Sitting the Trot or "Posting Down"

The sitting trot.
The most feared movement to be ridden by hunters and dressage riders alike.  Perhaps only the western pleasure rider sitting on a mount bred to jog nearly motionless laughs in the face of the sitting trot.
After all, we POST in order to make riding the trot more comfortable for ourselves as well as our mounts.  By rising and sitting in sync with the driving hind leg we conserve energy (ours as well as our horses'), reduce impact and concussion (to our horses' spines as well as our own pelvis), and even remove our self out of the way of our horses' movements so they can bend and flex more efficiently.

However, we need to develop our independent seat so that we can do all of these thing while sitting the trot and in many instances use the sitting trot to get a higher developed communication between horse and rider for certain movements.  Or, just be able to competently perform in an equitation class.  Which ever your goal for developing you sitting trot, the basics are the same.  (PLEASE NOTE individual horses' gaits will make learning sitting the trot more or less difficult depending. They will also shine a bright light on any faults should a horse have a more animated trot.)

This article is being written with the assumption the rider has a competent understanding of a correct posting trot.  If you are really not certain on your true comprehension of correct posting trot, NO WORRIES, please read "If less if more, Why does it seem more difficult".  And that phrase really applies to the sitting trot as well. 

Just like posting many riders try "too hard" to sit the trot.  They begin by jamming their heels down in to the stirrup (don't want to lose those), then they round their lower back and press their seat bones down in to the saddle (trainer told you to sit deep after all), then they brace for the inevitable bounce.  The first two strides don't seem so bad, but by stride 3 or 4 your horse is annoyed at the thumping on his spine so he gets a bit quicker.  Rider becomes more tense through the seat and spine, but DETERMINED not to fail they begin gripping with the backs of their upper thigh as though their bum can hold on to the seat of the saddle.  Now horse goes more forward, the cycle repeats and in about 20 strides you have a rider that resembles a badly puppeteered muppet.  We have ALL been there.  So just HOW  are we supposed to stop from doing our best Kermit the Frog imitation?

Posting DOWN.
We know that at the trot one hind leg is driving us up out of the tack and we then follow that leg down to post.  So, now I want you to swamp this concept around in your mind.  Instead of following the motion of the driving hind leg UP (correct diagonal) I want you to follow the diagonal DOWN. 
The reason we bounce at the sitting trot is simple lack of flexibility and following of the motion.  It is not a natural reaction for the human body to relax and allow it's self to fall with something drops out from underneath it.  In essence this is what happens when we sit the trot.  We are not actually being bounced up initially.  The horse's back drops from beneath us and our lumbar is tense and our legs grasps hold out of the instinctual fear of falling.  By then the horse's back is coming back up and thrusting our stiff body up with the motion making the next stride with the back dropping all the more dramatic; and before we know it, The Muppets Take Manhattan ;) . 
To keep this cycle from beginning (and it will perpetuate even as you learn and advance in your sitting trot work as your body tires or you simply lose the rhythm, but don't give up, this is normal) we first need to loosen and stretch our lumbar spine.  Start out of the saddle doing daily stretches, practicing belly dance movements concentrating on hip rotations, lifts and drops ("Dolphina" on youtube has fabulous beginner dance videos concentrating on these motions) to begin to feel and control the full range of motion you truly have in your pelvis. 

