The importance of NEVER putting a timescale on training

I have always believed that if you have 30 minutes to do something, it will take you an hour! This applies to everything  you do in life. Putting a timescale on what you need to do just seems to jinx things!

I believe the same in lessons too, it would be wrong to say that the horse has done X by 40 minutes, but we are meant to work for 45, so we need to push for another 5 minutes. NO, we work until the desired results are achieved.

Today was very true of that, but on a hack with Rocky.

As Rocky has now returned home from his holiday (well, training camp!), I have a plan of how his work schedule is to be, starting today with hacking.

I had a plan of where we were going to go, a route not taken by Rocky previously so as not to bore him, which included a lovely grassy track to use for canter work.

I mounted and set off, right from the start it seemed like everything was out to get us! We hit more traffic than seen on the M25 and had to pull to one side seemingly every 3^rd step!

However, Rocky coped impeccably and only stepped sideways away from a very loud tractor!

We also met our first other rider today, I have to admit I wasn’t sure how Rocky would react, but as we discussed the weather, he just stood motionless.

Then it was to the canter track, wow, all the arena work has developed a BIG canter, all on que too.

Then here is where the importance of not timing your ride came in....

On the track was a puddle. No small puddle, a huge puddle. There was a tiny gap to the outside of it that we could have squeezed by, but as Rocky is used to water from our arena, I asked him to go through it.

Simple you may think, NO was the reply from Rocky!

The puddle wasn’t enormous, but he couldn’t see the ground below which meant he was unsure of his footing causing him to be worried about it.

At this stage it would have been easy to have said ok, let’s go past, not through, however the gap was in my own opinion not wide enough without causing a problem, so it was the puddle or a LONG ride back.

As Rocky is still learning, it was paramount I didn’t upset him, but remain positive and passive, but equally not allowing him to go a different route.

We must have stepped sideways a hundred times, tried to spin, half rear, stamp his foot, snort, test the water with his muzzle, take one step forward followed by 10 steps back, and repeat!

All the time this was happening I sat motionless, supporting, soothing and quiet.

After what felt like an eternity, (actually 40 minutes!) Rocky took a deep breath and leapt over the puddle!

This was an acceptable outcome to this little problem, especially as he is learning, so he got lots of praise and then we rode on as if nothing had happened.

We then cantered, trotted and worked like nothing had happened and life was great until....

OMG ANOTHER PUDDLE RIGHT ACROSS THE TRACK!!!

Well, it was that moment you say to yourself, “here we go again”, but Rocky simply stopped, checked it out from a muzzle point of view, and after an initial, “I am sure there must be a way around it”, which took about 5 minutes, he simply launched himself over it and carried on as if nothing had happened!

Had I not have taken so long to be patient and rewarding at the first puddle, this one would have inevitably taken twice, if not longer to have sorted.

That initial “issue” paid dividends and had I been pushed to be back in time for “X”, then these two issues would have been quickly pushed to one side, resulting in even bigger problems next time we met a “puddle”.

Hopefully the next time we meet a puddle, Rocky will remember that he isn’t beaten to MAKE him do something, but rather helped to sort the problem out.

Time is precious with any horse, even more so a youngster.

NEVER EVER start something you don’t have time to sort out, the issue will inevitably get worse and the reactions bigger, resulting in the horse receiving mixed messages, if one day he is allowed to not do “X but on another he is then asked to do “X” when he previously he didn’t have to, how is he meant to know what is expected??

Keep your training Black and White and Never put a TIME LIMIT on anything.

Rocky's first proper lesson

With Rocky now working sufficiently well at home, it is time to begin his education further.

At home we have been working on establishing what each transition aid means, and ensuring he is happy with those. Clearly transitions are very important for all horses, and an integral part of training, even for the baby horse.

Happy that these are established, I wanted to now check out his reactions to working away from home, a different arena, a different environment etc...

