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#2: Be still
Horses anticipate maneuvers in the center of the pen and often dance around, back up, or begin to turnaround before you ask.
Why it happens:
If you rush into your maneuvers, your horse will think that each time he stands in the center, he'll be asked to do something
immediately. So he'll worry and anticipate your cues.
You might also be giving him a "pre-cue" if, for instance, you always shift your weight before a spin.
How to fix it:
Let your horse know that the center of the pen is a place to relax.
Count to 5 before you ask for any maneuver, thus reinforcing the idea that the center of the pen is a place to relax.
While you're standing still on a loose rein,move around in the saddle. This will help him distinguish between random movements
and a cue to do something.
Use a very specific cue to ask him to walk or lope off. I shift my leg backward toward my horse's flank. As my leg rocks backward,
I move my hand forward, up his neck. If necessary, I tap my horse lightly or squeeze with my leg.
The specificity of this combined hand/leg cue helps my horse KNOW what I want him to do. If I don't move my leg back and
bump it on his sides, he's to stay in place. If I move my legs forward, he's to back up. Making the cues to go forward and
back very distinct goes a long way toward preventing anticipation because I've established a clear communication and lessened
the risk of my horse getting confused.
Reinforce the idea of the center as a good, quiet place to be. Don't punish your horse in the center.
#3. Break it down
Break reining maneuvers into distinct parts to ensure correctness and avoid anticipation.
For instance, take transition from large fast to small slow circle. Create a distinct cue for 1) slowing down and 2) changing
direction.
At home, in paid warm-ups, or in small schooling shows, make the slow down 2 or more strides before center. Make sure your
horse slows speed you guide him onto the small slow circle.
By separating the slow down from the change in direction, you'll take a lot of stress off the horse and build confidence.
If your horse doesn't slow, ask for the transition earlier and more firmly so that you get the slow pace before you reach
center. Center becomes an "invisible line" past which the horse, when asked to slow, cannot continue to go fast.
Once you've established the "slow" cue, add the directional cue -but first ensure that he slows for several strides before
you ask him to reduce the circle size.
#4. Glide the slide
Often horses set up and anticipate the sliding stop, usually after a short burst of speed.
Why it happens: The horse knows that when he comes around the corner and doesn't turn onto a circle, the stop is next, so
he speeds up. He also knows that when he speeds up suddenly, he'll be punished, usually by being stopped abruptly. So he runs
out of worry about the stop and then sets up out of concern that he'll be reprimanded.
How to fix it: First, do you pre-cue, bridling and slowing your before you turn on the long side? Keep your hand down and
just steer, so that your horse doesn't sense that there is anything eventful about going around the end.
Change how you ride, as well. As you ride around the short side, pretend that you're going for a trail ride. Relax and slouch
with your body. This will help your horse stay quiet.
If your horse speeds up on the short side, softly ask him to slow and then release. Repeat as often as necessary. Reward even
a slight slowing with a release. If your horse is very strong, gradually increase your hold until he walks and then stops.
Then lope off again. The horse learns that, once he listens, he gets the release and will gradually soften and become more
responsive, listening to you instead of anticipating the run down and stop.
Make a deliberate change of direction and straighten your horse on the long side. Keep your hand still and your body relaxed.
Wait until you're halfway down the pen before you push him to the stop. Go far up the end of the pen, too, so that your horse
will be running smoothly (and well past the markers). He'll learn that the stop is preceeded by a long, gradual increase in
speed, not a quick burst of speed followed by a stiff and jarring stop.
If you get a burst of speed, let your horse speed up (committing the mistake) and then break to a trot or walk. Pulling him
into the ground as a reprimand is more likely to worry him and increase anticipation.
If you use accidential "kick-release-kick" cues in the run down, your horse may think that you're telling him to stop-go-stop-go.
He may respond better to a squeeze from the leg, as opposed to a kick, and will run smoother and cleaner to the stop.
#5. Mix it up
To prevent anticipation and extend your horse's show-ring longevity, vary the level of your performance to suit your objectives.
If you always perform at a high level of difficulty, your horse will become anxious and tend to anticipate. Plus, you'll probablymake
more errors.
For example, increase the number of steps you take at the walk before you lope off, or the length of time you stand after
a spin, or the length of your hesitation after a stop before a rollback. This allows you to separate maneuvers into their
components in the show pen and instill confidence and relaxation.
Every time you show, have a strategy and a sense of the level of difficulty you'll need to ask for, being careful to ask for
more on maneuvers that are your horse's strengths and settle for less on maneuvers that are challenging for him.
Ideally, your horse should show at a level below his capability. If he's a horse capable of a 74, he can probably mark 72s
without much effort. Conversely, if he's asked to perform to the limits of his ability every time he enters the pen, he'll
have more stress and likelihood of anticipation.
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