Jenny and Fjodur
The first lesson of the day was with Jenny and her 6 year old Icelandic mare Fjodur. Jenny is a good rider, however easily intimidated by the follies of her young mare. Her bad behavior consisting of kicking, stopping before jumps and trying to break loose while being ridden. All of which frighten her rider and can become dangerous if not attended to soon.
Our trainer, Neal watched carefully as Jenny brushed and saddle the horse, already noticing subtle signs of dominant play among the mare. Neal did not comment yet as he first wanted to observe how Jenny and Fjodur interacted.
The lesson would take part in the round pen so Jenny led her horse there. The mare obediently followed Jenny into the ring. Neal stood by Fjodur’s head while Jenny got on. The mare didn’t make any notion to dart off while the girl mounted her. A sign that she had good manners.
Neal let her ride around the ring however she pleased, in all gaits and watched closely.
Jenny’s seat was good at first but became tenser the more ornery the mare became. Her hands stiffened, her legs became tighter around the mares stomach, giving the horse mixed signals. Good for Neal to observe was that the mare showed all her bad habits Jenny was worried about. She kicked when Jenny asked for a trot, when her canter became too fast and Jenny wanted her to slow down Fjodur stiffened and raced on, but there were also good parts when they worked nicely together, when Fjodur responded to her signals and had her ear focused on her rider.
After a few Minutes Neal saw all he wanted to see and asked Jenny to slow Fjodur down to a calm walk.
He told her everything he noticed, that Jenny initially was a good rider and had the basics down, “It’s only when a special horse like Fjodur comes along and puts that knowledge to the test.” He laughed to lighten the mood. “Fjodur is a very intelligent horse, but inexperienced, which is normal for a horse her age. So naturally she is questioning everything around her, testing her limits. She has to, or how else is she supposed to learn how this great, mysterious world around her works? She is trying to find strategy’s for her that work, and they might not be pleasant for you and I’m not saying you should accept her kicking or running off, but I just want you to understand that it isn’t personal. She is testing you because she wants to learn and you have to help her.”
Neal asked her to trot, “…just a simple, easy trot, don’t worry if her backhand is engaged or if she is on the bit. All I want is a smooth, calm trot.” He gave Jenny all the time she needed to prepare. Once Jenny took up the reins the mare started to become faster and Neal asked her to slow down to a walk again. The mare should not combine picking up the reins with running forward. With some horses this behavior is fine, but not with this particular mare. Once Fjodur was back in a calm walk Jenny was supposed to pick up the reins again a little bit and let them loose. The mare should stay in a walk. They had to repeat it many times but soon Jenny could shorten the reins without Fjodur becoming faster. Jenny smiled, her horse looked happy and both had learned something. Even the smallest advance is a victory.
Jenny took up the reins, leaned forward only a bit pressed her legs against the mare. She fell into a beautiful trot. Neal let them trot around the ring a few times and asked them to slow down again. When a horse performs that well you have to stop it on a high, before asking too much too fast.
‘When training your horse you are learning as much as the horse is, so it’s important you both start from an exercise you both know well, then ask a little more to teach her something new, then back to something you both know. You need to get to know your horse and find that line between keeping her motivated and overstraining her. When you ask too much, too fast she will get frustrated and angry. Ask any competition rider in Iceland and they will say the most important thing is to keep your horse happy. When your horse is advancing and getting better you’ll have to restrain yourself a bit. Divide your training into phases. One phase you teach her something and then a phase where you stick to the things you know and just let it be ‘pleasant’ for the horse. Like riding out or just letting her stand for a few days. Then pick up the training again.”
Jenny was supposed to pick up the reins again and coax her horse into a fast, but steady walk. Neal asked Jenny to start trotting again once she felt like it. The mare starting to act up again and Neal asked Jenny what she was thinking about at that moment.
Hesitantly she said ‘about trotting’ – “And exactly at what point was the mare supposed to switch from walk into trot?” – “Once she was calm again.” Jenny stated.
“Ok, that’s a good place to start.” He admitted. “However you were hesitant about when you were going to ask her to trot. You have to be crystal clear with your signals. It helps if you pick a point, for example that beam over there and determine for yourself that is where you will start trotting. When you know exactly what you want you can signalize it better for the horse.”
He asked her to repeat it. She took up the reins and walked fast, picked a point and started to trot. Neal got excited for her and cheered her on. He encouraged her to trot for a while then pick a point to slow down to a walk.
For the rest of the lesson they didn’t do much more than transitioning from walk to trot in different variations and speed. Fjodur tried to act up a few times after that, but Jenny started to prevent the mare from getting out of hand much faster, which was all Neal had expected from their first lesson and was impressed with the young rider.
Neal also knew about the mare’s bad habit stopping in front of jumps. He considered it a further symptom, that didn’t have to be addressed, just yet. The important thing was to first help the relationship between Jenny and Fjodur. Once the mare learns that it’s to her advantage to focus on the rider, all the other bad habits will be easier to get rid of (one step at a time).
Neal also gave her some last advice “Pick your battles.” Meaning Jenny should avoid situations in which she knows she is helpless. Little by little she should pick minor problems that she can influence (and win), like when Fjodur pinned her ears back while being saddled. Jenny, maybe with the help of her mother, can practice saddling up Fjodur and stop her behavior with a quick and sharp ‘hey’. The moment the mare has her ears forward again the saddle comes off and the mare is rewarded. Which has to be practiced of course many times.
