Tag Archives: advice

Horse Advice

How can I stop my horse pulling? …. 3 steps to go!

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Does your horse get offended when you pull on the reins to stop? Does he pin his ears, shake his head, and keep going? Have you ever asked “how can I stop my horse pulling?”

Maybe he’s trying to tell you something: stop pulling on the reins! 🙂

There is a way to get your horse to stop without pulling on the reins.

but first, you both have to be “in sync” together, working in tandem instead of against each other.

If you haven’t done this before, it may take a few tries to convince your horse that you want to work with him. Horses that are regularly pulled on seem to accept that the pressure has to be there before they should respond. They might learn to lean on the bit, pulling against you while you pull backward, hoping for the legs to stop.

Some horses are generous and eventually slow their feet, stop/starting until finally, all four legs come to a halt. Other horses might not be quite as forgiving and just keep going until you have to put more and more pressure on the mouth. Eventually, one of you wins but it’s never pretty!

We all dream of finding the halt that looks like we are in complete harmony with our horse. You know – the one that feels like the horse’s legs are your legs, and your mind is so coordinated with the horse that it looks like you are reading each other’s thoughts.

It does happen. The secret: ride from your seat.

Setup for a Correct Halt

1. Contact

Prepare several strides ahead of the intended location. Your reins should be a good length – not too long and not too short. There should be a steady enough contact on the bit to be able to communicate very subtle changes of pressure.

2. Begin a series of half-halts.

The half-halts start at the seat. In rhythm with the horse’s movement, resist with your lower back. Be sure to resist in rhythm. In other words, your lower back and seat will feel something like this: resist… flow… resist… flow… resist… flow.

2a. Use your legs.

During each flow moment, squeeze lightly with your calves. This helps the horse engage his hind end deeper underneath the body in preparation with the halt.

2b. Use the hands.

During each resist moment, squeeze the reins with your hands. You might squeeze both reins or just one rein (the outside rein being the usual rein) but in any case, do your best to use the hands after the leg aids. The rein pressure should occur in tandem with the resisting seat aid.

3.When you are ready for the halt, simply stop your seat.

Maintain contact with your legs and reins, but stop the activity. Don’t keep pulling on the reins.

If the horse is truly with you, his legs will stop lightly and in balance.

Horses that have been trained to respond to the half-halt will sigh in relief when you lighten up on your aids and use your seat in the halt. You might be surprised at how easily the legs will stop if you can improve your timing and releases.

Horses that have always been pulled on might not respond at all. They might be expecting to be hauled backward, thrown to the forehand, and dragged to a stop. If this is the case, be patient. If you haven’t done this before, it may take a few tries to convince your horse that you want to work with him.

You might have to bridge the learning gap by applying the half-halts several times, stopping your seat and then pulling to stop. In the end though, the pull should disappear completely from your vocabulary (exception: in an emergency stop).

Regardless of how you get there, the goal is to stop all four legs in a light, balanced manner that allows the horse to use his hind end when he takes that last step. Your horse might walk a few strides and then halt.

If you feel your horse’s front end lighten and into the halt, you know you are on the right track. If you discover the four legs stopped square and parallel to each other, pet and gush over him, and call it a day!

Sound talking : horse listening.

Perhaps you would benefit from some lessons, someone on the ground to help you keep on track.  Horse Scout has a great list of professional trainers, check them out here – they should be able to help you stop your horse from pulling.

Horse Advice

Looking to learn? – 8 Tips to help point you in the right direction and find the right instructor for you

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Lets help you find your perfect match in the arena. If you are thinking that you want to learn to ride or to improve your techniques then you need an instructor who will work well with you and you need to really think about the what, the how and the when?

  1. If you are a novice then opt for a venue which offers joint classes for different age groups, a range of riding instructors, and different school master horses.
  2. Trainers are usually the best option if you want to learn a specific style of riding, develop your competitive ability, or work with both you and your horse. Consider carefully what you want to learn – classical riding, show jumping, natural horsemanship riding, dressage or even cross country riding.
  3. Do you want regular lessons, or an intensive course?
  4. Are you willing to travel with your horse weekly or less often?
  5. Find a lecture or demonstration at a local event to see exactly what is possible – many large riding schools and Equestrian Centres have these throughout the year so you can see what is achievable and whether the method is really what you want to learn.
  6. Research online what other riders have found helped.
  7. If your horse lacks confidence or has behavioural problems, attending a course that shows you how to use natural horsemanship may give you the skills to teach your horse yourself.
  8. Does your horse have problems with certain dressage movements – try a lesson on a school master first to get the feel of how a movement feels.

