And I’m not talking about the panic you might feel emotionally, or even mentally (that’s a subject for another time).
I'm talking more about your physical reaction - the kind that your horse interprets as going into panic mode.
Let's say you are working on transitions. You are going to the left at the trot, and you want your horse to pick up the canter at C, canter through the corner and down the rail to a 20 meter circle at E. This is a standard series of movements for Training Level in dressage, but could be worked on for any discipline..
Has this ever happened to you?
In this scenario, your horse begins to scramble at your canter aid. Instead of reaching deeper underneath the body, rounding through your half-halt and striking off with the outside hind into a balanced canter, he goes faster faster faster, becoming choppy in the trot and heavy in the reins. You feel you need to pull on the reins to maintain your (and your horse's balance), but because you want the canter, you kick again, hoping that his increased energy will send him into the new gait.
He just goes faster still. Maybe at some point, he does canter off, but now his head is high, his nose is stuck up to the sky and his back becomes hollow (and you can feel that because you start bouncing on something that feels like concrete). You have trouble steering, it feels like he's going to break stride any second, and you fight to not lean into his "motorcycle" lean on the circle.
When you go through this series of events that lead to a disengaged movement, it is easy to let everything go and allow the horse to scramble or break stride or maybe even buck! It's also fairly easy to fight the situation by pulling on the reins in attempt to slow down the legs or half-halt - but that results in futility as well because the horse is already so off balance that he simply cannot help you.
Even if you are not thinking "panic", your body may be communicating it by either being completely passive or too reactive after the horse is off balance.
What to do?
1. Stop.
At the first hint of imbalance (probably indicated by legs speeding up), stop.
Pull up the horse.
Stop the legs.
Calm down.
Stop the panic.
Literally, gather yourself up. Gather your horse up. Gather your thoughts.
And immediately after you've stopped, try again.
2. The secret: go right back to what you were doing.
Start your trot again, reestablish correct balance, develop a good rhythm, and ask for the canter again.
Alternately, if you think your horse will have an easier time, canter right off from a walk.
In any case, stay focused on your exercise. If you were planning to do the canter transition, do the canter transition.
3. What not to do.
Don't change the subject and walk or trot around the remainder of the circle.
Don't rest. If you walk, canter off as soon as physically possible.
Don't charge through the process again. Remember that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again, expecting to get different results! 🙂
Don't get frustrated. Stay calm and controlled.
Don't quit too soon. Although you shouldn't drill something ad infinitum, be prepared to try it a few times to see if there is some improvement. You might be surprised to find that after the fourth or fifth try, the horse somehow just figures it out.
Have you ever stopped an exercise to gather up yourself and your horse? How did it work out?
Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!
