and learn not to seek support from the bit, and still gait.
A horse new to a snaffle, who has been ridden gaiting with some sort of ported, long-shanked curb, how does he learn a whole new language? I know how to get a gaited horse to gait, I know how to encourage a WTC horse to come onto the bit, but not how to teach the contact to a horse who interprets it as go hollow and go gaited!
That’s a tough one, I hope someone on here has experience. I’ve trained a few MO Foxtrotters and the occasional TN Walker, but I don’t really expect them to accept contact. It requires them to go in a frame that they have difficulty maintaining. Esp in the case of the Walkers because they need to bob their head when then they gait. I have retrained quite a few 3-gaited saddlebreds that were accustomed to going in a double bridle all upside down. Frankly, I’d rather take on a mustang from the range - less baggage. It can be done, but it takes time and patience. Eventually, they will come around but their conformation (if they are quality saddlebreds) really doesn’t permit them to get their back up and hind legs underneath. They will top out at 2nd level movements, and even those aren’t terribly collected. Sorry to not have better news for you, but it really is cramming a very square peg into a very round hole - pun intended. Good luck!
Doing the giraffe thing, star-gazing, dropping his back? I’ve had some luck re-schooling some gaited horses with these habits; it is possible.
What bit have you transitioned the horse to? Does he have an effective half halt? Does he have a regular walk? A trot? A hard pace as his gait, or is he square?
I’d probably use one of my go-to bits: Myler D with hooks or a KK eggbutt, and might even let the horse feel comfortable enough packing it to lean a little bit, then work on getting a true half-halt, using one-rein in more of an upwards (rather than pulling back) fashion. Just guessing here, but his previous rider(s) may have kinda water-skied this horse.
Really work on the timing - a quick check with a fast release. Hate to use the word snatch, but it is a very brief checking, just enough to re-balance without causing him to stiffen up and hollow his back (if he has the time to get into that posture, the check took too long).
I’d also be very conscious of my seat – no feet on the dashboard (just guessing that he’s probably been ridden like that by the same rider who used the long-shanked, ported bit, as they seem to go together often) – making sure I’m in the middle of the horse with my legs underneath me. I like to make a clear differentiation between what I’m doing and the horse’s past. He can learn the difference!
I’d throw in some groundwork, too (not PP stuff), such as yielding to the bit from the ground (like what Alfredo H. does), where the horse doesn’t have to deal with weight on his back and I can see (and reward) a response immediately. I’m also a big fan of long-lining.
Lots of cavaletti (at a walk) to drop his head and build up his abs, using hills, too, if available. I’d want him to develop the musculature to engage his abs and raise his back, because that will help, IMO.
I’d start out at a slow speed because, IME, if one of these gets excited, then they can get into a zone where it’s “Earth to Horse, come in,” so I don’t want to go there. It’s a bit like riding a wave, finding the point where the horse is in balance, not leaning nor hollow, and working there for just strides at a time, building up the horse’s strength and muscling until he can move correctly. My goal would be to back off right before he loses it.
Hope this is helpful, sorry if I’m telling you stuff you already know, just mean to describe what’s worked for me. Good luck!
[QUOTE=Mondo;8670414]
That’s a tough one, I hope someone on here has experience. I’ve trained a few MO Foxtrotters and the occasional TN Walker, but I don’t really expect them to accept contact. It requires them to go in a frame that they have difficulty maintaining. Esp in the case of the Walkers because they need to bob their head when then they gait. I have retrained quite a few 3-gaited saddlebreds that were accustomed to going in a double bridle all upside down. Frankly, I’d rather take on a mustang from the range - less baggage. It can be done, but it takes time and patience. Eventually, they will come around but their conformation (if they are quality saddlebreds) really doesn’t permit them to get their back up and hind legs underneath. They will top out at 2nd level movements, and even those aren’t terribly collected. Sorry to not have better news for you, but it really is cramming a very square peg into a very round hole - pun intended. Good luck![/QUOTE]
No.
Some horses (of many breeds/types) have a hard time with dressage, but most can do quite well with correct training/riding. The horse in my profile pic went from no dressage (nada, inverted, no contact, not using back, yada yada…) to confirmed 4th level in 2 yrs thanks to good training and riding, and he is perfectly capable of going higher if his rider (me) could ride better. He’s a Registered Saddlebred and hardly alone.
These blanket statements are just not true. If your horse has 3 decent gaits (w/t/c) and no glaringly horrid conformation faults or physical limitations, then it can put in an acceptable dressage test.
Most horses, of any kind, struggle getting up the levels due to lack of quality training and riding.
Jarpur has some very good suggestions, I’d add get help from a proven, well-respected trainer…
I have no experience with gaited horses, but I have seen adult horses who moved inverted brought into contact and a rounded posture by returning to the basics, introducing to the bit in-hand, lots of stretchy trot, getting relaxing in the poll. Lateral work at the walk, and eventually trot.
It will be changing how the horse carries himself, and he will need to adapt physically to this over time. It isn’t just teaching a move once, but riding so that he slowly builds the correct muscle to carry himself.
My old Saddlebred (saddle seat) barn started introducing some dressage schooling into their program several years ago, with helping school self-carriage awa more centered riding. Wish I were still where they are!
I think the ideas here about ground work are really good ones, and some of the other ideas too. The French-link snaffle is probably about as far as anyone can get from a shanked Walking Horse bit, so lots for a newbie to think about. I have a friend who rode her Walking Horse in a jointed pelham with the rein on the curb ring. I don’t like bits that combine a jointed mouthpiece with a shank but I’m open to ideas.
Thanks!
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