1962-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1962 May Voice | Page 26

May, 1962
24
Steve Hill Concludes Article On Training Fundamentals-Part 3
Must Give A Cue
For Canter; Horses
Need Daily Work
By Trainer Steve Hill
Do not try to set your horse's head
until you are satisfied that he can do
a fairly good running walk. After the
running walk has been established, if
the colt's head is still not right, use
a standing martingale on him and
tighten up on the chin strap. Bear in
mind that some Tennessee Walking
Horses have more head action than
others, although the proper nodding
action in reluctant colts may be im­
proved through the use of martingales
and tightened chin straps. Most Ten­
nessee Walking Horses set their heads
gradually themselves.
There is only one way to ride a
Tennessee Walking Horse; just
mount him and relax. Do not post,
and do not put any weight in the stir­
rups except just enough to balance
yourself. Get on the horse and sit
down. Ride your mount in a flat-foot
walk for several minutes in order to
get accustomed to die horse and the
feel of his mouth. Put enough tension
on the reins to steady the horse in
his gait, riding with a flexible wrist
so you can give and take with the nod
of his head.
All horses when circled to the left
should canter on the left lead, which
means that their left fore-foot should
be more extended, and when canter­
ing to the right in a circle the right
fore-foot should be more extended,
and should never cross behind. Cross­
ing is very uncomfortable to the rider,
and also is very conspicuous to an on­
looker. When your horse starts cross­
ing in the canter, just put him back
in the flat-foot walk and start all over
again. Most riders prefer an English
saddle. Use any type bridle equipped
with a curb bit, and be sure the curb
strap is not too tight. When a horse
is broke and ready to show or ride
for pleasure he works well without a
long shank rough bit.
After our colts have been in train­
ing for two or two and one-half
months we begin the canter. A suit­
able place to teach a two-year-old to
canter is on a gently sloping rise.
Allow your horse to run or lope as
slowly as possible up the rise, gradu­
ally slowing and gently raising him
with the reins. Give him his head and
when he starts to go loo fast, pull him
back. Help him to canter by lifting
his head and putting pressure on his
mouth.
After the colt learns to canter at
your command on tire side of a hill,
ride him on level ground and gradu­
ally develop the "rocking chair”
canter riding him in this gait every
day. We teach our horses to canter
Do not pump your horse, but if his along with the running walk, as I be­
head is not properly set he may work lieve in many instances a horse’s run­
you. When you have had your horse ning walk may be improved if he is
going along in a good smooth flat-foot taught to canter early in his training
walk for several minutes, urge him to period. However, it is advisable to
increase his speed and let him go into canter them for only a few minutes
a running walk. Please remember that
the running walk is an extended flat- each day, because too much cantering
foot walk. Ultimately you will derive is hard on their legs. Before giving
much pleasure from his smooth, glid­ the signal to canter, always drop your
horse back into a flat-foot walk.
ing running walk.
Give Cue To Canter
When desiring to earner, you must
give the cue, which the previous
trainer or rider has taught the horse,
as the various trainers have different
ways in starting a horse to canter.
Some will swing them on the rail,
some will signal them with their foot
behind the foreleg and on the side,
and some will tell them to canter by
speaking to diem.
When we desire to canter on the
left lead, we pull the left rein and
touch die horse gently with the left
foot behind the left fore-leg and on
die side. We change our lead by per­
forming the same maneuvers on the
opposite of the horse, and in reverse.
Remember to drop back to a flat-foot
walk each time you change leads. The
canter our Tennessee Walking Horse
gives you is easy although it has lots
of spring, is gently rolling and has
lots of head motion.
Use Quarter Boots
During the second part of our colts’
training, many of them are somewhat
awkward and will often step on their
front quarters with the hind feet.
Therefore we start our colts off in the
canter with the aid of quarter boots.
It is often a good idea to canter a colt
in a fairly large circle, and when he
finds out he is not going anywhere he
will stop trying to go fast and will
soon develop a well established gait.
As he becomes sure-footed we con­
tinue his training in circles, on the
track, on sloping ground and in other
places.
It is very important for every owner
of a Tennessee Walking Horse to
thoroughly understand the gaits of
his horse, and to so develop him. If at
all possible, have a good ground man
to watch the performance of your
horse doing the different gaits while
you are riding him. He can tell you
when and how to pick up your horse,
when you are bitting him right, and
tell you at what angle he looks the
best and does his best reaching. A
good ground man is able to point out
the things that are done wrong during
the training period, and a horse is
usually straightened out much sooner
if two people work together on him.
In the flat-foot walk the horse is
supposed to walk “square and on all
four corners” in a 1, 2, 3, 4, move­
ment. The running walk should be a
faster movement and widi more stride.
A ground man can watch your horse’s
movements from the front and from
the rear as well as from the sides
while tlie horse is being ridden.
Watching from front or back, the
ground man can tell the rider if the
horse is going too fast, if he is
“winging” or throwing his feet, or
is unusually wide behind. If the
horse is “winging” or wide behind he
is not performing the gait correctly
and it is better to take him back to
a flat-foot and start again. From
the side view your horse is supposed to
be moving in an even “gliding mo­
tion” with lots of nodding action.
Exercise Horses Daily
All Tennessee Walking Horses
should be exercised daily. If you do
not have time to ride your Tennessee
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