Self control

A student asked me, How does the horse know whether I’m asking him to jog or long trot? I love this question, because it means the student is really beginning to think (and understand.) Another student asked the other day while we were working on leg yielding, How does he know not to canter?

This is where the art of riding comes in—subtlety and control. Control NOT of the horse—but of yourself. Understanding that cues are not a button you push like getting the correct radio station in your car, but a conversation with your horse—and a two-way conversation for that matter.

How does the napping foal know the difference between a reassuring touch of the nose from his dam, and a touch signaling him to wake up and be alert for danger? How does the timid horse in the pasture know whether the assertive one is approaching with a desire to chase him, or to engage in mutual grooming?

Communication in the horse world—once order has been established—can be so subtle. And that is why the truly great riders make it look effortless—they have learned the art of subtlety and are communicating with the horse by using the tiniest changes. Many cannot imagine the amount of work it takes to get there, when it looks like nothing is being done at all.

To more completely answer the original question, it is feel. It is awareness of how much leg is applied, how the seat asks, when you begin to release after feeling the horse respond, or whether you add more. Moreover, it’s whether you can balance well enough that the horse can maintain his own balance to hold the slower gait.

For leg yielding, there is a more significant difference in the cues than simply “how much,” but if, as this student previously had been, you’ve been taught that canter is a button you push by bringing your leg back behind the cinch, then it’s easy to misunderstand and wonder how hitting the same “button” can get you different results.

This is why the first thing I teach on horseback is not how to control the horse, but instead learning to control yourself. Lynn Palm perhaps said it best: “Correct position leads to clear and consistent cues.”

We work on communication between horse and rider. Not just speaking, but listening as well. This is Horsemanship—creating a partnership between two sentient beings. All riders should try to be horsemen. Those who want to know where the gas, brake, and steering are and then be turned loose should perhaps ask themselves if they wouldn’t be better suited to an ATV.