PUTTING
YOUR GROUND TRAINING SKILLS TO WORK
By SUSAN
DUDASIK
While flipping
through a 1980 issue of Western Horseman I came across an article
on Sandy Hunter, an amateur rider who had been doing quite well
in Trail events and had earned an ROM with her Paint mare. Hunter
was pretty much a do-it-yourselfer and in the article she credits
the fact that her mare "had been taught from the ground,
with a halter and lead shank, to side-pass, turn on the forehand
and haunches, and back long before she was ever ridden. These
basics are necessary before a horse is ever taken to an obstacle."
It has
been over twenty years since that article was published and
many things have changed, but not the fact that training a horse
or mule to succeed begins on the ground, back to the basics.
Up to now we have been teaching our horses to do the basics,
lead, side-pass, turn on the forehand and haunches and back,
now it's time to use those lessons by actually working various
obstacles. To better explain this, I have created a simple "photo
course" consisting of a gate, small trot-over, back-through
"L", a trot-through and back-out and finally a sidepass.
Obstacle
#1- Open narrow gate and lead horse through. Since you don't
have to worry about closing the gate, you can simply lead your
horse to the gate, tell him to stand and open the gate completely.
With your horse still standing, walk through the gate then when
you are clear, ask him to walk through and up to you. To succeed
at this, your horse should remain in place until you call him.
If he charges through the gate or dances around, you need to
spend more time approaching and having him quietly stand near
the obstacles.
Obstacle
# 2- While trotting, lead horse over raised poles. This
is not a jumping obstacle. Your horse should trot smartly beside
you and, while holding an even pace, simply trot over the obstacle.
If you have been working the raised ground poles, there should
be no problem. Most of the errors for this type of obstacle
are handler related. Simply relax, keep a steady pace and look
up where you are going. Be confident that your horse will be
there and most likely he will. If you hesitate before the "jump"
or look down at it, you will throw your horse off balance and
he will either stop or hit the pole. Remember to give him plenty
of slack in the lead so he can get his head down. If you have
a problem with this obstacle, have someone take a video or photo
and examine what you are doing first before blaming your horse.
Obstacle
# 3- Back through "L"- This obstacle requires
you to slow down, think and break each step down into simple
parts. First, on the approach maneuver your horse as close as
you can to the obstacle. Note how one side is longer then the
other. When you approach, bring your horse right along side
the short pole before positioning him. This will give you an
advantage because you are already in the obstacle. Many people
make the mistake of positioning their horse two or three feet
in front of the poles then pray their horse will back into the
right spot. By placing your horse in the obstacle, you have
less backing to do and there is less chance you will have to
position your horse's rump. Once in place, stop and take a deep
breath. Ask your horse to slowly back up. If his rump swings
to one side or the other, step to that side and tell him to
"get over." Back him to about a foot from the back
pole. Stop. Collect your thoughts and ask for a turn on the
forehand. Stop. Now ask for a turn on the haunches. Stop. Your
horse should be straight between the poles. Take another deep
breath and ask your horse to back out of the obstacle. When
you're clear of the poles, stop again, then go to your horse's
left side and ask him to do a turn on the haunches until you
are facing the next obstacle.
The key
to success for this obstacle is patience. Go slow. You are only
practicing. If your horse gets to fidgeting, stop until he calms
down then ask for the next step. If he's really upset, take
him away from the obstacle and practice in the open.
Obstacle
#4- Trot-through, stop and back-out - Again this seemingly
simply obstacle can be a hidden trap. The instructions say to
trot between the poles, stop and back out. Simple, right? Actually
it is if you pay attention. The kicker here is the stop. Make
sure you stop between the poles. Ideally your horse's front
hooves should be even with the ends of the poles, not three
feet behind or six feet in front. Here's where precision counts.
Give your horse plenty of room to get into a nice even trot,
then, look up and trot him right between the poles. Plan your
stop. When you get about two strides away, cue your horse to
stop. By the time he hears the cue and reacts, he should be
at the end of the poles. Don't wait until you are at the poles
to say "whoa." Give your horse time to react. Once
stopped, take a deep breath, turn and face your horse then ask
for the back. Again, go slow and steady. When you clear the
poles, stop, then do a turn on the haunches until you are facing
the next obstacle.
Obstacle
# 5- Side-pass over the pole in both directions - By now
you should begin noticing how working the obstacles are much
easier if you break them down into smaller steps. For the side-pass,
start by positioning your horse close to the pole with his front
hooves about a foot in front of the pole. When he's in position,
cue him to slowly side-pass. Go a few steps at a time so he
doesn't rush or start moving his rear faster than his front
end. When you reach the end, stop. Switch sides so you are on
the off-side and cue him to side-pass the other way. If his
rump or front end gets out of line, stop and straighten him
out by doing a turn on the forehand or haunches, whichever is
needed. When you reach the end, stop again.
When competing
in Trail, the goal is to make your performance look smooth and
effortless. This is only achieved by practice. Trail is not
a speed class, it is a precision event that requires the rider
to think and plan his course. If you take the time to teach
your horse the basics of ground work, you are also learning
to understand the value of patience and precision. It just takes
slowing down and getting out of the saddle and back on the ground,
back to the basics.
Susan Dudasik
Shadow Rider Equine News
srider@salmoninternet.com
Member: Idaho Press Club
North American Saddle Mule Association
