Endurance Horse Training Basics: Saddle Slipping

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One of the scariest things to have happen at an endurance ride, is to have a panicky horse galloping towards you with it’s saddle underneath it’s belly.

This has happened to me. More than once.  Not to my own horses, mind you; I’ve been in the path of other horses as they run in fear usually back towards camp.

It’s not a fun thing to experience for anyone, least of all the horse or the owner of the horse that is panicking. Even worse is when the horse that had his saddle slip manages to get a hind hoof and leg through the stirrup on the saddle.  I’ve seen that happen twice and can say that it is a pretty ugly injury.  The hide is pretty much stripped right off of the leg.

I’ve seen these kinds of saddle-under-belly wrecks happen often enough to feel that it’s important enough for me to train my horse’s to deal with having their own tack slip and fall.

I’ve done this training with every single endurance horse that I have ever had.  For all of my horses this has been a part of their basic training that starts with hobble training, tying, ropes and groundwork.

Usually that training happens prior to the horse being ridden but not always.  It does always happen prior to me taking them to a public event.

The only time that hasn’t happened was when I first tried Bo on a ride prior to purchasing him.  Fortunately his previous owner had also done a lot of groundwork and rope work with him so that anything I did in addition was just to reinforce what he’d already been taught – which is one of the most important lessons a horse can know:  when you get in a bind, wait to be rescued!

At the bottom of this post I’ll show a video or two with Bo and his reaction to having his saddle slide down on his side.  I also will include a few still photos.  My horse’s are both used to me doing this kind of work with them so I had no problem having them stand a bit longer in an uncomfortable position to get the photos.  I wouldn’t recommend doing that with a horse that is experiencing this kind of thing for the first time.

Having a saddle slip or fall under a horse can be a really scary thing for a horse, especially the first time.  It can be just as scary for the rider if the rider happens to still be attached in some way to the saddle.  Perhaps that is one other very good reason for doing this kind of work with a horse – so that if a rider ever does happen to get tangled up or caught up underneath a horse in some way, the horse will freeze and stand still.  Less chance of an injury to the rider, the horse, or the tack that way.

For doing this lesson you’ll need the following: 

1)  A horse that has already done the basic rope and hobble training (see my previous blog posts).

2)  A horse that has also learned how to tie and stand quietly.

3)  The horses needs to have handled both item #1 and item #2 above in a calm manner.  It’s okay if it took two or more lessons to achieve that, so long as the horse now understands the importance of remaining calm and waiting to be rescued should he get tangled or caught in something.

4)  A safe area to work that has good footing, no obstacles and no way for the horse to escape.

5)  A halter and longe line.  I used a collar on Bo; he is very well trained in it.  I would recommend anybody else stick with a regular halter unless their horse is already VERY well trained in a neck collar.

6)  An old saddle is preferable to use.  It’s also a good idea to remove the stirrups, or tie them up.

7)  At this stage in your horse’s training, he should already be responding to voice cues (trot, ho/stop, reverse, etc.) while on a longe line or while being free-longed.

Always keep these safety tips in mind when doing this kind of real life experience training with your horse: 

1) Take things slowly and include every step for safety and acceptance.

2) Stay alert and out of harm’s way, no matter how experienced you are horses can be unpredictable.

3)  Keep a pocket knife handy in case of emergency; use it only if you can do so without endangering yourself.

4)  Ask another person to keep an eye on you.

5)  Some horses may respond better if this particular lesson is done after a workout and is not fresh.

6)  Wear gloves, good shoes or boots and consider using a helmet.

I start with longing the horse first with the saddle and girth on snugly.  I have also done this lesson minus the longe line in an open field (I don’t have a “round pen”).

I don’t like working horses in a lot of real small circles; however for this particular lesson having a smaller enclosed area is going to be safer.

After I have longed the horse in a circle both directions for a few minutes with the saddle on, I will then ask the horse to stop and loosen the girth.

Do some reinforcement on the voice commands with your horse.  Make sure he is listening and will stop when asked.  I haven’t done a blog post specifically on longe line training.  I’m trying to target most of these basic endurance horse training lessons towards riders who are already riding their horses.  I know that just because *I* consider longing and free-longing a horse in an enclosed area and having it obey voice commands a basic part of training that is done prior to riding doesn’t mean that everybody does.   Please take the time to work on longe lining or free longe training prior to doing this particular lesson.  It is just as important as the basic hobble, rope, and tying lessons that I have covered.

If your horse has withers, like Bo does – you’ll have to give the saddle a little bit of help or else it won’t fall to the side on it’s own.  I start by pushing the saddle over just an inch or two and then asking the horse to walk or trot again in a circle.  Usually the saddle will move over more on it’s own.  Reassure your horse and praise him if he should stop once he knows the saddle is moving.  Great!  Keep the girth fairly snug at this point.