NOW, in the saddle.  Begin feeling the motion of your hips at the walk.  Lumbar soft, legs relaxed and hanging.  As your horse walks you will feel each seat bone move individually (your fitness and flexibility level will affect how much movement you will have in your pelvis).  You will feel each seat bone rotate forward with the corresponding hind leg, depending on your horse's walk you may even begin to feel your legs swing in rhythm with your horse's walk!  Let. It. Happen.  This means you are soft and following the motion.
Next, ask for the jog/trot (best scenario here is to be on a lunge line so you have NOTHING else you need to think about other than feel) with a soft cue from the seat.  And just like you would as if you were going to post feel for the diagonal.  However, instead of feeling for the inside hind to push you UP I want you to feel for the inside hind to drop and allow your relaxed lumbar to follow the leg, in the same motion of the leg.  Therefore your lower lumber is going to allow your pelvis to to move forward and down.  As the inside hind leg is again rising (the point at the post your would rise with) you are going to allow your seat to return to the neutral position.  Your legs are still hanging, soft, just laying heavy in the stirrup; not pressing forward as this will force your upper body back and restrict your lumbar spine; not gripping around the barrel as this will pitch your upper body forward and tilt you on to your pelvis.
RESIST the urge to thrust your pelvis forward.  Thrusting the pelvis forward at the sitting trot will result in the same byproduct as when posting such as getting out of rhythm and driving the horse more forward than intended.   The sitting trot is a following motion and while it DOES require the use of some abdominal muscles they are your deep posture muscles that are simply pulling the top of your pubic bone up, tipping it up towards your head and this helps to further stretch the lower lumbar spine to better follow the inside hind leg down and forward.  (This muscle will work much harder on a horse with a more animated trot than it will on a flat moving horse).  You will know you have these muscles working as you will feel a slight tug in the groin area and often many riders experience cramping in the groin area after working a successful sitting trot.  But like ANY muscle used in riding this will soon strengthen and develop.
PRACTICE:
Begin with only a few strides of sitting trot at a time.  Small bites at the apple.  You may go between posting and sitting or begin sitting trot and drop back to the walk. But only do a few strides at a time that you can complete correctly and then walk or resume posting before we head back to Seasame Street ;) Two reasons. 
1. Muscle memory.  We want to create a correct muscle memory and you can only do that when the last movement made by your body is made correctly.  In the eternal words of George Morris "PRACTICE DOESN'T MAKE PERFECT. PERFECT PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT".

2. Strength.  Whether sitting on a western pleasure horse or a springy dressage horse sitting the trot requires muscles and rhythm we do not use in our every day lives.  So, even though 5 strides doesn't seem like very many it is the equivalent of NEVER doing pull ups and being asked to knock out 5 of them several times in a row.  So take it slow to properly build your muscles so you can refer back to reason number one.

And just think, this is merely the BASICS of sitting the trot.  I know it is a LOT to absorb.  But, trust me, if you stop trying to sit the trot and start POSTING DOWN you will unlock your body and your brain and begin to find the rhythm and the fabulous feeling of one with your horse.  And eventually, you will learn to adapt to what ever trot you end up sitting on that day.

HAPPY TRAILS!!

If less is more, why does it seem more difficult?

Today I want to discuss the proper use of the leg as it relates to forward seats.  We have discussed in earlier posts how to relax in to your heel with out forcing your lower leg forward and your upper body out of balance.  We have given you exercises to develop strength in your leg BUT we have not yet discussed how to properly utilize the leg so that you can have a soft and following pelvis as well as a lower leg that can constantly adjust for the best communication all while being locked in and secure.
So, to begin I am going to discuss the most common mistakes seen in using the leg.  We are going to focus on the leg at the trot as this will translate to your canter and over fences once you get the leg correct. 
The First of the common mistakes is posting off of the knee.  At a glance it looks ok, but on further inspection you will notice the lower leg and thigh are locked as is the hip.  It as if something drilled a hole through one knee, through the horse, and out the side of the other knee and clamped them together creating a pivot point.  These riders often find them selves up a horses neck over a fence and have little to no break in the waist.  They also had a tendency to lean heavily to one side or another through corners and are very easily pitched forward in the event of a hard stop or a sloppy downward transition.  I often refer to these riders and "Lawn Darts" as they flip off the front of a horse in a quick violent manner due to the pinching of the knee and the stiffness in the rest of the body.

Another of the most common mistakes seen (or very well hidden depending on the rider) is posting off of the foot.  Most often this is easily detected at the lower leg has either a definitive swing to it as the rider posts or, if the rider has managed to stop the leg from swinging at the nagging of their coach you will see the heel rising up as they post off of the toe/ball of the foot.  Posting higher out of the saddle than necessary is another symptom and impossible for a rider to hide when using the leg incorrectly along with the thrusting of the hips at the apex of each post.  The reason for the excessive height out of the saddle and the pelvic thrust is simple; momentum.  When a rider is using their foot as the basis of support to lift their body out of the saddle the foot is GOING to slide forward.  5/8-1/2" of leather is not going to be a sturdy platform to "stand" on. Add to that the rider must rock the their upper body forward to catch up to the foot to push themselves up out of the saddle and NOW comes the pelvic thrust, the thrusting forward of the pelvis is the actually tossing the upper body and the leg backwards to stop the forward motion from the momentum used to get out of the saddle.  Imagine running to the end of a cliff and having to stop abruptly, this is the motion the body makes at the apex of each post.

