Hello - I've been riding most of my life and have shown regionally he last three years in Western Pleasure, and have taken lessons in western pleasure/riding and reining the last four. Recently I've been getting into training, or starting to learn, and my boss/friend has given me two "project horses" to start with. They are two aged mares 8+ years old, well broke and good minded. They are not well versed in neck reining, leg cues, head set and slowing down. One is progressing nicely - the other I just started with and have come across and issue.
The one mare is a lovely little girl, however I was informed she had been in training in the past with an excellent trainer (I know him personally, very good trainer). She didn't respond especially well to his more "aggressive" and assertive training, in fact after a week she refused to let him catch her. I rode her for the first time today, just to see her pace, how well she gave her face, her buttons and her starting ability. When I asked for the lope, I pressed with a spur and she just about jumped through the arena wall. (I don't jab, roll or repeatedly poke, just pressure and release). She started twisting, throwing her head, speeding up and just generally displaying a lot of displeasure. I removed my spurs after calming her down and we finished working at a walk and trot.
I am wondering how I can teach this mare that spurs are not something to wig out at. I plan on keeping them off for a bit so she doesn't associate past training with me so I can access her without her shutting down. But in the future I'd love to use them to fine tune cues. Also she lopes VERY fast. Slowing her down is hard. This could all be from my mistake with the spur and she got nervous, but if there's a way to help her get over that fear/help her slow down - I'd love to hear about it!!
The one mare is a lovely little girl, however I was informed she had been in training in the past with an excellent trainer (I know him personally, very good trainer). She didn't respond especially well to his more "aggressive" and assertive training, in fact after a week she refused to let him catch her. I rode her for the first time today, just to see her pace, how well she gave her face, her buttons and her starting ability. When I asked for the lope, I pressed with a spur and she just about jumped through the arena wall. (I don't jab, roll or repeatedly poke, just pressure and release). She started twisting, throwing her head, speeding up and just generally displaying a lot of displeasure. I removed my spurs after calming her down and we finished working at a walk and trot.
I am wondering how I can teach this mare that spurs are not something to wig out at. I plan on keeping them off for a bit so she doesn't associate past training with me so I can access her without her shutting down. But in the future I'd love to use them to fine tune cues. Also she lopes VERY fast. Slowing her down is hard. This could all be from my mistake with the spur and she got nervous, but if there's a way to help her get over that fear/help her slow down - I'd love to hear about it!!