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Discussion on Walking tense at second level
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Member:
36541
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2006 - 7:26 pm:
Hello all, I am getting ready to show Second level for the first time in October of this year at Poplar Place, GA. This is a USDF recognized show, and the first time at this level for both of us. I am finding my gelding Han(reg as Lunden, Trakehner by Hailo) to be tense at the walk. I think we have really ignored the walk up to this point, as most of it in the levels below is free walk, or only a short piece of collected walk. He seems to be always waiting for the next request, not ever relaxing at the gait. Today I did a lot of walk work, noting that I have to concentrate on loosening my own back - which I'm sure is most of it. When he is eased down to the buckle, he walks relaxed on the long rein. Any hints or things that have worked for others? I have an instructor about every 10 days or so, but I work alone for the majority of the time.
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Member:
Dres
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2006 - 7:44 pm:
Stacy I have a mare that has a lovely walk, I have a gelding that has a VERY fragile walk, what i have found that works for him, LESS IS MORE.. I try not to school in the walk and if i do for very short time frames.... When I do ride the walk on him i have to think of other things other then the walk.. I am sure i am tensing him up as well, becus i worry about his fragile walk.. Hope i am making since ..
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2006 - 8:14 pm:
They say the walk is the hardest to achieve. I believe it. Mine has the lasiest walk I have ever encountered. To him that is relaxion time. So I have never really bothered with it. I am not showing any more. If I was oh boy would he not do so good.  He meanters along like a 30 year old. On trail rides he gets left way behind. But he is fine with it. I am just happy he is relaxed and doesnt jig. He even tries to head off in the woods on his own adventure forget the other horse exploring is more fun.
Sorry I cant be of help.
Katrina
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2006 - 8:19 pm:
Sorry I meant competing showing is an australian term. Silly me
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Member:
36541
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Posted on Sunday, Jul 9, 2006 - 10:58 pm:
Thanks for your replies. I think some of his tightness comes from anticipating the possibility of walk-canter transitions, which he does very well. He was with a trainer for almost a year while I was having two babies back-to-back, so now that we are together again, I have to assume most of the time that any problems are mine! Although he was my 7th horse to start and compete, I had never ridden half-pass or haunches-in before I got him back.
So Ann, with the less is more idea, what do you usually get from your gelding at the walk in a show situation?
Part of my asking this question is that I don't want to show at Second if we really don't have a true walk. I'm sure it will be even harder to move up if we don't learn this now.
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Member:
Sswiley
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 12:17 am:
Just a thought here. The way I would try to help this situation, (My first event mare was like this) is to make many working walk-free walk-working walk etc transitions. That way they dont assume all the transitions are going to be upward. Also lateral work at the walk will keep them busy and relaxed and not confirm their suspicion that they are going to do an upward "any second now!"
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Member:
Dres
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 12:48 am:
The lateral work makes my gelding MORE tense... I have found with him that i just don't school it.. When we are done we are walking on the buckle....I will pick up the reins and try to keep my frame of mind ''on the buckle'' to keep my relaxed seat ''on the buckle'' all the while gathering him up to a collected walk.. It works for a couple of strides and he will fall apart.. He does not have a lateral walk.. but i see a lot of that in the show rings now.. The collected walk IS the hardest of all gaits.. Our Walk scores are low... BUT remember its only one score.. You can make it up on the lovely canter that comes next.. !!
On the first day God created horses , on the second day he painted them with spots..
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 7:21 am:
Hi Ann
I have no idea if this will work. You said he goes good for a couple of strides. What if you loosened the contact just before he falls apart. Say if he is good for 3 strides DrOp it at 2. Once he knows he does not have to do it as long he wont get so stressed then if this works do 3 strides loosen the contact, when thats good do 4 etc etc. I think thats what I would do if I wanted him to stay on contact longer. Just a thought.
Good luck I am sure you will do great in the show
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 7:35 am:
sorry forgot to say they when you loosen the contact let him go at least 8 strides loose before you pick up and try again. This gives him a chance to think and work out that he gets to relax after he stays in frame. It should make him a lot more relaxed at least I hope so.
Katrina
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Member:
Dres
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 10:04 am:
Katrina, I don't show this boy anymore.. we have some soundness issues... He is now my backyard ride.. he is teaching me a ton on how and what to do when riding a sensitive horse.. Actually this is Stacy's thread on her horse's sensitive walk..
I like your idea on the walk . .. and actually have practiced that .. I just don't ask often and mostly just walk at the buckle... My mare that gets 9's for her walk, that is exactly what I did for a whole winter.. would have her chew the reins from my hands walk the short diagonal,pick up the reins, med. walk to chew them out... that was our cool down everyday... This transpired to the show ring of not getting tense when I picked up the reins after the chew down walk .. It does work..