Now, marinate on that image for a moment.

With that thought in mind, what do you hear your coach saying to you about your knees?  KEEP THEM CLOSED! NO DAYLIGHT BETWEEN YOUR KNEE AND THE SADDLE! Right?  So, let's do a small experiment.  Stand up, Knees shoulder width apart, eyes down (yes, and this is probably a very rare time I will tell you to do that) so you can see how your body moves, and thrust your pelvis forward and back several times....I'll wait.
Waiting....
Waiting...
Still Waiting....
Ok, you back?
Great! I'm sure you noticed that with each thrust forward of your pelvis your knees either slightly or drastically (depending on your body type) opened outwards exposing your inside thigh to the world.  And just HOW are you supposed to keep your knee closed on the saddle if kinesiology dictates that a wide open pelvis means an open knee?

And so this is where we begin to discuss HOW to properly use that leg so it can work as the multi tool it really is!
If I don't want you pinching the knee and I don't want you pushing off your foot, just HOW are you supposed to get up out of your tack for 2 point and posting?  Well, AT THE WALK I want you to concentrate on relaxing the foot, ankle, and knee and using the inner thigh adductor muscles by ROLLING your thigh closed, letting the excess weight drop to the stirrup, letting the knee angle softly open, keeping your hip angle FOLLOWING the inner thigh (you will notice the hip does not want to thrust forward) you will reach the apex of this post when you feel the need to use your feet to push you higher and to thrust your hips forward DO NOT DO THIS.  Roll back down to your seated position.  DO NOT sit back and begin to rock forward to assist your body to rise out of the saddle, keep your slight forward angle, chest just ever so slightly over the pommel.  What I want you to visualize is that your FEMUR is a rolling pin rolling out cookie dough.  Each roll forward with the femur rises you up and each roll back sets you back down in to the tack. 

You are GOING to feel a slight pull in the groin, and some female riders may very well experience what feels like menstrual cramping the day following the exercise.  The reason for this is you are actively engaging your core muscles to lift you out of the saddle and place you back in position in a controlled manner.  At the walk you will feel as though your bum is hardly clearing the seat of the saddle and THAT IS OK! The entire point of posting and two point is simple: get out of the way.  And when you really think it over, if you are over posting using the wrong muscles and fighting to maintain your balance are you really out of your horses' way?  Besides, don't count out momentum of the horse.  Once you become strong and consistent posting this way at the walk, you will find your horse will be boosting you that little bit extra out of the tack at the trot.
And as you become stronger still, you will notice a lot more security in the saddle, you will find you hips are soft and able to follow and better communicate, you knee can open and close with out effort, your lower leg can slide to which ever position to cue your mount with out pushing you off balance.  And should you lose a stirrup you will notice it will just swing right back on your foot.  You will feel less of an urge to chase your horse across the fence as your hips are soft and able to close on their own as your horse's back comes up under you and folds your body.  You will be less likely to be left behind at a fence as you won't be caught up trying to use your upper body for momentum.  EVEN YOUR HANDS are going to improve. Why? Because when you are locked in the adductors of the thigh and soft in all your other lower joints, your upper body will follow suit (see post "It's all about breathing" for more details) and you will not feel as though your horse is "too fast" as you will be moving will him/her thus removing the desire to hang on the bit for balance and "control".

Now, I KNOW this information seems overwhelming, and honestly, it isn't easy.  It will require you to focus, be willing to go back to taking it slow (on the lunge is great, especially having extra eyes that can bust you when your body starts to cheat) But, YOU CAN DO THIS.

Attached is a video showing what I have been describing to you.  It is at the walk and standing so you can see the action and the rolling of the femur from different angles (don't mind the eyes looking down, taking time to post the walk is also why your's truly scans the area for any rocks, nails, etc that may have worked up from the desert sand ;) )

As ALWAYS please, feel to as for more clarification if you feel I did not explain something well enough to suit you.  You can contact me here or on our facebook group at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/AskTheHorseTrainers/

Lunging, it really should be boring.