While having the saddle slip over a few inches and having your horse stop and not move is a good start, I find that it is important to keep up the work until your horse can handle having the saddle completely over on the side or under the belly.  Keep working slowly and getting the horse used to going both directions and having the saddle slip on both sides.  You may need to loosen the girth another hole or two in order to give the saddle the freedom to slip all of the way over.

Remain calm and reassuring to your horse during these sessions.  I like to sometimes lift the saddle back up onto the horse’s back and tighten the girth.  I also like to release the girth, allowing the saddle to completely fall to the ground underneath the horse.  It’s good for your horse to be able to deal with both situations.

It can be frightening to do this the first time, especially with a horse that may have a tendency to panic or over-react.  Be sure to get extra help on hand to help.  Most horses that have been through the other basic training that I’ve covered by this point will handle this well.  I have had horses take to bucking and jumping about – that usually lasts for about thirty seconds (though at the time, it seems like a LONG thirty seconds).  STAY CALM if your horse is one of the ones that reacts strongly.  Every horse I’ve done this with has figured it out and the lesson stayed with them.

Why is this training important?

By doing this training in advance at home, in a safe and controlled environment you are giving your horse the education he needs to go to an endurance ride or other public event.  Trust me, you don’t want to be the person walking back to camp following the trail of dust and broken tack or blood that was left behind by your horse.  Worrying about how badly injured your horse might be but also worrying about what kind of chaos and damage or additional injuries that your horse could be causing to other riders and their mounts.

Disclaimer: These lessons I am covering are meant to be for endurance horses or for horses that travel that already have some training and conditioning base on them. They reflect my experience and opinions and are not guaranteed to be effective in the hands of others nor are they meant to be the only method or means of training a horse in order to accomplish the same things. Working with horses can be incredibly risky and dangerous. You should only try these methods with proper supervision or assistance from an experienced trainer or horse person that you trust. If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me or comment in my blog. Happy trails, Karen

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Endurance Horse Training Basics: More on Tying

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For the start of this lesson, I have tied Chief to a hitching post with a cotton lead rope in a quick release knot. The snap cannot touch the ground.

I want to start to get into more advanced ‘basic training’, but before I do I want to go over the basics of tying and emphasis again how important it is to have a horse that is trained to tie well.  This is something that can’t be practiced enough.  Endurance horses need to be able to stand tied to numerous different objects and be able to do it without panicking, pulling back or digging holes, pawing, chewing or screaming their heads off.  The only way to achieve this is by practice, practice, practice!

My horses are so used to the things I do with and to them that very little ever surprises or frightens them.  Different animals respond to different techniques.  For example, one horse may react to something new by a quick startle and then lets out a sigh of relief when they realize what it was that got their attention (such as a flag waving).  Another horse my try and bolt, while another one spins around, snorts and then needs ten minutes to come down from the adrenalin high.

Now the slack in the rope has been taken up. Horse's do this on their own all of the time. For training purposes, it should only be done after a horse ties well and gives to pressure. Start by tying shorter and shorter.

Something to keep in mind when working with any horse is that they all have it in them to react in ways that can lead to a wreck.  I have often been teased over having Arabs (some call them Airheads, etc.).  I like working with Arabs – they are intelligent and usually very quick to learn.  The problem arises when they learn what you don’t want them to.  This is why it is so important to start with the basics and spend as much time as you need before progressing to the next step.  Trying to rush through things and go too fast may result in a horse having issues that could last for years or for the rest of the horse’s life.  If working with another breed, remember that any breed is capable of having a ‘flight response’.  Sometimes it’s non Arabians that I have seen do some of the goofiest and unpredictable things ever.  It’s not fair to blame the horse when sometimes it’s a matter of training.

Chief knows he is 'stuck' and has no more slack in the rope, so lowers his head and waits for me to release him.

Each time I take a horse out, it’s a training experience for them.  I think this is a good approach and am always looking for ways to do something ‘new’ that hasn’t been done with them before.  Once you do enough of those ‘new things’ with them, they usually are not terribly amused and don’t put out a lot of effort reacting.  These things include shaking out trash bags in their vicinity, turning on a power tool, throwing a ball over or under them – the basic things you would normally do to desensitize or sack a horse out.

Many horses will wrap their ropes around buckets, feed bags, etc. It's good to know that they won't panic if that happens.

On the long XP this summer, many horses early on would jump and pull back whenever somebody got on top of their horse trailer.  Obviously, many of these horses had never experienced that before.  Nor had they experienced bales of hay being thrown down onto the ground around them.  Most of these horses learned that this was no big deal and stopped panicking over it.  There were times that horses broke loose and went running amock through camp due to some of these new experiences.  All things that could have been taught ahead of time.  This is where it pays to think outside the box and try to expose your horse to as many types of situations as you can think up.  Me?  Prior to the ride I got on top of my trailer with both horses tied to it and waved my flag over their heads.  The first time they had a “whoa, what is that?” reaction and had a quick startle, but then it was like “that’s just our mom trying to entertain us”.

