Letting Go of The Reins

 

On Saturday Apache and I participated in our second Group Lesson over at Jessica G’s ranch and I made some huge strides in my horsemanship journey. And Apache has surely benefited from our time spent at Jessica’s, too.

We got some rain on Friday night, so I spent some time grooming Apache while she ate her breakfast, to remove most of the caked on mud before we left for the lesson.

Then Roni came by  to pick us up and Apache did a perfect job loading on her trailer, and we were on our way.

There were 10 of us in the group lesson, and as usual, Jessica went around and asked each of us what our goals were that day. She always has one or two foundational riding techniques to teach us during each 3 hour group lesson, but in addition to that, she finds the time during each group lesson to work individually with each person and their horse, on whatever goal they are wanting to achieve that day.

Apache was attracted to this 5 year old green-broke, gelding John Mule and they enjoyed a little flirting.

 

She literally makes each person’s goals her own and finds time to help them during each lesson. Have I mentioned a few times already, just how much I appreciate this Instructor? She is amazing!

During my previous group lesson, Jessica’s chosen foundational technique for her students, was learning and practicing side-passing. Even though, for me, my focus was just getting back in the saddle again, Jessica still encouraged me to work on side-passing with my mare.

During my second group lesson, which happened to be only my third ride on Apache in a year, including the 7+ mile ACTHA competitive trail ride Apache and I did together just the Saturday prior, the main techniques Jessica taught us were Turns On the Forehand, and Turns On the Haunches.

This was a very eye-opening, educational lesson because many of us didn’t even understand how to recognize or execute either one. I learned that “On” was the keyword for understanding which part of the horse’s body was supposed to stay centered while the other part moved in a circle around the stationary body part. For instance, Turns On the Haunches, means the Haunches stay stationary (imagine your body weighting down “On” your horse’s haunches), while the forehand moves around them. And for Turns On the Forehand, imagine your body weighting down “On” your horse’s Forehand, while your horse’s haunches circle around the forehand.

Roni and Halley Cat discussing technique.

I also learned that both of these foundational riding techniques are an important basis for all riding disciplines. For instance, barrel racers should know how to do the Turns on the Haunches because this is used for correctly pivoting around the barrels at high speed. And Turns On the Forehand are very useful for trail riders who want to open and close gates and for doing lateral work and maneuvers.

Jessica talking about how to perform the techniques.

Jessica had us practicing both techniques while on the fence, with our horse facing a dressage letter. For the Turns On The Forehand, we had to keep our horse’s head on the letter, while we moved/pivoted their rear legs/haunches either right or left. For the Turns on the Haunches, we pointed our horse’s rear end, or haunches, to the letter, and moved/pivoted the horse’s front legs, or forehand, either left or right.

Roni and Halley Cat working on the turn on the haunches.

Apache is very challenging to move off my legs, so we had a hard time with these maneuvers, but we did make some small steps in the right direction and I was quick to reward the smallest try.

But we also focused intensely on the goal that I asked Jessica to help me with that day:

Getting my mare to easily move up into a trot and canter on the trail, and having her maintain that steady pace for as long as I want her to.

This was our big challenge during the Founders Ranch ACTHA Competitive trail ride. While I can consider some of her slow walking and stopping being related to her being tired and out of condition, since this was her first trail ride in a year, it was also her being lazy and disrespectful, too. And while I enjoy a long, slow, relaxing trail ride just me and my mare, sometimes I like to ride with others and keep up with them. And after recuperating from the ACTHA ride with bruises, swelling and sore legs, hips and thighs after suffering from painful Charlie Horses and leg cramps, caused by having to constantly squeeze and kick, trying to move my mare up into a faster walk or a trot for 7 miles, I knew I wanted to ask Jessica for help in teaching me how to give my mare a little gas when it was requested.

And since she was a judge at the ACTHA ride, she knew about our issues and was eager to help me work with Apache.

She first had me alternately, in time to Apache's pace, to bump/kick, Apache’s sides as we walked to keep her rated in a more forward, steady, quicker pace. It worked to an extent, but I think Jessica realized that we needed to do more, because Apache tends to ignore pressure on her sides, even with more and stronger squeezing and kicking.