Just remember that one size doesn’t fit all. Horse Scout has some top professional trainers who are expert in their fields.  Click here to find a perfect match for you and your horse.

Horse Advice

10 top tips to help you remember that your horse is reactive – Not Toxic!

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When its all going wrong: Have you ever wondered why your horse always does what you ask him?

Did you realise that is was you that asked him to stay standing on you toe?

Did you realise that you asked him to skip to the right as you approached the fence?

When something like this happens with a horse, try going back and reviewing what you actually told him. You’ll usually find the answer there.

The problem is that we often don’t have the knowledge or the skills to ask for what we want. We ask for something which the horse interprets as Behaviour A. We thought we were asking for Behaviour B. We keep on asking for B which the horse interprets as a request for Behaviour A. It keeps escalating. The horse is “bad.” Actually, the horse is trying to comply, but rather than his not listening to us, we’re not listening to him.

“My horse won’t do what I want—here comes the fatal saying—so …HE IS BEING BAD.”

As soon as I add that cop out conclusion that the reason my horse won’t do what I want is “because he is being bad,” I give myself “permission” to punish him for that “bad” behavior, and the downward spiral into a fight has begun.

“BAD” is a value laden word, which implies malign motive on the part of the horse. Even though we know that a horse is reactive we still insist that he is proactively challenging us. A good trainer almost never says or thinks, “My horse is being bad.” She may well say, “My horse won’t do what I want.” That’s a frequent fact. But then the GOOD trainer will start hunting for the REAL reason.

She might say, “My horse won’t do what I want BECAUSE…” one or several of these:

  1. He doesn’t understand the aids I just applied.
  2. He’s not calm enough yet in his work to handle this request.
  3. My warm up was too short—he’s still “high”.
  4. I`m asking him the wrong way, as in, I don’t know how to ask this question.
  5. The horse isn’t physically strong enough yet to comply with what I asked.
  6. Something hurts him, saddle fit, bit, hocks, stifles, back, something is making him uncomfortable.
  7. The atmosphere here is too electric for him to handle.
  8. Oops, I am in a bad mood, and I asked too roughly.
  9. I as a rider am not yet physically elastic and quiet enough in my riding to not upset him.
  10. …….or one of the other 101 other real reasons.

 

Don’t be demoralized, we all need help from the ground, talk to your trainer or find someone who can help you change your approach.

Horse Advice

Spring Cleaning your stable – Is it 10 or 11 Top Tips from Horse Scout today?

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Now the weather is getting better (apart from a few apocalyptic storms, of course!) it’s nearly time for the annual stable clean. Every stable needs a deep clean once a year, we all dread it but here are some tips and helpful pointers to make it that little bit less traumatic and more efficient!

It’s all in the preparation so here are Horse Scouts’ top tips and advice:

On a good warm, sunny day with no chance of rain follow our 11 tips (well, 10 really, the last one isn’t so much of a tip, it’s an order!)

1) First of all, tie those locks back into a bun or cover your hair (Silly shower caps are a great way to cover your hair – and look ridiculous – even if you do look like a cabbage patch kid), get yourself a pair of goggles and some old scruffs, the ones you don’t mind throwing away afterwards…

2) Get your tools ready before you start (and someone to help if possible to hold ladders, lift matting etc.) Here are some ideas of the kind of things you’ll need: ladders, barrows, good brooms, buckets, disinfectant, hose or pressure waster (pressure washers are a god-send, perhaps try to borrow one if you can!)

3) Take everything out of the stable before you start.  Don’t be tempted to leave your bedding in the stable otherwise you’ll only be worried about dust getting in it.

4) Give roof areas and trusses a good sweep or, even a hoover, to remove dust and cobwebs (I always empty afterwards; in case the spiders climb back out of the tube!)

5) Clean and check all light fittings and windows, we recommend some white vinegar to clean the windows, less chemicals for the horse and much cheaper and leaves your windows spotless! Or even better go chemical free an duse damp newspaper followed by a dry piece.

6) Clean out  buckets and/or water feeder thoroughly, remember to scrub. “Milton” is a good chemical to clean things your horse will eat/drink out of, it’s used for infants and is less smelly than bleach and less harmful. Another great one is the ecover range, no harsh chemicals and smells…

7) Disinfect the floor and hose down.  This can be done with a dedicated disinfectant or simply a mixture of water and bleach.  Allow plenty of time for your stable to dry after you’ve hosed it down and make sure it’s thoroughly rinsed, horses don’t like the smell of bleach 🙂

8) The grimmest part of the clean, are you ready?!:  Put a peg on your nose, scrub the rubber matting clean and hose down the underside whilst it’s out of the stable side … Yuk! (Or pay your little brother or sister £5 to do it for you!) You’re welcome!