I was recently asked a question about lunging.  It was in fact a question I hear, well, let's just say if I had a nickel for every time I heard this one I would have that dream barn ;)  

" I can't seem to lunge my mare on a line without her pulling and falling out of the circle. When we are in the roundpen she does fine and out in a wide open space it's back to pulling...."

Sound familiar? It is a common issue.  One that can a fairly easy fix, if you are consistent and willing to be patient.  For the purposes of this question we are not discussing teaching a horse to lunge from the beginning, we are just going to discuss how to deal with a horse that has already developed this habit.  Ok, I'm not being entirely honest, we ARE going to discuss how to start from the beginning since a fresh start is the best way to correct this issue long term.

The biggest mistake made when teaching the horse to lunge and while lunging in general is the thought process that lunging is to make our horse tired or to get rid of excess energy.  This is the mindset that results in horses running full tilt circles in the round pen, making high speed pear shapes on the line and requiring a shank to keep from dragging their handling off to Timbuktu (note: I am not against the use of a shank or knotted nose band as a tool as will be explained in a moment).  This mentality causes the handler to inadvertently chase their horse and with speed comes lack of balance on a circle, hence the pulling, falling out of the circle etc. especially (catch 22 alert) if the horse is not strong enough to hold the circle but needs to use the circle to become stronger and more supple.  

So, what do we do then? FIRST THINGS FIRST! Reset your brain.  Lunging, be it in the round pen or on the line, is not intended as a way to burn off energy like a child turned loose on the play ground, but a way to increase mental focus on the handler and increase strength, cardiovascular, and flexibility, think the same child in gym class learning to play a specific sport.  Even a quick lunge before throwing a leg over is only intended to cement your horses focus so they are mentally prepared for the ride.

This is about to get very, very boring for some of you.  Now, due to the specific circumstances of this question we are going to begin in the round pen, then build on each small victory and move out in to the big wide world.

A shank or a knotted nose band may be used here if your horse is tuning you out.  HOWEVER do not nag, be very specific with your corrections.  Quick and meaningful then beginning again. But please save this correction for last as we want to encourage our horse to relax and WANT to do as we ask, not be forced.

Beginning in the round pen, horse on the lunge begin with a small circle and ask your horse to WALK. Just walk.  And after one half a circle ask for the halt, stand for 3 to 5 seconds (try to vary how long you ask your horse to wait so they do not begin to assume what you will want.)  Ask your horse to walk on again BEFORE they become antsy and walk on their own.  If you have a wiggler, as SOON as those feet stop moving PRAISE with a "good Whoa!" and again, ask for "walk on" before they think of it themselves.  REPEAT.  As your horse understands to whoa and wait, increase the time to wait but always mix it up between short and long waits.  Sounds easy enough right?  It is.  BUT, you will likely have a horse that walks a few steps and tries to trot off, does the jig instead of walking.  Decreasing the size of your circle can help reduce this.  Remain calm.  Ask for the walk, if you know your horse will only walk 5 steps before breaking in to a trot, walk them 3 steps and ask for the halt, repeat.  Eventually you can get 5, 10, half the circle, and eventually the entire circle.  Then of course the fun of changing directions and starting all over again ;).

So WHY am I telling you to just WALK your horse?  The first think our horse needs to learn is to be relaxed on the lunge line and focus on you.  That being on the line means it is time to work not time for a free for all.  Doing this in a round pen (should you have access to one) helps reduce outside distractions and removes the temptation of "There is so much room I MUST FROLIC!"  Obviously, this works outside a round pen as well, but may take a bit longer to obtain focus.

This part of the retraining will need to be repeated for several sessions.  There will be nothing be walking on the lunge line until your horse can walk and halt both directions consistently.  (I told you it is boring, but alas, a boring foundation is better than a dramatic trip to the hospital!)

