The NCHA is a little more forgiving than the other associations regarding adjusting your reins while showing, but also a bit more complex. Here goes:

3 point penalties are assessed if:

If the rider uses 2 hands to turn his horse around with the cow. 

If 2 hands are used on the bridle reins to stop the horse then the rider allows the horse to turn on its own. 

If 2 hands are used on the bridle reins while stopping the horse for a legal quit.  

After quitting a cow legally, the rider uses 2 hands on the reins to turn his horse around or does so while in the herd. 

If the cutter drops a bridle rein and uses his free hand to retrieve it while cutting the cow or working the cow it’s also a 3 pt penalty.

No penalty:

However, if the rider uses his free hand to retrieve the rein after legally quitting the cow and stopped their horse, there is no penalty. 

The rider can untangle the reins with no penalty if it’s done after a legal quit and before entering the body of the herd, or while riding through the herd, the rider can place a second hand on the reins, behind the rein hand, to straighten them.  

If after the rider turns to make a cut and stops in the body of the herd, a second hand can also be used to straighten the reins with no penalty.  

Cheating the reins (ie making one shorter while only having the index finger between them) while cutting a cow is common practice and legal.  

Be sure to practice adjusting your reins correctly at home until you get very dexterous with them!

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I’ve never seen collection explained so well. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

KEY FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO ENGAGEMENT OF THE HAUNCHES

In the piaffe, the combined center of gravity
of the horse and rider is directly over the center
of the horse’s base of support.

Relaxing and bending is the key factor that enables the hind legs to bend more deeply under the increased weight. Engagement becomes easier for the horse as it gets stronger and its balance is refined. As the horse willingly relaxes into the work it will naturally offer to bend its hind legs as much as it is able. As the horse relaxes and settles onto its hind legs, the hips and stifles bend even further. Again, this shortens the base of support and further lowers the spine posteriorly and naturally continues to draw the head and neck into a position that enhances the horse’s balance. The haunches are methodically strengthened until the forehand can be easily lifted completely off of the ground and the horse can momentarily settle onto its hind legs.

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I want to talk a little about bits in this week’s article, because it’s a subject that is difficult to get good information about and because of this, Barb and I are doing a webinar next week combined with how to develop soft hands and feel (no, you don’t have to be born with those!). 

Whatever choice we make regarding the bit we’re using, we all want to communicate clearly with our horse, building confidence and trust. 

It’s more about how you use your equipment than what equipment you use. Certain bits work better at certain levels of a horse’s training, but more important is that we’ve laid a strong foundation so the horse understands what’s being asked and can physically and mentally respond correctly.

As a trainer, I had a far smaller collection of bits than most. However, when I succumbed to buying the latest gimmick, it didn’t take long for it to be relegated to the back of my tack room to collect dust. 

Bits are tools and our true connection comes from our seat, legs, and breathing with our hands playing a secondary, supporting role. 

Bits shouldn’t be used as a punitive measure nor resorted to in frustration. The reason we advance from a non-leverage bit (snaffle) to a leverage bit should be that the basics have all been solidly put into place and now we want to refine our horse’s skills in whatever discipline we choose.

If there are holes in your horse’s foundation, don’t think a bigger bit is going to fix them. Graduating to the next bit should be to fine-tune our horse by increasing their sensitivity to us and helping them become more accurate and responsive.

I hope you’ll join us on Dec 5th and 7th at 5:00 PST.

Till then,
Sandy and Barb

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It’s blanketing time of year and there are a lot of things to consider when it comes to blankets. Here are a few to ensure your horse stays warm and comfortable:

1- Is your horse turned out or kept in a barn? If he’s turned out, you’ll need a more durable canvas blanket especially if he is out with his buddies. It should also be waterproof as horses given their choice of being in or out, normally choose out, even if the weather is terrible. Also, whether they are in or out, pay attention to the temperature. If they sweat under a blanket, not only does the salt take a toll on their coat, but a damp blanket from sweat as the evening cools, can cause them to get chilled. If you have a high denier count and it’s waterproof, it probably won’t breathe well so be sure to take it off during warm days.

2- If you have stickers or even shavings, a fleece lined blanket can be literally a pain as everything will embed itself into the fleece. It might be better to go with a canvas or nylon lining, though “loft” can help trap warm air and keep them more comfortable.

3- A good-fitting blanket is very important. Don’t just use a previous horse’s blanket who was about the same size. If it’s too big, it’ll ride too far back and rub the horses withers on top, or hang way low on their chest in front. If it’s too small, they’ll rub the hair off in front of their shoulders. Most well-known blanket manufacturers use a good cut so their blankets fit most horses well. My experience with cheaper blankets was usually a poor fit in the front.

