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Post by MustangsInNC on Jun 28, 2008 21:34:11 GMT -5
So in the time between now and next year when it's time to back Tesoro, I've decided to do some trick training. Our first bit of training happened today. I started working on Spanish Walk. So far I can tap his elbows and he will pick up his foot.
It was kinda funny. I started tapping, and he kinda looked at me like "quit it". I kept tapping and he swished his tail and pinned his ears and glared at me saying "d**nit I said quit it!", lol. Finally I irritated him enough by tapping that he picked his foot up. I stopped and praised him and patted him and gave him a handful of grain. I could just see the lightbulb come on. Then I could just hear him thinking "man, you are easy to please". LOL. He's so funny. So I did it 6 or 8 times, and by the last time, just a couple of taps and he was lifting a foot for me. I figure that was a pretty good start.
The book I'm working with says to reward any motion of the front feet when you first start, so that's what I'm doing. Have any of you trick trained your horses? How did you start? Any tips or hints on working Spanish Walk?
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Post by stlkigers on Jun 28, 2008 23:42:50 GMT -5
Amanda:
When you say trick training I immediately think about Melissa that owns Sombra, Bandit, etc....Melissa has posted some articles about her Bandit and all his tricks he does, and I've seen pics she's posted on the other group of Sombra doing the Spanish Walk....Hopefully she'll see your question and help you out with this or maybe you can send her a private message.....Sorry, I have no clue....Maybe she (or someone else) can give us all some pointers!
Angela
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Jun 28, 2008 23:52:39 GMT -5
The part that most people do not get is that forward movement is the hardest part in the whole teaching of Spanish Walk. It is actually not a trick. Spanish walk was, and is, an exercise used by the masters to work the collection muscles the opposite way for more flexion and strength (just as with the Paso people who only want their horse gaiting and never let them trocha - trocha is a three beat gait that allows the horse to rest AND build the proper muscles to gait better and more consistantly).
The first part is teaching the horse to lift the leg (and you don't want to use the elbow - what you will get is a lift from the shoulder without forward movement and with a bent knee without reach). Use the lower leg so it comes forward. As soon as he learns this - don't dilly dally on it too long - walk forward, allow him to stop, lift the leg and immediately ask for forward again. Only reward him after the lift and a few forward steps. Concentrate on only one leg at a time until he has it down.
The next step is to have him come forward, lift, forward count 1 -2 - 3 then lift agian (same side). That way he learns the forward movement and is only asked to lift every other step. You can go to a five count if he is losing forward motion.
A word of advice - be careful with "tricks" before he is under saddle and has a good foundation. He could easily get confused and/or use them against you! I am also a big one on not using food for reward with a horse (takes the focus totally off the task and handler), but that is a big debate amoung some horse trainers, so I won't get into it...! We don't ever even hand feed our horses or hand graze them at all.
So nice to hear you are having so much fun with him!
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Post by MustangsInNC on Jun 29, 2008 2:17:01 GMT -5
Hmm, food for thought. I only went with the elbow because I thought it might be an easy place to cue from the saddle as well as the ground. I'll give this a shot for a few days, then try to take a video for you guys. Hopefully he'll catch on to this as fast as everything else. Oh... and I'm gonna try to introduce a surcingle and driving reins to work in too.
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Jun 29, 2008 8:35:39 GMT -5
"Trick trainers" do use the elbow for a Spanish Walk for the exact reason you state....easier under saddle. However, since it is really a suppeling exercise when used properly then under saddle aids are different. You lift the rein on the same side of the leg you want up to free the shoulder, the same side hip is light in the saddle (along with the thigh and calf), while the outside aids are steady giving rein and "energy" aids for forward movement. Everyone has their own personal energy aids, for me it would be squeezing my outside butt cheek to start with and then progressing to a forward energy of the thigh then a tightening of the calf then a tap with the dressage whip if I had to reinforce. When using these aids it is a benefit for later movements such as the spanish trot, passage and even piaffe and levade. Everything lends to building a foundation for the upper level school.
Again, focus on the forward more than the lift - you can always ask again! The problem with aiding on the same side as the lift is that your energy tends to be down and heavy if you have to use the leg or whip on that same side. You wind up with more of what I call "the Mexican bug stomp" (where they slap the ground) instead of an elegant Spanish Walk!
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Post by dazzlingduns on Jun 30, 2008 15:45:45 GMT -5
Good explanation of the Spanish Walk Michelle. I'd love to see pictures of you and your Kigers performing the Spanish Walk.
Melissa
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Post by dazzlingduns on Jul 2, 2008 7:58:58 GMT -5
MustangsInNC,
I believe you might be working a little far beyond what you and your horse are capable of, or ready for in your training routine at this time. Do you have control of all four feet, the shoulders and hindquarters? Does your horse lunge at the walk, trot and canter? Can he stop square, back up, sidepass either way, turn on the forehand and hindquarters? Is he light to your aids from the ground? Do you use any voice/sound commands in starting his foundation work from the ground? Keep your routine simple. The Spanish Walk should not be the main goal to work toward, but each and every step in your horse's training to build a foundation should be your goal. Patience, consistency and persistantence are the main keys, and maybe someday the Spanish Walk will naturally become just another step in your routine. Keep it simple and have fun while doing so. It is all about building a working relationship with your horse, not an end result.
""We must learn to understand the sounds of the letters before we are capable of spelling the big words.""
Simplicity!!!!!
Melissa
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