WORKING
TARPS AND BRIDGES
By SUSAN
DUDASIK
Just because
you don't show in Trail class doesn't mean you shouldn't teach
your horse to walk across plywood, tarps or bridges. You never
know when you'll come face-to-face with unusual footing and
having a horse that trusts you enough to go forward could save
a lot of time and energy. How often have you heard someone complain
that they had to reroute their trail ride because their horse
wouldn't cross a bridge? If you have been following this series,
you've already taught your horse to lead over these items. But
now things are different. You're on his back and often, he'll
come up with a whole new way to avoid doing what you want.
You start
riding your horse over walkovers much the way you taught him
to lead over them, slowly, from the ground. He should be confident
enough to be lead before you try riding over anything. Make
sure your first ride-overs are wide enough that your horse can't
jump or dance around it and they should not be raised. A large
tarp or two sheets of plywood placed away from any fences are
good to start with.
This is
another confidence and trust building obstacle, so you have
to do your part. If your horse is comfortable about being led
over the obstacle, do that a few times, then get on. Here's
where you have to take emotional control. Don't think he "might"
spook or "might" do something unexpected. Don't make
a big deal about the obstacle. Just calmly walk in a big circle
around it then, allowing a nice long approach, quietly turn
him and aim right for the center of the obstacle. Be confident
and look up, don't lean over his shoulder and look down at the
bridge. It will unbalance him. Feel how your horse is responding
and trust him. Give him some rein to encourage him to drop his
head and look at the obstacle. If he wants to stop and sniff
it, let him. If he's nervous, use the advance and retreat method
to get him near the obstacle. If he steps on it and backs off,
reward him and try again. But, be ready, he may try to jump
over it. Use your voice and legs to encourage him but don't
rush. Right now, let him choose when and how fast. That's why
your obstacle should be in the open, he may dance all around
it but you can still keep him facing it. If he spins away, bring
him right back to face it. Your horse may dance completely around
the obstacle several times before realizing he isn't getting
anywhere. Just be patient and let him figure it out. When he
finally stands and looks at the obstacle, praise him, then just
stand there for a few minutes. If he seems to be accepting the
situation, you can use your voice and legs to encourage him
forward. At this point, most horses that have been taught to
lead over this type of obstacle will go forward. The first few
attempts may be rushed and crooked but that will straighten
out with practice.
Once your
horse has accepted being ridden over the flat obstacle, you
can start incorporating it into your regular riding routine.
As you warm-up or cool down, calmly walk him over it or use
it as the center of a figure-eight. Remember to stop and stand
on the obstacle. You don't want your horse to think he can simply
rush over it. In some shows, you may be required to stop on
the bridge and put on a coat or open a mailbox. Teach patience
now. Another thing to practice is asking your horse to take
one step on the bridge, stop, then back off. I've never seen
this in a show situation, but it's great for control. I have
however had to step on the bridge then have my mule do a turn
on the forehand and sidepass with her front hoofs on the bridge
and the rear on the ground.
As you
progress, you can make the obstacle narrower. Recently I saw
an article on a police horse competition where the horse had
to walk over a 6 foot long by 8 inch wide piece of wood. Now
that's control! But with practice and patience, you and your
horse can do it, too.
After you
can constantly ride over a narrow, about 3 foot wide, sheet
of plywood or tarp, it's time to move on to working a raised
bridge. Be sure the bridge is sturdy, won't wobble and doesn't
have rails. You want the bridge to be as unintimidating as possible.
Working a step-up bridge may seem like a simple thing, but again,
think like a horse. Before, all he had to do was step on the
wood or tarp, now he must pick up his hoof and place it on something
hollow. This often confuses your horse, he doesn't realize he
has to step up. So, go back and refresh your horse by leading
him over the raised bridge. Remember to allow him to drop his
head so he can see where he is going. After a few passes on
the ground, get on and slowly ask him to approach it. Let him
drop his head so he can judge the step-up. Don’t keep his
head up, ride right up to the edge of the bridge, and expect
him to step on it. He probably won't, simply because he can't
see it. Watch any Trail class and you'll notice most of the
mistakes made at the bridge are because the rider didn't give
his horse a chance to look at it before getting too close. As
your horse becomes more comfortable working the bridge, start
asking him to stop in the center, then to step off and stop
with his hind hooves on it. Later you can try sidepassing around
it or crossing over the narrow part. Add flowerpots along the
sides or a few poles before or after. There are a number of
creative ways to work a bridge.
You might
want to try a bridge with rails. Again, think like a horse.
You are now asking him to enter a narrow, confining space. To
begin, move your bridge about three feet away from a fence or
railing. On the other side, create a second rail by placing
a pole on two barrels, thus creating an alleyway. Practice with
this until you can decrease the distance between the rails and
the bridge.
Often when
showing in Trail, a judge will comment that your horse hesitated
or rushed at the bridge. When working any obstacle, you must
decide how to do it and not try and please some judge. I've
had judges mark me down because my mule hesitated for a split-second
to look at an obstacle while others docked us because she didn't
look long enough. Ride to please yourself, not the judge.
Now most
of my bridge experience has been in the safe confines of a Trail
arena, but I have been over a few backcountry bridges and they
are different since they tend to be swaying, narrow, high-up,
and have a rushing river below them. For me, the biggest problem
was not my mule, but me. I was plain scared. So I would get
off and lead my mule across or relax my death grip on the reins,
grab the saddlehorn and focus on the top of the end of the bridge
and trust her to take me across. When confronted with a backcountry
bridge, often a horse won't cross because his rider lacks confidence.
If this happens to you, give your horse the benefit of the doubt
and examine your true feelings about the situation. Remember,
you can always go back to basics and walk across.
archives
Susan Dudasik
Shadow Rider Equine News
srider@salmoninternet.com
Member: Idaho Press Club
North American Saddle Mule Association
