Dealing with "Go-go-go" versus "Whoa"
It’s all about different perspectives: Jack, Amanda and Danny in a lesson at Sleuth Wood, October 4th 2018
One of my first rider instructors (I started riding as an adult) often commented to me: “to ride a horse you first learn how to stop before you learn how to go”. Her approach was based on a principle of safety first for the novice rider and to be fair to her it was a lot better than just “pull hard on the reins”. Over the years I learnt about using my seat to control tempo, half halts, leg into hand and all that stuff and of course continued to learn the consequences of just pulling hard on the reins! I have often compared the somewhat counter-intuitive need to soften the hand at a jump and look up to downhill skiing: facing and leaning down the slope is the only way to have the ski edges do their job. Similarly on cross-country, softening the contact, not trying to force the jump with one’s hands, and looking up and beyond to the next obstacle, rather than looking down at the last stride. You’ll not be surprised to discover that I have learnt both from both doing it right, and making a mess! As one instructor told me: “you landed in the ditch because you were looking at it!”
It has been interesting to observe this principle playing out in a similar way with the training of our OTTBs. As Danny Warrington, who has a lot of experience across both racing and eventing, pointed out today, race horses are trained to walk (or jog) or run as fast as they can, and nothing much in between. It’s been impressive of last few months to see Amanda Merritt’s relationship with Classic Jack and especially Flat Gone grow. She has resisted the temptation of over-bitting the horse to artificially install “brakes”. (Would that be true of every high level eventer). She has patiently focused on calmness, straightness and balance in all three paces. And her program of training, recruiting top trainers like Danny for periodic lessons, key coaching points and programs for the future training, is clearly paying dividend.
Today’s session with Flat was one of many highlights. Flat has done a lot more racing than Jack and at 6 years old has more of that “Go-go-go” in him. So he is more challenging proposition in many ways than his fellow trouble brother Jack, but for my taste that makes success even more rewarding and admirable. Flat begins the lesson with his “hiding” routine in walk - no impulsion, over bent, looking at his chest. Danny asks Amanda to ignore Flat being over bent at the poll, but rather work on lifting the area at the base of his neck, to come up and forward. Soon the walk becomes more forward and purposeful, then Danny asks for more to the “brink” of trot. “Hear how he’s puffing, make him puff more”. Now, as Amanda backs off with leg and seat, the result is slower cadence or even stop. No rein aid whatsoever. Leg into hand - you bet! Amanda and Danny agree that tomorrow’s lesson should be dressage again, because bedding in these skills with Flat will be hugely helpful to his jumping as well. Flat is learning that much of the aids are about going forward (impulsion), straightness, balance and suppleness. He knows that this dressage malarkey while a lot more complicated than “go-go-go”, it’s a job that is well within his reach. Check out these loops towards the end of the lesson.
SPT
I know we have a soft spot for Flat Gone, and I am not giving fair dues to Classic Jack. If there is interest, I will talk a bit more about Jack in future blogs. For now suffice it to say: “he’s a star!”