4- Do you want to be able to take it off over their head and be able to adjust it in the front? That’s a nice option, just be sure to get one that has an easy to adjust front, so after a few weeks, it isn’t welded shut, but not so easy that it comes undone while they’re out playing.

5- Are you going to use a hood for the winter? If so, be sure your blanket has 3 D-rings to attach it to or the hood will wiggle around all the time and probably rub their mane out.

6- Layers- I always preferred a sheet during the day and a blanket over the top of that at night. It cut down on chore time and kept them comfortable at most temperatures.

7- Do you use lights? This might need to be addressed in its own article, but keep in mind that when you keep a horse under lights their hair stays nice and slick, so they can no longer keep themselves warm enough. The same goes for horses that have been clipped. The more hair removed, the more blanket fill to consider using to compensate.

8- Forage – If the temperatures drop below the horse’s 41-degree thermoneutral zone, they will be using more energy to stay warm. This means, their normal calorie intake may not be enough and extra forage can help them maintain their body temperature. Plus, eating and digesting food creates heat.

9- Acclimation – Have you recently moved from the previous winter?  Maybe you’ve moved someplace colder than the prior year and your horse needs to adapt to its new environment.  A blanket can help them acclimate to the new climate.

10- And let’s not forget “sleezies”. They’re great, except for the poor folks who have to put them on and take the off! There’s a pretty good learning curve with sleezies.

Signs Your Horse is Too Hot
• Sweating – this can be under the blanket, along the neck, or behind the ears
• Heavy breathing
• Change in behavior – could be more lethargic or restless
• Rubbing the blanket to try and remove it

Signs Your Horse is Too Cold
• Shivering
• Tucked up tail to try and keep warm
• Seeking shelter or huddling up with other horses
• Change in behavior like pacing to try and warm-up
• Weight Loss – typically a more long-term sign that they’re too cold

A quick trick to check if your horse is comfortable is to place your hand under their blanket near their withers. Does it feel cool or too warm?  If so, you can adjust your blanketing needs accordingly.

Those are my basic considerations when it comes to blanketing. It’s so nice when a horse doesn’t get too shaggy in the winter. That way when you ride, they don’t get so hot and dry off much quicker. However, if that’s not a consideration, letting them go “commando” is the easiest option. I noticed that the unblanketed horses always slicked off quicker in the spring.

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I was recently asked a couple of questions for an article on judging for the Reined Cow Horse Training Online that I thought it would be fun to share and get you all to weigh in on.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you see people make in the show pen? 

I said, “Not taking advantage of the things the rider has control over. In the reined work for instance missing the middle of the arena on your circles, not making your big ones faster than the small ones, not running to the stop, and being sure you get past the markers before stopping are high on my list. In the fence work it would be allowing there to be separation between you and the cow (ie losing some position and control), and not taking advantage of earning credit by also rating the second direction down the fence. In the herd work it’s hard to earn credit unless you cut and quit in the middle of the pen and cover both sides of the cow while working.” So if you want to maximize your score, you’ll need to do those little things. They sure add up and are under your control.

What is the one thing you wish you could tell everyone before they walk into the arena? 

I answered, “Relax and have faith in your training. Take a deep breath and let your horse do its job. If you have a horse that can mark a 72, don’t try to mark a 74 (because more than likely, you’ll end up a 64). Ride the horse you’re riding.”

And last, I was asked what I would say to the person who grumbles about their score? 

That was an easy one! “Go watch the video with somebody who really knows and who will be honest with you. If you still disagree with the score and you can put your “humble hat” on, I think at a weekend show that it’s ok to ask the judge after the show is over, how you might improve your score.” 

I also encourage everyone to take advantage of the NRCHA Judges Seminars. You can learn so much there about what the judges are looking for and how to take advantage of credit earning opportunities.

I’d really like to hear how you all feel about this, so please share. And if there’s anything you want more information about, let me know. If I can answer it I will, and if not, I’ll get someone who can.

Until next time,

Sandy

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I wanted to share one of my most favorite exercises for suppling a horse.

I also use it to help them make the right choices by offering it as a more difficult alternative to their current “choice”, if that choice is not what I want them to be doing.

Let’s say for instance your horse doesn’t want to stand still. Every time he moves a foot, you softly pick up the reins and back him in a circle (as the videos below show) with his nose and butt to the inside.

This is very difficult for them, it’s hard work.

After you back a few circles, stop, pat him and drop the reins, giving him the “opportunity” to move his feet again. When he does, quietly pick up the reins, soften his face and back him around some more.

The beauty of this exercise is that it’s a lot of work and as soon as they put it together that every time they move their feet, they have to work, pretty soon they don’t want to move their feet.

