Some of you may know about the Training Scale and some of you may not. The Training scale is a technical blue print for all training progression in all disciplines. With understanding and application in can be an amazingly helpful guide and problem solving tool. It is a guide because it moves in a logical progression and a problem solving guide because if you have a problem in a certain area, it is easy to look at the scale and say the problem is here.
The Training Scale goes something like this with some variations depending on the school. Rhythm (Balance), Relaxation, Suppleness, Contact (Frame, outline), Impulsion, Straightness, Collection. So generally and I say generally because I prefer not to have fixed ideas anywhere with horses, Just guidelines, Rhythm comes first. Rhythm means you and your horse have a consistent combination of Tempo and Rhythm. I like to figure out what my horses' natural walk, trot, and canter, tendency is and work from there. If my horses tempo is a little on the slow side but has a consistent Rhythm, I may just want to add a bit of energy to the gait to improve the quality. I will only do this if the horses topline is fairly relaxed otherwise you will wind up getting shorter, braced steps instead of longer, energetic, flowing stepsIf my horse has a naturally quick or fast tempo, I may use circles and bending figures to help bring the tempo down and more relaxed. Some horses have great natural rhythm and we just need to get out of their way and let them do their thing!
What I like to do with my horses to get them mentally engaged in training is to make request for them to carry out and then see that they understand and then set about seeing how long they will do it without me having to request again. The horse will quickly learn what their responsibility is in your partnership and you will have to ride less which they will appreciate.
So for example if I ride around an area (doesn't matter if is an arena, trail or field), I will see what walk rhythm my horse wants to take naturally. I will let them settle into this pace and relax a bit as I decide if it's too energetic, not energetic enough, or just right. Once I have decided what adjustments I want to make, I will start making requests for more energy in the too slow horse and use curved figures or various shapes for the fast horse until there is a consistent Rhythm and Tempo. Once I have that, I will start counting how many steps my horse maintained the Rhythm before I had to do something to get it back to where I wanted it. Don't judge if it's only a few strides at first. this is about starting somewhere and building up from there. Even if the next time you try it, it feels like you are starting from square one (believe me I have trained these types too so I understand!). Your goal is to get to a point where the horse will hold your requested Rhythm without much guidance from you for as many laps or the distance you request.
A good change to look for and reward in your horse is when you feel them start to realize what it is you are looking for and they give you that little bit more of their own offer. That is huge and should be rewarded immediately with a rest or a verbal praise and rub. So what that would look like to me would be, I was riding around at a certain gait and the horse may go a bit further then expected or increase from a quarter circle to a half etc. on his own. It is the moment I see the horses mind say "yes I understand the exercise...you want this and I will offer it to you" The next question your horse will have for you is....Was that enough? This is VERY important and is up to the individual to say yes or no I would like a bit more strides or energy etc. Or that is awesome I am so pleased with that effort! I work from a less is more place mostly so I would err on that side.
Below are a couple of videos that talk about and demonstrate Rhythm a bit further. As always any questions and comments on what you found while trying this out are great!
http://fdhorsetraining.com/
3.18.2011
Stride counting exercise
I want you to pick 4, 6, or 8 strides to work with and stick with that same number the whole time you do this in both directions. So if you pick 6, use only six. Also use the higher number if your horse is greener and work your way down to the lower ones as you master the exercise at each number. So when you have it good at 8, go down to 6 and so on.
The first stage is to work on walk to halt at the stride number you have selected. So from halt you would count 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 halt again and repeat on whatever pattern you have chosen to ride. I'm not going to tell you what this will do because I want you to discover it and report back in the comments what you found. All I will say is to do it until it is relaxed and as effortless as possible. Make mental notes of how it feels in the beginning attempts, and then notice changes until it's easy and relaxed. Make sure and stay in the halt on a slack but not loose rein for at least 5 seconds and that the horse will maintain the halt on the slack rein. If he doesn't, remind him of your request patiently until he does.
The number up repetitions is not as important as the moment you get relaxation and the feeling of little or no effort. When you get that, Let the horse stand and relax on a loose rein or free walk on a loose rein for at least 30 seconds before resuming and or changing directions. This can be progressed to trot to walk when it is good in walk to halt. This exercise can also be introduced at liberty and online first and I encourage this whenever introducing a new exercise or pattern before doing it mounted.
Pay attention to little changes good or bad leading up to it being good. If your horse is stopping crooked or sideways from where you planned to halt, Guide them calmly back to the spot you meant to stop. Let me know what you discovered in the comments!
http://fdhorsetraining.com/
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