Mind your P's and Cues

In my opinion, what separates good riders from mediocre riders is their ability to cue.  We all strive to be better at what we are doing and in the horse game it is all about communication.  We want our sweet equine friends to know what the hell we are asking; to get there we need to look at ourselves and what we are doing.  I have ridden with friends who have struggled to keep their horses moving or are constantly having to catch up because their horse isn't stepping out.  These same friends seem like they are constantly kicking and nothing is happening.


 I had this big long article all ready to be posted, talking about how you need to do a little bit of this or a little bit of that.  I threw it directly in the trash and decided to focus on the essence of cues and not so much the details.  It all comes down to simplicity.  Make what you are asking simple.  "I am going forward," or, "I am turning."  There are plenty of times when I've been working with a horse and he's just not getting it.  I'm putting my weight just perfect, my reins are impeccable, and my foot is encouraging.  Still, I can just about hear the horse yelling up at me, "What you talking 'bout Willis?"  In these moments it is important to not get frustrated, try to regather yourself and simplify.

Remember, whether you like it or not, every time you touch your horse you are teaching it something.  Ask yourself, "Am I making things better, or letting them get worse?"   Did you let your horse bully past you out of the pen?  When you asked him to stop, did he keep going?  Did you not correct it?  Did you say, "Ah, I'll fix it another time?"  It is easy to let a horse degrade, it takes effort and vigilance to keep him respectful.  Once you have made the decision to not let anything slip by, you are on the right track.

Javier and Fletcha doing the Capriole

Yesterday I was working with a superstar client of mine (they all are).  I had her riding in the round pen working on a drill.  She was nailing it.  So, I took her to the beginning of the trail that has been the center of her riding problems with her horse.  She had been lacking a good correction for when her horse wanted to turn around or stray to one side of the trail or into the ditch on the other.  The drill in the pen was geared towards being able to fix that.  All started well, she went down the short path with me calling out commands and she was moving fine.  What then happened was the nice clear communication she was having in the pen had turned into a muddied mess of pulling and kicking.  When I tried to clarify what was missing, I could tell immediately there was anxiety in her voice and she was con-fuddled.  It took really engaging her and breaking through the flow of excuses to get her to simplify what she was doing instead of throwing it all at the horse.  To her great credit and the credit of her horse, they were excellent and rose to the occasion.

It all comes down to mean what you say, say what you mean and don't forget to  K.I.S.S