Today I took a few photos of Chief tied to a hitching post.  Right now, we have a big storm or two coming in and it’s really windy so we had the added fun of the wind blowing things around while we were working.  This is another great training opportunity for a green or new horse;  even if you just tie the horse while it’s windy it gives them the experience of being tied in the wind.

The first thing I did was tie Chief up with a quick release knot on the hitching post.  Then I moved him over to one end of the post and asked him to lower his head so that I had enough slack to wrap his rope over the end of the hitching post.  This took up all of the slack in the lead.  He simply kept his head down in response to the pressure when he realized what had just happened.  This is the kind of thing that needs to be worked up to slowly and should only be done after the other basics such as hobbling and rope work on the legs has been done.  Start by tieing your horse shorter and shorter.  Horses are notorious for getting their lead ropes wrapped around objects and becoming ‘stuck’.  Once a horse learns to give to pressure they will wait to be rescued, or whenever possible will often learn how to untangle themselves.

After doing that exercise with Chief, I went and got a bucket and clipped it onto the snap that is on the hitching post.  I often feed the horses this way especially when I want to feed separately, or after returning from a ride.  Horse’s that are hot and itchy will often rub their faces and heads on their buckets which can lead to having their rope getting wrapped or caught up in the bucket.  In this case, I had to help Chief out so that I could get a photo showing the bucket being supported by the rope.  This is another great exercise once the horse is handling the other training well.  I’ve seen horse’s get wrapped up in their buckets at rides more times than I can count.  Having your horse do that and not panic, is great.

Sometimes a hay bag or bucket will get stuck on their nose. Looks like Chief was so worried he went to sleep(ha)!

Next I got out a hay bag and hung it up on the noseband of Chief’s halter.  He stood quietly so I could take photos.  Over the years I have looked outside to see a horse with a hay bag over the top of their heads.  Next I pulled the bag all the way up over his head.  I think Chief just thought I was putting a really poorly designed fly mask on him.  He stood for that while I took a couple of photos.  The hardest part was keeping it from blowing away in the wind!

I've had this happen before - this time I did it on purpose. Chief just thought it was a fly mask!

Being able to do some of these things with your horse will take some time. Don’t expect to be able to go out and do it all in one session.  It may take weeks, or even months to work up to being able to have your horse stand quietly and calmly while you do some of these exercises.  This is the kind of training that enable you to take your horse to an endurance ride and be confident that he is not going to panic or get into a huge wreck or cause a bad accident because he got tangled in a rope, or got caught in something on the trail or in camp.

For safety purposes, always use a cotton rope, wear gloves and have a sharp knife handy.  Don’t push your horse beyond what he is comfortable handling.  Take your time and make sure your horse stays calm during this type of work.   Different horses will progress at different rates.  This is the type of work you can do in addition to everything else – riding lessons, conditioning rides, etc.  Treat each time out as a learning experience and before you know it your horse will have enough of the basics down to be considered safe to take out in public.

Disclaimer: These lessons I am covering are meant to be for endurance horses or for horses that travel that already have some training and conditioning base on them.  They reflect my experience and opinions and are not guaranteed to be effective in the hands of others nor are they meant to be the only method or means of training a horse in order to accomplish the same things.  Working with horses can be incredibly risky and dangerous.  You should only try these methods with proper supervision or assistance from an experienced trainer or horse person that you trust, and at your own risk.  If you have any questions or comments feel free to email me or comment in my blog.   Happy trails, Karen

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Endurance Basics: Training your horse to deal with a vet check

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They say that practice makes perfect, and in this case it certainly can’t hurt! The more you can do to prepare your horse ahead of time for what they are going to experience at an endurance ride, the better.

There are a lot of great books and websites that cover the basics for endurance riders.  There aren’t a lot of things (that I could find) that deal specifically with the finer points of exposing your horse to a real life simulation in advance of attending a ride. I can easily find a lot of information online that tells me what to expect, and that my horse must pass a pre-ride vet check, ect.

Let’s start with a horse that hasn’t been to an endurance ride before.  What does that horse need to be able to do in order to pass a vet check?  First off, he needs to be able to deal with standing in a line of horses.  Then, he needs to stand quietly and squarely in order to have his pulse and gut sounds taken.  He needs to be able to tolerate a vet opening up his mouth and pressing on his gums, and also doing a skin pinch test on his shoulder. Some vets do a much more thorough physical exam and may feel all four legs and pick up all four feet.  In addition to that, your horse needs to be able to trot out and back, stopping a safe distance from the vet and/or vet secretary.  Finally, if the horse passes he needs to be able to stand still long enough to have a grease number placed on his rump on either one or both sides.

I know it doesn’t sound all that difficult, and for those that have been doing it awhile – it’s second nature.  Yet, for a young, new or excited horse all of those things can be enough to cause the horse to get out of control, kick, bite, rear…..you name it.  Horse’s that riders can’t control in hand and that exhibit dangerous behavior are not ready to attend a public event.

The best place to start practicing vet check simulation training is after returning from a conditioning ride.  This way the horse learns that after you have finished riding, he is not yet done.  Here are some steps to practice:

1)  Pull tack (unless you ride in a region where that is seldom or never done).

