I just had to share this somewhere where someone might understand

[Jackie_Cochran]

Several years ago my assigned lesson horse was a downhill, VERY thick jowled, downhill back, low set necked aged “lesson horse” who had, at most, pretty bad western training (probably more of the blame goes to his conformation, not Western training.)

I got this very resistant horse to become light in hand for downward transitions by only applying the hand aid ONLY when the horse’s head was coming up, and then releasing the aid (advancing my hand maybe 1/4 to 1/2 inch and relaxing my fingers) and not re-applying it until the next time the horse’s head came up. Even at the trot there are two times each stride when the horse’s head comes up a little bit. If I applied my halting/slowing down aid at any other instant in his stride he would set his thick neck, take advantage of his low set neck, and expect me to carry his head while he went where he wanted to go at his preferred speed.

Using this timing of my rein aid after a few months he would slow down when I twiddled my rein finger. He also became a true pleasure to ride.

It sounds like your daughter is doing well. I would be very proud of her too.

[Lunabear1988]

She does bareback with him She can walk and trot And I really think she could canter but she hasn’t quite gotten up to doing that yet. But she does do no stirrups at the canter.

We do have some trail rides planned once the weather is more stable too. And she goes to little schooling shows. Mostly hunter jumper shows because there’s really no local dressage schooling shows that are a reasonable drive around here anymore. Just rated. But she did do one at an eventing schooling show that lets you pick and choose what you want to do. She has a wall of ribbons, lots of first and seconds. Where she’s beat out kids on much fancier horses in fancy clothes. We are definitely the poor people of the circuit ha! But she puts in the work and it shows. And her lease horse seems to think he is the fanciest thing in the Arena !

And at the barn they’re going to start up a 4-H club which would be fun I think.

She also loves to just kind of play with him on the ground and give him massages.

I think my favorite part is just seeing her have such care and compassion for him above anything.

[Lunabear1988]

Thank you!!

[Lunabear1988]

They did a murder mystery ride last year, were they rode to different checkpoints for the clues. It was on a cross country course. At one point I saw her cantering away
from the group and I was a little concerned/confused. She was just seeing if she could do it. Just pushing her little comfort level. It’s all these little moments that make up horsemanship in my mind. The play matters just as much as all the rest!

[luvmyhackney]

Tbh Simon says and red light green light do a great job making transitions fun for kids. Kids figure out how to get prompt transitions cause they want to win.

What a lucky kid to have such a great horse to learn with. The oldies but goldie’s are worth their weight in kindness and safety.

[Long_Time_Lurker]

To piggyback on this, my former eventing trainer used to tell us, especially the kids, that “there is no such thing as a DOWN transition, ride every transition UP”. He meant in terms of balance but also just ride INTO the trot instead of just quit cantering. Try the idea trot to walk first. Start a nice brisk walk from the trot basically the same way you would start the walk from the halt. This might or might not make sense to a kid, but I saw it really change the transitions for several event riders who weren’t really interested in dressage per se but realized that transitions had cost them a lot of points in their dressage tests.

[OverandOnward]

I’m always mystified when some eventer or h/j/e maintains that they aren’t interested in dressage techniques that could help them a lot on the approach to a jump. Especially a hairy scary jump.

[Edre]

This is very similar to how several instructors I’ve worked with over the years have approached framing the downward transitions (especially on the horses that lose impulsion/energy/momentum quickly). You aren’t “slowing down” or “coming down” into a slower gait, you are riding from the canter forward into the trot.

In much the same way that “you make the trot so lovely that it becomes easier for the horse to offer an effortless canter transition”, but the reverse of that?

OP - when you say lease horse likes to run into the trot and come BTV - does he curl his head down and in (tuck nose to chest) or does he lift his head but tuck his nose? I like Pluvinel’s recommendation of the spiral in. If you work on them at the trot before doing them at the canter, consider introducing bend/counterbend since that can really help with the connection in the canter, and can translate into a softer/smoother step into the trot.

Maybe helping her envision the difference between the canter step (hind leg reaching underneath) into the (bad trot transition - sewing machine, back legs more “stabbing” into the dirt) vs the (good trot transition - hind legs still are reaching under)? I’m assuming here that when you say he runs into the trot he does it the way I am used to seeing - so this might not be 100% accurate for your situation.

[VodkaRedbullx2]

The timing is easy to teach kids. Half halt with the outside shoulder and elbow (not hand), and outside aids, on the down of the canter for canter trot and the up of the canter for canter walk.

[Lunabear1988]

Down and in. He definitely likes to get a sewing machine trot most of the time! Her instructor has been working on the difference of types of trots with her.

I think she’s just now getting to the point where she can kind of influence him more. Before now it’s mostly been about her position.

[Lunabear1988]

It’s partly because she struggles with the common problem of too long of reins lol. She starting to become more aware and better about it though.

Funny enough when she switched to this program two years ago, She always rode on the contact. Even warming up or cooling out she didn’t want to lengthen the reins. She had gotten bucked off for her very first canter in a different program and she was pretty nervous. She’s totally transformed into a more confident kid now!

She’s hit all the goals she set the last two years. Learning to canter (without bucking ponies), learning to trot over poles, cantering over a pole(s), going over her first crossrail, cantering her first crossrail. Doing a hand gallop (okay really just a tad faster canter), going to her first few shows, getting a third place ribbon, then getting multiple first and second place ribbons, riding and cantering an open field. Oh riding bareback too. And getting to pet a horse while it was laying down was a big hit too.

It’s just been so awesome to watch she just a kid doing kid things but I love seeing her grow and grow!

[atr]

It sounds like she is being allowed to grow into being a well-rounded and confident horsewoman and having fun while doing it. Good job!

There’s a difference between connection and the death grip of fear (ask me how I know!) It’s good that she’s gained the confidence to be riding a little too long at the moment. Contact and connection will come with time and experience.

[Equibrit]

https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2022/04/the-half-halt-made-easy/

[TwiSedai]

@Long_Time_Lurker

there is no such thing as a DOWN transition, ride every transition UP”.

Jim Graham always tells us to ride forward into the down transition. He’ll make you drop your stirrups before you start asking for the down trans too if you tend to brace (like I always do). But it’s always forward first.

[Long_Time_Lurker]

@TwiSedai

Jim Graham always tells us to ride forward into the down transition. He’ll make you drop your stirrups before you start asking for the down trans too if you tend to brace (like I always do). But it’s always forward first.

Interestingly, the eventing trainer who taught me this had ridden with Jim Graham in regular clinics.