Working the Walk- Setting the standard for the ride

I taught a variety of lessons yesterday from new clients to those that I've worked with for a while. Some of the things we focused on were where/when the horse's brain was triggered to "leave" his body.

Whether it was due to deer jumping out and "harassing" the horse, changing the location of the lesson, or not doing something the horse had anticipated happening, our focus was on how to interrupt the horse's fixation on a thought, and then how to offer a positive alternative as to how the horse should physically handle something.

And yes, for these initial conversation changers to occur between horse and human we tend to have to slow down, literally. The walk is usually seen as the "boring" or dutiful pace that allows the horse to stretch or "warm-up" and the rider is often thinking about other things or socializing with other riders because they aren't really "working" yet.

Without doing the "work" to set the horse up for success, frequently the following phrases are thought and experienced by riders:

"I wonder what he will do when __________..."

"I hope that he doesn't ____________..."

"Maybe he'll be okay if __________..."

"Last time he did x,y & Z so I'm sure this time he will ________..."

If the rider is feeling or thinking these above thoughts, how much of a quality proactive communication are they offering? Or instead, are they riding perhaps defensively, re-actively and attempting to contain the horse's unwanted movement rather than addressing the root cause. This leaves doubt in both the rider and horse for future experiences.

But when a rider is in the saddle, if instead, they learn to refine their focus and prioritize assessing first a "checklist" of themselves:

Where's their brain? What is their intention? How are they conveying to the horse what they want? To communicate with the horse, have they done their body check for the day? Seat bones plugged in? Lower leg? Upper body? Arms and hands? Fingers? Head position? Energy level? Breathing?

This is NOT about making folks pretty riders, rather effective ones. This means if you are sitting in an unbalanced manner, your aids will not be specific, your timing will be off and you'll frequently feel "left behind" the movement of what the horse is doing.

And then, the rider can assess the horse:

Where is the horse's brain? What is his current ability at this moment to let go of a thought or distraction? What is his response to an aid? What is his breathing like and does he blow his nose, licks his lips, sighs, or passes manure? What is his willingness to try even after offering an unwanted response?

The is not to judge that one behavior the horse offers is "good" and that another is "bad." This is rather a starting point that tells the rider what kind of support the horse needs on that particular day, which may be different from the next session.

By checking in with themselves and their horse, this "information" can help the rider understand how to proceed with their horse. It can help them focus on what needs to be addressed to support the horse, and it gives them specific "direction" and appropriate intention for the ride. This helps "prove" to the horse that he is being heard, and that when the rider shows up, the horse feels better or more confident, for the interaction with the human.

The rider can learn to work through areas that are troubling the horse, rather than masking them as folks frequently do.

Addressing these scenarios can help the horse feel better, can prepare, and will refine the horse's "standard" to the degree of quality of the conversation should be.

By doing this initial prep work with the horse, by the time the "real" job or task is presented specifically, the rider already has effective communication tools and has a mentally available and willing equine partner, therefore, increasing the chances of a successful experience.