NED LEIGH CLINIC
April 23, 24, 25, 1998
Outline of Things We Learned (or Attempted to Learn or Were Presented to
Us!)
1. Give to the Bit
2. Head Drop (Calm Down Cue)
3. Turn on Fore
4. Single Rein Backup
5. Dancing on Rear
6. Move a Front Foot
7. Turn on Hindquarters
8. Inside/Outside Turns
9. Back with Both Reins
10. Roll-Over
11. Stop on a Chosen Foot (Ride "to")
12. Direct Rein Turn
13. Sidepass
14. Kneel
Phew!
Some General Things To Remember (or Words of Wisdom):
1. Every command should be prefaced by Give to the Bit (it's your
telephone call to the horse)
2. Recognize a Give
3 . The slower your hands, the lighter the horse
4. Wait for a response after contact. Very important: Look for the feel
5. Positional commands---not pressure
6. Horses need to KNOW the lesson to automatically revert to it.
7. The relationship is built on a handshake--meeting resistance or give.
8. Will the horse answer the phone?
9. Patience--wait for an answer
10. Positive reward lessons
11. Ask, reward, wait 2-3 seconds, then ask again
12. Redirect horse's desire back to work
13. Appreciate the horse that offers the "gift" of energy (yeah, right).
Either you use it in a way you want it used, or say you don't want it.
14. Directed energy is better than contained energy. Use extra energy for
circles
15, Rate Speed-make the request yours, before he makes up his mind. Watch
for his signal that he wants to speed up. Put him on a circle (not a
knot) and think about perfecting the circle.
16. Jigging Horse-give him enough to do
17. Herd Bound--Give the horse things to do (i.e. Figure 8's) away from the
group, then reward him by returning to group, but repeat and repeat.
18. Best training for a green horse is Turn on the Fore. You get impulsion
by leg pressure.
19. Learn to recognize your horse's set up for a request then you can
reward his thought instead of his action.
20. Platform Riding-using your hands in the 12" square in front of the
saddle. 21. Ned uses one kiss for walk, two kisses for trot, and three
kisses for canter
22. The smallest thing makes the biggest difference to the horse (from Tom
Dorrance). Reward for recoil
23. If you come to an object of fear, tip the nose away, let horse look at
it from each side (one eye at a time). Then let him see it in both
eyes, but block any decision to go left or right, let him back up. He
may decide to go up to it and smell/touch it.
24. Horses may not spook on a lead, but do under saddle-this may be because
they are confined by your hands and legs.
25. Don't let the horse escape the lesson. If you're riding the rail asking
for a give, better to let him go off the rail and concentrate on asking
for the give.
26. FOCUS-if you focus hard enough, your fingers will
automatically do what they have to to get there
27. INTENT
28. For a horse to respond automatically, preparation has to be done ahead
of time.
29. The slower the command is given, the quicker the learning.
30. "Allow' the horse, don't "make" him
31. Reason for working with one rein: Horse can't "root' (or pull on bit).
Educates the hands of the rider
32. Quick rewards-throw away the reins as if they were on fire
33. Be aware of your body position-leaning forward makes the horse go
faster
34. Use bent elbows
35. Go from simple to technical
36. When using leg, move it slowly onto horse, remove quickly
37. When asking for something with the rein: if squeezing, don't bend wrist
down--shorten up on rein by changing position of hand on rein by
shortening up--take up slack with other hand.
GIVE TO THE BIT: Give to the Bit is NOT pulling the head or tipping the nose
up (horse has to pivot on axis (poll?). Tip the head a little, reward the
slightest give. Use your off-hand to gather the reins as your reach for more
contact. Practice from the ground first 100 times each side, then from the
saddle 100 times each side. Practice gives to the rail going around the
arena at the walk (both sides). Then practice gives at the trot, If the
horse doesn't give at the higher speed-keep holding even if you go around
the arena 32 times. The leverage request for a give is: hand on rein, thumb
up, fingers in front, close fingers one by one.
HEAD DROP (Calm Down Cue): Bring the rein up (near the horse's ear,
perpendicular to ground). Release the rein when the head drops. If no
reaction, add pressure. Reward the horse's pull down against the bit. Horse
may, at first, confuse the Give and Head Drop, but will be able to
differentiate. Practice 50 times each side. You can ask for more drop as you
go along. Amazingly, the horse will be able to put it's nose on the ground
within a few hours (or the next day or two) and keep it there for a period
of time. You can spend up to 45 minutes practicing. Remember this has
nothing to do with flexing at the poll.
TURN ON THE FORE: Ask for the Give. Hands should be within Platform. Rein
should be against withers to tell horse to disengage rear. Active rein hand
should not be higher than the hair on the withers. As you reach active hand
for more contact, take up slack with other hand. Don't grab or pull horse.
Front foot has to lock. It will lock when the horse stops fighting its head.
Horse has to give to the bit properly first. Move leg (use calf) onto horse
slowly (only move your leg 2" back-do not press heel into horse-it throws
your body out of position-did I learn that, or what?). Look at shoulder.
