Topic: Steve's Blog
Steve Lantvit's "Sure in the Saddle" show to be aired on RFD-TVs new sister network, Rural TV, launching in Feb. Rural TV will initially be carried by DISH Network.
Posted by Steve Lantvit
at 9:15 PM CST
Horsemanship is a continual learning process obtained through education, practice, and patience. I hope you find this site useful in your quest to building a true partnership with your horse.
The site is new and will grow over time adding fresh content through articles, videos, and educational tips.
So Sit Sure in the Saddle and Enjoy the Ride,
Steve
Banixx™ Wound & Hoof Care is pleased to announce its sponsorship of Steve Lantvit, 2009 Certified Horsemanship Association Instructor (CHA) of the Year.
As a full-time clinician, trainer and instructor, Lantvit's focus is on all around horsemanship and the betterment of the relationship between man/woman and horse. His safe, effective training methods make him an ideal sponsorship match for a company whose product has been raising the bar for gentle yet effective treatment of wounds and infections in horses and other animals since 2006.
Lantvit's extensive experience across the riding disciplines – from polo and jumping to ranch and cow work, and extreme cowboy racing – gives him an edge when it comes to understanding the importance of all around horsemanship in the creation of the versatile horse, along with an appreciation for a multi-use product that delivers dramatic results. Learn more about Steve at his web site, www.SteveLantvit.com.
"Banixx™ is the most fabulous product I've ever used in terms of wound care," says Lantvit. "Both my clients and I have been very impressed with the speed of healing it produces, its ease of use, and it's versatility." Lantvit adds that he's very old-fashioned when it comes to the products he uses and recommends to his clients. "I would never want to be associated with a product or a method I didn't truly believe in," says Lantvit. "I don't believe in gimmicks or quick-fixes. Banixx™ is a product that has both the science and the passion of its developers behind it, and I'm very proud to have the company as a sponsor."
Thanks to the support of Banixx™ Wound and Hoof Care, Lantvit will soon be sharing his considerable equestrian talents with a much wider audience. "Sure in the Saddle", which premieres this fall on the Universityhouse Channel on DISH Network™ will give viewers at home access to Lantvit's extensive knowledge of resistance-free training methods designed to help horse and rider build a strong foundation based on communication and trust.
In our pursuit of horsemanship and our search for improved performance some are willing to try anything for a quick solution to achieve collection. But, the reality is that there is no substitute for the hard work and hours of practice that is required to achieve true collection. True collection cannot be achieved by a stronger bit or tools that force the horse into a position. What I offer is a natural approach to achieve softness and to work with the horse and not against him. For a lack of a better term, I am after a holistic approach in the training process, one that the horse will understand and allow him to learn in a natural manner without force.
Many of the horses that arrive by me have been already started but have hit a road block in their training process. One of the biggest mistakes I see is the horse that has been asked to be collected too soon. Too often, people are in a rush and are not willing to wait on the horse. They are not willing to put in the time to develop the foundation that leads to natural collection.
I like to think of the horse as a spring, where the hind end of the spring is pushed or ridden into the front. This riding forward builds up energy and rounds the back of the horse thereby lightening the front end. The problem with the bigger bit theory is that the horse is reluctant to move forward. This causes the horse to stop driving from the hind end, and the shoulder and the back to drop. The horse is often reluctant and locks up in the shoulder.
What is needed is not a bigger bit or a stronger hand but an exercise that works on the natural mechanics of the horse and allows the horse to understand what is being taught without pain or intimidation. Think of the spring, and imagine pushing the spring forward on a table with your finger. Then take your other finger and gentle slow the spring down, just for a second or two. Notice the center of the spring will bend upward off the table. This is collection. Slow the spring down just for a second and then release the spring forward. The release is just as important as the collection if we want to teach self-carriage.
A simple exercise that I like to use to start to achieve collection is a downward transition exercise. I start with the horse soft and giving to the bit. I walk the horse forward and wait on the horse to be relaxed. When I feel that he is ready, I push the horse forward into a collected trot just for twenty to thirty feet, then, I transition down to a walk for a stride or two. After a few steps at a walk, I transition back to a collected trot for twenty to thirty feet, then back down to a walk for a stride or two. I will repeat this exercise five or six times around the arena and then stop collected. I will then change directions and repeat the same exercise again, making sure to work both sides of the horse equally. This exercise should be performed three or four times in both directions. What I am waiting on is the horse to elevate at the shoulder in the upward transition and not elevate at the head and neck. This exercise can be practiced throughout the training of a horse and at any age.