Once the relationship is strong and Fjodur shows respect towards Jenny they can start with larger challenges. There is no end to what they can accomplish, they just have to start little.
Our trainer, Neal watched carefully as Jenny brushed and saddle the horse, already noticing subtle signs of dominant play among the mare. Neal did not comment yet as he first wanted to observe how Jenny and Fjodur interacted.
The lesson would take part in the round pen so Jenny led her horse there. The mare obediently followed Jenny into the ring. Neal stood by Fjodur’s head while Jenny got on. The mare didn’t make any notion to dart off while the girl mounted her. A sign that she had good manners.
Neal let her ride around the ring however she pleased, in all gaits and watched closely.
Jenny’s seat was good at first but became tenser the more ornery the mare became. Her hands stiffened, her legs became tighter around the mares stomach, giving the horse mixed signals. Good for Neal to observe was that the mare showed all her bad habits Jenny was worried about. She kicked when Jenny asked for a trot, when her canter became too fast and Jenny wanted her to slow down Fjodur stiffened and raced on, but there were also good parts when they worked nicely together, when Fjodur responded to her signals and had her ear focused on her rider.
After a few Minutes Neal saw all he wanted to see and asked Jenny to slow Fjodur down to a calm walk.
He told her everything he noticed, that Jenny initially was a good rider and had the basics down, “It’s only when a special horse like Fjodur comes along and puts that knowledge to the test.” He laughed to lighten the mood. “Fjodur is a very intelligent horse, but inexperienced, which is normal for a horse her age. So naturally she is questioning everything around her, testing her limits. She has to, or how else is she supposed to learn how this great, mysterious world around her works? She is trying to find strategy’s for her that work, and they might not be pleasant for you and I’m not saying you should accept her kicking or running off, but I just want you to understand that it isn’t personal. She is testing you because she wants to learn and you have to help her.”
Neal asked her to trot, “…just a simple, easy trot, don’t worry if her backhand is engaged or if she is on the bit. All I want is a smooth, calm trot.” He gave Jenny all the time she needed to prepare. Once Jenny took up the reins the mare started to become faster and Neal asked her to slow down to a walk again. The mare should not combine picking up the reins with running forward. With some horses this behavior is fine, but not with this particular mare. Once Fjodur was back in a calm walk Jenny was supposed to pick up the reins again a little bit and let them loose. The mare should stay in a walk. They had to repeat it many times but soon Jenny could shorten the reins without Fjodur becoming faster. Jenny smiled, her horse looked happy and both had learned something. Even the smallest advance is a victory.
Jenny took up the reins, leaned forward only a bit pressed her legs against the mare. She fell into a beautiful trot. Neal let them trot around the ring a few times and asked them to slow down again. When a horse performs that well you have to stop it on a high, before asking too much too fast.
‘When training your horse you are learning as much as the horse is, so it’s important you both start from an exercise you both know well, then ask a little more to teach her something new, then back to something you both know. You need to get to know your horse and find that line between keeping her motivated and overstraining her. When you ask too much, too fast she will get frustrated and angry. Ask any competition rider in Iceland and they will say the most important thing is to keep your horse happy. When your horse is advancing and getting better you’ll have to restrain yourself a bit. Divide your training into phases. One phase you teach her something and then a phase where you stick to the things you know and just let it be ‘pleasant’ for the horse. Like riding out or just letting her stand for a few days. Then pick up the training again.”
Jenny was supposed to pick up the reins again and coax her horse into a fast, but steady walk. Neal asked Jenny to start trotting again once she felt like it. The mare starting to act up again and Neal asked Jenny what she was thinking about at that moment.
Hesitantly she said ‘about trotting’ – “And exactly at what point was the mare supposed to switch from walk into trot?” – “Once she was calm again.” Jenny stated.
“Ok, that’s a good place to start.” He admitted. “However you were hesitant about when you were going to ask her to trot. You have to be crystal clear with your signals. It helps if you pick a point, for example that beam over there and determine for yourself that is where you will start trotting. When you know exactly what you want you can signalize it better for the horse.”
He asked her to repeat it. She took up the reins and walked fast, picked a point and started to trot. Neal got excited for her and cheered her on. He encouraged her to trot for a while then pick a point to slow down to a walk.
For the rest of the lesson they didn’t do much more than transitioning from walk to trot in different variations and speed. Fjodur tried to act up a few times after that, but Jenny started to prevent the mare from getting out of hand much faster, which was all Neal had expected from their first lesson and was impressed with the young rider.
Neal also knew about the mare’s bad habit stopping in front of jumps. He considered it a further symptom, that didn’t have to be addressed, just yet. The important thing was to first help the relationship between Jenny and Fjodur. Once the mare learns that it’s to her advantage to focus on the rider, all the other bad habits will be easier to get rid of (one step at a time).
Neal also gave her some last advice “Pick your battles.” Meaning Jenny should avoid situations in which she knows she is helpless. Little by little she should pick minor problems that she can influence (and win), like when Fjodur pinned her ears back while being saddled. Jenny, maybe with the help of her mother, can practice saddling up Fjodur and stop her behavior with a quick and sharp ‘hey’. The moment the mare has her ears forward again the saddle comes off and the mare is rewarded. Which has to be practiced of course many times.
Once the relationship is strong and Fjodur shows respect towards Jenny they can start with larger challenges. There is no end to what they can accomplish, they just have to start little.