9) Allow it to dry thoroughly – we mean really thoroughly!

10) Put everything back, only if you’re sure it’s truly clean, ie that there’s no smell of ammonia

11) Finally have a cup of tea and a bar of chocolate, check the Horse Scout Twitter Page and dream about the months of great summer riding ahead!

 

 

Showjumping

Keep those Show Jumps Standing- 7 steps to jump a perfect round.

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To jump a horse successfully a rider can break each stage in the process down into seven separate steps. the seven stages need to be ridden accurately. With the rider remaining in balance and able to help the horse both before during and after the jump.

The 7 stages to jumping:

1. Turn.

2. Approach.

3. Take off.

4. Jump.

5. Landing.

6. Get away.

7. Turn.

1) The Turn

The turn to the jump needs to be ridden accurately so that it lines you up with the centre of the jump being straight ahead. The rider needs to be sitting up and looking ahead to the jump that they are going to do, with the horse being ridden from the riders leg up into the hand, to keep the horse in a balanced rhythm which has plenty of impulsion.

2) Approach

The approach needs to lead you directly to the centre of the jump which you are planning to jump. The rider needs to be sitting up, looking ahead and channeling the horse forward, between their hand and their legs enabling the rider to maintain a straight line, with the horse maintaining the impulsion and balance that is required.

3) Take Off

This is the point at which the horse begins to gather his hindlegs underneath his body and starts to lift up the forehand. The rider needs to keep their lower leg securely wrapped around, to maintain the horses energy and forward momentum.The riders hands need to follow the movement of the horses head and neck and still maintain a contact through the rein to the bit. At the point of takeoff the rider should still be looking ahead, up and over the jump.

4) Jump

This is the point at which the horse will bascule in the air,the forehand is well lifted, and the back well rounded, with their forelegs tucked up in the front and the hind legs tucked up at the back allowing the horse to clear the jump. When the horse is in the air the the rider folds into the jumping position. To achieve a good fold the riders upper body is lowered, with the seat being slipped to the back of the saddle, the riders hand position allows the horse to stretch through their neck, back and body, giving the horse the freedom of movement they require, while still maintaining a light contact through the rein. The riders lower leg needs to stay securely wrapped around the horse to help maintain balance when in the fold or jumping position. The riders position needs to fold straight so that they can still look ahead through the horses ears and on to the next fence, any deviation of the riders position by going off to the side or twisting of the position will unbalance not only the horse but ultimately the rider as well.

5) Landing

The horse now starts to stretch out and extend their front legs ready for landing. Depending on the cater lead that is required, the horse will land with one foreleg landing first then quickly followed by the other foreleg, and the hindquarters following through from behind. The rider will start by bringing their upper body back up into a upright position, while still allowing their hands to remain in contact through the rein to the bit in the horses mouth, but without interfering with the horses balance and movement, this is especially important as horses use their necks for most of their balance. The riders lower leg should remain in position, still on the girth area of the horse, with the rider looking ahead to the next fence.

6) Get Away

The horse is now moving away from the jump and on to the next. The rider needs to make sure that the horse is in balance with plenty of energy and impulsion still being generated and that the horse is on the correct canter lead to enable it to turn in balance to the next fence. The rider should check that their position is still accurate, with reins the correct length, and lower leg secure and with the upper body sitting tall and the rider focused on the next jump.

7) Turn

This is where the rider turns away from one fence and on to the other, and the seven stages start all over again.

Are you looking for a jumping horse.  Horse Scout has some great horses and ponies advertised on its pages.  Take a look.

Horse Advice

Top Tips for a well structured Warm Up routine (part three)

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Have you been reading my blogs on warming up.  By now you are well on the way to having a warmed up horse and now you’re warm, loose and breathing more heavily – At least your horse is!

Your horse is loose and warm and flexible and now you want to engage his brain and for him to engage his muscles. The next stage is to focus on getting every single joint in your horse’s body moving. Pole work is a great way to do this – by getting him to lift his legs up and over the poles, you’re stimulating and asking for movement in all of his joints. Walking over poles on the ground will raise his forehand and also helps to tone his thoracic sling muscles, these are between his front legs and play an important role in supporting his forehand between his front legs. As they contract, they lift and lighten they loosen the underside of the neck. Walking your horse over poles also helps to strengthen his core.

Core stability provides the strength and co-ordination to help with his control, balance, posture and carrying the weight of his rider. It can also improve self-carriage, enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury. The core muscles are vital in maintaining correct posture of his back.