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 11:55 am:
Hi Anne, Guess I meant that for Stacy. But I am glad you like the idea. Stacy sorry I meant the above for you. Something to try anyway
Katrina
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Member:
Dwinans
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 12:02 pm:
Stacy,
My hunter/jumper does the exact thing as your horse and I am at a loss as to how to fix it. I'm not asking for anything special at the walk but if I keep the reins the same length as they are at the trot he anticipates the walk-canter transition. If I hold the buckle he will relax and walk normally. As soon as I shorten the reins he anticipates going forward.
I have tried mixing things up - never doing a trot, walk, canter transition. Nothing really has been successful. Right now I walk until he settles down and then go to a trot - never a canter. I've spoken to trainers and that's what they suggest also.
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 12:19 pm:
Stacy, The trick is to DrOp contact before the falling apart. Dont DrOp or loosen contact if he not doing the right thing, then it will teach him the exact opposite. Did I confuse you?
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 12:33 pm:
Dawn ,
This might work at least it did for me when my horse anticipated a canter. Starting at the walk on a loose rein ask for a halt keep doing it over and over until he anticipates the halt. Then do the trot on a loose rein, just let him trot around then halt, do it over and over until he anticipates the halt. If he breaks into a canter at any time halt. Each time you halt let him rest a minute. then you go on to the canter. What this does is stop the too forward horse, they think why should I go fast I am only going to have to stop. Does that make sense.
Katrina
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 12:37 pm:
Both suggestions above are for 2 different problems one is for teaching a relaxed collected walk . and the other is to stop a rushing horse.
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Member:
Dwinans
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 12:54 pm:
Katrina,
I will give it a try. That is basically what I've been doing but not on a loose rein. That makes sense.
I guess this may be a different issue than Stacy's post - sorry Stacy, didn't mean to highjack your thread.
Thanks!
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 1:13 pm:
Yes Dawn and the reason for the loose rein is that you have to challenge them to do the wrong thing, also the loose keeps them relaxed. It was scary for me in the beggining to hold the buckle and canter and on trails and dare him to do the wrong thing, but they soon learn as soon as you pick up the reins its a downwood transition . They get so fast at stopping its great. These are not my exersises they are Clinton Anderson ones and they do work. If you do dressage after your horse is perfect at this then you go back with you regular contact. then you can just use it as a refresher on him when you need to.
Good luck . Let me know how it goes.
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Member:
36541
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 2:00 pm:
I will be riding tonight and will try suggestions from above - thanks to all for your interest. I think just having a game plan will help me be more relaxed. My horse is a homebred and has been reading my mind for years! I'll get to you guys, thanks again, Stacy
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Member:
36541
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Posted on Monday, Jul 10, 2006 - 11:33 pm:
Okay, better tonight with a ride that was 90% walk. Thanks to Shelley and Katrina. Han was a little confused then relieved really. He was more on my outside rein than he had ever been at this gait. I was really able to concentrate on a "following seat". I am hopeful for longer periods of softness as we do this more often. BTW, I did turn on the haunches x4 - horse lovely and soft in his neck and mouth! It started with spiraling out of the walk circle, and then went from there. Hmmm, this is nice, kind of like a dressage blog! Goodnight everyone... Stacy
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Member:
Christos
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Posted on Tuesday, Jul 11, 2006 - 10:21 am:
Stacy, it is true that walk, especially collected, is the most difficult and usually the lowest score for everybody in competition.
But this is not a reason to neglect walk, it is a reason to hit with it.
Here's how:
Everybody schools collected walk and transitions to canter before extended walk. This is what creates most problems in walk, don't do it. Have an observer watch you carefully and school working/extended walk first. Not free walk on a loose rein, he knows that already.
His problem is that the only thing he knows in walk on the bit is to collect himself and anticipate the canter transition. So show him that walk on the bit is not always collected and the transition is not always into canter.
It is important to always have an observer on the ground to scream for the smallest impurity in the gait when you school in walk. He does not have to be a trainer, just somebody who can tell you where the horse's hooves land and that legs on the same side do not even start to move parallel to each other.
Schooling in the extended walk first will also amplify his impulsion when walking on the bit in general, so will improve collected walk as well.
Also never let him fool around anymore when walking on a loose rein. DrOp the contact to let him relax when you want, but demand that he walks with a purpose. Free walk is an exercise now, he can't sleep !
From the second level up, we always dismount and walk the horse in hand to relax him completely and cool him off.
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Member:
36541
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Posted on Wednesday, Jul 12, 2006 - 1:31 pm:
Thanks again to you guys for chipping in your experiences and opinions. I had a lesson today and it was videoed. The walk was not bad at all, and I was happy to see that my horse's poll was the highest point most of the time. Prior to this, I did two rides mostly at the walk, using suggestions from Shelley, Katrina, and Christos. I'm no longer afraid of or avoiding the walk, and neither of us looked as bad as I thought we might. However, if you ever needed the motivation to lose that last 10 lbs of child-bearing fat, just get yourself on camera!! It had been a while for me! Y'all have a nice day
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