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A horse and rider team that moves through a pattern
in perfect harmony is a beautiful thing to watch. Each seem
completely in tune with the other and make the flawless
performance look soooo easy. How did they do that? Are they
psychic? Do they read each other’s minds? How do they communicate
with each other so that you can’t even see it happening? The
answer is the rider uses aids in a consistent way that the horse
understands and honors.
Aids are the physical tools we use to communicate
with the horse. There are four natural aids, the seat (weight),
the hands, the legs, and the voice. There are two additional
natural aids that help in our communication, the rider’s eyes and
the rider’s breathing. These six aids used together give clear and
consistent messages to the horse.
We must maintain correct body position on our horse
for our aids to function properly. Without proper body position
our aids lose their consistency and strength. Maintaining a
straight line between ear, shoulder, hip and heel will give the
rider the balance and strength needed to apply aids correctly. A
common problem I see with rider’s is the lifting of the heel when
applying a leg aid. This ruins body alignment, pops the knee and
lower leg out and away from the horse, and causes the rider to
lose the strength and consistency of the aid. It’s also important
to maintain a straight line from the rider’s elbow, through the
wrist, hand, and rein, to the horse’s mouth. This straight line
allows the rider to communicate the most effectively with the
horse. A straight line has always been the most efficient and
effective way to get from point A to point B, and so it is with
communication.
Natural aids tell our horse to speed up, slow down,
and change direction. They can be used together or singly and in
combination with each other.
The important thing is that the horse has the
ability to respond to the aid. He must understand and respect the
aid to give the correct response.
Let’s think about how we use the aids in
conjunction with each other. We will use a downward transition
from the posting trot to a jog as an example. The first aid we
will use is our seat (weight). We will sit down, sinking our seat
bones into the saddle and absorbing the horse’s energy through our
belly, knees, and ankles. Almost simultaneously, we will slow our
breathing rate and "blow" at the horse, giving him a "slow and
relax" cue. We may use our hands, if the horse has not responded
to our other cues, by closing our fingers around the reins in a
squeezing motion. We may also use a voice cue, such as "joooog",
in a slow, quiet tone. All of these cues work together to create
clear communication of your expectations to the horse. When you
are consistent with the cues over time, your cues will become
"invisible" as the horse responds quickly and quietly.
Your eyes are an invaluable aid, and become
especially important when asking your horse to turn or circle. The
angles of your body will naturally follow the direction you are
looking in, causing a change in your shoulders, hands, and the
distribution of your weight. These tiny changes are easily felt by
your horse and are an invisible communication between horse and
rider.
In addition to the natural aids, we have artificial
aids to use as tools when we’re having problems getting the horse
to respond to our natural aids. Examples of artificial aids are
bats, crops, spurs, martingales, tie-downs, and side-pulls.
Artificial aids are not solutions, they are temporary additions to
our natural aids. Artificial aids should only be used as a back-up
to our natural aids, that is to say, we must always apply the
natural aid first and only use the artificial aid if the horse is
not responsive to the natural aid. Use an artificial aid with
higher intensity,to let the horse know that they made a mistake in
not responding to the natural aid, and to require the horse’s
response. When the horse responds to the higher intensity aid,
reward them by immediately lowering the intensity level. Apply
aids in an ask, tell, command, sequence, asking with a soft aid
first and raising the intensity of the command in graduated levels
until the horse responds. There may be instances when a horse that
understands an aid is showing disrespect by not responding
promptly and correctly, and in those instances the intensity of an
aid can be raised quicker and higher until the horse is showing
respect. The instant that the horse responds, the aid must be
released in order to give the horse a reward, and grow the desire
within the horse to respond quickly and correctly to the aid.
Applying the six natural aids correctly and with
consistency will create harmonious communication between you and
your horse. When you complete your difficult pattern flawlessly,
you will be gratified to hear these words from observers, "How did
they do that??" |
