UNKNOTTING
THE DREADED ROPE GATE
By SUSAN
DUDASIK
Perhaps
one of the most misunderstood obstacle in Trail class is the
rope gate, either you love them or hate them. I’ve actually
been at shows where the contestants complained so much about
the rope gate that the show committee pulled the obstacle from
the course. Personally, I like them and find rope gates much
easier to work than solid metal or wooden ones. And I think
they are safer, especially for the novice horse or rider. The
rope gate is one of those physiological obstacles that looks
hard but is really very simple. You just need to break it down
to basic steps.
Often the
problem begins with the approach. Most riders ride straight
for the center of the gate then expect their horse to maneuver
into position. If your horse is advanced and can perform a precise
turn on the forehand, this is a good approach. But, if he can’t,
you need to do some basic work. Help your horse by simply changing
the angle of the approach. Look at it from his perspective.
You are asking him to walk, almost straight, into a barrier.
Remember, until you’ve worked dozens of gates, he doesn’t
know he’s going to turn parallel to the rope, he just sees
a barrier. And if that rope happens to flap in the breeze, hang
on!
So, rather
than trying to kick him into position, try a different approach.
Swing wide to the side and bring your horse parallel to the
gate then stop and stand. Practice approaching from both sides
of the gate and stopping with your knee next to the latch. Don’t
worry about handling the rope. The goal is to have your horse
in position and standing still. This might take a bit of time.
When he’s standing still for at least 30 seconds, ask him
to back up. Work on backing straight and quietly. Vary the direction
and number of steps used as you practice your approach, stand,
and back.
When your
horse is proficient at the above exercise, reach down and lightly
take hold of the rope. Be aware of your body position. You need
to be close enough that you can simply slide your hand down
and touch the rope. You don’t want to be leaning over with
all your weight in the stirrup nearest the gate. This will cue
your horse to move away. If you must lean, bend at the waist
and keep your hips and legs straight. When you horse stands
still, start to swing the rope more aggressively and let it
bump him a few times. Praise him as he stands. Let your horse
see what you’re doing and sniff the rope if he wants to.
Next, unhook
the rope and hold it as you raise your arm up and down. Let
the rope flap. Reassure your horse the rope wouldn’t hurt
him. Let it bump his sides, rump, eventually working downward
until the rope bumps his legs. Be careful, he might jump away.
If he does, let go of the rope and reassure him. Then try again.
Never hold on to the rope when your horse jumps away. It’s
not worth being jerked out of the saddle or getting a rope burn.
Besides if either happens, you’ll have to start all over
again.
Remember,
do this exercise from both sides of your horse and on both sides
of the gate.
By now,
your horse should be calmly approaching parallel to the gate
and standing still as you unhook the rope. Ask him to back up
about three or four feet so your knee is about even with the
post the rope is attached to. Stop and stand. Slowly step your
horse forward, asking him to do a tight quarter turn into the
opening of the gate. Stop for a few seconds. You don’t
want to rush this part. Do a second quarter turn so you are
opposite of where you started. Basically you’re doing a
tight half-circle around the post with the rope attached. Stop,
stand for a few seconds and praise your horse. If you’ve
practiced the above exercises from both directions, the rest
should be easy. All you have to do is ask your horse to back
up a few steps and stand while you hook the gate.
There you
have it, a simple approach to the mysterious rope gate. It doesn’t
require any fancy sidepassing or turns on the forehand or haunches.
You just need to break it down to very basic steps.
If you
run into problems with your horse not wanting to go between
the posts, drop the rope and simply ride back and fourth through
the opening. Stop in the center, back up, then walk forward.
If he’s really afraid of the rope, get on the ground and
work with him, constantly reassuring him it’s not going
to eat him. If you have major rope problems, take him away from
the gate completely to work with him.
One of
the biggest problems riders have with this obstacle is that
they don’t take the time needed to show their horse what
is expected. They approach the gate head on, the horse gets
confused and doesn’t want to walk into the rope, rider
tries to kick horse into position and the fight is on. Then
the rider tries to hold onto the rope as the horse pulls away.
Rider is pulled off balance and disaster is near. By taking
the time to slowly show the horse what’s expected, all
of this will be avoided. It just takes getting back to basics.
archives
Susan Dudasik
Shadow Rider Equine News
srider@salmoninternet.com
Member: Idaho Press Club
North American Saddle Mule Association