2)  Check pulse rate.  You want your horse to be down to 60.  Some regions use a higher #, like 64.   If you are riding LD then stick with 60.

3)  Listen to gut sounds in more than one quadrant.  This is good to do anyway as you’ll learn what is ‘normal’ for your horse – something you should know about each horse prior to attending an endurance ride.  Here is a video showing how to check for gut sounds.

4)  Open your horse’s mouth and check for capillary refill.  Press your thumb into your horse’s gums and hold for a couple of seconds or until the skin turns pale.  Now count how long it takes for the color to come back.  It should come back quickly, in around 2 seconds or less.

5) Pinch your horse’s skin on the point of the shoulder.  Again, count how long it takes for it to go back.  It should be fairly elastic and snap back within 2 seconds.  If it takes 3, 4 or more seconds that could be a sign of dehydration.  In some older horses it  may take longer and that might be what is ‘normal’ for that horse.

6)  Start the physical exam now – use your hands to feel all four legs.  Pick up each hoof.  Use both hands to palpate your horse’s back and hindquarters.  Check both armpits and the girth area thoroughly.  Feel and look for any dings, rubs or wounds anywhere on the horse’s body paying particularly close attention to where tack goes.  Lift up your horse’s tail dock and check anal tone (or for any signs of rubbing or soreness if you ride with a crupper).  Check the back of the pasterns for signs of scratches of cracking.  This is a good way to get really acquainted with your horse’s body and to learn what is ‘normal’.

7)  Trot your horse out and back.  Work on a signal with your horse so he knows when you tug on the lead rope that it’s time to trot.  Practice stopping and standing quietly when you get back from the trot out.  Here is a previous post I did about teaching a horse how to trot out and back.

8)  Now check your horse’s pulse rate again with a stethoscope.  Even if you have a HRM of some sort, practice this part with a stethoscope.

9)  Use a carrot or something similar to simulate writing a number on both sides of your horse’s rump.

10)  Repeat having a friend do all of the above so your horse is used to being handled by somebody else.

For more details on what to expect at a ride, click here for a copy of the AERC Rider Handbook.

For those that want to cover all of the bases, also check your horse’s temperature.  This is seldom done at rides.  However, in light of the EHV-1 outbreak last summer we were required to log our horse’s temperatures twice a day while on the long XP ride.  While tedious to do that often for two months, it provided us with a good baseline of what ‘normal’ temperatures are pre and post ride both for the horse being ridden and the one being hauled in the trailer.

You can use a spreadsheet to write down all of your horse’s normal parameters.  While in the barn or out on the trail, index cards work really well.

When you are at an actual ride you’ll want to do a quick check over of your horse prior to presenting to the vet.   Remember that you, the rider are the one responsible for your horse.  If there is something wrong or that you notice that is not normal or that concerns you the vet will appreciate having you tell him or her, rather than the other way around.  Most ride vets are very helpful and want to work with you to get you and your horse safely through the ride. They are not the bad guy.

Most horses simply need the repetitiveness of a vet check simulation in order to handle it well when the time comes to do it ‘for real’.  Others may have problems such as trying to kick or bite and in those cases more training is required to work through those issues. Always be firm and consistent when doing this type of work with your horse.  He needs to learn that part of his job of being an endurance horse includes having good ground manners in the vet checks.

The following video was taken at the Tevis Cup one year and is of Suzanne Ford Huff’s horse Chase the Wind.  The vets at Tevis are generally more thorough when vetting horses compared to other rides.   This should give you a good idea though, of what to expect and how to approach the physical vet exam simulation with your own horse.

One other thing that may prove useful for a new horse is to practice what comes next at a vet check – the eating part.  Get together the same buckets and feed pans, crew bag and feed that you plan to use on an actual ride and set it up just like you would at a vet check.  It is best to do this after a ride, or perhaps even during one that way you won’t be feeding your horse more feed than he needs.  This way you and your horse will both get into a routine of sorts.  Learn what your horse’s favorite feeds are – does he like carrots or apples better?  What about mashes – is he a wheat bran kinda guy, or won’t touch it if it’s not rice bran?  My horse’s for example, won’t touch beet pulp at a vet check so I gave up even trying years ago and just pack the feed that I know they’ll eat.  Horse’s are a lot like us in that their preferences change, so prepare to offer an entire smorgasbord of choices.  I like to offer an Omolene 200/wheat bran mash, another feed pan of Strategy Healthy Edge, hay and usually an apple or a couple of carrots.  I add a little salt or electrolyte powder into the mashes as well.  If you choose to provide your electrolytes that way, this pre-practice training will allow your horse to get used to it.  And, if he refuses to eat it you’ll know that ahead of time and won’t be stuck at a vet check with a horse that refuses to eat!  Most horses will learn to eat feed with a little salt or electrolyte powder added if it’s provided that way to them all of the time.

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Endurance horse training basics: Camping while tied or confined overnight.