Watch for this leg to plant (stop moving). Watch for feel when horse comes
off the bit. You should feel the hip come up. Quick reward when front leg
plants and hip comes up. After perfecting this, try looking at the hip as
you ask for the movement of the hindquarters to see if it moves, then you
can move up to looking at the opposite hip to see if it goes where you want
it to go. (Simple to Technical)
SINGLE REIN BACK-UP: Use one rein only (duh!) close to (or on) the neck.
Kiss once to indicate that you are requesting movement of the feet. Work on
getting this request softer.
COMBINATION EXERCISE: Combine the Give, Head Drop, Turn on the Fore, and One
Rein Backup. Ask the hindquarters to cross over 4 steps. Look for the feet.
Reward each step by taking your leg (calf) off.
DANCING ON REAR: Ask for the Give, ask for hindquarters to move left
slightly (either weight change or one step). Ask for the Give again, but ask
for hindquarters to move to the right. Repeat, repeat and we're dancing.
About this time, the Give can be as little as being able to see a tiny bit
more of the horse's eye. If the horse walks forward, close the hand on the
opposite rein, just by using fingers. If the horse drops his head, release a
little. Keep hands close to horse, move leg back, take up slack, but don't
grab with 4 fingers right away.
MOVE A FRONT FOOT: Practice by walking out and when you see the shoulder (on
the side you are working with) move back, lift rein on same side. This will
get the horse to associate the lift of the rein to the lift of the foot.
Shift your weight back. Object is to eventually move foot directly under
your foot. Horse should step under rider's foot. If you move the foot on the
diagonal to the rear, it will cause a pivot. Horse has to find his balance
first. Apply opposite leg. (1) give (2) raise rein (3) opposite rein comes
in to stop back feet from moving (4) pivot on rear. Start with circles
(direct rein), then start lifting rein with timing of foot, then start
asking for the pivot.
TURN ON BINDQUARTERS: Above exercise, then bring opposite rein into effect
close to neck to ask opposite front foot to take the second step. Ask for
give, pick up rein every time same side foot is on ground. Hands have to
stay at same level. Lead into circle (left if you're working left) by direct
rein. Direct rein turns the horse (vs. give which tips nose). Direct rein
causes leg under rein to move, other crosses over. Lift to move front foot.
Don't pull on reins-that moves back feet. Shift weight to selected back foot
(I've forgotten which foot to plant if you're going left). One rein tips
head (in direction you're going) and other rein retards forward motion.
Inside rein lifts foot, outside rein places other foot. Look at your foot
(not horse's foot). Sit back @ transition (request). Keep hands even. Ask
for move when horse is in motion. Ask for slight give first. Wait for
"hello". When you ask for 2nd foot with outside rein use quick reward.
INSH)E/OUTSIDE TURNS EXERCISE: Combine the Turn on the Forehand and Turn on
the Hindquarters. 18O degree turns each.
DANCING AGAIN: Combine requests for Turn on the Fore and Turn on the lend in
short steps to simulate dancing.
BACK WITH BOTH REINS: Full contact, but only one rein asks for back up.
Close hands. Wait for response. Elbows bent. One hand higher than other
(active hand). Lift on one side to drop head. Communicate with only one hand
at a time. Controlling hand is up higher-reward with controller hand. Use
shorter rein. Squeeze calves for back up. Change position of your back,
soften hands as the horse backs. Change arch of your back to stop. The arch
changes your hand position, Hands are 10" apart.
BACK UP TRANSITIONS: Back up to Turn on Hindquarters: Back up with both
reins, then direct rein forehand over back end. Don't pull or drag horse.
Turn wrist ftom perpendicular to ground to parallel to ground, thumb in.
(Roll-over). Support rein is way up on neck to help second leg step over.
Backing up to turn on the hindquarters is easier for the horse to move into
it if the front foot is next to go. Then back up to turn on fore.
RIDE "TO": Walk forward and think about stopping on hind or fore--or right
hind (left hind), etc. (I don't quite remember how to do this--the notes are
kinda shaky here). Circle to right, bringing left rein to neck stops right
hind. Right rein helps crossover-release it when horse sets up rear end.
DIRECT REIN TURN: Ride into circle. Make circle smaller. Look at foot. Pick
up outside rein and foot and apply. Keep hands even. Lift direct rein when
crossing over. Apply outside rein, leg, sit back. Flands will refine. Don't
pull on horse. Don't pull towards you. Keep hands in front of saddle.
PRACTICE STUFF: Circles--wait for gives on bit-softening. Practice moving
fore with one rein (direct rein to hindquarters). Practice picking up ftont
foot. Start with back up then pick up ftont. Practice putting front foot in
different positions of the clock. Use diagonal rein for one. Practice
picking any foot by only your fingers. Practice keeping hands on platform.
Practice timing. Dance: primary rein, stationary rein. Pivot on one foot,
waltz (front & back), roll-over, stop on rll hind.
SIDEPASS: Going right If fro
nt end is slower bring over left rein. If rear
end is slower, hold left rein.
KNEEL: Double tap top of leg in front and squeeze. Pull reins, hold foot up.
Ask horse to lean back. Use release to ward. Don't force horse to stay down.
When horse rests on knee-rub back then ask to get up.