Riding poles and bringing tone into his muscles with half-halts, will help with the engagement of his hind-quarters, encouraging him to collect and push from behind, hill work and riding over poles all help to tone and strengthen his core.

Finally, now your horse’s muscle and joints are warmed up, it’s time to make the transition from that long and low frame to the position you want him in for your working session or test. You need to make sure he’s switched on, in front of your aids, with plenty of activity and ready to work.

If you are having a lesson with your trainer or would like to arrange one with one of Horse Scouts listed trainers please build in time to get to this stage before your lesson starts if you can.  If you have a half hour session with your trainer and your horse is ready to start the hard work at the beginning of a session you can concentrate on working on particular problem areas.  Similarly, ensure that when your lesson is finished you can take the time to cool your horse down for 10 minutes in a low outline to allow him to stretch his muscles and reduce the lactic acid build up before returning to his stable and being sedentary.

In Germany we would often go for a hack down to the lake after a training session and stand in the stream which would cool the horses down too. That was particularly nice but a quiet hack around the school will suffice if you cannot go out.

It is a good thing to note that if your horse starts to fidget or tire during your workout, it’s important to return to a forward and down neck outline to give him a break. It is really important not to skimp on your warm-up! Following a plan similar to the one here will help your horse to perform at his best and lower the risk of injury.

 

 

Horse Advice

Feeling Good?- how to develop that all important eureka factor -“Feel”

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Feeling Good?- how to develop that all important eureka factor.

Training with ‘Feel’

‘Feel’ is something that cannot be explained easily because each rider’s perception is likely to differ from another’s understanding of that feeling. For that reason, a training approach and exercises that teach riders the ‘feel’ for balance and thoroughness should be part of a trainers routine. When using this ‘feel,’ the rider finds that the movements become less complicated and that the horses are able to stay relaxed even at the highest level of competition.

The thing is though it’s a bit like the chicken and an egg situation….until you can ride with some mastery you cannot really understand “feel” and until you can “feel” you cannot ride with any real mastery! The good thing is that, as you start learning and getting better, you do occasionally have those inspirational moments when you feel “feel”

Eureka moments are easiest, at the start, on simple movements. On a circle for instance. As you concentrate on looking forward, with your shoulders turned slightly in the direction you are going, your inside leg is able to support and push the horse into an outside rein contact and, one you feel the horse is balanced, you can (slowly) release your inside rein towards the horses mouth. In a dressage test this is termed give and take. On a circle when you are training and the horse stays well balanced and does not change its rhythm and continues on the circle….you have a eureka moment! It is one of the most thrilling things ever. Much better than skiing down a mountain (!).

Share your eureka moments and find yourself a trainer in your area. It is so much easier if you have someone on the ground who can help you find that all important “feel”. Horse Scout would love to hear about your first eureka moments.

 

Horse Advice

Ever Wondered Why? – Words about Warming UP

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Have you ever thought about how you move after you have been sitting still for a long time. (hopefully reading all the interesting tips on this Horse Scout Bog!) Everything is just a little bit stiff and can be a little bit cold. (well certainly this is true at my age); but that aside any muscles which have been inactive are in a state of stasis and need waking up before you ask them questions.

Our horses are the same and by adding 20 minutes to your work time by warming your horse up effectively will reap its rewards in training progress and avoidance of injury.  Warm downs should also become an integral part of your routine too.

To understand why you need to warm your horse up before asking him to work in an outline or jump is simple.  Test out why yourself.  Put on some suitable footware and open your front door and start running (be aware of traffic and stay safe).  Result?

Yes you can run a fair way; and then what happens? Running is good for you but don’t approach your own fitness this way.  You will get out of breath first, then you will feel tired. If you continue to run you will get a build up of lactic acid in your muscles and they will cramp of become overly tired.  If you don’t stretch afterwards you will have sore stiff muscles within a couple of hours.

This is exactly what happens to your horse.

If you need help with creating a suitable routine then contact one of Horse Scouts trainers and arrange for some lessons.

However, there are some things you can do from the ground and Gillian Higgins, who is a sports and remedial therapist, BHS Senior Coach, anatomist, and founder of Horses Inside Out, has some brilliant graphics on her website using her painted horses to demonstrate exactly how effective a warm up routine is.

She says  “Your warm-up is so important for a number of different reasons,”. “First and foremost are the physiological reasons. Warming up your horse’s skeleton, joints and muscles is crucial to ensure he avoids injury and can perform to the best of his ability. Then, secondly are the behavioural and

psychological elements that get your horse switched on and listening to your aids. A good warm-up programme will help to tackle all of the above.”

