The Enlightened Horseman

17th July 2010

Post with 2 notes

Steps to Collection

I have been asked how I get collection. First of all, I am not going to say that my methods are the best. All I will say is that the methods I use, are the best I know for me and my horse.  They have been working for me quite well, and my horse’s collection is all that I could ask for.  But rest assured, that as soon as I find a better way of doing things, I am not going to insist on sticking to what has become second best.

So anyway, here goes:

Step 1.  Understand Impulsion.  As I see it, Impulsion is the measure of horse’s response to a rider’s cue.  So if the horse responds readily to a slight cue, then the horse has Impulsion.  I want high Impulsion to every cue. And the Impulsion to every cue is taught independently.  First I start with the legs individually.  With the horse at the walk, I place my right leg behind the girth.  When I do so, the horse should immediately and quickly, almost at the trot, move his hind quarters over to the left.  The same goes for the other leg.  Then I place one of my legs slightly in front of the girth. When I do this, the horse should immediately start to move his shoulders over and away from my leg.  Next I place both legs behind the girth. When I do this the horse should start forward quickly and increase his pace. If I place both legs slightly in front of the girth, the horse should stop and if I keep them there, he should start to move backwards very quickly without me pulling on the rein.  When the horse does all this well, he has sufficient Impulsion for me to consider teaching him collection.

Step 2. Bringing his face on the vertical. First while standing, I lift my reins. I simply hold them up and wait. I don’t care if I have to wait for minutes at a time. I just wait. Sooner or later, the horse will get tired of me holding the reins up and will start to move his head. First he will move his head up, and when he does, I keep waiting. When he moves his head so high that it becomes uncomfortable for him to hold it so high, he will eventually lower it. When he does, I drop the rein and praise the horse. I repeat this exercise until the horse drops his head and brings his face on the vertical every time I lift the reins.

Step 3. I repeat the above exercise at the walk and at the trot.

Step 4. Getting and maintaining contact. I lift the rein, and when he drops his head onto the vertical, I lower my hand but keep an even and light contact on the bit. This should cause the horse to raise his head immediately. Do not get discouraged, simply raise the rein again, and keep repeating until he maintains contact for a few seconds, then release the rein and praise.  

Step 5. Do the above exercise at the walk. Start with getting just 5 steps, then 6, and so on. Do not expect to get all this in the first week. Let it take a few weeks to a month.  The slower you go, the faster it will all come together.

Step 6. Add the Impulsion. When the horse walks quietly with his face on the vertical, you can start giving him some slight driving signals with your legs and back. Ask him to move forward but keep his face on the vertical. If he starts to hang on the bit, use your body to ask for the back up and back up until he is soft. Then release the rein and praise.

Remember, when the horse gives, do not take, just accept. Do this for a month or two and your horse’s collection should improve dramatically. If it doesn’t improve in two months, then something is not working correctly, and you should abandon this method for something more effective for you and your mount.  Do not torture him with insisting that it must work.

Tagged: Wild horse horses horsemanship