OFEA Feature of the Month
The "Pre-Game"
By Kenna WestOkay, I admit it---I'm a gamer. No, not the on-line Dungeons and Dragons kind but the patterned games kind. I never wanted to be a gamer. Indeed, I figured at my age (yep, I'm over 40) I didn't need to go fast…it would just hurt more when I fell. My BFF (for you non-texters that means best female friend) convinced me to go to a game show to just "hang out" and watch. Oh, and by the way, bring a horse so you have something to sit on. So I did, I took my 20 year old Class A Arabian Western Pleasure gelding---Sir aka Mr. Slow. I watched the first couple events then thought, "Heck I can do this". Sir and I executed beautiful patterns with his neck perfectly "hooked", his lope balanced and my seat deep in the saddle with my shoulders back. Oh we were beautiful and did I mention SLOW! Clearly we didn't win high point that day. I did, however, develop a love of the "game". So, this 40+, exceedingly chubby performance rider bought a 12 year-old little white Arabian broodmare (did I mention she was only green broke at the time?) and started to game. Boy did we suck!
These days my little white mare and I run in the "old-lady" division and have won a buckle, tons of ribbons and horse stuff and many, many Series and Show Hi-Points. So, in just one short year how did we get here you may ask? I'd like to say that it's my brilliant riding but my friends know differently. I ride A LOT and work with two GREAT trainers, Tasha Ballstaedt at Circle T Horse Ranch and Gayle Carter (Matriarch of the Canby Games organization and many time Champion on her amazing gelding CJ). These two great ladies have given me an amazing amount of tips and wisdom over the last year and a half (although we only really rode for a year because we were on "injured reserve" for over 6 months) and I'm going to pass them on to you.
The biggest tip? The "pre-game" is very, very, very important! And, what, you may ask is the "pre-game"? Well, it's commonly called practice but I like "pre-game" better. Following are five tips that have been invaluable in our training:
1. Conditioning. All athletes need conditioning and our horses are no different. The best tool for conditioning? The long (extended) trot. Your horse will use the same muscles as when running and you can maintain the long trot for a long period of time without over-tiring your horse (or yourself for that matter!). It has the added bonus of helping to keep your horse from becoming "hot" from too much running.
2. Flexibility. Our horses are asked to turn, bend and give to hand and leg at high speeds---it's important to keep them flexible. The best tool for flexibility---there isn't one, there are two! First, the two-track. Yep, the two-track. It keeps your horse's body moving forward while bending/flexing away from your leg…invaluable in poles! Second, simply doing small "dressage-style" circles with your horse's head turned into the circle and shoulder flexing (not stiff). This is great at all gaits and really helps with creating that nice pocket for barrels.
3. Agility. This tip---the roll-back. Now this one is so much more fun than the first two! Using the short side of the arena trot towards the wall then when almost there, sit deep in the saddle and ask for the "whoa". When forward motion ceases, slide your hand down the rein (but keep your body centered in the saddle) and ask your horse to turn TOWARD THE WALL while grabbing the saddle horn with your other hand. Use your inside (wall side) leg to stabilize your horse while cuing or pushing your horse into the roll-back with your outside leg. Your head should "whip" around with the horse then once turned ask for the trot back to the other side and repeat. The turn and go should become one fluid motion. When you and your horse are comfortable at the trot increase your speed incrementally until you are at the gallop or run. This is great for developing quickness, building hindquarter muscles and excellent for key race!
4. Patterning. Most important tip? Don't run, run, run the pattern over and over and over. All that does is make your horse "hot" and frustrated. Work the patterns mostly at a trot until your horse knows them. Once seasoned, work the pattern mainly at the trot working on your and your horse's body position. Throw in an actual "run" every now and again during your patterning. Having trouble with one particular barrel or pole? Trot most of the pattern then lope through the particular problem area until you've begun to fix the problem. If you just run your horse through the pattern over and over they become focused on the running not on what you want or need from them….that's when you get a "crazy" gamer. We all know that's scary!
5. The Mind. Huh? What do you mean the mind? Well, I mean the horse's mind. It needs a break from the same drills and practices and movements over and over. Give it that break. Take your horse trail riding, do a western pleasure style training day or just let your horse at liberty in the arena and run around and "play" with them. They need this break from work just like we do!
With these "pre-game" tips you and your horse will work better as a team, can cut precious seconds off your time, and, hopefully, win your classes. Of course, I'm hoping the rest of the great ladies in the "old lady" division forgot their reading glasses and couldn't read the tips….I certainly don't need them cutting any more seconds off their time!
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