From: "Lise Lilleby"
Dear Jessica
I have to congratulate you on a fantastic "service" you provide. It is nice to see so many people being given such positive and good advice. You obviously have a wealth of experience and insight. I live in Durban, South Africa. I got an 8 year old bay gelding (16hh) off the track two years ago. He was very uptight as somebody else had him for a month (slapped him in running reins and tried to school him silly) and they did not agree - she was a very nervous rider. I hacked him for 6 months and then for the next year did very basic dressage and small jumps in a very fun atmosphere with absolutely no pressure. I have started more serious work recently (3' / 3'.3" and basic dressage) - he has settled down a lot but remains an excitable horse. He is very sensitive to aids and has had a history of a bad back in racing. I have done a lot of hillwork to build up his back which seems to be fine now. Given his previous back problems I have wondered whether the seated jumping position is a good idea? I was taught the forward seat as a child but battle to see a stride like that. My horse is VERY forward going and so the seated position seems to give me more control (as I can hold him with my legs). Which is the better position for jumping or is it a personal thing???? He also has an extremely bumpy canter which makes it difficult to sit very quitly all the time. Also - he is very mouthy - going into the jumps he throws his head up a lot (even if my contact is soft) this makes the sitting position a lot better (as I am not hit on the nose).
I see in your one Q&A response that you mention a tight noseband is uncomfortable and irritating for a horse. I would love to ride in a cavasson but would I not lose control (I normally ride in a drop or flash)? I ride in a french snaffle as he used to pull a lot on his hillwork and hacks and he does not enjoy the eggbut snaffle. Would it be better for the horse if I rode him in a cavasson and just let him open his mouth? What about dressage tests (very novice at this stage)? He is still impossible at the canter - gets himself very worked up and onward bound (ends up cantering sideways and too fast)!!! It is even more difficult as he has an extremely bouncy canter so it is more difficult to hold him. Would a loose noseband not exacerbate the problem?
I hope you don't mind me lobbing all these questions at you!! Thank you for your committment to improving the lot of horses world-wide.
Thank you Lise
I usually ask that people separate their questions, for the sake of making the archives easier to organize, but these questions are all related, so I've just called this "jumping" and will answer everything at once.
Your six months of hacking were well-spent and a very wise decision, congratulations Lise! You may, however, need to do more. If you were working with me, I would almost certainly have you spend another three to six months doing systematic training on the flat, without any jumping at all, and then continue that training for the next three months or so, gradually adding gymnastic jumping exercises to the program. Only THEN would I even consider taking the horse out on a cross-country course, or competing him in any way. You've done an excellent job of calming this horse and helping him learn his new job, but he needs more help.
As for the rider position: the answer to your question (full seat or half seat?) is BOTH. You should be seated at all times unless you are galloping down a long straightaway, in which case a two-point (half-seat) is appropriate; and of course you allow the horse to lift you into a two-point position as he jumps each fence. The rest of the time, a full seat is correct, and much more secure.
Your saddle can make quite a difference. If you are riding in an eventing or all-purpose saddle, sitting is appropriate and will not make the horse uncomfortable; in a close-contact, forward-seat, show jumping saddle, the horse WILL become uncomfortable if you spend a lot of time sitting, because the saddle is designed to balance a rider in a forward seat and a half-seat, and is really not meant for lengthy riding sessions.
You've found a comfortable bit for your horse -- that's excellent. And you are right to be concerned about the noseband. If you go back to systematic, progressive flatwork to build up your horse's physique and reflexes and understanding, you will be best served by loosening that noseband. This is why:
People who use a severe bit and tight noseband on a horse are under a misapprehension; they believe, wrongly, that the point of riding is CONTROL, and that the equipment puts the horse under their control and that by using such equipment they can force the horse to stop. But the point of riding is not control -- it is communication. The function of a bit is not to FORCE a horse to stop -- it is to allow you to inform the horse that you WANT him to stop, which is another matter entirely.
Horses run away from pain; they also run away out of fear. This tack combination induces both, and can CAUSE a horse to run off! A severe bit (and severe, restricting hands at the end of the reins) causes pain, and the horse, being a horse, is instinctively driven to run away from the pain. The more he runs, the more he pushes against the painful bit, and the more it hurts -- and the more it hurts, the more he runs...
As for the noseband, a tight noseband is bad even if the bit is made from soft rubber. A tight noseband can, indeed, restrict the movement of the horse's jaw, or even clamp his mouth shut, but what, exactly, does this achieve? A clamped-shut jaw accomplishes two things, both contrary to your training goals: (1) it can cause the horse to become tense in his face and jaw, and therefore in his neck and body as well (try it yourself: make your jaw very tense and tight, and see what the effect is on your neck and shoulders!); (2) it can frighten the horse, because ANY tight confinement or restriction is frightening to a horse, and there is no way for the horse to make the noseband's pressure relax. You cannot ask a horse to 'yield to the bit' or 'flex' or 'give to the rider's hand' if a tight noseband makes it impossible for the horse to relax his jaw! So, with his mouth held shut and his jaw and neck tight, what does the horse do? Again, his instinct is to escape the pain and fear by running away...
This horse is happier in a French link bit, you already know that. I think he will be even happier if you put him in a plain cavesson, adjusted so that you can put at least two (if not three!) fingers underneath; he may open his mouth a little more, especially at first, but he SHOULD be allowed to do this! If his mouth hurts, if his bit bothers him, if he is uncomfortable, he can't tell you in words, he must SHOW you, and by allowing him to open his mouth if he wishes, you are allowing him to tell you when he is uncomfortable. You can then find out WHY, and DO something about it. ;-) Tying his mouth shut is like putting a piece of tape over the mouth of a crying baby -- yes, it makes the noise stop, but the NOISE is not the problem, the noise is the baby's way of telling you that there IS a problem!
Again, I think that you are doing a very good job with this horse, and I think you will have a very nice horse if you will take some more time for his basic training. I strongly suggest that you focus on progressive flatwork for several months at least, until your horse is relaxed and supple at walk, trot, and canter, is relaxed during transitions (both between and within gaits), and until he will stop easily and stand quietly on a long -- or, better yet, on a loose -- rein.
You will NOT lose any time by doing this -- horse-training is an odd process; if you take your time, work slowly, and focus on building the best possible foundation, the rest of the work will come quickly and easily. If you rush through the early stages, you will never really get where you want to go... It sounds paradoxical, but in training, you will arrive at your goal most quickly by going the LONG way.
Good luck, keep me posted on your progress, and let me know if you would like me to suggest some reading material for you. There are several excellent, "cookbook-style" books of exercises that will help you improve your horse's flatwork beyond recognition. ;-)
Jessica
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