What makes this exercise so wonderful and easy for the horse to understand is there is a built in release that allows the horse to search for self collection. As the horse advances in the training process, his self-carriage will last longer and longer. And the horse will feel lighter in your hands. This method works with the natural make-up of the horse and the language they understand. No gimmicks or quick fixes just solid horsemanship that builds a solid foundation.
When a horse comes in for training by me it's pretty common that the rider mentions to me that they want a horse that they could pull out of a stall, saddle and go. I respond, "That's great if your horse was a scooter. But it's not. This horse is a living, breathing creature with feelings." I personally like to check out what side of the stall my equine partner woke up on that morning. Before I ride any horse, I do a ten minute warm up to do a safety check of all the horse's body parts and his mental attitude that goes along with it.
I start by grooming and saddling my horse like I would do every day. But, before I bridle, I go into the arena and go through the three main commandments of control. I create movement, I redirect movement, and I inhibit movement. What I mean is that I just don't lunge mindlessly for ten minutes in hopes of tiring my horse out. Instead, I am working my horse's mind not just his body. Contrary to popular opinion, he is never too tired to buck. With a rope halter I will send him around me a few times, stop the horse and change direction, and then send him forward again. Every time I create movement, redirect movement, and inhibit movement, I am putting myself in the alpha position. Just a few minutes of this exercise is all that it takes. If your horse has his own plan for the day this is when it will start to appear, and if need be, you can change it. Remember, it's not about the time but about the attitude of the horse that we are after. Take your time and do a good job.
After a few minutes of sending exercises I will go ahead and bridle my horse. After I mount, I make sure to stand still for a minute or two. This brief pause helps to relax my horse and again reinforces the point of him waiting on me. I am the alpha. During the standing I will start with lateral flexion to encourage my horse to follow a feel. After I am satisfied with him standing patiently, I will ask him to walk forward on a loose rein while encouraging him to lower his head and relax. A relaxed horse will learn and is safe to ride.
From this point you are ready to go and begin your ride. Your horse should now be prepared and listening to you. Warming up by trotting on a loose rein is probably my favorite way to start any ride and it works well on any level of horse.
So remember to warm up your horse's mind and not just his body the next time you get ready to train so you can Enjoy the Ride.
All too often I hear a student tell me,"I just trail ride." But, creating a willing horse does not just matter in the show arena, it but needs to be established in all aspects of your relationship with your horse. The three components that are required to create an alpha role for the rider, is to establish forward movement, redirect movement and inhibit movement. In trail riding it is the loss of forward movement that the problem lies in. There is no possible way to desensitize the horse to all that he may see on the trail, so we need to have a relationship were we, as alpha, direct the horse at or over an obstacle and they go willingly. If the forward movement has been established and practiced the horse begins to understand that nothing will happen and a trust starts to build. The more we practice, the more trust builds, and so on.
Setting up for success is the single most important step of training, whether for fast spins or a wooden bridge out on trail. Start small and build from there. A single ground pole in the round pen and free lounging the horse is a good starting point. Be careful not to crowd the horse or to push too fast and usually, in a few minutes, the horse will start to go over the ground pole. This simple exercise helps establish trust that you were not going to hurt or force him which helps set him up for success for that log crossing out on the trail. Once the horse can do this without the rider, go ahead and saddle the horse and repeat the exercise mounted.
The ground pole can be exchanged with any obstacles such as tarps, barrels, sheets of plywood, anything you can think of. The key in this whole exercise is the forward movement and what to do when you lose it. On the ground or in the saddle the one thing that remains the same is never force the horse to do anything. Be firm, but not forceful. Learn the difference. I like to think of it like this; the relief is the obstacle, and as long as the horse's feet are moving forward and he is trying, I'm happy. If the movement stops or changes direction I re-direct and encourage him forward with gentle bumps with my legs or my hands. I like to think of myself for the first time on a high dive - would I want someone pushing or rushing me? A few extra minutes in the beginning will save a lot of time down the trail. Remember, we are building trust, and it is the trust that will later get you over that log or water crossing with no visible bottom. The forward movement makes it possible to direct and guide our horses but it is the trust and the faith that we have established that holds it all together.
