How to get your horse to pay attention to footing?

[Huntertwo]

I'm not even sure how to word this.... My POA is a wonderful spook free trail pony. I just point and she'll go over and through anything.

Some days, like yesterday she walks with her head every where else than looking where she is going. If there was a rock on the trail, she tripped on it, instead on navigating around it. :no:

Finally after the 200th "trip over a rock" I screamed, "Watch where the *F* you're going"... I think every hunter within 10 miles heard me.;)

I ride Western and she goes on a nice draped rein, plus she has a nice level neck line, so its not as though she can't get her head down to see. She just rather be looking in every other direction...

It is frustrating sometimes, so do you discipline? Yell at them to pay attention? Or just let it go?

[pandorasboxx]

Finally after the 200th "trip over a rock" I screamed, "Watch where the *F* you're going"... I think every hunter within 10 miles heard me.

Bwahaha! ahhh.....sounds so familiar.

I try switching up gaits/speed and get her mind back on the trail. A little log or ditch jumping helps as does serpentines. Sometimes I think the tripping is just boredom or if after a long conditioning ride, fatigue.

Someone suggested once working with cavaletti in the ring on occasion.

[Auventera Two]

Well, I started ponying my baby as a weanling so she knew all about pretty much everything by the time I started riding her on trails. Maybe lines of cavalletti would help him pay attention to his feet? Do some trot lines with one stride between poles??

[Ponyclubrocks]

I think horses that spend a lot of time outdoors in more rugged pasture terrain get a much stronger sense of body awareness and surefootedness than those that live the pampered life. A trainer at my barn always tosses "trippy" youngsters out to live the rugged life (rugged as in hilly, uneven ground, still have plenty of shelter, water and food!)for a while and they do come back in much more balanced and over themselves.

[DopyDgz]

A good, sharp verbal reprimand the instant the horse trips or stumbles ("HEY!") will teach him to look where he goes. Do not reprimand looking around, just the consequences of not watching the trail: trips, knocks, stumbles. If you make stumbling unpleasant, he'll have incentive to avoid it.

You might also try some in-ring obstabcle work, and riding on really rough trails from time to time.

[Huntertwo]

Thanks guys. I'll try the cavalettis when rifle season starts in November:)
That is when I avoid the trails and stay close to the barn. Right now I'm trying to enjoy the trails until then.

Some days shes great. She'll have her head down and navigate where she is going.

Some days she'd rather be a sight seeing tourist than watching for the rocks. ;) But I love her regardless... :yes:

I'll try the verbal reprimand too...just without the "F" word...:eek:

[Just Wondering]

I've always used "step" "easy" "careful" and "OK".

Step - means to pick their feet UP

Easy - rock, muck, etc

Careful - muddy, lots of tree roots, bad rocky stretch

It was frustrating to start a new distance horse and have them not just 'know' that OK meant they could resume trotting (after we cleared the mud, rocky area, got to the bottom of the hill, etc).

Use ground poles, etc in the arena to start enforcing the cues.

[cnigh]

I'm all for verbal commands.

My mare knows:

a half-halt followed with a loose rein and a "careful" - she will put her head down to look and lift her feet higher.

also

a half-halt with steady contact at the top of a steep hill and an "easy walk" - she will pick her way down carefully (instead of rushing - which scares the cr@p out of me)

and

And lastly when she is galloping madly (I love my little speed demon :D) a low "steady" brings her pace down a few notches.

I have lots more verbal commands but I those are the only ones that I use while riding.

[Beverley]

I like to teach them to look out for their own tootsies without my having to speak to them. Fortunately I have trails that have 'just enough' rocks- if they're paying attention, they are fine, if they quit paying attention, well, there's a little owie of their own doing. They pretty quickly learn that they are in charge of where they put their feet...unless of course I exercise the manual override option.

[goeslikestink]

ometims its due to long toes, or if shod shoes need changing or
the rider - not being aware of its envriioment

[Mtn trails]

I agree with GLS. I have a quarter horse gelding that I ride on trails and if his toes are a little too long, it's trip trip trip all the way down the trail. We've tried speeding up his fronts and slowing his hinds and that has helped a lot.

[JackSprats Mom]

I use the command 'step' also, for times when there maybe something unusual coming up, or a big drop, or if simply he's looking at something else and I don't think he's seen the tree stump. It really works.

That said for the most part he looks after his own feet:winkgrin:

[walkinthewalk]

Some great advice:)

Some horses are just more "natural" at taking to the rough trails than others are. Just like there are people who win atheletic events because they have a natural ability (combined with training) the rest of us only dream about.

Each of my trail horses requires a different "thought process" from me. I have one that I have to babysit every second we are road riding, but the more dangerous the trail, the less I have to do the thinking because he thrives in that "Calgary Stampede" environment:cool:

Conversely, my best road horse (who gives the one-fingered ear flick to any semi that lets its jake-brake off next to him), has to have guidance from me when we're sliding down a hill side because he wants to make it a timed Rolex event:lol:

Be sure there's nothing wrong with the farrier's work (to make the horse trip or stumble), and that her skeletal system isn't out of whack. It could be she's never shown any issues because of the type of arena riding she has done, but now that she has to work up and down hills, it might be difficult for her to pick her feet up. Her body is now performing movements she's not used to.

To make a second analogy, people that walk and lift weights are in the best of shape, but I doubt they would last past the 2nd morning with me mukking stalls and then dumping and spreading all that fertilizer because I am using my muscles in a lot different way than when I really did used to lift weights:D

Horses can not be put on "auto pilot" when they are riding trails beyond the "Metro Park System", especially horses that are green to that type of environment. They need to be assured they are doing ok, even if they made a mistake, but couldn't help that mistake (such as stumbling).

Now it you've got a horse that thrills on bucking up while you're going down hill, that's a matter for three seconds of "I'm going to kill you" or mehbee even 12 seconds if you can ride it out to the bottom :lol:

[cnigh]

I should have added that my girl rarely trips :). She has great feet and doesn't have a problem with different terrains. That being said, if I see something that might cause a problem (rock, tree root etc) I will "warn" her of it with my cues. To me its all part of actually riding not just sitting on my horse.

[Gray Horse H/J]

My horse does this at the walk. He's completely sure-footed in the ring, but when I hack around the farm's property he's so busy looking around that he doesn't watch where he's going. If I trot, he's much better. I think for him, it's just lack of focus. I never had an oppurtunity to hack outside of a ring until this summer, and I think my horse is still just utterly fascinated at all the cool stuff to look at. :D

[Huntertwo]

My horse does this at the walk. He's completely sure-footed in the ring, but when I hack around the farm's property he's so busy looking around that he doesn't watch where he's going. If I trot, he's much better. I think for him, it's just lack of focus. I never had an oppurtunity to hack outside of a ring until this summer, and I think my horse is still just utterly fascinated at all the cool stuff to look at. :D

GrayHorse, that is the category I would put her in...:lol: I've been trail riding her since I've owned her. (2 1/2 years), she is in shape and her feet are good.
Now that the cool weather has arrived (except this last week) her focus in on everything else.

We just discovered a new trail out of luck and she was great since the trail has not been maintained and there were logs and branches everywhere. When we discover a new trail, she is very adventurous and can't wait to see whats around the next corner.

I wonder if she is getting bored on the same trails. Unfortunately here in CT. unless you have a trailer, which I don't, there really isn't a place for me to for miles and miles.

Thanks everyone for your input.. very appreciated..:yes: