Your evolution aka tolerance

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piedmontfields
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Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby piedmontfields » Sat Jan 18, 2020 12:56 am

I have been thinking recently about what I no longer tolerate (because my horse knows it and so do I) in our workouts.

-My straightness/crookednes barometer is on in full force from the get go. I may walk on a long rein for 15 minutes, but I demand a certain degree of straightness.
-My forward button is demanding. If I don't get a zoom-y YES, M'aam, there are consequences (following a proper warm-up).
-My half half feeling is picky. If I feel any draggy hang or brace through my hand, it is a down transition or even a halt. We don't have enough time in life for that kind of bad practice!

Note: This is with a weak aging rider and an semi-educated horse. YMMV. But I would love to hear about your tolerance evolution!

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Flight
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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby Flight » Sat Jan 18, 2020 1:25 am

I think my evolution is being more aware of not letting things be just near enough. So, I've been working on response to my aids (especially the little horse ) and really trying to fix my riding bad habits.

exvet
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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby exvet » Sat Jan 18, 2020 1:18 pm

Somewhere along the way I got it stuck in my head that only perfect practice makes perfect performances; so, with that being stated I too am hyper-vigilant with straightness. I will not accept a dull, slow to respond horse nor one that blows off my requests to come back to me especially into my hands. Junior still tries to test the envelope; but, he knows what's to come when and if he does and is usually already 'there' before I even get done with my correction. Alternatively I have worked on my feeling and timing to catch things before they devolve and try to maintain a black and white approach to my riding that doesn't confuse the horse. It doesn't matter if I'm riding down the trail in my western saddle or in the arena in my dressage saddle - straightness et al is required. A leisurely ride doesn't have all the figures/exercises like in the arena and may be just walking but walking is still required to be marching and into the hand - stuff like that; so, my horse doesn't have to guess when I expect this or that.

piedmontfields
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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby piedmontfields » Sat Jan 18, 2020 1:47 pm

Thanks for the thoughts. I should say, I'm really just thinking that I am in a different place with my attention/skill than 5 years ago. It has taken me quite a bit of time to make these basic improvements.

exvet wrote: Alternatively I have worked on my feeling and timing to catch things before they devolve and try to maintain a black and white approach to my riding that doesn't confuse the horse.


This---it's my goal to do this 100% of the time. I've evolved quite a bit, but it is a work in progress for me. My growing body weakness has actually helped me be better about catching deviations very very early on, as it is much easier for me physically if I do that. I was thinking about this topic yesterday because I hacked with someone who doesn't attend to this kind of systematic training (call it happy hacker or whatever). It's like you said about expectations on the trail---none of the training or the black/white clarity should be different (IMO).

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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby exvet » Sat Jan 18, 2020 2:33 pm

I must admit that I too have arrived to this point not just because of the miles I've spent in the saddle but because of my right sided weakness developed over the years from repetitive motion at the surgery table. I simply no longer have the strength in my upper body to muscle things through anymore nor should I. With age may come wisdom but I think that's a self preservation mechanism kicking in when the body is starting to deteriorate ;)

piedmontfields
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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby piedmontfields » Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:24 am

I do think there is actually something brilliant and mind blowing about working smarter---not with more strength!

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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby blob » Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:07 pm

The place where I am the most distinct about what I do and don't tolerate is actually on the ground. I'm pretty strict about what I consider acceptable on the ground compared to some people. But the way I see it--a horse gets to be a horse 22-23 hours out of the day. The 1-2 hours that it's being handled by people, I expect the horse to be paying attention to the handler and not getting distracted or doing whatever. This means staying at the shoulder when being lead whether a person speeds up, slows down, backs up, or stops without having to use the lead rope; standing quietly when tied (no pawing, wiggling around, etc); staying when told (I teach all my horses to ground tie); respecting and understanding body space; etc.

With riding, my tolerance is more individual horse specific. Though, thinking through it, I think if i was clearer in my tolerance under saddle I might get better results, the way I do on the ground.

One thing that is definitely something I've learned to have a clearer line on with MM is moving forward off the leg. If I ask for canter and she trots, that might very well be my own error. But she is far along enough in her education that she knows leg on means she needs to have some kind of reaction. So, I've been trying to be very clear and strict about that line.

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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby Chisamba » Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:14 pm

Blob, wrt ground manners it often amazes me what people allow on the ground.