In our journey to become better horsemen we must understand the movement of the horse and the mechanics that he uses to propel himself forward, backward and turn. Once we know how nature intended the horse to move, we can then use it to our advantage, or change it to suit our needs. The horse pulls from the front, turns in the middle and pushes from the rear. He naturally carries more of his weight on his front-end, not the rear. It is this basic understanding that we need to help us position the horse to do the task at hand. When we watch a rider move effortlessly around an arena or field, and the horse seems to float and steer with the slightest touch, we are watching these concepts being put to use. The rider is working with the horse and not against him. Understanding footfall patterns and feeling the rhythm and timing help us to become better horsemen.
There are different gaits in which the horse uses to move himself around. Walk, trot, canter and gallop. These gaits have a different feel and beat. Learning the rhythms and timings of these gaits will aid in controlling the horse more effectively. Experienced riders ride in rhythm with their horse, creating a harmony they can use to help control speed and direction. Practice at different gaits moving freely with the horse, encouraging him to move faster. Then at the same gait slow your body rhythm and the horse will start to slow down. Think of riding as a dance. The gait sets the beat and the horse and rider is the couple. It becomes the rider's job to take the lead and set the pace. When a horse continually breaks gait the problem is usually the rider being out of timing with the horse.
The first of these gaits that a rider must learn is the walk. The walk is the slowest of all the gaits and has four beats. When we refer to beats we are referring to the footfall pattern it takes the horse to move one stride. In other words, each foot is striking the ground separately, so the rider is feeling four separate beats. The footfall pattern starts off right hind, then right front, then left hind and finally left front. Learning to distinguish the different beats and footfall patterns will aid in controlling the direction the horse is going. For example, at this gait start making a turn when the inside front leg is off the ground. That is when the horse has the ability to move the leg and reposition the foot. How can the horse make a direction change when he is bearing weight on the leg he needs to move first? When the rider is out of timing giving the cues for a directional change to the horse, the horse will appear heavy and clumsy in his steering.
The trot is probably the hardest gait to learn for a new rider because it is a diagonal, two beat rhythm. The footfall pattern starts with the right hind and front left striking the ground at the same time, followed by the left hind and right front. Depending on how high the horse lifts his knees, will determine on how bouncy the trot feels. For example, a horse that moves his knees flat has a smoother more western jog then a horse with a lot of knee action. While posting the trot you can start to learn the diagonals by glancing down. Do not shift your weight forward, because this throws off your balance and causes the horse to accelerate. Begin rising with the outside shoulder, trotting in a large circle. Be careful not to develop a crutch by visually checking all the time. Instead, teach yourself to feel for the correct diagonal by closing your eyes and feeling for the outside rear hip as it lifts and drives you into the post.
After mastering both the walk and the trot, and being able to stay in time with your horse, start to work on the canter. The canter is a three beat gait which can have either a right or left lead. The best way that I can describe the importance of the correct lead, is to have a rider dismount and skip a circle to the left, with the left leg leading through the turn. Then I have them try the same exercise on a left circle with the right leg leading the turn. Once you feel how awkward that is to do, you will understand the importance of getting the correct lead. The footfall pattern for the left lead starts with right hind, followed by left hind and right front striking the ground simultaneously, then left front followed by a moment of suspension. The right lead footfall pattern is left hind, followed by right hind and left front striking the ground simultaneously, then right front followed by a moment of suspension. Again, feeling the rhythm and timing is important to controlling and turning the horse. Directional changes should happen when the front legs are off the ground. At this time the horse has no weight on his front legs and it is possible for him to redirect them. Safety and riding in control are key to advancing your horsemanship. If you are out of control slow down and go back to the trot. Again, circles are great exercises to practice this technique. Start off with a large circle and redirect the horse with a gentle hand making the circles smaller, then redirect him back out the same way. Remember to keep in mind all of your natural aids; hands, seat, legs and voice. All of your aids should be working in unison to communicate effectively.
The gallop is the fastest of all the gaits and should only be done by riders who demonstrate total control. The gallop is a four beat gait similarly to the canter but in the diagonal beat the feet hit the ground with a slight timing separation.
Understanding how the horse moves and the pattern in which the feet strike the ground is an essential part of horsemanship. Practice feeling the rhythm of your horse, and as you become better in tune with your horse communication lines between the two of you will start to open. This feeling will give you more control and enable you to guide and correct your horse more successfully. Communication requires an open mind between horse and rider. Listen to what he is telling you.
