Q. I’m retraining my walker/thoroughbred this summer after a six-month bout of very minimal riding. I learned to ride in an English saddle and wish to return to it. My horse surprised everyone last year by being more than mannerly on a lunge line and lead. His previous owner mentioned that he’d been ridden hunt seat before he’d purchased him, so I’m counting on him remembering a bit once we begin. However, he has been ridden in an all-purpose western trail saddle ever since his previous owner purchased him, probably for four years. Does anyone have any training tips they’ve discovered to help us during this transition? I’ve heard it’s difficult to switch between disciplines. We’re also going to try a snaffle instead of a curb. This frightens me! He has a bit of a hard mouth, and I’m afraid I won’t have as much response. Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
A. I expect the transition from hunt seat to western and back to hunt will be surprisingly easy for both you and your horse. I assume when you said you started riding in an English saddle, you meant hunt seat as opposed to saddle seat. If it was a saddle seat, however, the transition will be much more difficult. There is a tremendous difference in the rider’s balance and application of aids between saddle seat and hunt or western.
But if we are talking about switching from western to hunt, there’s really nothing to it. Your horse will most likely not have forgotten his earlier training. He will remember the sensation of posting and the closer feel of his rider’s legs and rein contact. He should have no problem accepting, understanding, and responding to a direct rein.
There are a few potential wrenches that could muck up the situation a bit, though. If your horse’s previous experience with hunt seat riding was harmful – if his rider was terribly unbalanced, tight with his legs, rigid with his hands, and/or concussive with his seat, your horse may not remember the experience fondly. Also, if your horse was very young and only ridden hunt for a brief period of time, he may not remember much about it at all.
If you were taking a world class western pleasure horse and attempting to compete successfully with him on the hunter/jumper circuit, I’d anticipate some substantial problems retraining him from one frame and style of movement to another of such drastically different standards. However, it sounds like you are taking an animal who has been ridden casually in a western saddle for a period of time and returning him to the style of his previous training. There may be a little period of reacquaintance and readjustment, but I wouldn’t expect it to be much of a problem.
The most important consideration here is to be careful not to ask him to do too much too soon. If he has been out of work for six months, he’ll need to be returned to work slowly and gradually … especially if he’s an older horse. Short rides at a strong walk for the first week will start to tone muscles. Brief trots of one minute each can be incorporated into the rides during the second week. If you find your horse showing signs of soreness, excessive laziness, or ill temper, you may be pushing him farther physically than he’s ready to handle.
As far as the bit is concerned, a mild snaffle would be my choice also. Don’t let it scare you. A snaffle can actually afford more control than a curb when used correctly – not that you’ll need it. One of the joys of riding in a hunt saddle rather than a western is the much closer contact between your legs and seat, and it is through this contact that you will find your greatest communication and control with your horse. Your rein aids will always be secondary to your seat and legs.
While reacquainting your horse with rein contact and direct rein cues, keep your contact very light and apply indirect (neck rein) cues along with the direct rein cues to remind him of the direct rein meanings. It probably won’t be long before he’ll be responding to the direct rein independently of the indirect, especially if you also use your legs and seat to reinforce the rein cues.
If your horse tends to become headstrong in the snaffle, be sure to ride him only in an enclosed arena and work on getting him to listen and respond to your seat and legs rather than being so dependent on your hands. There is no more effective or permanent fix for a hard mouth.