TIPS FROM THE TRAINER ARCHIVE
“LUNGING”
By
Bill Walton, Trainer “SHARING THE ARENA” By
Bill Walton, Trainer “NOT ALL HORSES ARE EQUAL” By Billl Walton, Trainer
Lunging can be a valuable tool but if done incorrectly it can have a negative impact on the training of the horse.
While lunging, you should be just as concerned about the alignment of the horse's body parts as you are while riding.
(The most common problem I see is allowing the horse to turn their head to the outside and dropping the inside shoulder.)
Allowing the horse to carry themselves wrong on the lunge line and then asking the horse to carry themselves correctly while riding them can be very confusing and frustrating to the horse.
When sharing the arena, it will be LESS FRUSTRATING and SAFER if EVERYONE follows these guidelines:
RAIL WORK
(When riders are going the same direction)
Slower horses should stay next to the rail, faster horses pass on the inside.
RAIL WORK
(When riders are going the opposite direction)
Riders should approach and pass each other left shoulder to left shoulder.
CIRCLE WORK
(When riding or lunging)
Leave enough space for the rider to use the rail.
Everyone following the same guidelines should make sharing the arena safer and less frustrating, but always ride defensively.
To have an enjoyable and long lasting relationship with a horse you need to consider these points when purchasing a horse.
“FOOT CARE”
By Bill Walton, Trainer
The growth of a horse’s foot can be effected by diet, exercise, moisture,
dryness, injury, etc. 6 weeks between trims or shoeing is a general rule.
If you feel your horses feet are getting to long or are out of balance
before the 6 week period, discuss it with your farrier. By maintaining
a level and balanced foot the horse not only has a better chance of performing
well but it also lessons the chance of injury.
“KEY TO MOVEMENT”
By Bill Walton, Trainer
The KEY to any movement is obtaining the correct body position of the horse, PRIOR to asking for the movement. Before this KEY can be used the RIDER must be taught to use their hands, seat or legs, as aids, to control different parts of the horse.
“BEING SAFE AROUND HORSES”
By Bill Walton, Trainer
“Horses are big, powerful, graceful and beautiful animals, but do not let that fool you. Because of their size alone they can be dangerous. Biting and kicking are not the only ways that can cause serious injury. For example, their 150 pound head and neck, accidentally swinging into your head can also cause serious injury. By teaching your horse good ground manners and also teaching yourself how to avoid possible dangerous situations, we can become better horsemen.”
“THE KEY TO COLLECTION”
By Bill Walton, Trainer
Horses should be ridden
from the REAR to the FRONT not vice versa. The
Key to Collection is to teach your horse to be soft and flexible in the
front end while asking them to raise their back and engage their rear end.
“CINCHING UP”
By Bill Walton, Trainer
When cinching up the girth, be sensitive to the horse. The cinch should just be tight enough to get on without it slipping. After a little warm up check your cinch again and retighten if needed.
“BATHING HORSES”
By Bill Walton, Trainer
Horses in a thunderstorm will turn their tails to the wind and rain to avoid the rain blowing in their face. When bathing a horse do not spray their heads. Besides not enjoying it the spray might do damage to their eyes and ears. If you need to wash their heads use a sponge or towel.
"CORRECT UPPER BODY, SEAT AND LEG POSITION"
By Billl Walton, Trainer
While sitting on your horse with a straight upper body, visualize (from the side) a straight line drawn through the middle of your shoulder through the middle of your hip and touching the back of your heel. This position will give a good foundation for both Western and English riders.
“TRAINING & LESSONS”
By Billl Walton, Trainer
Having your horse trained by a professional does not mean the horse will perform correctly for you unless you are as skilled as the professional who you hired to train your horse. Horses are trained with consistent repetitive riding aids. It would be beneficial for you and your horse, if you would take riding lessons so you could continue using the same consistent riding aids.
“CHOOSING A RIDING INSTRUCTOR”
By Billl Walton, Trainer
Riding skill level can be compared to building a House. (If you skimp on the foundation, the house may remain standing during the calm but it will start to falter during the storm.). To have the best chance of being successful, in Western or English, find an instructor that teaches correct, fundamental riding skills before you pick a specific event.
“FEEL & TIMING”
By Billl Walton, Trainer
Good riders not only know the correct aids but also have good feel and timing. In any movement you have to know the aids for the movement. You also have to hold the aids long enough to finish the movement but not so long as to disrupt the flow of the movement. Without the feel and timing, the movement becomes mechanical and hesitant.
“HORSES
ARE ALWAYS AWARE OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS,
YOU NEED TO BE AWARE ALSO”
By Billl Walton, Trainer
(The following
is a true story and is an example of why we must stay aware)
As the daughter led her horse down the alley, between stalled horses, her mother noticed a leg strap unhooked on the blanket of the horse being led. As the daughter stopped the horse the mother knew the horse was gentle and would not kick her so she approached the horse to hook the leg strap.
(Here’s
the rest of the story)
Even though the stalled horse could not physically get to the horse in the
alley he lunged at him bearing his teeth. Out of instinct the horse in the
alley kicked at the stalled horse and ended up kicking poor mom! Thankfully
she was not hurt seriously.
“THE CORRECT RESPONSE”
By Billl Walton, Trainer
In the PERFECT RIDING
WORLD, as soon as we applied the correct aid the horse would immediately,
willingly, and softly respond to that aid.
In reality horses have their own way of doing things and sometimes the human
way makes no sense to them so we have to teach the front, middle and rear of
the horse to respond to our aids. The goal is to have control of each piece so
the horse is balanced and collected. While riding we must not only get the correct
response to the part we are working on but also be aware of what the other parts
are doing.
“PURCHASING YOUR FIRST HORSE”
By Billl Walton, Trainer
The biggest mistake people make is buying to young of a horse for their riding ability. Almost every professional horseman will agree that green riders and green horses do not mix well. If you can, have an experienced horseman help in your search. Try to find a well broke, older, seasoned horse that can help you advance your riding skills.
EQUESTRIAN COURTESY
By Billl Walton, Trainer