When building a house the first thing you work on is the foundation. It supports the floor, walls, and roof. A solid foundation ensures the longevity of the house. But if the foundation is rushed and not constructed well, problems will develop over time; cracks in the wall or uneven floors. The same holds true with building the foundation in a horse. The obvious difference between the horse and the house is that the horse has a mind.
The foundation that we need to develop starts with the horse's mind and we accomplish this by controlling his movement through his feet by creating movement, re-directing movement, or inhibiting movement. First, I suggest being in the round pen and starting by creating movement. By this I mean sending the horse forward. In order to train a horse we need forward movement, not sideways, not rearing up but forward. The forward movement puts us in an alpha role. Do this by creating energy or a posture that moves the horse away from us. Start to experiment with your body position. Take a more dominant posture and walk at your horse's hip while pointing one arm in the direction you want him to move. With the other arm, send the horse forward with a cue stick. After the horse has responded and is moving forward, stop cueing. If you continue to apply the aids after the horse has responded he will start to dull to the cues and will become less responsive.
Now that we have achieved forward movement, we need to re-direct the movement. Stop driving him away and step back slowly. You are going to gently cut him off by switching the cue stick in the other hand and by pointing in the other direction. Continue sending him in the new direction a few times around the round pen and then change directions again. Remember, the alpha horse has the ability to send the herd where ever they want. These exercises put you in that alpha role. If he respects you on the ground he will respect you in the saddle.
The final exercise is to inhibit movement. This does not mean to hang on the halter like an iron anchor and get dragged around the round pen as you are thinking that you're really training now. Instead, have a plan of attack and wait for the horse to be in a stopping mind set. Set yourself and your horse up for success. A great way to achieve this is with the "whoa." Send the horse around enough so the fresh is off of him but not so that he is hot and exhausted. We are trying to gain respect not fear. Once the horse has settled in and the fresh is off, position yourself in the direction he is heading by quietly cutting him off while saying "whoa" in a quiet tone. When the horse starts to stop, step yourself back drawing him towards you. He should end up facing you square on. If he turns away, evaluate what just happened. Did you stop him too fast and he was unprepared? Was he too fresh? Did he turn away out of a lack of respect? Determine what happened and adjust to fit the situation. All good horsemen want to earn the respect through effective communication and understanding. Learn to be an effective listener and really listen to what your horse is telling you through their reactions and body language.
These three simple exercises can be done with a round pen or on a lunge line. In an arena or out in the field, they are effective on a young colt or a twelve year old mare. It takes just a few minutes before each ride to make sure that horse has all of his attention on you. It is the basic principle that I go back to time and time again in my training sessions. The foundations that I am building are accompanied by good experiences. I am alpha and he can trust in that and the fact that alpha has always done right by him.
So take the time to create movement, re-direct movement or inhibit movement and start to develop the communication tools that are so needed in young and older horses alike. These are the keys that can lead a horse through almost anything. Remember, never stop working on those foundation skills, they could never be good enough.
When instructing horse and rider teams it is important for the rider to understand that there is a logical progression of what to do. I like to think of the riders learning progress as a series of plateaus. First the basic understanding of riding, then the direct rein, then understanding leg cues and hopefully then the understanding of the outside rein. Once the basics of this is understood then the rider needs to learn when and how much to use to convey the message. I call this the understanding of the escalation of aids and the hierarchy of aids.
The hierarchy of aids is the sequence of what has to happen first and in order for the maneuver to be successful and correct. Like with real-estate where location, location, location is important, in riding, it's all about position, position, position. The horse needs to be in the correct position to perform the task that is asked of him; relaxed in the pole and in a collected frame, level top-line, an elevated shoulder, a rounded back, and an engaged hind end. It is the responsibility of the rider to position the horse so that the maneuver is successful. The rider is constantly making minor adjustment to correct the position of the horse.
