Green horse first canter under saddle

PLEASE READ! 2 yr.old arabian/percheron warmblood carrying rider for FIRST canter strides in round pen. He has not yet learned steering, is directed by handler in center using flag. This is the reason the rider exaggerates her cues, she is teaching him to associate her cues with the handler's flag signals which he already has been taught.

In the earliest stages of training when the horse has never been ridden before, the aids are exaggerated like this to the extent necessary to achieve the desired response. The VERY first thing he must learn is that the cue means something, and that he's supposed to pay attention to it. You make the cue strong enough to get a response to. Once the horse has learned the response, you then tone down the cues until he responds to very subtle aids. This is how learning takes place. We had to do the same sort of thing with a thoroughbred off the track to teach him leg aids and moving off of pressure.

This youngster is being prepared for "natural" trail training where he will learn steering and leg aids in ways that makes sense to him, by following other horses at varying speeds and being steered around trees and bends in the trail etc. After doing this round pen prep a couple of times, he will go right out on trails in company. He has been shown what it feels like to have a person on his back at all 3 speeds, so he won't be surprised by it on the trail.

Trainer Joanne Gelinas Snow on ground, Loretta, the trainer's assistant, on the horse. I agree she should be wearing a helmet. See compete details of this horse's ensuing trail training at Green horse natural training on the trail http://portraitswithhorses.com/blog/?p=828 His earliest saddle training at http://portraitswithhorses.com/blog/?p=838 This horse's Step-by-step carriage driving training from start to first hitch at http://portraitswithhorses.com/blog/?p=706
Carriage Driving in pair with his brother at http://www.portraitswithhorses.com/blog/

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Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• horseback
• horseback riding
• horse training
• riding training
• natural riding
• leg cues
• rein cues
• rein aids
• leg aids
• bending
• circling
• centered riding
• Arabian
• Gilford
• Glendale

[millshorsemanship]

Very nice. I like that you are keeping your hands forward and staying out of her way when asking for your transition. It is very appropriate to exaggerate to teach, refine as you progress. :)

[horsepaintings]

@millshorsemanship "exaggerate to teach, refine as you progress." I LOVE that! So few commenters here seem to understand that concept! I think it's because so few have ever actually "taught" a completely untrained horse...

[ChloeeeBabeeeX]

Its really good!!! but just one comment, why were you holding your reins so high? i go to riding lessons and im 14 and they tell me off for holding my reins to high :S

[horsepaintings]

@ChloeeeBabeeeX I believe that with this totally untrained horse, it is one way of exaggerating her cues so that the horse will notice, just like she thumps him with her legs in an extreme manner. Once he learns that her hands and reins and legs mean something to HIM, the rider begins to make the cues more and more subtle and would keep the hands more level and steady. It's such a different thing teaching a horse something for the first time-- they have to learn with practice just like we do!

[sallymsanders]

cannot believe your teaching a 2 year old to canter already. this horse shouldn't even be backed yet.

[horsepaintings]

@sallymsanders Please read all the other replies below... he spent all of 10 seconds striking off into 1-2 canter strides, simply so he could feel the rider on his back at that gait. It is not "work" and is not stressful to a sturdy, large-boned warmblood to carry a rider for up to 1/2 hour on the trail, mostly at a walk. THAT was his training. BTW, he is now 6 and has had no ill effects from any of his riding or driving training.

[horsepaintings]

@sammalini852 he he! "Green" means a horse or rider is basically untrained or not very experienced. This horse is just starting his under-saddle training.

[horsepaintings]

@ChloeRosie14 Exaggerated cueing is necessary only the first few times. As soon as the horse realizes that the legs "MEAN" something, the thumping is reduced to squeezing. The first few times a totally uneducated horse feels legs on his sides, he has NO IDEA that the rider is trying to tell him something. So you increase the cue until you get a response, then stop cueing. This is pressure and release, pure and simple. And there is no need to insult the trainer/rider.

[horsepaintings]

@HunterJumper9x11  thanks for commenting!

[horsepaintings]

@RockenArab thanks so much for POSITIVE input! And willingness to consider things differently! From the viewpoint of a totally untrained horse, he NEEDS to be exposed to all sorts of unbalance and activity of the rider so that it won't worry him when the same thing happens later on, outside of the roundpen and with different riders (ME!)

[horsepaintings]

@blkgryphon Guess all is well that ends well-- this horse learned plenty enough to go out on trail training shortly after being backed a few times in the roundpen. With no incident or fear of the feel of the rider.

[blkgryphon]

@suziekabluzie I agree. There is no reason to get on a horse that hasn't already learned the basics of steering, as it is easy (and easier on the horse) to teach this from the ground. And, a rider truly skilled enough to start greenies would never ride in an unbalanced manner, even when giving strong cues. Besides, that's what the flag man is supposed to be for, to reinforce the cues from the rider. A green horse needs a really balanced rider to help it learn. This one didn't get that.