To get your horse properly warmed up follow Gillian’s six step essential warm-up plan, covering how to:

1. Start with groundwork

2. Loosen him up

3. Get his blood flowing

4. Move his joints

5. Work his core

6. Get him listening

Professional Rider

Want to Shine in the Showring? – What are the judges looking for?

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There is so much to know about the show ring.  Take a look at the long list of seventeen Top Tips which give a clue for every important conformation requirement for a well made horse to shine in a Ridden Horse Show.

Not only must your show horse be immaculately turned out, as must you, he should be impeccably schooled and ready for anyone to ride. Before venturing into the show ring make sure you understand what is required of you and of your horse.

Learn ring craft form the best , go on a course, attend clinics or even livery your horse at a showing yard.  That way you can take the show season on knowing you have prepared everything as well as you possibly can.

Horse Scout has Justine Armstrong Small listed on its professional rider pages.  She runs a yard training people and horses for the showroom and also hosts clinics specifically aimed at those who want to perfect their ringcraft.

  1. If you want to take part in riding Horse Classes not only is the ride itself important but, ultimately, it will come down to type and conformation. If you are buying a show horse you need to look for a horse which should be of Thoroughbred type, (really more of a National Hunt type) with
  2. plenty of good quality, flat bone,
  3. deep through the girth and
  4. with strong powerful second thighs and a
  5. well rounded backside, lots of muscle and strength,
  6. short across the loins and with the length of back concentrated on the quarters, so that you have a powerful engine.
  7. They need to be able to gallop.
  8. A very sloping shoulder is excellent, so there is plenty to sit behind and the horse is able to have a long stride,
  9. with a neck coming out of the top of the withers and a good length, narrowing elegantly behind the head so that the head and neck are not restricted by a fat thick structure.
  10. To make an impression in the ring the horse needs to be able
  11. to flex and bridle happily and comfortably, and
  12. be able to breathe easily while being ridden in collection.
  13. The body should be in proportion and foursquare,
  14. the legs, especially viewed from the front should not appear too close, or too wide.
  15. The horse should move straight, without dishing or plaiting and stand straight on all four legs on good well shaped feet.
  16. A good looking head is very desirable, but there is quite a lot of variation; from a dished slightly Araby head, to a longer straighter, more thoroughbred head, what is not wanted is a tiny pony head or anything with a common cobby aspect, roman nose or bumps between the eyes!
  17. Good big second thighs are essential and if the tail is lifted there should not be a wide space of nothing under it (split up behind) – there should be plenty of muscle. Mares do tend to be longer in the back than geldings because they have to carry foals

 

Horse Riding Tips

Hungry as a horse? 5 Quick recipes for success

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After a hectic competition day, the last thing you want to do is spend ages cooking, but you do have to eat something. You’ve tucked your horse up in a clean fresh bed, watered and fed him and kissed his nose and now you need to think about you.

Takeaways are an option but you could cook these in the time it takes to call a company.

Here are five quick recipes for Horse’men that take less than ten minutes.

Luckily these recipes are super simple and all take less than 10 minutes to put together.

1. Prawn stir fry

A simple classic perfect for families:

Fry garlic, chilli, ginger and some onions in a pan, then add in some prawns. You can use raw or cooked, but if you use the cooked ones add them at the end so they don’t end up overdone.

Add in some beansprouts, peppers, green beans, or any vegetables you like.

Toss in some rice or egg noodles, and splash with some soy or sweet chilli sauce.

2. Chorizo and pepper frittata

Perfect hot, but also great cold for a packed lunch:

Whisk 4 eggs and season with salt & pepper.

Pour in to a pan and top with cubed chorizo and finely sliced peppers

wait until cooked through and set, then finish with a topping of grated parmesan cheese.

3. Creamed mushroom bruschetta

An easy light meal:

Chop some mushrooms and cook them in a pan, being sure to drain off any excess liquid.

Add in spinach, and once wilted, stir in a couple of dollops of garlic and herb cream cheese.

Serve on 2 slices of good quality toasted bread.

4. Oriental duck breast

Because fancy food doesn’t have to be time consuming:

Score the duck breast and pan fry on a high heat.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, boil balsamic vinegar, a nob of butter and a dash of red wine until it thickens to form a jus, then add in some chopped spring onions and chilli.

Serve the duck on a bed of red cabbage or crushed peas, and drizzle over the jus.

5. Banana pancakes

For a little treat:

Mash 4 bananas, and add in a couple of tablespoons of flour, 2 eggs and a dash of milk.

Whisk to form a thick batter, then ladle in to a hot frying pan, and flip after 2 minutes.

Serve with yoghurt, berries, honey or golden syrup.

Thank you running bug for your top tips for tea.