There are four natural aids; hands, legs, seat and voice, all of which need to be applied at different times and in different ways. When instructing students I always want the rider to learn to minimize the use of their hands. A great exercise for a student to fully understand the importance of hierarchy of aids is leg yield drills. For example, when schooling the horse and rider in lateral work exercises, have the rider position the horse in the correct collected frame. Have the rider tip the horse's nose slightly to one side without altering the direction of which the horse is heading. Wait a second and see what happens. If the horse is pulled off course, the rider has applied too much hand. We are trying to achieve a position in the horses' frame that makes success possible. Remember that the quiet and responsive horse is what we are after. Then, have the rider shift their weight slightly to the same side and apply a little inside leg at the girth. Remember that the cue is to last no more than one second at a time. The outside leg needs to be removed from the side of the horse as well as the outside rein. This will give the horse a release and a place to go. Ask the student how the horse feels underneath them. For example, if the horse feels like he is charging through then the outside leg might have been left on to long when the inside leg was applied, or, the rider never shifted weight to the inside seat bone. Have the student help critique their ride. As they understand what needs to happen and when for each maneuver, they will gain the knowledge of hierarchy of aids and thereby truly own the knowledge.
The hierarchy of aids is as simple as this. However, this simple exercise can quickly go wrong if certain aids were applied before others. If the horse was not in the collected frame with an elevated shoulder and the rider started pulling on the reins, the horses head would most likely rise and go further out of position. If the rider applied leg and did not remove the other in this exercise the horse would end up rushing through the bit, thus resulting in the rider hanging on his face.
The secret to good horsemanship is having the understanding that there is a time and a place and a sequence when applying aids. Just like when learning a new language certain words come before others, the same applies in horses. It is the riders' responsibility to communicate effectively to the horse and make the cues easy to understand. The next time you are riding and schooling your horse pay attention to the aids that you are using and make sure they make sense to your horse. Pay attention to common faults such as closing one door and not opening the other as this may cause the horse to feel claustrophobic and tense. Think about pushing a ball on the table, if the other hand is in the way the ball stops traveling or you have to push harder to move the ball and your hand. Our goal should be that of a light and willing horse, that is responsive to the slightest touch.
When riding remember to be an effective communicator so you build the relationship that your horse deserves. There is an order of aids that makes it easier for the horse to understand what the rider wants. But it all starts with position, position, position.
Getting our horses to perform better is a lifelong goal for most of us. We spend hours teaching our horses to flex and to become supple so to gain control over their body parts, head, neck , shoulders, ribcage, and hip. We lope for miles in circles engaging the hind end and lifting the shoulder. All this flexing and circles is done so that we could put this all together and travel in a straight line.
A wonderful exercise that I have my students do to work on straightness is a simple square pattern. I start by placing four cones about fifty to sixty feet apart, forming a square with 90 degree corners. This exercise can be done in the arena, or just out in a field. Sometimes I prefer the field for a change of pace. I'll start my student walking the horse around the outside of the cones in either direction. The purpose for walking once or twice around the square is to give the horse an idea of what's coming next. I would do this if it was the horse's first time on this pattern, after a time or two the horse is aware of the pattern and this makes the work easier. Remember that this is a square pattern exercise and not a circle. I want to see four 90 degree corners and straight lines in between the cones. On the four straight lines I'm looking for even reins with a low and soft hand. Remember to keep the horse between your legs and your reins, looking ahead to give the horse direction and a destination. Remember, where the head goes the horse will follow. When coming to a cone where a 90 degree turn is needed, raise the inside rein slightly and help push the horse around the turn with your outside or supporting rein. The nose should be tipped in slightly to encourage the bend through the turn. Keep your inside leg aid at the girth and your outside leg back behind the girth to aid in impulsion. We are looking for the horse to bend around the turn and continue in a straight line. So do not over bend the horse or he will migrate out of the turn. If this is happening you're using too much inside rein. When the turn is completed, lower the inside rein and bring your outside leg forward, and send your horse straight ahead again. This exercise should be done in both directions to keep the horse balanced.
Another great exercise to do is down and backs. When in the arena pick a point and ride straight to it. Start from a collected frame and trot collected. Make sure you're square in the saddle, the reins are even, and you're looking ahead. Trot far enough down the arena so that you have established a good straight line. When you're far enough down the area exhale, sit deep and stop the horse. Keep the stop straight. When the horse is completely stopped, rock him back on his hindquarters and ask for a change of direction. The change of direction should take place using one of the hind feet as a pivot. Leave over the same tracks you came in on. Remember to ride out straight, looking ahead to give direction to the horse. Collection should be maintained as much as possible to encourage an engaged hindquarter. This maneuver should be first done at a trot and after successful then at a canter. Advancing to a canter prematurely will only diminish straightness, and lead to a lack of control.
These are only a couple of exercises to help develop straightness. The better the horse goes straight the better he stops, jumps, ropes and does everything else. Ultimately, we are after more control of our equine partner.
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