Once your horse understands walking on the line we can add trot work.  And yes, you are correct.  You will be adding trot work the same as you began with the walk work.  You will ask your horse to walk on and then as for the trot and after just a few strides your will ask for a downward transition back to the walk.  It will be normal to have an excited horse that want's to rush, and this is why we are bringing them back down to the walk quickly, a reminder to still pay attention.  Repeat these up and down transitions until you can allow a trot for a full circle and your horse quickly respond to the downward transition when asked (again, for a horse that wants to rush reducing the circle size helps with control).  ALWAYS praise for the result you want, lavish the "good trot" when they are in a nice rhythm and paying attention, "good walk" when you get a nice downward or a nice walk, and "GOOD WHOA"!  Again, the concentration of this exercise is for your horse to be focused more on you and waiting to receive a cue than being focused on running and playing.  OF COURSE if your horse is hot and been standing they will be hard pressed to focus, but developing a routine of up and down transitions at "random" intervals will work their brain as well as their body.  Soon you will be able to ask the same in the big wide world, and you will find that when you are away from home these exercises will be of comfort to your horse if they are nervous and help them settle in to work.

This process may take several days to several weeks to get your horse to where they are lunging softly on the line (even if they are quick and wound up they will still be focused) depending on your horse's disposition, prior experiences, and the quality of your communication.  But it will work if you are consistent and clear with praise for each desired result.  As your horse focuses on you, they will stop rushing, they will begin to hold themselves on the circle, strengthen and supple to where you can eventually ask for a canter with out them counter bending, leaning, and pulling.

Remember, there is no specific time frame your horse needs to learn this in.  Do not rush through the steps because your pride stings or your find it boring.  Not only will it help your horse over all mentally, but physically as well as lunging unbalanced can be the cause of many injuries and the early breaking down of joints.

The initial process may be frustrating, but remember, you and your horse are both relearning something you both thought you knew.  Be patient and remember, all you have to do is not quit!

Straight from the horse's mouth

Teeth. Now I, personally, do not start horses under saddle until 4 and I do not bit them to ground drive until 3.  Once they are driving and under saddle they may get chunks of time off coinciding with loosing caps and teeth coming in and no horse is started under saddle until they have been examined by the dentist and floated if needed. I recently had someone question WHY I was having 4 year olds floated and I realized that people assume there is a standard timing for when a horse needs dental work. There seems to be a lose of comprehension that young horses heads change shape and that loosing caps and getting new teeth ant different time can affect the wear of the bite. There also seems to be a gap in understanding the affects a horse's mouth has on them in more ways than weight loss.
Mouth discomfort can be expressed very subtly by some horses. Take for example one Arab gelding who begin to shake his head when bitted. A preliminary check by myself said he had points and needed dental care. When the dentist examined him he was found to have ulcers beginning to form from said points which we can only imagine how painful that would be. Yet, he pushed past it and nearly hid the symptoms.
Some horses may reach a state of severe anxiety and begin rearing, refusing to be bridled, bolting (quite similar to a bit that causes discomfort which is why we always check the teeth first). I had always student with a QH mare who was a sweet girl and easy going. One week I showed up to teach and she was panicking at everything and the students father was trying to "correct" her and of course this only made her more upset. On examination the mare had severe points that were cutting her tongue. She had been pushing past the discomfort for as long as she could and finally became upset. After a float and an few days rest she was back to her old self, better in fact.
Neither of these horses showed signs of weight loss, the go to sign for an horse requiring dental care.  So get to know what is out of character and learn how to pull and tongue and do and quick check yourself before jumping to conclusions and correcting your horse for saying OUCH!

As I said at the beginning, every horse is examined before going under saddle. I want my horses to feel the bit is a communication tool, not something that creates discomfort. And so knowing their mouth is ready I know they will not view the bit as something to just put up with or fear but something that is part of how we communicate. This is why we are constantly checking young mouths and happily giving them time off to finish cutting new teeth.
Knowing this, don't jump on the bad wagon against those who start and compete horses at a younger age. If you actually talk to many race trainers, cutting trainers, etc you will learn they are continuously monitoring the mouths of their young horses and spending more money than one care to think about on equine dentistry to keep their horses competition ready. While that is not my cup of tea, these trainers and riders have a solid grasp on how the mouth affects more than weight.

The next time your mount tosses their head or acts anxious seemingly out of nowhere, check those teeth.  After all, how would you like to be in trouble for a toothache?

Riding as life lessons....

