February 2018 42 10712 W. Bell Rd. Sun City, AZ 85351 (in Bell Camino Center) 623-933-0034 ConsigningWomenAZ.com Clothing from the Golf Course to the Dance Floor and a Little Bit of Cowgirl in Between! Bring in This Ad for $5.00 OFF Your $30.00 Purchase! Controlling Speed When I see people riding along, especially when they are headed somewhere, and I will be a while getting there, it frustrates me. There is a lot more going on with a horse that doesn’t have life while traveling out than just not walking out. If we can’t bring the life up and maintain it in a straight line, going in a direction that the horse wants to go, it probably isn’t going to happen any other time. But if we can bring that life up and keep it right there, just short of breaking into the job, we have refined our speed control. One of the most important things we can accomplish with our horses is speed regulations. If we can’t regulate the speed with our horses, it will affect our timing while working cattle, roping, barrel racing or most every maneuver we would ask for: leads, stop, turns, etc. The walk is a good place to work on speed regulations because it is something that we do a lot of time while riding our horses. It’s something we can work on anytime, anywhere. It may be easier on a long ride when you are miles from home, and the horse is interested in getting there. But we can develop that same field, that same interest while walking around in an arena or anywhere else. The two things that make it easier for the horse are for him to feel the life or rhythm of our body slightly ahead of him and for him to feel our eyes fixed in the direction we want him to go. What this means is that we are bringing the life to the surface, and we have a direction for him to make it. It is difficult for the horse to be motivated if he doesn’t feel, through the rider, like there is somewhere to go. If we maintain a direction, even if it is circles or straight lines, as long as the horse feels encouraged to go there, it will help to motivate him. If our energy is slightly ahead of the horse’s energy, he will find that rhythm and will want to be with us. An older horse that has been calloused to different riders or ridden a lot at a slow pace may take more encouragement. He may need to bring a life into the trot, then back to the walk. After a while, he can learn to bring the life up in the walk without trotting. When a horse learns that he has a purpose, he is interested and happy to go on and do other things with us. And like my friend said, “it is a good feeling when you can bring that energy up and it stays there, and the horse’s desire lines up with yours.” If you haven’t experienced this, try it. Then see if it doesn’t carry over onto other things you may do with your words. Your horse will appreciate a clear direction and purpose. By Buddy Uldrikson Buddy Uldrikson Training at Rancho Rio Bonita: www.buddyuldriksonhorsemanship.com