury that is causing pain while running.
2. Over working/running a horse.
3. An uptight horse and rider combination.
If you find yourself facing this problem ask yourself these questions: Has your horse felt 'off' lately? Is this a new problem, and is it escalating? Do you make a lot of competition runs in practice? Do you need to back away from the practice pen? Are you a novice rider and is your horse possibly taking advantage of you?
Once you've ruled out any soundness issues you can address the other triggers. I like to avoid the hot zone if I have a fractious horse. They can get excited to run so if they tend to get antsy just stay cool, stay away from the alley or even get off and stand beside your horse. Some horses stay calmer if you keep them walking and moving around, while others are calmer standing. A buddy horse can help with this too by keeping your horse calm and showing them that it’s nothing to get excited about. Egging on a fractious horse by forcing them to stand still can lead to anxiety problems and result in refusing to go near the alley.
If you feel that at the end of the day your horse is just acting spoiled it's time to put your foot down. When your horse decides not to enter the arena; make it difficult for them. If they refuse to go forward then back them up. If they lock up and won't go anywhere bring their head around and kick the hip out. Do this both directions and at a brisk pace. Remember you are making it uncomfortable for them outside of the arena. Keep them busy. Once they move out and walk into the arena you've done the trick. It may take some consistency in discipline but in the end it will pay off. Horses and children are quite the same when it comes to discipline. If you are calm and consistent with your demands and provide positive reinforcement life will run more smoothly.
Answer this question honestly. Do you need 'the barrel patch' to help with the cravings of having to make practice runs? A horse can get soured from being over ran and continually picked on. Keep life enjoyable for your horse.
Freeing Up Your Horses Outside
with Chase Simpson
During these nice months everyone is practicing outside. All of the rodeos and jackpots are taking place in the outdoor arenas too. One thing I like to do at this time of year is keep my horses freed up.
Once you get outside in the spring, the steers are usually stronger, fresher and the barriers are longer. Keeping some horses free is easier than others. If you horse if free it is so much easier to handle your steers and set your run up.
In this situation I like to rope steers and keep my horse moving forward, sometimes not even dallying for a few strides. Then I will dally, go a few more strides down the arena and then handle the steer for my heeler. This allows my horse to stay free and give my partner a good chance. Also it keeps your horse responding to you so when you get to your event your horse is prepared for the situation.
Another thing I like to do is rope the Heelomatic. I will go slow and keep my horse in position, rope the steer and keep pushing my horse to stay in position, keeping the rope tight so it wont come off the horns. When I feel my horse has stayed in position long enough I will ask him to come into my hand and rate off the steer. Good luck to everyone with your outdoor runs.
TRAINER TIPS ARCHIVESMay 2010
- Levi Simpson "The Importance of Scoring a Timed Event Horse"April 2010
- Steele DePaoli "Preparing Yourself and the Heading Horse..." December 2009
- Dave Fraser "What To Look For In The Penning Prospect" November 2009
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