Currently I do not have a lesson program.  Instead I have started an apprenticeship program for fellow military wives in my area.  I find that I am able to combine my love of teaching and training in to one delightful experience.  I seek out ladies who have at least intermediate skills and been displaced from their horses and offer them a place to learn the many facets of the industry we deal with as well as expand their riding and over all horsemanship skills whether they want to continue on learning for this as a career or if they just want to improve their over all skills for their own personal enjoyment.

However, something happened along the way that I did not expect.  Let's be honest, as an instructor for children you are usually the first to notice changes in them, be their confidant, and help them develop a healthy way to handle stress and new/changing situations.  Yet, when you think of taking on adults as apprentices and teaching them, it seems as though it will be an easier task.  After all, they have already formed their personalities, they have life experience....but as a woman who has fought tooth and nail to learn all she has and be where she is in life and is not afraid to show herself as a strong confident female, I found myself surprised that the apprentices coming to me and that I choose because I see so much potential and a willingness to learn are not as comfortable in their own skin as I would have expected.  I hear "sorry" for every little thing, so much so I realized these women don't even realize they are dragging themselves down.  They do not realize that instead of admitting a mistake they are blaming themselves for them.  They do not realize that a mistake is not a bad thing, it is step FORWARD if you change it in your mind from "I'm sorry" to "I made an error, next time I will do 'xyz' instead".

I'm not going to go all feminist here, but realistically, as girls we are told to quiet, polite, etc.  Many behaviors that fall in to the "boys will be boys" category are "inappropriate" for us.  Perhaps I was ahead in the game as I had a father that raised me no differently than he would have a boy. I had boy cousins that didn't care if I was a girl it was keep up or be left.  I had adopted family, like brothers, that were determined to prepare me for a world that take advantage of me if I didn't stand up to it.  And so, as I developed myself as an instructor and trainer, even though I felt "less than" compared to many of my fellow students in college, I refused to let anyone or any experience pull me down.  It was during those years in college I took classes in psychology (after all, if I wanted to teach riders, understanding how the mind works is a big help) and learned how our early experienced formed our personalities and our continuing experiences and how we talk to our selves via our inner dialog affect us.

This bring me forward again, to riding as a life lesson.  Nothing, and I mean NOTHING will bring out of a person their strengths and weakness's (even if they believe them to be well hidden) as a horse.  And so from one apprentice to the next I began to realize the trouble they were having in learning a new technique, or handling a specific horse, or working on a specific task nearly ALWAYS has had nothing to do with being unable.  It boiled down to a piece of their personality, and often a piece they do not like about themselves.  Be it giving up to easily, being afraid to show dominance, allowing things to happen around them rather than control what is happening, or feeling as if they are at fault for a mistake.  These issues are not because they are lazy or fearful.  It is because they have been conditioned so, and they have been talking to themselves with an inner dialog that slowly eats away at their self confidence and they don't even know it.

Know this, there is hope.  (please take a moment to read my blog "why I want you to fail").  You are not alone.  If you want to improve your horsemanship you need to improve your own self, and if you want to improve your own self you need to improve your horsemanship.  The first step is simple. STOP SAYING "I'M SORRY" (unless of course you lose control of a horse and it tap dances on the farrier's head, then by all means PLEASE apologize) but STOP saying those words for a simple mistake.  Each time you say those words your brain hears "I was wrong, I screwed up".  Instead say "Well, that did not go as planned, how can I fix this?" or "I did not understand what you wanted me to do, can you please explain it to me again so I can understand better?" Retrain your brain to be positive, to understand that mistakes are not the end of the world, they are a stepping stone.
  2. Set yourself up for success, be prepared for the work you are about to do even if that means taking a few extra moments to talk it over with your trainer first and don't expect it to be perfect, just expect it to be SAFE and as correct as possible, the rest will come with each time you do it.
 3. Do not be afraid to ask questions, if you don't ask you will never know, and your trainer will never know that you do not understand something, and if we do not know that you do not understand we do not know we need to take the time to teach you.
And finally, realize the person judging you the hardest is yourself.  Now, while this is not a bad thing, this is what keeps those of us that are driven from giving up, you need to remember, others do not look at you with the same harshness you look at yourself.  If you believe the entire world sees you as critically as you see yourself, you will mentally brutilize yourself trying to live up to unreal and nonexistent expectations.

