07/11/2023
Events that call for speed- keeping your horse mentally with you!
If dressage and foundation training are like putting money into your account then speed events can be a little like withdrawing money out of your accountโฆ. Sorta. But not exactly.
No amount of jogging around slowly is going to prepare your horse to keep it together mentally while going fast - at some point your horse hast to learn to handle the mental and physical rigors of using his body at speed, and then recuperating both physically and emotionally.
Also, no matter how many hours you have spent doing a shoulder in, itโs possible that in 10 seconds you can basically wipe out your entire account โฆ. Some horses get on the muscle so quickly at any amount of real exertion, that, no matter how much slow work you have done, all of your basics completely disappear at speed.
Lumos gave me a PHENOMENAL speed round on Saturday. The last show we were at wasnโt our best and I used speed round to work on getting him quieter. But that said, heโs done enough speed rounds now that he understands the game! ๏ฟผ That set us up for a pretty great speed round on Saturday, but this was two shows in one weekend, and on Sunday when we came back in for ease of handling, he let me know he was totally ready to kick it in the high gear. Because I do my homework he still did the obstacles fairly nice, but all his transitions were tight, if not abrupt, and he wanted to rush the trot obstacles. Again, nothing terrible, but itโs something Iโm going to need to work on more before our next show.
One of my favorite ways to work on this at home is to come into an obstacle like we are doing speed round, but then leave the obstacle like itโs a dressage test. I might do quite a few transitions between all three gaits, then break into a galllop and go to another obstacle, and repeat the process a few times. Another method Iโve done quite a bit is halting for quite some time at each obstacle, and Iโve honestly done that in competitionโฆ he can tell when my intent is to turn and run, but heโs not allowed to do it without me. We have to wait.
But honestly, the biggest issue with any speed discipline is people simply over facing their horses! If at ๏ฟผany point you canโt slow down and do basics because speed ruined your foundation, then you blew past what you and your horse could handle. Your show jumper should be able to come back and trot a cavalletti no matter how โhotโ he is. Your barrel horse should be able to trot a nice round figure 8 without dropping the shoulder IMMEDIATELY after running a pattern.
What I really do love about Working Equitation is that speed round requires intricate things like going through a gate or sidepassing an L, and if you knock anything down, seconds are added. Its pretty obvious that you canโt get your horse wild or you wonโt get the pattern done.
I honestly wish barrel racing was 4-8 barrels, a and different pattern posted each event, so that riders had to steer and horses less prone to injuryโฆ. Oh, and if your horse canโt enter the arena without assistance, a DQ would be issued. Itโs complexity along with speed that ensures the horses are still emotionally balanced- I like it. When patterns are complicated enough that riders canโt blow past their foundation and still get the job done.
I LOVE riding at speed!!!! ๏ฟผ But I donโt like blowing a horseโs mind for the sake of competition. Thankfully, those are not mutually inclusive.
To set your horse up for success in timed disciplines, go a little fast, and then slow it back down and check your foundation. If that goes well, next time, go either a little faster, or go fast a little longer. ๏ฟผ Then check your foundation again. ๏ฟผ Can your horse relax immediately after speed??
Speed events should be fun for you AND YOUR HORSE. If your horse is nervous and tense, and doesnโt want to go into the arena, then heโs obviously not enjoying himself!!!! ๏ฟผ I donโt expect horses to look perfectly relaxed during speed events, just like I donโt expect any athlete to be smiling and/or half asleep, while doing a major athletic endeavor. Human athletes do indeed show some expression on their faces, and in their body, as they prepare to participate in a sport, but there is a difference between fired up and terrified! If your horse gets all fired up, and it takes him a few minutes to unwind, thatโs totally acceptable. Personally, I am the same way! ๏ฟผ
But if they are wide-eyed, and running through the aids, or not wanting to return to the arena, then you have definitely blown past some thresholdโs and you were not prepared.
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