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Horses on Trailer Ties - Weaver & Chief

So often we get caught up in the conditioning and riding aspect of our horses that we forget about some of the other things that we should be teaching our horses.  Everything we can do to expose our horses to in advance of attending an endurance ride is going to help them.  Let’s face it, going to an endurance ride for a horse can be a *really* exciting experience.  Starting an endurance ride can be even more exciting still!

There are many different ways to confine a horse at a ride.  The most common method these days is to use a tie-arm of some sort.  That’s the method that I use.   I have two trailer ties on my trailer far enough apart that I can put a line between them and allow one horse to have a quite a bit more freedom.  That works well when I have just one horse at a ride (that horse can be on the line all of the time), or when I have two horses the horse left in camp each day can be on the line all day.

Next common are portable corrals.  There are many different types – some are made out of steel, or aluminum.  Some riders choose to use corrals made out of electric fence tape.  I don’t like electric fences due to the wrecks, accidents and fatalities that I’ve seen occur as a result of them being used.  They are right up there on my list of things I don’t like to see used along with bungee ties .  I’m not here to debate the pros and cons of the various containment systems, just to discuss the whys and ways of training a horse to survive in them without injuring themselves.

Each horse should be treated as an individual and evaluated for their ability to be safely contained in the different types of containment systems.  All horses should be trained and experienced in whatever containment system is being used prior to going to an endurance ride.  Why do I think this is so important?  Because I have seen just as many fatalities in my 30,000+ miles of riding endurance as a direct result to how a horse was contained in camp than I have for any other reason.  If every rider attending an endurance ride took the time to pre-train their horse to be safer when contained at rides, it would do as much or more to reduce fatalities or career ending injuries than anything else.  Traveling and camping with horses can be dangerous; time spent training in advance can go a long way to make things much safer.  Notice I said safer – as I still don’t believe that there is any completely safe way to contain a horse.

Keeping a horse in a temporary containment system is kind of like driving in winter conditions.  You may know how to drive using 4WD in the snow, but there are lots of people that don’t and haven’t yet figured out that 4WD will get them moving and to “go”, it doesn’t do a lot for “stopping”, especially on ice.  Same thing with horses in camp.  Your horse may be perfectly well behaved and respectful of his containment system, but other horses in camp may not have respect for theirs, or for yours either for that matter.

Hearing the sound of horses running about camp in the middle of the night, or even during the day can make your heart skip a beat.  Especially if those loose horses are heading towards your horse.  It’s even worse if they happen to be dragging stuff behind them.  Most of the time if something is being dragged, it is the remnants of an electric corral.  Sometimes, it may be a broken tie-arm, rope, horse blanket or part or all of a metal corral.

One night at a ride many years ago, two horses were camped next to me in an electric corral.  The owners either did not turn it on, or their horses didn’t have any respect for it – they were wearing blankets and likely didn’t feel it ‘zap’.  Their horses went through the fence at 3 a.m., dragging it behind them and right through my two horses.  I got out there as quickly as I could to find electric tape wrapped around my horse’s front legs.   They were standing still, not moving.  Together, my horses and I watched the other two horses disappear from sight into the dark forest.  I cleaned up the mess; the other horses eventually were caught and I went back to bed.

No matter what type of containment method you choose, your horse should still be able to tie to your trailer.  You never know what might happen beyond your control that could require your horse to be tied either temporarily, for several hours, or for even over night.  Practicing this ahead of time as well as practicing containing your horses in any system you have chosen in advance is a good idea.

Start with setting up your system in a safe place at home.  If you have a portable corral system, set it up inside your horses living area or in an area that will keep your horse confined should he get out of your system.  Start with putting your horse in his containment system for a few minutes.  It’s okay to set up hay and water, just as you would at an endurance ride.  Work up to putting your horse inside for longer periods, gradually working up to having your horse contained for two to four hours at a time.  During this time spend doing some additional training with your horse.

If you have a second horse, take that horse out of sight/view from the one that is in the containment system.  Do this briefly at first, to see how your contained horse reacts.  If it looks like your contained horse is acting up and could get into a wreck somehow, then do this lesson when the horse is tied directly to your trailer.  All horses need to learn to be left behind, either in camp, at the start of a ride, or under a variety of circumstances.  This type of training can take some time to establish a consistent calm reaction from the horse being left behind.  Start with short/brief moments of separation with a second horse.  Gradually work up to longer periods.  Your goal is to eventually be able to leave your contained horse while taking the other horse out for a ride (or even just a walk around the neighborhood).  After a certain amount of repetition the horse being left will learn that his buddy is leaving, but will come back.  The separation anxiety that some horses exhibit can be dangerous especially if it results in a loose horse, or an injury of some sort.  Horses can become attached to other horses in record time – often becoming attached to a neighbors horse in camp, or perhaps another horse that you just met and rode with on the trail.  Teaching your horse to handle being separated is also an important lesson and can go a long way to helping you get through vet checks.  You don’t want to have a horse whose pulse won’t come down because his buddy is walking over to a water trough to drink.

