The Whoa
By Carrie Scrima
Carrie co-founded ACTHA in 2008, she is a life-long, avid horsewoman. Carrie and her husband Tom, advocate trail riding as a conduit toward the preservation of equine employment, which has become their life pursuit.
ACTHA Monthly | September 2015 | 36
The voice is an excellent aid, and I suggest that all trail riders use it. In an arena, it may not be appropriate to say whoa to your horse in a crowded class of other horses since you can influence another horse and rider. However, on the trail and in ACTHA competition, you just will be influencing YOUR horse.
To ask a horse for a good balanced stop, you should be sitting in the middle of your saddle. And when you ask for the stop, push your belly button towards your
spine which will push you into the cantle of the saddle. Do not throw your shoulders back, unless the terrain would require you to for safety purposes. However, a good stop comes from a good seat. Your hand is the last thing you will use. Use something on the trail that provides a block to your horse; such as a fence line (not barbed wire please!),a large grouping of trees, dense brush, etc. But something that would make the horse realize that he can’t go through it. (If you are an English rider and jump your horse, I would not use a fence or a jump for this exercise as it would break your horses commitment to jumping. Use the side of a building or something that is very dense.) Start at the walk, heading straight for the barrier. When you get close to the barrier, sink back, say “Whoa”, and see if the barrier will stop the horse before you use your hand. Repeat several times, doing the same thing at the trot and eventually at the canter. You’ll find that your horse is stopping for you off of your voice and your seat. Very little hand will be required, which will in turn keep him nice and balanced. Your horse will be stopping off his hind end.
Carrie
Foster "Buddy" Hammersla Photographer (buddyimages.com)