So, she showed me how to use the leather poppers on the ends of my cotton reins to swing it side to side across her withers, “popping” Apache to encourage her into a trot. It worked!

And what I was most happy about is that Apache didn’t get pissed and buck me off. lol! Seriously, I have been avoiding using too much pressure for fear of causing just that, because my first horse, Baby Doll, was very sensitive, a quick mover, and highly reactive. Too much pressure would make her really crabby and cause her to throw her head up or down, buck, spin or bolt. Thankfully Apache is nothing at all like my first horse.

Unfortunately, using the popper to keep Apache rated is going to take lots of practice and continued work because she tends to stay in the trot only for a few paces and then moves back into a walk or a stop. I was ecstatic when I was able to keep her steadily trotting from one end of the arena to the other.

Jessica had us practicing the trot for most of the 3 hour lesson with the goal of working towards bringing my mare back into eventually just needing a gentle squeeze to move her up into a trot and canter. Which is something I got from Apache a couple times during the lesson, and of course, I rewarded Apache right away, cheering and rubbing her neck. That’s what I wanted, good girl!

The biggest stride we made was to move past my comfort zone so I could keep Apache moving forward, and that was done through Jessica’s instruction and encouragement.

Jessica wanted to see if I was giving mixed signals when Apache moved into a trot. Was I pulling back on the reins? I didn’t think I was, but it was worth a try to figure out how to keep Apache in a forward moving trot or canter.

So, Jessica had me let go of my reins, just dropping them onto Apache’s withers, and I was just to hold onto the horn, so that I could focus on keeping Apache in a steady trot by using the popper if she slowed down or tried to stop. Dropping the reins and having absolutely no contact with them at all, except for the popper, was a little scary because it felt like I had no brakes or steering. I wasn’t even hooked up to a lifeline, like a lunge line, so I was at the mercy of my horse entirely. 

Then to add a little extra excitement, Jessica had us doing this exercise while the other 9 riders and their horses, stood around and watched. Everyone was very encouraging, but this is where the lack of steering was very unnerving, because Apache would use the other horses to stop herself and seek protection from the popper. Thankfully all of the other horses and the one mule tolerated Apache running at them and into their sides and rumps. And I was able to get her to move past them into a trot again using the popper. But it sure was challenging, especially when a few times while trotting, she turned quickly and I got a little unbalanced. But, strangely enough,  it was also exhilarating, and even fun.

Then Jessica had her talented young assistant Katie ride Apache for a few minutes. I think it might have been because Jessica thought I wasn’t being strong or consistent enough.

So it was very encouraging for me to see that even Katie had to work hard at keeping Apache trotting.

 

Katie even gave a few pops on Apache’s rump, but that didn’t make as much of an impact on Apache to get her moving. It just basically caused Apache to tuck her butt underneath of her and scoot forward in a sort of little leap.

It was also really great to watch someone else ride my horse.

But the best was yet to come!

Jessica had all of us play some relay games on horseback. We were in teams of two and had to run to one end of the arena, stop at the cone, and do either a turn on the haunches or a turn on the forehand, and then run back to the line, and high-five your partner so they could take their turn running to the cone. I was thrilled that Katie and I were on the same team. I’d never played any games on horseback before but Katie has been riding horses since she was old enough to hold her head up, so she has a lot of confidence and experience. And she’s just plain fun!  

I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get Apache to trot across the arena, but with a little popper-magic, she moved right up, and after we did our turn on the forehand, I was able to get Apache to canter back to the line of riders! It was so much fun!! We were all cheering for one another, laughing, and whooping it up. Such a blast!

We did the relay games for a couple more rounds so we could all get a turn practicing both the turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches. It seemed to me that even Apache was enjoying herself, too.

Afterwards Jessica had all of us do a final trot/canter beside the fence around the arena, so she could critique our equitation.

And then we had our final circle time where Jessica addressed each of us and discussed our individual progress during the lesson, offering advice, tips and encouragement. She also had each of us perform what we had worked on during the lesson, which meant Apache and I had to do some final trotting for Jessica to critique.

And of course, she had me drop the reins again. It wasn’t pretty, but it was just what we needed and I learned so much! I can’t wait until the next lesson!

Poor Apache. She really got a work out and was so tired afterwards. lol!