Eventually you will want to be able to leave your horse in his containment system at home overnight.  I’m usually pretty comfortable having a horse spend two to three nights that way prior to going to an actual endurance ride.  When I started using the high-line on my trailer ties I did this training again with both Chief and Bo.  I wanted them to learn the restraints of the system.  I also would leave each one on the line when I took the other one out for a ride or walk.  This way they learned how far they could go back and forth while still respecting the limitations of their system.

Then again, when I got the horse’s their neck collars in advance of the long XP ride I spent time tying the horses to the trailer and to the high-line and trailer ties directly for several sessions each before we used the collars while traveling and at an actual ride.  Even with experienced horses, I feel that it is important to spend time training them and getting them used to any changes in equipment.

The nice thing with doing the hobble training, is that if your horse finds a way to get caught or tangled in your containment system –  he should stay put and wait to get rescued.  If you’ve taken the time to pre-train your horse to staying in your containment system then hopefully he will know the limitations and won’t get caught up in anything.

Chief dreams at a ride. It's good if your horse is comfortable enough in his containment system to lie down, and also to roll.

An additional tip for training:  After returning from a ride, or after giving your horse a bath put him into your portable containment system.  Hopefully he will want to roll.  This way he can learn the limitations of rolling – to stay away from the edges of the corral, or how to roll without getting caught in his tie rope.  This means you’ll need to set up your corral or park your trailer on ground that is suitable for your horse to roll on.

In my experience, horses will typically get caught somehow at least once with their containment system.  Either when they roll, or when scratching an ear with a hind foot and getting it over their rope.  Plan on this happening and don’t be surprised and don’t panic.  If it happens, stay calm and quickly release your horse.  It is preferable to have this happen at home, rather than at a ride.

Another tip:  If you witness another horse at a ride caught in something it is important to stay calm.  Don’t run screaming towards the horse; it only freaks the horse out more!  Take a moment to assess the situation.  If the horse is hopping about or still panicking keep your distance.  If the horse has already gone down and the horse is tied look for a quick release snap somewhere along the length of the rope or tie.  If you can reach it safely, then do so.  Be aware enough so that you don’t make a bad situation worse, and always be prepared to move quickly out of the way!

Disclaimer: These lessons I am covering are meant to be for endurance horses or for horses that travel that already have some training and conditioning base on them.  They reflect my experience and opinions and are not guaranteed to be effective in the hands of others nor are they meant to be the only method or means of training a horse in order to accomplish the same things.  Working with horses can be incredibly risky and dangerous.  You should only try these methods with proper supervision or assistance from an experienced trainer or horse person that you trust, and at your own risk.  If you have any questions or comments feel free to email
me or comment in my blog.   Happy trails, Karen

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Benefits of basic training: an example! (or two)

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I was riding Chief on this trail when a strand of wire from a whole roll of it got caught on Chief's hind leg.

Thought I’d show a perfect example of a time when having a horse trained to not panic when he gets caught in something can be a lifesaver.

A couple of years ago I was riding Chief at the Grand Canyon XP.  We had just come up a steep climb and were starting to level out.  I was riding behind a small group of horses ahead of me.

That’s when I realized all of a sudden that Chief was dragging something!  We had been in heavy tree cover and no one saw the wire.  All it took was one strand of it to get caught, dragging the roll with it.   Here is what I wrote about it at the time:

On one of the days of the ride I was riding up a new trail when Chief suddenly became entangled in barbed wire.  Rusty old, nasty stuff.  Chief wasn’t the first horse to get caught in it–Cheryl Johnson’s horse ahead of us got caught and got a puncture.  Fortunately Chief stopped and stood perfectly still as soon as he realized he was caught and dragging a whole roll of the stuff.  I quickly hopped off, told him to stay (which he did) and went to his hind legs to get it off of him.  He was perfectly behaved about it and didn’t even lift a leg up until I picked it up.  Good boy!

The best part was that Chief stood perfectly still – I flipped his reins over his head so that he was ground tied.  There was nobody available quickly to ‘hold him’ for me.  This is where a rider could get into a big bind as many horses might have tried to run off with the wire still attached to them – the rider would have to choose whether to hold the horse or to try and rescue the horse from being tangled.  In my case, since I know Chief has had this training and how he would react I felt safe enough dropping the reins and going to his hind end in order to get the wire undone from his back leg.

One other time I was riding down my own street when I felt Chief’s hind leg get yanked behind us.  We quickly backed up to allow for some slack and I hopped off – realizing that it was a thin strand of hot-wire that had come undone from the neighbors fence.   I’d ridden along that fence line a thousand times before.  Another instance where a wreck was averted by the horse knowing instinctively to stand and not struggle.

