Training an OTTB to canter in “the other direction” leads to riding discoveries
Reprinted from the November 2017 issue of USDF Connection
By Victoria Bellino
Receiving the Central Tennessee Dressage Associationās Adult Amateur Scholarship last year couldnāt have come at a better time. After a āletās just keep this peacefulā winter with my young off-the-track Thoroughbred, Bug, we were finally ready to get back to canter work.
Right-lead canter doesnāt always come easy to an animal trained to run exclusively to the left. Getting the right lead would take a summer of lessons with trainer Laura Russell-Galoppi and a lot of growth in leadership on my part.
Bug is sensitive, opinionated, and a bit lazy. But I am patient and dedicated, and so we embarked on a journey that taught me a lot more than how to canter on the right lead. Hereās what I learned.
Lesson 1: Donāt blame the horse. Bug doesnāt inherently know what Iām asking of him. The more clear and effective I am as a rider, the better he performs. Ask the right question, and heāll learn the right answer (eventually).
Lesson 2: Sit in the saddle. Teaching at the 2017 USEF George H. Morris Horsemastership Clinic, jumping legend Anne Kursinski frequently used that phrase. Regardless of discipline, sitting in the saddle helps you to influence the horse with your seat. It not only aids in āstickabilityā (bonus!), but the rhythm of your seat also helps you communicate to the horse what you are asking him to do.
Lesson 3: Be the boss mare. If thereās a fire-breathing dog lurking outside the arena, donāt gawk at it and reinforce the spook. Look where you want to goāforwardāand, yes, sit in the saddle. Control your reaction in order to manage your horseās behavior by example. Use your seat and deep breaths to encourage him to maintain the desired tempo. If I become a passenger for even a moment, Bug recognizes that and takes control. Ultimately, the horse begins to develop trust in a strong leader and looks to the rider for guidance when he feels insecure.
Lesson 4: Be flexible. I have had to resist the urge to force on my young horse my idea of what weāre supposed to be accomplishing. Instead, Iāve learned to slow down to build Bugās confidence and skills. Adjusting your agenda to meet the horse in the middle helps to develop a stronger partnership. And practicing right-lead canterāor whatever movement youāre working onāevery day is a great way to create a ring-sour horse. Integrate variety, such as cavaletti work and hacking.
Lesson 5: Call your horseās bluff. This lessonāperhaps the least pleasant at timesāis one of the most important. Itās about not backing down. Itās about keeping your leg on a spooking or naughty horse instead of taking the leg off and bailing ship. Young horses challenge their riders from time to time. Asserting that Iām sticking with it and riding through the distraction tells Bug, āWeāre here to work, and itās time to get back to business.ā The more times you reinforce it, the quicker the horse learns, and the quicker you get back to being pleasantāeven if itās for two minutesāand then calling it a good day.
These lessons may seem simple, but putting them into daily practice on a wiggly, romping Bug is sometimes a challenge, at least for an adult amateur like me. Weāre a work in progress. And for now, weāre cantering on the right lead, challenging each other to grow.
Victoria Bellino is an amateur dressage rider and a CTDA member. She has since competed Bug twice in the dressage and jumper rings.