Stand up and own what you know.  Be willing to admit what you do not know.  Be prepared to learn.  But never let your own thoughts or the world around you diminish who you are.  I promise, you will be a better horseman, and a happier person for it.

Why are we Desensitizing a sensitive animal???

Desensitizing. It is spouted by nearly every clinician as how to make your horse "safe" to ride in multiple environments. And yet, more often than not, it creates more anxiety in many horses (especially sensitive breeds such as Arabians) and fear and frustration for the owner/rider.
The problem here is that people are being led to believe a falsehood.  That a horse that handles new environments, new situations, and new stimulus are "desensitized" and thus are not bothered by these things. They are missing the most important bit of information, the horse that handles the situations is not "desensitized" to them, but has learned how to process and react in a secure manner. What we must NOT forget is every horse has their own personality, confidence level, and attention span no different than any of us. So, obviously some horses will be quicker to process and react to new and intimidating stimulus in a secure manner than others.
So, what DO we need to do to prepare our horses  (especially more sensitive personalities) to handle new stimulus in a safe and secure manner?  While it is a simple process, it can be a difficult one to learn and to have the patience for. What you must remember is even the smallest step forward is important.  The process is to teach our horses to look to us for direction during stressful situations and guide them with consistency and patience.  Obviously,  to do this our horse must have a solid base foundation of ground manners,  lunging, etc. As with everything else, the process starts on the ground.  Our example today will be in the attached video. A young Arabian mare who has a tendency to be on the anxious side.
  The Mare knows her basic ground manners, she knows that if she is anxious she is allowed to wiggle, move her feet, and feel as though she can escape if she needs to. It is very important we never remove our horse's comfort in knowing they can escape if needed, forcing them to "hold still" creates a claustrophobic reaction of anxiety that can develop to out right fear. And so, knowing she can move gives the mare an opportunity to express her anxiety as opposed to bottling it up and exploding "unexpectedly" with a bolt, bucking fit, rear, take your pick (not a reaction I enjoy, especially under saddle).  I want you to view that horse being made to hold still as a soda that's been sitting in a hot car, it will explode, it's just a matter of when.  Back to our example Mare.  The Mare is allowed to express her anxiety and thus, she is still aware of her human, not shut down, and is able to be worked to where she begins to focus on her handler and take comfort in being given cues as opposed to panicking. 

Today we used sleigh bells to work on teaching the Mare to focus on her handler and trust in the cues over the urge to escape the new and uncomfortable stimulus (this is her first time working this exercise).  To do this we introduced her to the bells by shaking them as we walked backwards encouraging her to "push" her handler and the bells away from her (unfortunately not on the video) each time she steps closer on her own we stop the ringing. We give her a sense of control. We work this until she realizes if she reaches out to touch the bells or visually relaxes the ringing stops.
Our next step is for her to wear them on her surcingle while free lunging. Now this is the moment we are working for, she may panic and bolt to escape them, she may decide to balk to stop them from making any noise. Our job is to stay the course and ask her to work as if the bells are not even there. Walk, trot, back down to walk, change directions and start all over again (since we know the two side of their brain don't always communicate ;) ).  What you will see if. Our video is the Mare already comfortable working one direction and the reaction when she is asked to work the opposite direction. Add in the wind and the tractor and we have a recipe for a hot mess. But as you will see, staying consistent to the work she already knows and patient helps our Mare develop focus on her handler despite being uncomfortable with the noise on her surcingle.  Over time, this Mare's confidence in her handler/rider and in her self, developed by teaching her to focus and make safe decisions, will rise to the level she will not react in an unpredictable manner in a new situation and eventually behave so that she seems to be "desensitized". 
So, please, teach your horse to focus and make safe secure decisions and forget about "desensitizing" an animal that can read your every emotion, react to your body language before you even finish the thought, and is willing to learn for you despite all the shenanigans we put them through.

Please, as always, feel free to ask any questions.

It's as easy as breathing...Part 2

So, it has been several days since we began our discussion on breathing, how to breath properly and how it affects not only our own body, but our horse as well.

