True and I’ve been cantering low hops over the previous few articles.
Quickly we’ll elevate them and get to some two-foot obstacles—nonetheless fairly low, however somewhat bit extra demanding. We’ll additionally work on leaping gymnastics and associated jumps.
However right now I need to deal with a follow I see typically in educating younger or inexperienced horses to leap: drilling.
By this I imply working the horse forwards and backwards over the identical leap time and again, with no different actions in between. Or working to repair one downside multi functional coaching session and in a single location of the sector… often over the one similar drained leap.
Neuroscience reveals us that drilling doesn’t work effectively on people or animals.
Proper now, True and I heat up for quarter-hour, then work floor and raised poles into our full coaching session. In different phrases, whereas we’re doing flatwork we additionally trot or canter over an occasional pole, low cross-rail, or small vertical at some random location within the enviornment. Every coaching session combines flatwork with hopping, fairly than doing all of the flatwork first, then all of the leaping.
After True does particularly effectively with a pole or low hop and will get his temporary relaxation stroll as a reward, then we’d return to working towards easy lead adjustments, or shortening and lengthening the trot, or leg yields for a couple of minutes. We nonetheless have jumps to finish, however not all on the similar time.
On the finish of a session, we’d have hopped a raised pole at a canter 20 occasions throughout 45 minutes of labor… however not 20 occasions in a row.
This follow supplies selection for True’s thoughts and good cross-training to scale back accidents. It retains the horse attentive; he can’t very effectively anticipate what’s subsequent.
It additionally teaches that hopping over a pole—or later, a 3’ coop or a 4’ oxer—just isn’t an enormous deal or a particular achievement. It’s simply one other a part of the day’s work. Nothing to get nervous about.
Drilling creates boredom, overwhelms most horses’ minds, and tends to yield accidents as a result of the identical pressure is positioned on the identical tendon over and over. Sadly, it’s fairly widespread even amongst trainers who may not understand they’re doing it. Attempt to keep away from hopping a horse forwards and backwards with quick approaches and exits over the identical leap repeatedly. Attempt to keep away from an enormous distinction between flatwork and leaping throughout a lesson.
When there’s an issue, deal with it in many various areas and manners fairly than simply excessive of the identical leap. The leap itself just isn’t the issue! As a substitute, deal with the issue mounted and unmounted; on a longe line or free; within the enviornment or outdoors of it; with different horses or in isolation; some right now and a few tomorrow or subsequent week.
The interval throughout which we’re educating a horse to canter low hops is ideal for including selection.
Use poles of various colours or completely different patterns, change between 2’ plastic block requirements and 5’ submit requirements or wing requirements, toss a jacket or horse blanket over a low cross-rail. Search supplies that can produce novel appearances—barrels, tires, cones, tree branches, sandbags, bales of straw. Cowl sturdy cardboard with “brick wall” wallpaper and lean it in opposition to a leap. Be inventive!
My suggestion to keep away from drilling and provide selection goes for horses in all disciplines, not simply those studying to leap. The reining horse mustn’t do a fast walk-trot-lope warmup after which follow spins for the following 45 minutes. Dressage horses shouldn’t be following the identical previous competitors sample day in and day trip. Barrel horses have to stroll and trot, not simply gallop.
And please, cease loping these reducing horses for 2 hours straight, in the identical tiny circle, earlier than a cow seems. It’s laborious on their legs, and worse for his or her minds.
True and I cross-train for versatility on a regular basis. In a typical week, he’ll study or follow easy dressage maneuvers, low leaping, path gates and bridges, straightforward long-distance hacks, strolling by means of water puddles, hindquarter pivots, and galloping in sand.
The hot button is to offer a lot of activity selection, whereas additionally providing consistency in the best way you journey and method every activity.
Associated studying:
Mind-Based mostly Horsemanship is a weekly column that chronicles Janet Jones, PhD, and her journey with True, a Dutch Warmblood she educated from age three utilizing neuroscience greatest practices. Learn extra about brain-based coaching in Jones’ award successful e book Horse Mind, Human Mind.
A model of this story initially appeared on janet-jones.com. It’s reprinted right here with permission.
