1966-Voice Of The Tennessee Walking Horse 1966 October Voice RS | Page 66

HORSE BUSINESS
(Continued from page
63)
If you are starting your colt outside it may be a good
idea to have some clearly defined starting and stopping
place until he becomes bridle wise. Then you can proceed
to the “wide open spaces5’.
After the colt had settled down, our trainer made a
positive effort to get her to ease into a steady pace. On
questioning him, we learned that a rider can feel the pace
when the colt starts swinging him back and forth in the
rear end and the ride gets into a one-two bumping rhythm
from side to side. Try to hold your colt at this precise speed
and in this specific gait. We are pleased that our colt is
a bit pacy as this is sometimes better than a trotty colt.
EDITORS NOTE: The Pace is a gait that finds both
right feet striking the ground at the same time and both
the left feet striking the ground at the same time. This
produces a hard, swinging feeling and is sometimes hard
to ride. A note regarding this tendency is taken from an
article by Winston Wiser. It is as follows: “If you find
that your colt has a tendency to pace, let him go and
chances are that he will slip right into a square Running
Walk. By “go on” I mean exactly that! Let him carry
on into the gait he chooses. I let my Two-Year-Olds that
have a tendendency to Pace go on as fast as he can, within
reason of course. He soon literally “walks” out of his
Pacing and develops into a colt that can do a decent
Running Walk naturally. Sometimes I have to ride a
colt in the fast Running Walk for three or four months
before I get him square. “Square” means hitting the
ground solidly with a 1-2-3-4 beat—on all four corners.”
Our colts first lesson under saddle proved to be quite
successful. She behaved well, adjusted to the various new
events properly and did all that was expected of her. She
was ridden for about twenty minutes and it was noted
that she was overstriding well in the Walk and moved
well at a faster gait. We did note that she by overstriding
had kicked her right front foot about one inch above the
Coronet band in the back and produced a /2" cut that was
bleeding freely when our trainer quit riding her. After she
was hosed down with warm water and cooled out, this
cut was doctored. It will produce no problem for future
riding but attention will be given to her action to see that
it does not happen again if possible.
THE PROGRAM
This colt will be ridden daily for about twenty to
thirty minutes, depending on her progress. Our program
calls for her to become completely bridle wise and ac­
customed to the basic commands of starting and stopping.
Our trainer will try to settle her in a good pace and a
flat foot walk and will try to keep her there so she will
learn that this is what is expected of her. Next month we
will bring you up to date on her progress, any changes
that have been made in her training program and what
is next on her training schedule.
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66
BITTING THE COLT—The bridle and caveson are both put
on underneath the halter while our colt, is in the cross tie.
This prevents her from bolting and getting away. The colts
muzzle is held in one hand, gently forcing the bit into the
mouth while the other hand gently eases the bridle leather
over the ears and into place.
MOUNTING THE COLT—This is the position that should
be maintained while the colt is getting used to having a person
on or near them. After she became used to this, the rider
mounted her easily and they were “off and running”.
NOTE: All the equipment pictured for this “first lesson”
can be purchased either the National Bridle Shop, Lewis-
burg, Tennessee or the Walking Horse Supply Company,
Shelbyville, Tennessee. They will be glad to assist you in
any problems of getting the right type of equipment for
your colt.
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VOICE of the Tennessee Walking Horse