It’s their choice and that’s why it works. You’ve stacked the deck in your favor and the house always wins!

And meanwhile, he’s gotten much softer and more supple and thoughtful.

So, it’s a win-win-win, which is the best kind of win.

So, here it is:

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I get a lot of questions about how to hold the 2-rein outfit. There are a few different ways, so I’m going to go over each.

The great thing about the year spent in the 2 rein (during which you can also show your horse straight up in the bridle) is that’s it’s legal to put your fingers between the reins! I used to show my horses in both the 2 rein class and the open bridle on the same day so I could school in one and show in the other. 

Here’s a photo of the easiest way. In this, you hold everything together in one hand. However, when you do this, you don’t take advantage of using your fingers between the reins. 

This one is my favorite. You put one finger between each of the 4 reins and then turn your thumb up. 

Some folks like to have the romal reins come up through their palm from the bottom up as if you were straight up in the bridle and the mecate reins would be held going from top to bottom. 

Here’s a photo of putting your fingers in a position to help guide your horse as needed. 

It’s a lot to manage, but hopefully, this is helpful!

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Training a horse is like painting a car.

You’ve probably seen one of those incredible “show car” paint jobs – where the smooth, rich color looks as if it’s 10 feet deep.

Here’s how that’s done:

After the foundation is perfect, with all the blemishes filled with lead and sanded smooth, the painter applies a primer, which he also sands until it’s perfectly smooth.

Then comes the first color coat. After that’s dry, the painter will sand it until it’s almost entirely gone; just a few molecules of color remain.

Then he applies the second color coat, lets it dry, and sands it until just a blush of color remains.

He’ll do this 20 or more times, building up the color just a few molecules at a time, over a period of many days, until it’s as clear and as deep as an alpine lake.

Well-broke horses are made the same way.

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When a horse is soft (resistance-free) in the face, you can communicate through his whole body right down to his feet through your reins and seat.

I always strive to “connect their lips to their hindquarters” meaning that when I picked up a rein, I could feel them engage their hindquarters, soften their poll and allow me to connect to all 4 feet.

The horse needs to learn to respond to every nuance of pull, kick, nudge from the rider.

In response, to the degree the rider can feel every softening (lessening of resistance), every try, is the degree the rider is “connected” to the horse. Then, it’s a matter of interpreting the horse’s response to determine if he can handle more pressure, is mad vs confused, hardheaded or a bit slow to process, etc. But the rider has to be able to feel those responses before she can interpret them.

Both of these components comprise what we call “feel”. To some degree, feel is intuitive. Either you have it or you don’t, but it can also be learned.

When we try to teach a horse collection, it is by very tiny, incremental degrees, with the slightest try being rewarded with a release of the pressure we’re applying. It is by that release that they learn, not the application of our aides.

If we miss that small give and fail to release, there’s no incentive for the horse to try next time. They learn to hang on us as we hang on them, both of us getting duller and number (and both probably getting madder and madder!)

For collection, we’re trying to get our horse to operate in a more compact box, not pushing on the bridle or either of our legs and willingly driving up from behind all at the same time.

We accomplish this “shortening of their wheelbase” by making them reach their hind feet further up under themselves, causing their hips to lower, the abdominal muscles to contract causing their backs to raise and round. This elevates their shoulders and causes their neck to lower and curve, allowing them to break at the poll and carry their head at the vertical.

All of this, just to shift the center of gravity a few inches back from its normal spot right at the cinch area. This allows the horse to balance more on its hindquarters making him more agile and quicker moving the front end.

When a horse isn’t willing to learn to respond to our cues, unfortunately, it’s usually the rider failing to give clear, understandable signals (appropriate for the horse’s level of education) and/or failing to release when a try is offered.

If we do release when the horse tries, we’re making what we want easy and desirable, and what we don’t want more uncomfortable. That’s the #1 premise of horse training.

So, if your horse starts to feel confused, instead of thinking he’s dumb or not trying, be sure you’re “explaining” what you want on the level of explaining something to a child. Then reward the try with a nice release, allow a short recovery before asking again.

In the beginning, you’ll only be asking for a stride or two. This helps the horse understand that if he complies, the release is right around the corner. He’ll be more willing to try the next time. And as his “infrastructure” gets stronger, he’ll be able to hold his frame together longer and longer.

When there is little or no physical or mental resistance, you won’t feel any heaviness on the bridle as his back rounds and lifts, and he responds from head to tail.

It’s a pretty awesome feeling of strength and coordination as they gather up under you, ready to do whatever you ask for next.

Interestingly, collection causes even the worst moving horses to be more comfortable and balanced making them much nicer to ride. Therefore, a worthy goal for any riding discipline.

I’d love to hear your thoughts as I plan to dive into this topic some more!

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