Then there was the time on Tigger’s very first endurance ride that he managed to end up right smack dab in the middle of some downed barbed wire that was on the side of the trail.   By some miracle we managed to get out of that without a scratch as well.  Had I not already done some hobble training work with Tigger it wouldn’t have ended so well.  He reacted strongly to the training and the first time or two he had hobbles put on, he hopped, jumped and bucked like a crazy man for a bit!!  Then he realized that wasn’t doing any good and it really was much easier to just stand quietly.  If a horse named Tigger (named that for a reason) can learn these lessons then I have hope that they all can.

When we do a lot of stuff with our horses they are sure to get into trouble at some point.  Whether they are getting a leg over a lead rope, putting a hoof into a hay bag or getting themselves hooked to or snagged on something it is quite a relief, believe me, when you know they have had some of this basic training and that their reactions will be much more manageable than had they not had this training.

I hope these lessons that I’ve done and am about to share will help some that have either new horses, or horses that need a bit more training.  It never hurts to do reinforcement training on an already trained horse.  I like to refresh these lessons with my own horses once a year or so.  I would love it if more endurance riders would take the time to do some of these basics with their horses as I am certain it will result in less accidents and wrecks both in camp and on the trail.

For every lesson I write about in the coming weeks, I will have examples of times where those lessons paid off big time.  Over and over – I can’t count the number of times that my horses and I have been saved because of these lessons.  I’ve been using Bo as the model (he is fairly photogenic )  for most of the video I’ve been taking because he tends to be the most reactive (compared to Chief, anyway).  If anybody wants to see some of the videos ahead of the articles (since I haven’t written them all yet), some have already been uploaded to FB.

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Endurance horse training basics: Trotting out for a vet check

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How many of us have ever had a horse embarrass us at a ride when we attempted to trot them out, and said horse wasn’t cooperating?  Yeah, me too!  It is something that we need to practice.  It’s not something that horses will automatically do well, though some do pick it up quicker than others.  Many horses need the repetition of practicing as well as learning how to trot out in public without making a scene.

Whenever I am starting a new horse, I include trotting out practice after every single ride.  I also like to practice a trot out and back while on the trail if I happen to dismount.  That reinforces to the horse the whole idea of being asked to trot out at various locations or times during the day.

To start with, lead your horse at a walk out and back in an area where you want to practice.  Try this first in an quiet area away from other horses, that way your horse can focus on you and what you are asking.  I like to give the horse a signal that I am about to ask him to trot.  Usually I will give a quick pull on the lead rope and tell the horse to come on as we take off.  Some horses may be reluctant to trot, especially if it is new to them and they aren’t sure what to do.

There are many ways to encourage a reluctant horse to trot out.  For training purposes, using a dressage or a longe whip works well.  Stand with the horse to your right shoulder, holding the lead rope with your right hand.  In your left hand, hold a whip (something longer than a crop is best) When you begin your trot out, encourage your horse by reaching around behind you with your left hand and tap the horse on the hind leg.  No need to hit hard, just tap with about the same force as you would pat your horse on the butt.  Another method is to use the end of your lead rope.  Hold the excess length of rope in your left hand and use the last two feet of it to swing around and tap the horse near the hindquarters area.  Be sure to keep a good hold on the horse’s head with your right hand.  You don’t want to give too much slack if the horse should jump forward then he can instantly be in a position to kick you, or get loose.

Riders trotting their horses out at Robinson's Flat/Tevis

If your horse doesn’t respond well to the gentle method of encouraging with taps on their hindquarters, enlist the help of a friend to provide some hazing.  Ask your friend to click, wave arms and clap – that often will do the trick.  Make sure your friend stays out of kicking range and that you continue to have a nice solid hold on your horse’s lead rope near the head.  Your helper can also use a whip (again, something longer than a crop) – to encourage the horse.  Tapping, similar to a slap is sufficient; no need to hit hard!

The length of trot out area for practice purposes should be roughly 100 feet.  That way your horse is familiar with going that far and won’t be affected by rides that have shorter or longer trot lanes.

I like to stop my horse at the end of the trot lane, ask the horse to turn at a walk and then pick up a trot again.  Be careful about pulling the horse around in a super tight circle as that can cause the horse to look lame.  Now trot back.  Stop a couple of feet prior to the end area so that your horse won’t knock the vet over!  This is also a good time to have a friend or helper stand and watch the trot out and ‘play vet’ for you.  Practice stopping and standing – it is just as important as learning to ‘trot out’.  If your horse is having trouble with stopping and standing from a trot, then practice it at a walk.

Keep practicing until your horse will trot out next to you without pushing into you, pulling away, kicking out or having to be hazed to move out.  Keep practicing the stopping, turning, coming back and stopping and standing quietly.  When your horse is doing reasonably well, ask another friend to trot your horse out for you.  It’s important that your horse be able to be trotted out and handled on the ground by others.  You never know when you may not be able to do it yourself.  Try not to let your horse fall in behind you, as that makes it hard for the vets to see your horse move and may result in you having to trot out again.  It’s never fun to be asked for a re-trot, so do what you can to reduce the chance of that happening by doing a nice trot out the first time!