Have we all been practicing?? (at this point, in my head I am hearing "Yes Miss Jessica" in unison via bored math class style) GOOD!!  

Hopefully you are beginning to feel more comfortable with using your entire body to breath and perhaps even not having to think as hard about it.

We left off with practicing drawing breath and then practicing breathing in time while doing ground work with our horse. This is all to set you up for the next step, which is obviously breathing properly while riding.  As always, we are going to start small and discuss "Breathing to the Halt" today.  However, the beauty of this exercise is once your body learns to breath and soften and move as our joints are designed, this will become the method for all of your downward transitions, you will be able to control just how intensely you utilize it to get the most delightful half-halts you can imagine and even better is that your horse will naturally respond to this as you practice and develop.  Your horse will start becoming lighter in the bridle (as you will naturally begin to depend on the bit for your main means of communication).

And so, Breathing to the Halt.

1. Remember that even the , when done correctly is a forward motion(refer to blog "forward is your friend)

2. Walk along on a loose rein and set your self up for success by relaxing, chew some gum, sing a song, ANYTHING to keep your self breathing at a normal rate.

3. Decide WHERE you want to ask for you halt and realize, if you miss the mark the world is pretty much NOT going to end.  So RESIST the urge to grab at the reins.  If you feel you may have a tendency to do this, then ride straight in to a corner or straight at the rail, NOT because this will make your horse stop, but because you will be thinking "My horse is not going to walk face first in to the fence" and this will allow you the opportunity to relax and just concentrate on the exercise.

4.  EYES UP!  If your eyes look down, your center of gravity will be pulled down and forward in to your chest and out of your nice deep relaxed seat.

5. Take the deep body filling breath and using the lower abdomine (just like you practiced standing up) blow the breath from your body in a soft steady rhythm saying "whoa, ho,(pick your command), allow your pelvis to move forward and under you (you will feel your seat bones begin to drop and feel as if they will begin to dig in) DO NOT FIGHT THIS!  You are going to feel your lumbar spine begin to round.  Envision you are sinking through the saddle.  

6.  Now for the tough part, allow your legs to hang, do NOT pull on your reins, and do not lean back thinking that will make your seat deeper.  A "deep seat" comes from a soft and following lumbar spine.

Here is what you will feel from your horse when done correctly:\

A slowing of the walk and an ear likely turning back to you asking "Are you doing that on purpose"? is the most common first reaction.  And a GOOD ONE!  Your horse is going to feel as if he/she is just about to stop and won't.  And why won't they at first? Well, because you will feel the change and likely drop your eyes removing contact from the seat or inadvertently stop breathing out because you are a bit surprised this is working, or you are still bracing and/or stiff and not able to sink through your lumbar yet.  ALAS! DO NOT GIVE UP!  Praise your horse for giving you a reaction, walk on and start all over again.  

Each time will feel more natural and then, you will get your halt, you will feel your horse lift his/her spine as they reach under themselves to stop and wait for your next command.  And when you ask for the walk again you are going to feel your horse drive forward from the hind ready for what's next.

Master this at the halt, and then begin to practice it in your downward from trot to walk, a much tougher task as the lumbar spine needs to be much more supple to follow the trot and keep you from either bouncing or bracing the thus negating the exercise.  

And as always, I feel like just reading this is not enough for you my dear readers and so we have another video!!  However, I decided to really drive the point home to you I was not going to show myself "Breathing to the Halt" on a horse I have trained.  After all, I'm the "professional" so of course I will make it look easy, right?  

Instead I decided to put my poor apprentice, Ann under the microscope on a green 4YO Arabian gelding "Aya Tiki Star Trek".  While Ann has been riding for years, she herself had never learned to breath correctly or use breath as an aid.  "Trek" has been under saddle for a few months now, and the two have only had about 10 to 12 rides together.  And if that isn't enough to convince you, this is only Trek's 3rd time riding and working in our main arena which is not fenced, merely a cleared out patch of desert.  NOTE, you can HEAR Ann breathing as she asks for the halts.  

I hope this helps, and if you have any questions, please, ask in the comments or via facebook  :)

 (PS. shameless plug, Aya Tiki Star Trek is available for sale via Aya Arabians at www.facebook.com/ayaranch)

Now, go practice!!!