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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby heddylamar » Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:06 am

I have near zero tolerance for ill behavior on the ground, and have finally learned to toe that line (with my third youngster) under saddle too. Our rides are far more pleasant and productive than anything I experienced with Maia's predecessors.

As for myself, I'm very self-critical, and always presume I'm doing something dumb (not communicating clearly, riding crooked, etc) if my horse's response is "huh, whaaa?!" Am I sitting correctly? Are my aides clear?

One thing I don't vary on though — if I ask the horse to move forward, sideways, backward, etc, they'd better GO. As a result, none of mine have any problems moving off the leg :lol: Mom's unhurried, lazy, super laid-back Appy used to leap if I squeezed his side. If it was Mom in the tack, armed with whip and spurs, he just ignored her :roll:

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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby Tanga » Wed Jan 22, 2020 5:12 am

I think I've made a lot of progress lately, and it sort of fits because I'm no longer tolerating.

I've been super focused on relaxed and not pushing the horses beyond and getting them anxious. I think I overdid it. With how I did at championships, a lot of scribing lately, the freestyle symposium, and some feedback, I think I overdid it.

I had my now 11 year starting I-2 and GP last year and it was good, and she got better for three shows, and then lost it in the one tempis. So I dropped back down to PSG and I-1 (since I-1 and I-2 are not consecutive levels.) After the champs. I didn't face the ones right away, but finally did. The same problem was popping up. She got anxious and started flipping herself from side to side and almost being bronc like. I tried just doing 3 or 4 one tempis and it did not help. She is super sensitive to the whip, so I don't ride her with one, but sometimes you need one. So, I went all in in on not tolerating.

I carried the whip all of the time and tried to have to touch her all of the time to desensitize. I've done this before, but I just committed this time. She freaked out and got hysterical, but I kept at it. For about five days straight we did dripping wet riding until she relaxed some, I hosed her off, and then got back on and asked her to do it again. It was scary in thinking I pushed it too far. But, I was not making progress in doing anything else I tried, and it's off season. But, after about day four, it was down to mild hysteria here and there, and she didn't get to stop until she cut it out. It actually worked.

And then I pushed it into the one tempis, using the whip to tap slightly to get more quickness to get her balanced and up, and when she got frantic in trying the tempis, I went back to just asking for super collected, up canter while tapping the whip. She got that pretty quickly.

I also gave up trying to just do 3 to 5 tempis and went straight for the 11 in I-2. It was MUCH easier for her because she was able to establish a rhythm. I had someone watch, and initially she was not always changing behind, but who cares because at least she was doing it and not freaking out! Then I figured out instead of thinking she had to be more forward, I just need to keep her up and change. Within about a week she was doing 11 one tempi changes consistently clean! She's barely going anywhere, like maybe 10 meters, but who cares. Whoo Hoo!! She has really good piaffe and passage, so even getting a 5 on tempis would get me pretty good scores.

And the helper at the barn (who is an eventer, but she can see and give me feedback) said my passage was uneven behind, so I tried allowing it more forward and bigger, and she said it was super even and even more impressive that way. Whoot! She's got a super easy on the spot piaffe and no issue with the transitions now. So going to try I-2 in about three weeks and see what the judge thinks!

And the other thing I figured out that works especially for the 9 year old who is a super big, slower, always-the-same-tempo mover, is that I have to make her move in a quicker tempo. I have been experimenting with that with her in canter and trot in just asking for quicker, which is a bit hard with her, because if you tap her with the whip, she wants to just go bigger, so it has to be all leg. But my helper said this quicker tempo looks amazing--collected, up, and much, much better.

So, I am not tolerating the freak outs of being hysterical or too slow, and it has really worked out.

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Re: Your evolution aka tolerance

Postby Josette » Wed Jan 22, 2020 2:36 pm

Oh my, I can relate to this topic after reading the replies. Exvet comment and Chisamba - bingo! Yes - applied to me. I've also learned that different horse's temperament means softer vs firmer approach to fear or resistance issues. Not one size fits all. Respect and trust is required at all times both under saddle and on the ground for horse and rider safety.

I'm presently rehabbing my guy with long hand walks now that ground is frozen. He always had solid manners on the ground but with not being ridden his energy has gone up with cold weather. What started out as quiet walks transitioned to chain over the nose for no games. So whether we are walking under saddle or hand walking rehab - it is all about obedience and work mode to be safe.


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