Lesson 16 – Follow the rail
A great program to teach your horse consistency, purity of gait, self carriage and to learn the responsibility of thinking for himself.
This is a program.
It means you’ll need to do it 7 days (sessions) in a row. Even if you could only ride once a week, do this for the next 7 times you ride! What you don’t want to do is scatter it through different riding sessions. Consistency is an important factor here.
Facility.
You’ll need an arena, preferably a rectangular one although round is okay. You are going to teach your horse to follow the rail: If he does it, leave him alone: If he strays for the rail, put him back close to it . (Keep reading)
The casual rein position.
The causal rein is the rein position that should be used most with your horse…80% of your riding time. This is where the reins drape loosely from one hand and there is no contact with the horse’s mouth (a difficult concept for some people who are used to riding with short, concentrated reins and full contact).
Using two reins (the 12ft line tied into the halter to form a rein, or the Natural Hackamore), hold just the centre of the reins with one hand, in front of the Pommel or saddle horn, allowing the reins to droop loose. the keys are:
- hold the centre of the reins
- keep a straight, relaxed elbow
- rest your hand on the horse’s crest or break of the wither in front of the saddle, or carry it just above the neck.
How to check if your reins are the right length – not too long, not too short:
- you should be able to just touch the centre of your chest, at the solar plexus, with the centre of the reins. If you can do this but the reins are loose and the horse can’t feel it, they are too long.
- Start by walking along the arena rail.
- Hold the reins with the hand furthest from the rail (so if you are riding to the right, hold them in your right hand, and riding to the left, hold them in your left hand. Leave your other hand relaxed on your thigh.
- Every time you horse strays from the rail, pick up the rein and put him back on the rail with a direct rein, then instantly drop it so you return to the casual position. It’s important that you don’t hold your horse there as this will not teach him anything. Put him back, then instantly drop the direct rein to reward the horse. Trust him and if he stray again, pick it up and direct him back, then drop it. Be prepared to do this over and over and over until the horse realises that if he stays at the rail, you’ll leave him alone! It’s the old comfort/discomfort principle!
- Focus is important. Be looking straight ahead and beyond the length of the rail, it will help your horse to feel and follow your focus. When you get to a corner, turn your focus at the last minute.
- Do this until you can make a minimum of four circuits without having to correct the horse.
- Try this first at the walk, then a the trot. (Leave the canter for a higher level!)
Success Tips.
- casual rein, loose for the horse
- straight elbow, point at where you are going if this will help you more
- focus a long way down the rail
- use a direct rein to put your horse back to the rail if he strays
- trust that he’ll stay there but be ready to correct
Pitfalls.
- holding onto the direct rein to prevent your horse leaving the rail. This will make him dull and he won’t learn any responsibility because your’ doing it for him.
- looking at your horse instead of where you are going: watch the road not the wheel!
- two hands on the reins instead of one: the cause rein position.
Troubleshooting.
Your horse will not follow the rail
Stay passively persistent in the proper position. Some horses will really test your patience and ability to stick with it. But they need you to do this. Be a patient teacher for them! Pat has a great way of putting perspective into patience: “I’ve never seen it take longer than two days” Then if it happens in an hour it will feel short!
Your horse strongly resists the direct rein to get back to the fence.
Use an indirect rein to reposition the hindquarters and then the direct rein. The longer you allow the horse to lean against the rein in opposition reflex, the duller and stronger he will become. Change rein positions quickly to disengage the hindquarter (which is where the strength is coming from) and then re-direct the front end.
Your horse tries to run off all the time, gets faster and faster.
Go back to the walk and make sure you can accomplish the task at that gait. Also, use the indirect rein and turn your horse’s nose in toward the rail and allow that to help slow your horse down. In other words, you don’t need to stop him completely, just slow him down and then you can release and trust. If this is still not enough, bend him in every corner and sit with him until he can stand still and you can feel his emotions coming down. Then do a full circle before you move on.
Your horse drastically cuts corners, will not go into them.
Not uncommon! Using a little psychology, you have to make those corners comfortable. Ride straight into the corner and then sit and relax there for half a minute or so. Then move to the next corner. Do this serval times until you feel your horse heading eagerly for the corners then you can start smoothly switching your focus just as you get to the corner and your horse will move onto the new direction.
Summary
A program like following the rail teaches a horse purity of gait, self carriage and the responsibility of thinking for himself.
A program needs to be done 7 days in a row. Even if you can’t ride each day, it needs to be 7 times in a row.
A rectangular arena rail rather than a round corral rail is better.
Use a Casual Rein position for 80% of your riding time.
This is difficult to retrain yourself to do when you are used to riding with full contact!
Casual Rein: hold the centre relaxed elbow hand above the wither.
If you can put your reins over your head. they are too long!
Walk along the rail with a causal rein. Every time your horse leaves the rail, put him back with a direct rein, then leave him alone.
Don’t hold the horse there. Pick up the rein as many times as necessary but drop it every time the horse comes to the rail.
He’ll learn by repetition.
Focus a long way ahead.
Get to where you can do a t least four circuits with out having to touch the rein.
The cause Rein is critical to success.
A long, strong focus is important .
Trust that the horse will respond but be ready to correct. If you hold the horse at the rail he will not learn. Allow him to make mistakes.
Patience. Take the time it takes so it takes less time..
“I’ve never seen it take longer than two days!”
If your horse strongly resists the direct rein. Use an indrect rein to gain better control of the hindquarter direction.
If your horse tries to run off, use an indirect rein to turn your horse into the rail to slow him down. Release when he responds. Bend in the corners, stop, circle, move on.
If your horse cuts corners, use psychology to convince him that corners are nice places!
Stop in the corners for a little while.
