this is CPR—cue, pressure, and response. The cue is the ask, pressure is the tell, and the response is what we want our horse to do. Our goal is to remove the tell, or pressure, as quickly as possible to have only the cue and the response. If the horse moves past your shoulder, the first thought may be to pull back on the lead, and I try not to at first. In the beginning, it’s normal for the critter to move ahead; after all, that’s what you’ve just asked it to do. The horse is just trying too hard, which is much better than not trying at all. As we progress together, we’ll both find the happy medium where we’re both moving at the same rate, side by side. The finished product is us moving together with an utterly slack rope. There should be no pressure on the lead as we’re both moving alongside each other. We’ll get to that goal much quicker if we take the time to get the first steps right. Once you’re moving forward nicely, it’s time to up the ante and focus on refinement. When leading, I want my animals to stay even with their neck at my
shoulder. Once we begin packing, we’ll move that spot behind me. If the horse should go past my shoulder, I can ask him to get back with a verbal “back.” If that doesn’t work, I can give the lead a bump to slow him up just a touch. Every horse is an individual and has a different threshold for the amount of ‘Tell’ they respond best to. I find the personality differences between my girls fascinating. Ellie is quite reactive and guarded, while Cocoa is much more laid back about life in general. I can push Cocoa a bit, whereas we’ll suffer for my eagerness if I ask too much of Ellie. Horse and mules are not one size fits all creatures. Each is a beautiful individual that brings a unique set of traits to the party. It’s my job to use the appropriate training style to help them realize their potential. A tendency that I had when I started my equine affair was to pull back on the lead to keep my horse in check and beside me. That taught him to rely on that pressure and eventually gave me a sore arm. The horse should be responsible for staying in the proper position.
After walking has progressed and is going well, it’s now time to incorporate transitions into the mix. Shift from a walk to a jog to a run and back down again. I use verbal cues such as “trot” just before shifting speed to give the critter a heads up that something is about to change. Soon your horse will be cueing into your body signals as you move from one gait to another. Eventually, you’ll make a change in direction while leading. There are several ways of doing this; I prefer to have my horse move away from me and push him into the turn. This makes him think about my personal space, which is important for our continued education. If you pull your horse into you while turning, he doesn’t have a choice but to enter your space, and I don’t want that to become a habit. For me, these many words on
Miami Valley Horse Show Association
the simple act of leading a horse are the foundation of everything that he and I will do together. Whether we’re on a backcountry pack trip or closer to home, these basic exercises carry over into every part of our lives together. The better our horses become at ‘follow the leader’ on the ground, the better our relationships will be on the trail. For more of my thoughts on trail riding and camping with horses, as well as the world’s most comprehensive guide to horse trails and camps, please give us a visit at www. TrailMeister.com. You can also find more information in the best-selling book “The ABCs of Trail Riding and Horse Camping – Essential Knowledge for Trail and Camp.” You can find more info on the book here: https:// amzn.to/3CuErid
Robert ‘The TrailMeister’ Eversole owns and operates the largest horse trail and horse camp guide in the world, www.TrailMeister.com. When he’s not speaking with horse and mule riders at events across the US, writing regular feature columns in leading equine publications including the Horsemen’s Corral, Robert can be found riding and packing trail maintenance crews into wilderness areas throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Come Show With Us PRESIDENT, Kenny Matthews VICE PRESIDENT, Beth Roosa SECRETARY, Rebekah Martindale TREASURER, Emily O’Daniel SHOW CHAIR, Betsie Moore PHONE, 937-418-2378 EMAIL, Moorebetsie@gmail.com WEBSITE, www.MVHSA.com
by Rebekah Martindale It’s that time of the year! The Miami Valley Horse Show Association (MVHSA) is ready to kick off its 2022 show season right. We hope to see you in Springfield, Ohio, for our second show of the year (Buckeye Equestrian Events, April 30-May 1). We are excited to welcome new members and to welcome back seasoned competitors. MVHSA is the perfect way to
MVHSA youth members showing off their high point awards at our annual banquet. spend time with those who share similar interests. It is easy to get started, and we are dedicated to celebrating members who we know put countless hours of hard work into perfecting their craft. In March, we gave away $7,000 worth of prizes to those who earned year-end awards. To become a member, view our show schedule, or to become a sponsor, visit our website, www. mvhsa.com
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