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Horse Training Questions for ASK RONNIE

SALLY'S QUESTION:

Ronnie,

On behalf of a pal, here is a question:

The horse is a very nice Quarter Horse mare, and tends to be a little on the lazy side. (Spurs or a crop do help quite a bit.) She has a beautiful canter when she's on the left lead, but does NOT want to pick up the right lead. They think she is just very "left-handed" and that she is convinced that there is NO SUCH THING as a right lead!  They have tried trotting her in a relatively small circle to the right, then asking for the canter. (This does make her pick up the right lead about half the time, which is the best success rate they've had with anything they've tried so far.) Then, when she's cantered on the right lead for a few strides, they let her walk on a long rein and tell her how wonderful she is. Each time, they try to get a couple more strides on the right lead before they let her walk.

Thanks Ronnie, 

SGM Sally Gardner
FIRST ARMY DIV WEST
Force Protection/Safety

RONNIE'S REPLY:

Hello Sally! Thanks and let's see if I can help you some.  First the easiest solution would be TO BREED HER TO JO! The baby won't be that way. Just kidding, of course.  The mare may be left handed most horses are, but I doubt that she is really that lazy.  I find that for some reason most riders are a lot more comfortable riding to the left also. I think the mare just hasn't gotten the cue for the right lead down pat.  I want you to remember a couple of things. First, the reins are connected to the feet. The left rein controls the left front and the right hind and the right rein controls the right front and the left hind. If a horse has a lead foot at the lope, do you think he also has a lead foot at the walk and the trot?   The only time we seem to think of it is when we get ready to go to the lope.  Most of the time when I get ready to teach a cue for a lead I'll do it at the walk and trot first. For instance if I'm working on the right lead I'll pick up his right foot up and set it back under him then then cue him with my left leg to walk off . A lot of times when people start to teach the leads they will bend the horses head to the opposite side with the thought that it opens the shoulder but I find that it actually makes them swing the leg out first. It will work on some but not normally on the difficult ones.  What I'll do with the difficult ones is put him in the round pen or in the arena and trot down the rail in the opposite direction of the lead I'm wanting to teach and then real quick turn him in to the rail. If your timing is right when the horses turns around he'll come out of the turn with his right front  leg set back and as were making the turn I ask him to hurry up into the lope, pretty soon he gets the idea about the cue and will start to give it to you anywhere. 

Another thing about this mare. Your going to have to push her further than just a few strides. She needs to make a lap or two  and then allow her to relax but make certain she doesn't stop or come out of it until you've asked for it. You haven't been keeping her in the lead long enough for her to get the idea.  Praise is good but it's coming too soon for this horse.  I've found that you can think you've got a real good idea of what your teaching and dang the horse will come up with a totally different idea. I'll give you an example. I had a lady one time that was having a problem teaching her horse to load. She had read some books and had done a good job with what she had done. The horse would place his two front feet in the trailer and when he did that she had taught him to turn his head to left for the praise that was coming. The instant he did, he was no longer thinking about getting in the trailer and when you asked him to step on up into the trailer he always stepped back. She had him so well taught to do that, I actually had to switch sides on him to teach him to load. He hadn't figured out that he could bend his head to the right and since the praise didn't come he learned to load right up. The point is, that there comes a time when you have to
ask for a little more and this mare is already thinking that her job is done after a few strides. I hope this helps but it can be a little difficult because all of the timing falls on the rider. If you would like you can have them give me a call and I'll explain it to them a little better. Thanks for your question, Ronnie

Response from Sally: 

Ronnie,

Thank you.  I forwarded your answer along to my friend.  You gave me a lot to think about as I work with Caleb.  We're not loping on purpose yet, but thinking about how you explained the lead foot at the walk and trot gives me some ideas about things to work on with him.

Take care, 

SGM Sally Gardner
FIRST ARMY DIV WEST
Force Protection/Safety

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