Striking off, transitions Up and Down

Several years ago, I was fortunate to spend some quality time with Jack Brainard while he was spending a couple of weeks with Pat Parelli in Pagosa Springs CO.  I learned quite a bit about my horse’s feet and the results of actually affecting them; but from a perspective that I, at the time, was completely ignorant.  Jack really opened my eyes to the timing of a horse preparing to utilize one foot or the other.  I have since then spent countless hours striving to hone his advice with varying success.  OK! I feel like I got it.  Now how do I implement it?

Master Horsemen like Lester Buckley, Eitan Beth-Halachmy, Pat Parelli to mention a few have impressed on me the value of my horse having some kind of preparatory information about the upcoming assignment BEFORE the assignment shows up.  We’ve all heard for years now about “life up, focus, phases of pressure” and that is all valid; but in the midst of actually doing something, how do I squeeze all of that into my transition?  On a side note, many of my students know that I am not very athletic, balanced, or graceful.  The fact is that when I was in my mother’s womb and these skills were being passed out, my mom must have been playing Canasta with the neighbor because I didn’t get them.  The benefit of that is that I have to study, practice, fail; then try again in order to “get it” This little exercise that I use was shared to me by several mentors. I’ll bet that all of you have heard this and done it.  The difference is that only one has pointed out the value of breaking the exercise apart and using the parts to really “get it”.

The exercise is simply counting, initially, to five in time with your horse’s footfalls. It’s important that you count out loud increasing your volume and pitch for upward transitions as you count. The key is whether your horse is actually preparing for the transition or waiting to be told to do it.  If you use the number 5 as your count, then 3 is the fulcrum or balance point.  If I’m transitioning upward and I don’t feel my horse anticipating the transition at five; then I mechanically add additional pressure until Five shows up and we move to the next gait.  Conversely coming down to a slower gait I count from five to one lowering my voice.  If I don’t feel a change in my horse at three, I relax my body more or lift the reins; but do not make the change until the count of one.  This is nothing new.  The difference may be recognizing that at “three” something needs to change within your horse; but not the gait.  Now all you have to do is find the balance between prepare and “do it”.  I use this for nearly all of my transitions, laterally and longitudinally. After my horse and I have worked out the five-count arrangement, I move to a three count with the number two as the balance point.  Even though I’m counting up to five or three and down to 1, I actually out loud say the name of the gait, not Five or three or one.

Now we can get back to Jack Brainard’s great teachings.  When do I time my counting? If I’m transitioning upward, I count as the leading leg is just coming off of the ground.  Conversely, I count for downward transitions as the leading leg is going to the ground.  OK, which one is the leading leg?  If you have not spent much time with this foot philosophy, you may get in the swing of things by counting with the front feet.  Your horse will be pretty pleased that you’re at least in rhythm with him.  After a bit it will become simple for you that the leading foot is the one that needs to go first in order for your horse to transition.  I’m not that complicated a fellow and what works well for me is changes of gait needs for me to count with the hind feet.  Changes of direction are usually the front feet, exception being a turn on the forehand where I time with the back feet.  Left or right foot is dependent on the direction I want to go.

When all is said and done, I expect that we wish for all of this to become unconscious where we feel the anticipation, the wait, then the execution; but we have to start somewhere.  This little exercise helps me.

See you down the trail,  Dave