From: Amelia Marshall
Hi Jessica - It has been nearly a year that I've been avidly reading horse-sense and it just gets better all the time!
Three questions, inspired by last weeks comments on riding without a bit:
One -- Trail riding in a halter sounds all very well and holistic, but it my experience there can be some problems. A couple of the people that I ride with use halters with no bits, and they seem to have very limited control of their horses. A few weeks ago, their horses got "jacked" on a narrow trail and pushed ahead of several of us, which was disconcerting. Is this really a recommended practice? If so, when is it appropriate to not use a bit or a bosal?
Two -- Lynn's husband Garrett has a theory to which I have subscribed. To wit: On trail rides with more than five horses, any but the calmest and eldest horses are apt to misbehave! Indeed, I have observed that my Dolly stays calm when the ride is below the "Garrett limit", but add a sixth horse, and she is apt to get pushy, tailgate, "crab up" and try to canter sideways, you name it. Care to comment?
Three -- What would you do with an appaloosa who sometimes, just occasionally, does this crab (to use rodeo terminology, sunfish) maneuver: Typically, she is behind other horses and she wants to lead the herd, or she can't quite keep up with endurance ababians who have moved out in front. Then she swings her hindquarters to the right, usually off the trail, and tries to canter sideways. I think this is an inchoate expression of the desire to buck or kick another horse in frustration. When she does, I kick-kick-kick behind the girth with my right leg and kick forward with my left to straighten her out.
It occurs to me that if I had a dressage whip in my hand I could emphasise the push on her right side, but I am too preoccupied with trying to stay in the saddle to use any aids. This usually occurs far from the trailhead. Sometimes she starts in and I can straighten her out immediately, and the ride proceeds without further incident.
Many thanks, Amelia Marshall
Now for your questions!
1) Trail riding in a halter is something I would NOT recommend, for anyone, ever. To me, it doesn't sound holistic, it just sounds silly. For trail rides, I like jumping hackamores, short-shanked mechanical hackamores with padded nosebands and curb straps (not chains), and occasionally (if the rider knows how to adjust and use it!) a bosal. I've seen vosals but haven't actually used them, so can't comment except to say that they would definitely give more control than would a halter, and so would be preferable.
Riding in a halter does offer limited control, and doesn't allow two things that a rider needs on the trail: the ability to put on the brakes, and the ability to be reasonably subtle. Halters are not designed for riding, and are not especially kind to horses or useful for the riders.
I think it can be useful to have a halter and leadrope on the horse UNDER the bridle, but that's another story and another trailride. ;-)
2) The "Garrett limit" -- I love it! It may depend on the particular horses involved, and on what their habits are. I can remember trail rides with fifteen or twenty horses, with EVERYONE behaving well (or, occasionally, everyone NOT behaving well). And I've been on two-horse trail rides where both horses were accustomed to being lead horse or tail horse, and were very suspicious and unhappy about being asked to change positions or go side by side. ;-)
3) Frustration IS the problem, you've analyzed this perfectly! My solution would be to have A Plan: something that you will ask your mare to do as soon as you feel her beginning to start to commence to begin to THINK about doing her crab/sunfish maneuver! In other words, ANTICIPATE her action and immediately ask her to do something else. There are lots of things you could ask for -- shoulder-in is always useful. Since she swings her hindquarters to the right, you could ask for a haunches-in to the left, or a shoulder-in to the left, or -- if she beat you to it and got her hindquarters off to the right before you could react -- just bend her around your LEFT leg and ask for a shoulder-in THAT direction! There are other options, of course -- a lengthening of stride at the walk is useful, and your legs asking her hind legs to advance will keep her moving straight. And there's always the option of leg-yielding from one side of the trail to the other and back again, as many times as it takes to keep her mind and body busy.
Of course, it's not enough just to ask for something, or even to ask for it and get it. You must also make it very clear to her that she is a good and wonderful mare for doing whatever it is that you are asking her to do. If you get a buck or a bounce ANYWAY, say "NO!" loudly and clearly, and take that dressage whip and reach back and smack her once, VERY hard, on the rump.
You're trying to get several points across, in the nicest possible way: a - Your mare is a grown-up, trained horse, and as such, she has a responsibility to go on doing what you asked her to do until YOU ask her to change and do something else. b - When you ask her to do something else, she is to DO it. c - If she is rude and cheeky and says "DON'WANNA, WON'T!", she will be told "NO!" and receive a SINGLE sharp smack on the bottom, after which all will be forgiven BY THE PERSON WHO IS LEADING IN THIS DANCE -- and that's YOU!
Most of the Appys I've worked with have been highly intelligent horses, and they learn very, very quickly.
Hope this helps improve your trail rides!
Jessica
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