In Part 1 of this series, we learned a couple of ways to defeat anticipation in the show ring. Let’s keep moving:
The Gate When I school the gate, I reinforce “Whoa” in four places: the spots in this maneuver where I’m most likely to lose my horse’s attention. First, when I say “Whoa,” my horses already know that means all four feet are to stay on the ground, they are to be straight through their body, straight through their head and neck, and soft down in the bridle.
I ride up parallel to the gate to where my shoulder is at the standard where you pick up the rope. And I say “Whoa” and softly reinforce that with my cues: I might pick up softly with my hands or go to my feet softly to encourage my horse to get into the bridle. “Whoa” means don’t look, don’t move, just wait for the next signal.
I spend some time there.
When you show, when you drop your rein hand and reach for the gate, your attention moves from your horse to picking up that rope. For that second, that horse knows you are no longer paying attention to him specifically, and it’s an opportunity for him to lose focus and look away. By reinforcing “Whoa” here, I’m schooling against that. I want to keep his focus, because if you lose his focus before you even start a maneuver, it’s hard to gain it back.
CLICK HERE to read Part 2 of this series.