As your horse progresses with his ability to do a trot out nicely, change the setting and situation.  Practice in the vicinity of other horses (making sure none can kick or get in the way), and in areas that are busy with activity.  This ensures that your horse can still do what you ask and will keep his focus on you, and not have his attention diverted.

For training purposes, I like to wear gloves and always prefer cotton ropes.  That way if your horse does pull the rope through your hands, you won’t get a rope burn.  Any type of halter will work, though it is a good idea to use whatever head gear your horse will be using on an actual endurance ride.   Using your reins as a lead for the trot out is a good idea too – maybe not at first if your are working with a green horse.  Work your way up to that, after you are comfortable that the horse will not yank the reins out of your hands and run off.

Some horses can be really stubborn about doing a trot out and can require a great deal more effort to train.  I know, I’ve had one!  The more you practice, the better.  Ride vets will appreciate having a horse that can not only trot out nicely, but doesn’t try to run over the top of them when they are finishing up the trot out.

At endurance ride tip:  If your horse is new to the sport, or is just high on adrenalin at a ride, take him off to a private area and practice your trot outs in advance.  Walk your horse around camp first to help get him acclimated to all of the goings-on.  Wait till the vet area is as quiet as possible before presenting to vet or check in.  Most horses get the ‘edge’ off once the ride starts and it is usually the pre-ride vet in where they have a problem being overly excited.  If you are forced to wait in a line and your horse is acting up, keep a tight, snug hold on the lead.  It only takes a foot or two of slack in a lead for a horse to back up or spin around and nail somebody with a well planted double barrel kick.  It is best to try an avoid that kind of situation all together and keep new, green, or difficult to control horses away from ‘groups’ or ‘lines’ as much as possible.  I kind of like the ride vets we have and don’t want to see them get hurt while vetting our horses for us.

Here is a video I made this weekend of Bo and I practicing on trotting out.  We did this out on the trail, while out for a walk.  It never hurts to practice with even experienced horses.  Plus it’s always nice to do just as a way to watch how the horse is moving and see what his general demeanor is like.  That way you learn to assess what is normal for your horse, and what is not.  None of my horses put a great deal of effort into trotting out; they know the real work is on the trail and save themselves.  I like not having a horse that has that “deer in the headlights” kind of look.

Next we’ll go over getting a horse used to dealing with an overall vet-check.  More practice, practice, practice!!

This is video of Bo trotting out with Chad (crew person) at Foresthill, last year when he did the Tevis.  In case anybody is interested, Bo is 13 years old and has approximately 4,700 AERC miles and has just started his sixth ride season.

Disclaimer: These lessons I am covering are meant to be for endurance horses or for horses that travel that already have some training and conditioning base on them.  They reflect my experience and opinions and are not guaranteed to be effective in the hands of others nor are they meant to be the only method or means of training a horse in order to accomplish the same things.  Working with horses can be incredibly risky and dangerous.  You should only try these methods with proper supervision or assistance from an experienced trainer or horse person that you trust, and at your own risk.  If you have any questions or comments feel free to email
me or comment in my blog.   Happy trails, Karen

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Endurance horse training basics

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Chief gets annual hobble reinforcement training.

I’m going to do a series of blog posts about basic training for an endurance horse.  I will include things that are often lacking in the education of many horses that travel and that are taken on trips overnight.  After riding this season, especially on the long XP ride I am left feeling that there are just too many riders out there who seriously lack some of the basics, or perhaps the knowledge required to teach their horses some of the basics.

I hope that this series will help out new riders who may not realize how serious a wreck or accident can occur from a hole in their horse’s basic training.

These are the topics I’m going to cover.  If anybody has any suggestions for something else that they would like to see covered, let me know.

Hobble training.  Very basic.  Have posted numerous times on this before.Tying:  Does your horse panic if he gets tangled up or wrapped around a bucket, or the end of a hitching post?Camping while tied or confined overnight.  Have you practiced this at home?Dragging a rope.  If your horse gets lose, what will he do?Saddle slipping sideways or under belly.  A trained horse will stop and refuse to move.  What does your do?Crupper training.  This is important even if you don’t ride with one.  I’ll cover why, and how.Hoof boots.  Will your horse stop and stand, or try to buck or kick a boot off if it is still attached to his pastern?

I’m sure I’ll come up with some other things to cover, though I think that those are some of the areas where I see a lot of horses severely lacking in their basic training and that can cause some of the most frightening moments if it happens for the first time or concurrently to something else exciting at an endurance ride.  Granted, accidents can happen involving our horses that are out of our control.  Many of them, however, could be avoided alltogether with a little time spent on training ahead of time.

Just as we wouldn’t take a horse to an endurance ride that hadn’t been conditioned, we shouldn’t take one that hasn’t been prepared to camp, tie or deal with other mishaps which can and do occur with regularity at endurance rides.  I’ve seen as many fatalities and serious injuries at rides as a result of horses getting lose or panicking in camp as I have from any other reason.

These basics that I am going to cover should be included in the training of any horse that is going to be traveling and camping overnight or riding with groups of other horses.

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