I booked a lesson at altogether equestrian with my trainer Gina Suddaby who has years of experience starting young horses and training them. As rocky has some big future plans, this is the time he needs this help and guidance. I have obviously trained youngsters previously, very successfully, however I am so excited about Rocky's potential it would be tragic to allow a habit of either mine or his to ruin such a good horse.

The lesson was booked for the Friday, so as rocky hadn't yet worked in a different arena, on the Thursday I took him to homestead and tried him out in the arena there. As always, rocky took it all in his stride and just got on with it!

Here is a clip from the first visit to Homestead: http://youtu.be/mrhjEn8AsVM

So Friday arrived, Lucy Morgans my new found mentor and very helpful friend accompanied us on our journey to cholderton. My lovely partner was waiting there for us as he was on route to work, but agreed to help and video our session.

Rocky came off the trailer, usual rocky style, ooh look, there is grass!!

His attention was grabbed by some of the horses at the yard as they walked past us, big warm bloods, gleaming coats, beautiful muscle tone, soft in their frame (sorry, got carried away there drooling!) rocky seemed to 'study' these gorgeous horses as they went by, almost saying "umm is that what I am meant to do?" Well obviously I whispered "yes rocky, please watch carefully and try to emulate them!"
So, tacked up and mounted, we wandered off to find Gina, she was just finishing teaching a group in the indoor who were just exiting the arena (more drooling from me and more 'studying' from rocky). Gina came out and said for us to go in and wander around, well, rocky has only ever been indoors at sparsholt in hand and that was an 'exciting' experience for all concerned! Lucy came in with us and john followed behind videoing.

Rocky didn't seem too worried about it, curious, but ok, it was the fact he could hear but not see the other horses on the yard, ears pricked, head up, a bit tense but nothing horrid.

Gina came in and we began our session, a short 30minute guidance session, focussing on working rocky into the contact, (I'd been a bit slack in this department, being a bit on soft) so as I took a contact, soft, elastic and following, rocky questioned it by stopping and bouncing on the spot followed by some piaffe! Well, at least he can do it! Gina kept on at me as each time he did this I was guilty of releasing the contact and being passive, rather than riding him into the contact from my leg and seat, as I was rewarding his negative behaviour with releasing him, sooooo bad of me, especially when I know it is Wrong!!

After I got my act together and had strict words with myself! The work rocky gave was incredible, rhythmical soft, connected (hmm wonder why that was then Sharon :/) and working straight. We finished on a great note, super soft work and both happy.

Here is a clip from the lesson with Gina: http://youtu.be/IISQuUhUg70

Gina was impressed by my somewhat hairy cob, and quite excited too, a great start to his future.

After our session Gina suggested we use our time there to ride around the yard and the outdoor arena, which meant going through the yard, and practice riding in and out of the indoor, all good practice for him.

The yard provided not much interest for rocky, even when the international GP horse MK Pegasus popped his head out to say hi!

The outdoor arena is a gorgeous walled area with a garden on one side with chickens etc, set up in the arena were jumps from the competition run previously, fillers, water trays etc, this was a little more concerning for rocky, he was fine with the garden and chickens, but a little apprehensive of these jumps, Lucy walked around the jumps and that helped, then we were ok.

The most worrying bit about the entire day for rocky was the drain he had to cross to leave the outdoor arena! (He had missed it totally on the way in there!!) but coming out he spotted it, it's one of those half moon drains with the metal grate ontop, well let's say he showed piaffe, passage, rein back, pirouettes and an ability to almost kneel down! Once again I sat quietly reassuring him, never telling him off, Lucy walked back and forth over the killer drain, and eventually rocky took a deep breath (yes really!) and leapt over it! Not quite how I expected our first jump to be! But then he casually strode away with a 'nobody saw me do that' feel about him.

For a first time out, he was just amazing, so pleased with his behaviour and how he progressed once I sorted myself out! That is exactly why I wanted to get on with the training now, not later, that contact we were missing is going to be crucial to everything we do, and it was ME causing a problem! Not any more though, we have our homework and will be working hard on it!